Music is what grounds me. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter if I just spend 9 hours working on a music-related project. I can always find the right song that gives me inspirational chills. Music is the one thing that never grows old. It’s like a footprint that stays forever engrained in the heart of the world. It will always be there for me when everything else seems to be lost.

UMC shaped me to be a better individual by teaching me responsibility, developing my individuality, while also learning to work with others. They taught me to put myself out there and take risks, which has actually helped me land many opportunities. Taking lessons/workshops and performing with other students taught me how to connect and communicate with other people, while learning how to perform and talk onstage all inspired me to take up a career in communications, which I have found to be the perfect fit. Learning to perfect my singing also helped me to build my confidence within myself and my voice; something I didn’t have before the Collective.

The Collective taught me how to be reliable and responsible. I would be responsible by learning my songs on time, and reliable because my friends and fellow students were counting on me to have my assignments learned. For me outside of the Collective, I carry these skills with me everywhere because they apply for everything. In friendships, and relationships you should be reliable. In a work setting you should be reliable and responsible as well.