Music Major
I chose Heidelberg because my grandparents met here and I loved that I could have that connection to them. Also, the Concert Choir sang at my high school and I wanted to be a part of it!
I majored in music because it is something that brings me a lot of joy. At first I wasn't 100% sure what I wanted to do after I graduated so I figured I could start with music and change my major from there. But 4 years later I am still a music major and loving every second of it!
A major challenge I encountered while at Heidelberg was trying to learn how to say "Thank you, but I can't." Here at Heidelberg they really try and allow you to do whatever you want to do, but especially in the School of Music & Theatre we are very good about saying "yes" to things. Learning how to advocate for myself and be okay with not doing everything asked of me has been a huge process that has taken me 4 years and I'm still learning how to do that. But having friends to help keep me accountable is a huge blessing.
The best opportunity I discovered at Heidelberg was all the connections. Thanks to the things that I do in the School of Music & Theatre I have gotten to sing with a Symphony Chorale and Chamber Orchestra, have lunch with Dr. Paul Barnes, and work at Lakeside.
Outside of the classroom, I was involved in Zeta Theta Psi, Rho Eta Delta, Euglossian Society, Concert Choir and Chamber Singers, Colorguard, Concert Band, Studio2Stage, Tau Mu Sigma, and Alpha Psi Omega.
The thing I'm most proud of about my Heidelberg accomplishment probably the fact that I made it this far. I started here in 2020, so my first year and a half was spent at a distance and masked. Very few events were happening on campus, which made it even harder to make connections with people. But I pushed through and get to walk across the stage in a few weeks.
Faculty members who impacted my Berg experience are Michael and Pam Shirtz because they really challenged me in ways that I didn't expect in music and dance. And thanks to them, I have had some incredible experiences including working at Lakeside where I got to interact and sing with some phenomenal performers and producers!
My advice to new freshman me would be to hang in there, it does get better. And hold onto the relationships that you build because it makes the whole experience worth it. No matter what you are doing, if there are people around you to love and support you, then you can do anything.
My favorite Heidelberg memory is when I'm just hanging out in Beethoven Lounge in Brenneman. You never know who you may run into or what conversations you may have there, but it's always entertaining.
After I get my MBA, I plan to go into Arts Administration.