I've always known I needed to create music. Like babies trying to talk, it just came naturally to me. I was speechless when my mother sold her house back home in Brazil to help me pay for school. I'll never forget that selfless act or the vote of confidence behind it. I felt the same way when I opened my scholarship letter. I can’t believe people I’ve never even met could be so generous. American families have really opened doors for me.

Thanks to the sacrifices of my family and the Clark family scholarship, I am preparing for a career in teaching and music. The hours and energy I spend at practice every day here at NIU are the least I can do considering what others have invested in me. As soon as I become a teacher myself someday, I will do the same thing for others.