This photo is of my passport just days before I leave in front of my home in Gresham Park, GA. This place is special to me because it is the place where I have figured out more and more about who I am. I’m from a small town which is Dahlonega, GA. When I was growing up I often found myself in environments in which I felt like I did not belong, and when high school came around I realized that the small town vibe was not for me. I applied to GSU because I loved the city vibe, and during my senior year of high school my parents moved to Wisconsin. Once I graduated I upped and moved here to Gresham Park, Atlanta by myself and started school. This was the place I found the most out about myself because I felt like I was in an environment I belonged in. It helped me find my passion for teaching, reading, journalism, band, and strengthened many family relationships that were once weak. Moving here on my own taught me valuable life and adult skills that I use every day now, and it helped me transition better into college. I thank all the successes in my life to this house that I moved into when I was 18.

This is the front courtyard of Dahlberg Hall on campus. Specifically this is the front of the hall during the Summer Leadership Institute put on by the GSU School of Music. This place is special to me because I am in the GSU panther band, and more specifically I am in leadership as a section leader. The Summer Leadership Institute is something that we put on for high school band students who are in leadership at their own bands. It’s a place where kids grow in their leadership and teaching capabilities. As leadership in the school of music I am a staff member in this event. I lead kids in discussions about things their bands do, and ways they could be better at teaching. This is important to me because leadership abilities and teaching is something I love. Teaching other kids and talking to them about something I am also passionate about brings me an unfathomable amount of joy. In this particular picture this is the very first day of camp, where we all are together and take a group photo in the courtyard of Dahlberg. This is one of my favorite parts of the camp because it shows how much these kids have grown into leaders. It shows by the way they talk to you, talk to the other staff, and the way they handle trying to get all 500 kids in the camp to try to take one picture together. Dahlberg Hall is my fondest memory of the Summer Leadership Institute because of its ability to bring everyone together and to have them shine.