Alanah Personal Statement

I could tell she hadn’t had an enchanted life. She smelled funny and her hair was unkempt. Her Clothing? Mismatched. Alanah, a fifth-grader with special needs was my charge in a leadership program called “Little River Buddies”. Not exactly the “match” I had envisioned and I could tell she hadn’t been dreaming about me either. She was uncommunicative and appeared helpless. I felt ineffective but I was determined to succeed. By our third meeting, Alanah finally opened up to me. She told me all about herself and even let me help her with homework! Our seemingly endless hour together now flew by and parting was bitter-sweet.
As program leader, I was thinking BIG . . . influencing people, impacting society and leading my peers down a meaningful path. What did Alanah expect to accomplish? Her homework. What she helped me to achieve was so much more. This cute grade schooler opened a window onto what a future of serving others could look like. …show more content…
As a child, I sung before I spoke so when my Mom suggested I explore Music Therapy, I became captivated. I discovered a profession combining two important aspects of my life: music and helping others. I want to learn about the interaction of music and the brain and how music can heal. I desire to use my musical skills in service to others, so that Alanah will not be the last student to impact my life.
Ralph Waldo Emerson said “The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” For me, living well and being happy means serving others in a profession I