My STEP Signature Project was the Nevada, Arizona, Utah – January 2023 STEP Photography trip. We went to several National Parks, State Parks, and other sites in Nevada, Arizona, and Utah. At these sites we took pictures using the practices we were taught before and while on the trip.
One understanding of myself that changed while on the trip was my love for photography. Before this trip, the most experience I’ve had with photography was researching how to edit photos on my phone. My parents had a camera and I had used it a few times, but it had always been on auto-mode. This trip really allowed me to break outside of this bubble and experience landscape photography, which I would say is one of my favorite forms of the craft.
The trip also changed my view of the world in many ways. I have always wanted to travel, and before entering college I hadn’t been west of the Mississippi River. Since then, I have been to a few National Parks, but I would have to say that Zion and Grand Canyon National Park must be some of my favorites. My favorite thing about national parks is how beautiful and massive they are. It can change your prospective of the world, especially when you grow up in Ohio, and being able to capture that through my own lens is truly unique.
Some of the coolest events that took place while on the trip were experiencing the wide variety of scenery in northern Arizona/southern Utah. I was impressed that in the course of one day we went from the snowy forest near the Grand Canyon, to 1200-foot-tall plateaus in Utah, and then to endless desert. One of my favorite parts of the trip was Antelope Canyon. We went on a tour that took use through the canyon and the tour guide was able to tell us about the history, the geographical formations, and even where famous photos that were taken.
I made lots of new friends on trip but one of the best relationships I made was with Tony Small, the photography mentor. It was extremely helpful to hear his insight on how to take photos and what settings to use in real time. It’s one thing to take a class and go out somewhere and try to remember everything they said, but it’s a completely different experience to get feedback on the photos you are taking while you are taking them. I was able to use his feedback to change my viewpoint on things and I could see a noticeable improvement looking back on the photos I took.
As I mentioned before, I am very new to photography and this trip helped me to learn the various settings that can be adjusted to take good photos. Many of the nights of the trip we met for a few hours to discuss what each setting does, how it should be adjusted, and how to frame various photos. I learned some much from these classes and I was able to use what I learned the next day. In the second half of the trip, I also learned many post-processing techniques to make my pictures the best they could be.
All together I can say this trip was truly a once in a lifetime experience.
The transformation that took place while on the trip I think will help me in many ways in the future. One, I am very interested in pursuing photography as a side-project. The skills I obtained on this trip will help me start capturing my own experiences in a professional manner. I look to continue improving my skills, but I now have a good foundation to build upon for the future.
Secondly, one of my goals in life is to visit all the national parks in the continental United States. This trip helped me continue my journey and allowed me to really see how different the landscape of the U.S. ranges. It also continues to encourage me to pursue a career in sustainable energy or related fields as the places we visited are an example of what we are protecting as we aim to fight climate change.

Hi, my name is Caroline Cohen. For my STEP project, I went on a photography trip to Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon, Monument Valley, and Zion Canyon National Park (with a couple other stops along the way). I purchased a mirrorless Fujifilm XT100 camera for this trip.

When I embarked on this trip, I was not thinking much into the experience beyond I would get to learn how to use my camera and explore a part of the country I have never been to before. I knew the places we were scheduled to photograph would be amazing, but I never had the time to sit down and think about how cool an experience I would have on the trip prior to being in these scenic destinations. I am an Industrial and Systems Engineering major, and I typically find myself glued to my studies/all things school related. I did not have much time for creative endeavors in my daily school life, but after this trip, I learned how photography is a great way to release and take in the beauty in the world.

The biggest skillset takeaway for me from this process was learning how to photograph. As our photography mentor, Tony Small, taught us — learning how to use your camera is like a chef using a knife. The camera is the tool needed to take the photographs, and it is important to know all of its features and capabilities, but the real process is knowing the photographs to take in the first place. I took thousands of pictures on this trip, but I came to the conclusion quickly that a massive amount of pictures would edit down to a handful of great pictures for me to reference later. We also learned how to use Photoshop and Lightroom to edit pictures, so I learned how modern day photographs should be taken on specific settings to allow for proper editing and reprinting — such as on a calendar.

I also really appreciated the friendships I made on this trip. I got my camera a month before embarking on the trip, so I was worried that I would fall behind from the group in camera knowledge, or even become embarrassed at my pictures for not being as good as those of my peers. However, during this trip I was fully supported by both mentors and the ten other students, and it was a healthy learning experience for me to ask questions and learn more about my craft.

Lastly, one of my major takeaways was the experiences our group had along the way. The destinations we went to were things that you would see in movies or on screensavers –literally! I deeply enjoyed going and taking photos at these spots because I wanted to capture the beauty of the scenery and look back on it for the rest of my life. When we went to Antelope Canyon, our tour guide, Eli, was actually a photography guide and taught the group about frame angles, incoming light, and what some of the experts from Apple, Samsung, and Microsoft look for in their screensavers. Additionally, the sights at Zion Canyon National Park were the most stunning things I have ever seen in my life.

Not only was I able to practice and hone in on my craft on this trip, but I left with a whole new stance on photography and nature entirely. Looking up at the tops of the mountains in Zion was the greatest experience of my life — I felt so small compared to the giant magnificent towers around me. Additionally, there were waterfalls around every corner of our hikes, and the water was just so gorgeous to photograph and experience personally. It was very humbling experience, and made me feel in touch with the earth. I am so thankful that STEP allowed me to go on the trip of a lifetime!

1. Please provide a brief description of your STEP Signature Project. Write two or three sentences describing the main activities your STEP Signature Project entailed.

I will be partaking in a photography class provided by Shutterbug Photography and led by Bradley Adams.  Each week I will attend classes to learn about different photography classes and go on a class outing.  I also will be using STEP funds to buy a camera for this undertaking.

2. What about your understanding of yourself, your assumptions, or your view of the world changed/transformed while completing your STEP Signature Project? Write one or two paragraphs to describe the change or transformation that took place.

Before I started the class, I had close to no understanding for the different topics of photography and composition.  I didn’t understand the mechanics of a camera and how I could best capture moments to remember.  When I took pictures of friends, I would just eyeball and guess what kind of picture would look good.  I did not realize how beautiful a simple scene could be.

After taking the class, my understanding improved.  I wouldn’t have my friends lost in the contrast of a back-lit scene.  I stopped taking blurry action shots by adjusting my shutter speed.  I saw how I could change my perspective and make a simple scene look great with contrast and highlighting my subject.  I was able to see more beauty in the world and myself.

3. What events, interactions, relationships, or activities during your STEP Signature Project led to the change/transformation that you discussed in #2, and how did those affect you? Write three or four paragraphs describing the key aspects of your experiences completing your STEP Signature Project that led to this change/transformation.

My STEP Signature Project was very rich with memorable events and interactions.  Bradley Adams was very genuine with his passion for photography and definitely rubbed off on all of the students.  He captured my attention and it definitely helped me learn the different concepts of photography.  He was able to break down the concepts well.  Whenever I had questions, he would be able to cater his explanation so I could better understand. My classmates also were valuable to my experience.

All my classmates were older than me, but even so we were equals in the classroom.  They would ask questions I would never think of, but the answers would deepen my understanding.  I was able to have discussions about our projects and assignments and I got many different perspectives.  Photography is a subjective art and speaking with each of my classmates exposed me to many world views.  It was especially eye-opening when the class went on an outing in German Village.

As a class we went out to German Village, and this experience helped me find beauty where I may have overlooked it before.  Walking with the group, it was interesting to see what my classmates would want to take photographs of.  There is a cute little door down the sidewalk of German Village, and I literally changed my perspective by squatting down to make the door look more life-like.  The class was a great experience, and I will carry the skill and hobby with me throughout my life.

4. Why is this change/transformation significant or valuable for your life? Write one or two paragraphs discussing why this change or development matters and/or relates to your academic, personal, and/or professional goals and future plans.

The change is significant because I will be able to add my own style into my endeavors through my pictures.  I am a computer science and engineering major. However, I believe that I will be able to use photography to my advantage.  In the field of web-development, it would be helpful to be able to source my own images to cater to a specific web experience.  With different apps, I may use photography to help shape how certain pages or icons look.  In e-commerce, being able to spotlight products would be extremely helpful.  I also love capturing moments with my friends.  I’m sure this skill will give me an edge in my field.

For my STEP project “Ceramic session at BareClay Cafe”, I learned about the process of ceramics. I learned how to make a bowl on a ceramic wheel and trim it to my liking. I glazed and colored the ceramic bowls that were made and they were fired in a kiln.  Continue reading Ceramic session at BareClay Cafe →

1. Brief Description of My Step Project

My STEP project was one of creative and artistic motivation. After discontinuing my music education many years ago, I have had the longing to revisit and regrow my musical understanding and abilities. This project enabled me to put this plan in to action by enrolling in both voice and guitar lessons this past summer. I had previously been involved in choir, but I had never played the guitar; therefore, this project offered the perfect opportunity to refresh and enhance existing skills and learn entirely new ones. I have always thought it would be wonderful to play the guitar while singing. With this project, I practiced reading music, understanding the structure of a guitar, techniques for both voice and guitar, and how I can continue to build and combine the two as a cohesive musical interest.

2. STEP transformations

This project has certainly been transformational. While I learned a lot about voice and guitar, I also learned a lot about myself and life overall. This project encouraged me to be flexible and adaptable to circumstances outside of my control. It also showed my how empowering it can be to learn something new and go outside of your comfort zone. Not only empowering, but beneficial to a continuous growth mindset, which I see as essential to a long, happy, healthy life. Lastly, this project provided me with a renewed appreciation for balance in my life. I realize how important it is to have creative interests that I can work on independently regardless of where I am in my life.

3. What led to the transformations discussed above?

To begin, this project required my adaptability from the start. When I joined the STEP program, I was in my sophomore year, which also happened to be the first full school year of covid. Everything was virtual and everything was uncertain. I had initially planned to use my STEP money to pursue study abroad, but with the evolution of the pandemic, it seemed less plausible by the day. While I was holding on to hope that I could still study abroad as intended, it became evident that I would not be able to make that my STEP project due to time limitations. It was disappointing at first as it seemed that everything I had planned for with school was turning out differently, but I soon saw it as an opportunity to pursue another interest of mine, which was music. My disappointment soon faded, and I was excited to embark on a new project and work with the hand I was dealt and make sure my project was a success.

As I mentioned previously, I had some musical experience in my life, but it had been years since my most recent formal education. In middle school, I played the viola for a few years, and I was in the choir through junior high. This established some base understanding when it came to music, but for the most part, I felt as though I was starting from the ground up. I couldn’t read music fluently, I was nervous to sing by myself in front of my new voice instructor, and I had never played a guitar in my life. I was surprised at how quickly I seemed to catch on to what I was learning; I couldn’t believe I could play a song on the guitar after one lesson. I was also pleasantly surprised to see how my confidence in myself, not just musically, but overall, grew as I continued to take lessons. While I still have lots of room for growth and I plan to continue my education, I am proud to see how far I’ve come and what I am capable of.

While I was sad to see the official end of my STEP project, I know that it is not the end of my musical journey. As I have said, I have more to learn. This project has been a good challenge for me; I have refreshed old skills and picked up entirely new ones. It is a powerful thing to challenge your mind; I think it keeps you engaged and healthy. I can especially see this with the mind and hand coordination needed when playing the guitar and it has made me think that more people would benefit from learning to play.

As an engineering major, I often struggle with the lack of creativity needed in my day-to-day work. Due to this, I frequently look for artistic endeavors to pursue on the side. I crave the balance of analytical and creative mindsets. When I had a stressful day or week this summer, I found that I was able to let that go and entirely focus on my music when practicing or attending lessons. To me, this is important in managing stress levels in day-to-day life. Moreover, voice and guitar are special in that they can be practiced both with others and independently; despite what is going on in my life, I can continue with these musical endeavors. I have found this to be even more critical after living through covid-19 and seeing how much of my normal life and came to a halt. I feel confident that music will always be there.

4. Why is this change valuable in my life?

The changes I have experienced as a result of this program are valuable as I feel they can be applied throughout my life and for the rest of my life. Flexibility is important with jobs, with family and friends, and with life in general; being able to and comfortable with adjusting makes change easier and less daunting. Increasing confidence can lead to increasing self-esteem and increasing opportunities in all aspects of one’s life. Learning new things keeps us on our toes; both mental and physical health are extremely important. A mindset of continuous growth pushes one to learn more about themselves and the world around them, while also providing varied and unending purpose in daily life. Lastly, balance is what I need; it reduces stress, creates a well-rounded perspective, and allows me to present in each aspect of my life. Balance allows me a break from one mindset to focus on another. I didn’t realize how meaningful music education would be for me, but with this self-reflection, the impact has become more evident.

Figure 1: My guitar

Figure 2: Music Books with notes written in for guitar

Figure 3: Some of the songs I learned in voice with a few of my notes added

My step project was to take private piano lessons to further my piano education. I found an instructor online and we met via zoom once a week. I purchased sheet music and other supplies that helped supplement my learning. My skills progressed immensely during this time!

Piano for me is very therapeutic. When I am playing it gives my brain something to focus on. This allows my brain to let go of whatever is stressing me. Whenever I stand up from the piano bench I always leave in a better headspace than I arrived. This has taught me ways to help myself when I am feeling overwhelmed or anxious.

Piano also provides a challenge for me. It is hard for my neurodivergent brain to learn new things. Especially learning to play an instrument from scratch. This experience has given me a new perspective on my capabilities. I used to have a hard time trying new things even if I wanted to because I was too overwhelmed and did not know where to even begin. Learning to play the piano has given me the confidence within myself to learn new things even if it is challenging. Since I started my STEP project I have also started to learn how to play the ukulele and how to crochet. I do not think I would have attempted to learn these things prior to this experience.

One thing that was important and taught me a valuable lesson is that not everyone is a good fit. I interviewed a few piano instructors before I met Hannah. The other people were all great, but I did not feel like their methods would be conducive for my learning and goals. I sometimes have a hard time telling people no, so the first thing I overcame during my project was trusting myself and saying no until I found the right person. I also built a great relationship with Hannah. She was kind and patient even when I was frustrated with myself. Her behavior helped me learn to be more patient with myself.

Another way this project transformed me was by challenging me in new ways. In the beginning I easily grew frustrated with myself because usually I knew what I needed to do but my fingers would not cooperate. As the project progressed I learned how to handle errors with ease, I continued playing without cringing or stopping to restart entirely. This was a valuable lesson for me to learn. I need to be more patient with myself. Once I became more patient with myself I progressed faster because I was not putting as much pressure on myself to succeed.

I have never liked being the center of attention. For school projects it was one thing, because it was for a grade and even if I were to stumble my words it never felt personal. Playing an instrument feels more personal. To me it feels like I am conveying a piece of myself through the keys. I connect with the music on a deeper level, so it feels like I am exposing a piece of myself if I play while others are around. When one plays an instrument it makes noise and draws attention. This took getting used to because I am not one to seek that type of attention. It still feels odd sometimes but I have also learned to be proud of myself and accept praise from people because I deserve it. This came with time and it got easier the more comfortable and confident I became at the bench.

I think that this experience has changed the way I view myself and the world around me. I feel like a more creative person. And I feel more confident and capable of trying new things and skills. Even if I have no idea where to begin and it feels overwhelming. I think that the things I learned about myself throughout my project will be with me throughout my entire life. And I plan to continue to practice the piano and continue improving every day!

Learning another strategy to help manage and alleviate anxiety is important to help my academic and professional performance. Practicing the piano allows me to set my worries aside and ground myself back to reality. This makes it easier to focus on tasks. I think I am a better, more developed person than I was before playing the piano. It took a lot of courage to try something that I was brand new to in front of a random stranger and try even though I knew I would fail, a lot. But I am proud of myself for persevering!

1. From the dates of June 27, 2022 to August 15, 2022, I underwent a Creative and Artistic Endeavor step project titled ‘Living my Daydreams in Music. I traveled to my summer home in Palm Coast, Florida to undergo guitar lessons. My project consisted of two guitar lessons a week, typically on Mondays and Thursdays. Toward the end, we decided to do three lessons a week to maximize our time together.

2. I have always been a big fan of music in every sense of the word. I enjoy listening to music, writing music, and singing music. I know how to play piano and a little clarinet from my high school years, but I never learned how to play guitar. I had heard that guitar was the easiest instrument to learn, and I believed that I would pick it up relatively quickly.

Despite my guitar instructor telling me that I seemed to have a good sense of music (because I also play piano), guitar was infuriating to me sometimes. What was particularly challenging to me was certain chord shapes. I could not, for the life of me, get all my fingers to stay down on the guitar bridge at once. I avoided playing some songs because I would just get so frustrated trying to play one chord progression. I felt like I would never be able to play the chord correctly.

But what is that age old saying? Practice makes perfect. That statement used to annoy me. I’m the type of person that gets to down on myself if I’m not good at something right away. No one else would expect me to be the next John Mayor within a few weeks, but that was the expectation I had for myself. I wanted guitar to come naturally to me, just like piano had. And I suppose it did; I really enjoyed playing new songs I heard on Spotify and pushing myself to learn new chords all on my own. I could look at a song a know how to play it within 5 minutes—not perfectly, of course, but a start—and I even started improvising on my own. It was just those few chords that stumped me and made me want to give up. I know this about myself now. It was something I had never really been aware of until now. My instructor encouraged me to just keep practicing those chords. Sounds simple, right? But frustration can shut the brain down. I learned that I am capable of overcoming the frustration and achieving my goals.

3. I believe that the way an instrument is taught by the instructor can make or break someone’s experience learning it. When I first started playing piano, I had a very understanding and fun teacher. My next teacher was the same way, and I really enjoyed playing piano with them. It felt like a stress-free extracurricular activity each week. That being said, neither of those teachers pushed me out of my comfort zone. I would go in, play my songs, and repeat the next week. My next teacher, though, was very strict. She pushed me very hard. I would go home and immediately start practicing and play for hours sometimes to get the music just right. But when the time came each week to do our lesson, I dreaded it. She made me a better piano player, but she also made me hate playing. It was at that moment that I decided to quit lessons and just play piano for fun.

Given this, it is no surprise that I was nervous going into my first guitar lesson. Would my teacher be fun but not push me, or would he be strict but make me not want to practice? As our lessons went on, it became clear to me that he would end up being a perfect mix of both. He wanted me to play the songs I wanted to play in order to keep it fun. However, he didn’t let me be lazy when learning the proper way to play.

I compare learning guitar to learning how to type. There is a certain way your fingers should move to type on the computer keyboard in order to maximize efficiency and speed. I was one of those kids who decided it would be easier to type her own way. I still type the “wrong” way to this day. I found myself wanting to come up with my own way to play guitar, because many of the things were difficult for me and I felt it would be easier my way. My instructor explained to me that he wasn’t going to tell me I couldn’t play that way, but that it would come back to bite me later as I got more advanced. He told me the only way to overcome the difficulty is to just keep trying it. I had convinced myself that if I “kept trying”, it wouldn’t yield different results. But he saw right through that and pushed me until I got it right. My instructor really is the one who reminded me that I’m capable of anything as long as I don’t give up.

4. Never give up. Just keep trying. Practice makes perfect. These statements are incredibly applicable to me in this point of my life. I came into college very certain of the path I was going to take. I had never ever considered that my path could change. My junior year, I switched from Animal Science on the pre-vet track to Social Work. Those are two very different careers, and totally different skillsets are needed for both. This year, I started my field placement at the Columbus Free Clinic, where the skills I do and don’t have are very obviously highlighted. Instead of focusing on the things I do well, I focus on the things I don’t know. This causes me tremendous stress and makes me doubt whether Social Work is the right path for me.

But then I think back to this summer, and the lessons I took from learning guitar. Never give up. I was so overwhelmed that I considered changing my major again, but I knew that if I kept trying, things would start clicking. Practice is everything in Social Work. Interviewing and engagement skills are a muscle that constantly need to be worked. It’s okay if I don’t know everything right away; nobody does. That’s what field is for, to learn and improve and show us what we can improve on. If I hadn’t been reminded over the summer what I’m capable of if I put my mind to it, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

From the dates of June 27, 2022 to August 15, 2022, I underwent a Creative and Artistic Endeavor step project titled ‘Living my Daydreams in Music. I traveled to my summer home in Palm Coast, Florida to undergo guitar lessons. My project consisted of two guitar lessons a week, typically on Mondays and Thursdays. Toward the end, we decided to do three lessons a week to maximize our time together.

I have always been a big fan of music in every sense of the word. I enjoy listening to music, writing music, and singing music. I know how to play piano and a little clarinet from my high school years, but I never learned how to play guitar. I had heard that guitar was the easiest instrument to learn, and I believed that I would pick it up relatively quickly.

Despite my guitar instructor telling me that I seemed to have a good sense of music (because I also play piano), guitar was infuriating to me sometimes. What was particularly challenging to me was certain chord shapes. I could not, for the life of me, get all my fingers to stay down on the guitar bridge at once. I avoided playing some songs because I would just get so frustrated trying to play one chord progression. I felt like I would never be able to play the chord correctly.

But what is that age old saying? Practice makes perfect. That statement used to annoy me. I’m the type of person that gets to down on myself if I’m not good at something right away. No one else would expect me to be the next John Mayor within a few weeks, but that was the expectation I had for myself. I wanted guitar to come naturally to me, just like piano had. And I suppose it did; I really enjoyed playing new songs I heard on Spotify and pushing myself to learn new chords all on my own. I could look at a song a know how to play it within 5 minutes—not perfectly, of course, but a start—and I even started improvising on my own. It was just those few chords that stumped me and made me want to give up. I know this about myself now. It was something I had never really been aware of until now. My instructor encouraged me to just keep practicing those chords. Sounds simple, right? But frustration can shut the brain down. I learned that I am capable of overcoming the frustration and achieving my goals.

I believe that the way an instrument is taught by the instructor can make or break someone’s experience learning it. When I first started playing piano, I had a very understanding and fun teacher. My next teacher was the same way, and I really enjoyed playing piano with them. It felt like a stress-free extracurricular activity each week. That being said, neither of those teachers pushed me out of my comfort zone. I would go in, play my songs, and repeat the next week. My next teacher, though, was very strict. She pushed me very hard. I would go home and immediately start practicing and play for hours sometimes to get the music just right. But when the time came each week to do our lesson, I dreaded it. She made me a better piano player, but she also made me hate playing. It was at that moment that I decided to quit lessons and just play piano for fun.

Given this, it is no surprise that I was nervous going into my first guitar lesson. Would my teacher be fun but not push me, or would he be strict but make me not want to practice? As our lessons went on, it became clear to me that he would end up being a perfect mix of both. He wanted me to play the songs I wanted to play in order to keep it fun. However, he didn’t let me be lazy when learning the proper way to play.

I compare learning guitar to learning how to type. There is a certain way your fingers should move to type on the computer keyboard in order to maximize efficiency and speed. I was one of those kids who decided it would be easier to type her own way. I still type the “wrong” way to this day. I found myself wanting to come up with my own way to play guitar, because many of the things were difficult for me and I felt it would be easier my way. My instructor explained to me that he wasn’t going to tell me I couldn’t play that way, but that it would come back to bite me later as I got more advanced. He told me the only way to overcome the difficulty is to just keep trying it. I had convinced myself that if I “kept trying”, it wouldn’t yield different results. But he saw right through that and pushed me until I got it right. My instructor really is the one who reminded me that I’m capable of anything as long as I don’t give up.

Never give up. Just keep trying. Practice makes perfect. These statements are incredibly applicable to me in this point of my life. I came into college very certain of the path I was going to take. I had never ever considered that my path could change. My junior year, I switched from Animal Science on the pre-vet track to Social Work. Those are two very different careers, and totally different skillsets are needed for both. This year, I started my field placement at the Columbus Free Clinic, where the skills I do and don’t have are very obviously highlighted. Instead of focusing on the things I do well, I focus on the things I don’t know. This causes me tremendous stress and makes me doubt whether Social Work is the right path for me.

But then I think back to this summer, and the lessons I took from learning guitar. Never give up. I was so overwhelmed that I considered changing my major again, but I knew that if I kept trying, things would start clicking. Practice is everything in Social Work. Interviewing and engagement skills are a muscle that constantly need to be worked. It’s okay if I don’t know everything right away; nobody does. That’s what field is for, to learn and improve and show us what we can improve on. If I hadn’t been reminded over the summer what I’m capable of if I put my mind to it, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

My STEP Signature Project included beginning to learn how to play the guitar.  During my project, I attended guitar lessons with a local instructor.  I learned how to read music and specific notes, along with different techniques to playing the guitar.

Over the course of my STEP project, I learned a lot about myself and the world.  I learned how the arts can closely correlate with my future career goals, and the positive effects music can have on people.  The lessons made me realize how important it is to have an outlet for when you are stressed to just relax and enjoy yourself.  I always assumed learning to play an instrument would be a lot of work, but did not grasp how much fun it can be to learn just small steps to getting better.

While playing guitar, the small, fine motor movements needed with your fingers and wrists correlates closely to what is needed when you are a dentist.  I quickly noticed how learning to play the guitar can help me in my future career goal of becoming a dentist.  It was also amazing to see how even playing such simple songs can bring people together.  When playing basic melodies, people would get so excited when recognizing the notes.  Along with that, it was just as exciting to me when people could recognize the song, even if it was only three simple chords.  Lastly, I came to see how important it is to take a break and have a hobby that helps during stressful times.  Whenever I needed a break from studying or having a bad day, I would practice and start to calm down.

These recognitions will help me for the rest of my life.  It is always important to have an outlet for when you are in times of stress, and with graduate school coming up, it will be even more relevant for me.  It will also be important to take the same joy I got when learning small parts of the guitar and relate it to the achievements in my life.  In life it is so easy to be so focused on the end goal that I do not celebrate the small victories that lead up to it.  This made me realize I should celebrate all the accomplishments no matter the size.