“Band Horns Up” I put my cymbals in to position as the drum major counts the band off. Under the stadium lights I can feel the sweat beading off my face as I begin crashing the cymbals to Cherokee as the football players run and the crowd begins to scream.

Growing up in the small town of Callahan Florida there wasn’t much to do. You could sit in the parking lot of the local Winn Dixie or drive 30 plus minutes to do anything fun. Here everybody knows each other, and community is not just a word. Everyone shows up for each other when it matters, and you can bet the whole town is going to show up to support the West Nassau Warrior Football team. Because in Callahan after Jesus there’s High School Football. This is where I truly realized the love people have for music even if they don’t realize. When the high school marching band starts playing the opening chords for the fight song everyone goes ballistic. Living in such a small town has taught me a lot about people and even myself. People are kind and care about their neighbors. Anyone would be willing to give you the shirt off their back. These are morals that I pride myself on and bring into every part of my life. Something that I really love is the way music can bring people together. Being a part of the band, I was able to understand how much that simple song meant to the town of Callahan.

In the sixth grade my musical journey began with me deciding to play the Oboe. Something about it really drew me in and truly captured me. Guided by my mama, who is also an instrumentalist, I worked so hard to become the best Oboist I could be. I practiced every day, and slowly but surely my sound grew from a duck to an Oboe. I would audition for the county and district honors band, I would work on solos for months to be able to play them at solo and ensemble, I even took private lessons to grow as much as I could. When it came time to audition for college programs, I put all my eggs in one basket and only auditioned at Jacksonville University. Lucky for me, I received a nice music scholarship and finally felt like all my hard work had paid off. During my time at Jacksonville University, I have truly grown as a musician, and I couldn’t be prouder of the Oboist I have become.

Even though music has been a passion of mine for ten years now, communications is going to be my career. Growing up I was always writing random stories that I would read to my parents. In high school, my friends would make funny videos and I fell in love with producing videos. Now in college, I’ve gotten the chance to produce many videos that allow me to express myself and write about topics that I love. As a member of the Dolphin Channel here on campus, I get to continue making videos about topics that I find interesting. It has also given me the experience of using a studio room and using high-tech equipment.

Communication has already taken me places I have never even thought of going. In the Spring of 2024, I traveled to California with a few classmates and presented the videos we created about Jacksonville University’s Marine Science program. The research they explained to us was about the dangers people have caused in the St. John’s River and how our own doing will lead to harming ourselves. This project gave me the experience of understanding a reporter’s job, and how important journalism is to communities. This opportunity has inspired me to continue teaching the community.