High School: University Prep
Post-Graduation Plans: Vanderbilt University
Course of Study: Public Policy
Dressed in black, pearls around our necks, we stand strong together: thirty-two women,
my closest friends, almost sisters, in uniform rows. Despite our many different stories, at this
moment, in front of an audience of hundreds, bright lights shining down on us, we are one. Like
the ebb and flow of the ocean’s waves, our voices echo and ring through the concert hall. When
we take a collective breath, it feels as if we’ve stolen the air from the entire room. The pictures
we paint with our words flash in our eyes, each syllable electric with a renewing and restorative
energy. Our voices blend into a single, powerful sound.
As we reach the final movement of the song, we begin to repeat the refrain, “I am
strong.” A rhapsody of this affirmation fills the room and, as the song comes to a close, my eyes
swell with tears. As our voices rise together and the meaning of the lyrics settles into our
consciousness, I feel a wave of self-reflection, love, and gratitude wash over me.
Then comes the moment I treasure most. When Sarra drops her hands, we are suspended
for a few precious seconds of silence between the exquisite reverberation of the final chord and
the riotous applause as the audience rises to its feet. What lies in that moment of stillness
between song and ovation is the joy we have just created and the pride we feel.
Singing has always been a significant part of my life. I live for standing on a stage and
being at my most vulnerable with my audience. After months of rehearsing, even in moments of
fear, confidence courses through me as I propel sound into the audience. On stage with my best
friends, we lift each other’s voices up and make each other heard. The progression of my music
education is deeply connected to the importance of my voice; my singing represents who I am.
The eleven years I’ve spent in the Seattle Girls Choir have undeniably shaped who I have
become today.
I love using my voice to masterfully blend harmonies and rhythms. Equally, I love
employing my voice as an advocate for others, facilitating and creating a safe space for difficult,
yet crucial, conversations. This is something I’ve focused on during my high school career, and I
would not have been able to cultivate this change without SGC in my life. In both arenas, singing
and advocacy, using my voice to uplift others and bring communities together is what makes me
truly strong.