1. “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing”
   • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPKpkrqBwNs
   • My grandmother passed away my junior year of high school from Alzheimer’s disease. During the last 3 years or so of her life, it was very difficult for her to communicate, and often she would begin humming church hymns, this one being one of her favorites. During the last year of her life when she was completely bedridden, I would go to her house and sing with her to church music that neither of us really knew, although we both tired to sing along (well she hummed, I made up notes). Music, especially church hymns, were how I communicated with my grandmother for the last few years of her life.
2. “You’ll Be in My Heart” from Tarzan
   • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIVaUcE4kAM
   • I grew up watching Tarzan; it has always been one of my favorite movies. I have a baby doll I received my first Christmas that I named Tarzan, and still have the doll to this day. Whenever I hear this song, I am brought back to my childhood. I also performed music from Tarzan the first year I made it into my high school show choir, which was a childhood dream come true.
3. “Audition” from 42^nd Street
   • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yH9WxKZc5ko
   • This song is the opening number in the musical 42^nd Street, which is my favorite show that I have been in and my senior year musical. I graduated from an arts school within my high school, so it was always competitive to land a larger role in a show. I played Andy Lee, which was the biggest role I ever played in a musical, and I also was featured as a tap soloist in this big number. I was so proud to be the featured for the opening number of the show in front of the whole cast as they tapped behind me. It’s rare that a high school can do a complex full tap number, but we could because of our arts program.
4. “There’s No Rose of Such Virtue” by Kevin Memley
   • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzZw1KS_sXs
   • This is my favorite choral piece I have ever performed. It is one of the few pieces that I could continually work on for over half a year and never get tired performing or practicing it. Even after preforming it all Christmas season with my show choir, my fellow show choir members and I never stopped improving on the piece to perform at contest and for our final showcase. Working on this piece taught me that even mastered music can always be improved on to be made more beautiful.
5. “For Good” from Wicked
   • Although it is cliché, Wicked is my favorite musical, and has been since I saw it in 6^th grade (I have since seen the show two more times). This is song in particular in the show is powerful to me because it can apply to anyone, whether in context of the show or not. If I could never see someone who played an important part in my life again, this song would be the words I want him or her to hear. It emphasizes the lasting, positive effect two people can have on one an other, and I really resonate with the statement, “I have been changed for good”, when it pertains to another person. I strive to change others for good, and I know so many others who have done that for me.
6. “When I Grow Up” from Matilda the Musical
   • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96JDkI2tBhI
   • I took dance recreationally at Upstage Dance Studio since I was four years old; I grew up in the studio with my friends. This song was the one I performed for my senior solo the last year I went to the studio. The theme of the dance recital that year was musicals, and I think my teacher picked that theme my senior year because she knew how much I loved musicals so I could pick any musical song I wanted for my solo. I chose this one from Matilda because I could pretend to be a kid again throughout the dance, but transition to my college-bound self at the end of the piece.
7. “Fleur des Blés” by Count Debussy
   • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6JdMPqT85o
   • Although this is not one of my favorite songs, it is on this list because I am proud that I over came it. I sang this song at Solo and Ensemble my senior year of high school in front of a judge and received a one (the highest rank) on my performance. Out of all of the solos I have sang, this was the most difficult I have had to do. The piano and the voice are completely independent, it was the first A piece I was taking as a solo, and it was in French when I was reading the words like Spanish. I had to work very hard on this piece, but it paid off and I can still sing it all today.
8. “Absolutely Everybody” by Vanessa Amorosi
   • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZNYwabOpyk
   • I have known every word to this song since sixth grade when my social studies teacher, Mr. Heidi, introduced it to me. It was his favorite song, and he played it in the mornings or before tests to pump us up. Although I forget about the song from time to time, to this day it can still create a level of joy and excitement in me when I hear it. It also has a great message today that is true now more than ever: everyone needs other people, everyone needs support, everyone needs love.

StrengthsQuest Reflection

I first took StrengthsQuest over the summer for the Leadership Collaborative. We spent the week talking about our personal strengths and how they could help us become better leaders. Since then, I have noticed my strengths having an effect on my everyday life, especially when I work in groups of people.

Positivity: My top strength is positivity, which came at no surprise to me. I am always looking on the bright side and trying to help others see the better side of situations. I used to teach dance, and I was always quick to give a compliment when I would see someone improve on a dance step. I think my positivity makes me easy to work with in pressured situations, such as during a lunch rush at the Union Market (where I now work). I still am happy to greet each customer as I take their order and praise my co-workers when the rush is over with a quick “Go us!”

Inclusiveness: My second top strength is being inclusive. While I was inclusive before I took the StrengthsQuest, but I not identify it as one of my strengths. It wasn’t until after I saw inclusiveness as one of my strengths did I realize it was natural for me to try to include others. Whenever I am working in a group, I like to make sure no one’s ideas are left out because they are afraid to speak up. In general conversation, I notice when others are talked over and unheard, and try to make sure they get a word in the conversation as well. If I see someone looking like they are left out, I always try to extend a hand and make sure they know they are welcome to join the group.

Maximizer: My third strength is maximizer. This one is very prevalent in college as I am choosing to focus in an area that has always been a strength for me: the arts. I realize I do not have the talent to pursue a performance career, so I chose to go a different route while still being around what I love. Majoring in Arts Management as well as Theater in pursuit of creating arts programs for kids allows me to put my talents – working well with the public and others, organizing, planning, working well with kids, being knowledgeable about the arts – together to do something I believe is important with my life. To me, it’s not worth the time or the risk to try to develop my abilities to the point where I could be confident in making a career in performing, so I chose to go as different route to make better use of my strengths.

My fourth strength is Harmony, and my fifth is Input.

Where do I start with John Marshall? He is very funny, he is in ROTC, he is perusing a music education major, he sometimes finds his way into trouble, and he plays the bass clarinet. I had the mission of capturing all of this in one photograph. I really enjoyed this project; it forced me to get to know someone well enough that I felt I could take a picture that well reperesents his personality. To get to know each other better, we had lunch together twice, as well as had a handful of text conversations to learn more about one an other.

After getting to know him, I could somewhat imagine the picture I wanted to take of John. I have him running because he is sometimes running away from trouble, was active for Boy Scouts, and also runs for ROCT. He is carrying his base clarinet because it represents his major, his involvement in symphony band, and his dedication to band in high school. In the background, there is sheet music flying in the air, as if he just realized he has somewhere to be and jumped up in a flurry, because he seems to occasionally push the limit time-wise.

My favorite part of the picture is John’s face, because I didn’t ask him to make any particular face; he just made this one while he was running. It makes me smile; I think his automatic face shows his true personality. He is a very funny character. When John and I first chose each other for the project, he and I only had time for a quick exchange of names and phone numbers, but now that we have finished the project, I know I have a new friend in Arts Scholars.

[Artifacts are the items you consider to be representative of your academic interests and achievements. For each entry, include both an artifact and a detailed annotation.  An annotation is a reflective description of the artifact that attempts to communicate its significance.  For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]