When I first sat down to apply to college, I became keenly aware that I may not come
across as the academic type on paper. My ability to succeed in both college and life though is so much more than the sum of my grades I have earned thus far. If the truth be told, my grades are not up to par with what my peers have earned, but then again, I doubt that my peers have had the re al world experiences that I have had. Academics are wonderful and necessary for success, but part of finding out who I am and, in the process growing up, has been a direct result of my non academic activities.

My passion in life has always been to be successful in music. As a result, my academics were not stellar as I paid more attention to my music. Along with music, I worked hard at two jobs in high school so that I could afford to engage in perfecting my music. I paid for my own music lessons and I spent hours in practice and rehearsal. While my peers were busy with school work, I was busy with lining up gigs to enhance my musical career. I worked every bit as hard as my academic peers, but it was just in a different direction. My efforts paid off when I was hired to perform with big name stars like Sugar Ray, The Foo Fighters, Smash Mouth, Joan Jett, and others. My career has segued into the management aspect of music now. I work for a record label, and I manage a recording studio where I am also the head audio engineer. As I have grown and matured, I have settled into making school a priority and now work as hard at my academic pathway as I do my music.

Even though I made mistakes in the past with regards to academics, I have never wavered from the belief that education is important. I will continue to blend my academics and music so that I can become a well rounded individual.