TCU Study Abroad in Italy

From the age of 16, my mother has been raising me and my siblings by herself. Her
struggle from paycheck to paycheck could have made it easy to allow my future to be written in
that manner. I knew I would have to work hard, ignore labeling, stay determined and
overcome all oppressions that l might face in order to be successful in life. I was fortunate to
have a mom who works 6 jobs, would do anything to provide for her family, manage to make
dinner and put on a happy face even though she is overworked and frustrated. She always
encouraged me to follow my heart which has led me on a journey that in 10 years will consist of
a Music Education degree, Masters in conducting and a Doctorate in leadership education. I
have adopted my mother’s work ethic and I am ready to sacrifice and devote myself to
becoming the best choral conductor I can be. Many of my friends and family have said that I
should “stay within my limits,” a phrase which I find limiting and an underestimation of my
capabilities. I am limited by the amount of money my family can provide but not by the amount
of commitment I am ready to give.
As a Music Major it is difficult to not be fascinated by Italy because of its musical history.
The greatest musicians, composers and conductors either performed taught or were students
in Italy, a majority of which were desperately trying to survive by being the best they could be.
Being a conductor means that you must channel emotions and ideas that were inscribed into
music by someone who believed in its importance. I want to be able to understand why these
emotions were so important and what makes them universal and relevant now.
Because of a study abroad program, in high school I was able to host a girl from China
for the school year. There were many things we shared in common and many things we
learned from each other. I see this as an opportunity to experience a culture from her
perspective by submerging myself and being open to anything and everything I could learn
while becoming a better musician and person. I want to understand what it means to represent
the Italian culture through music, I want to become more culturally sensitive and observe what
makes us unique but yet still the same. But none of this would be possible if I didn’t commit
myself to achieve my goals just as many musicians never quit what they love because of how
poor they were or how strange their art is.
This journey to Italy is more than a destination, but a journey through time, cultures,
and music resulting in my becoming the best conductor and educator possible. I know that this
program would enable me to get me one step closer to ensuring my life, education and career
goals will be a reality. For this reason I will do whatever it takes to do anything I can to ensure
that I represent TCU in Italy this summer.

This is why I would love if you could support me in my journey to Italy.  Any donations are welcome and greatly appreciated.  I am also working on a possible benefit concert and I will update when I find out more information on that.  Thank you so much for all that you do and for always believing in my abilities as a student, performer, and educator.