My name is Angeles Ondish, a soon to be senior music education major at Seton Hill University, and I believe that I qualify for the Presser Scholarship for a variety of reasons.
Academically, I qualify because I am a full time student, a junior at the time of this application, I have a 3.95 GPA, and I have earned the appropriate amount of credits outside of music at this time. However, I also believe that I have demonstrated and provided exemplary service to the music program as a whole.
Since the beginning of freshman year, I have come to the realization that as a commuter student, it would be a lot easier for me to “get by” without volunteering and being as involved in the music department, as I would not be required to be on campus as much as residents.
However, I have always enjoyed volunteering for the programs that I have been a part of and being able to help out as much as I can in the past. I told myself that I would not let being a commuter student get in the way of how much I wanted to be involved in the music department. I made it a goal of mine to put myself out there and let people know that even though I don’t live on campus, I do not mind taking a trip up to the hill and helping out! Therefore, I think I have shown a lot of dedication to the program through my acts of service over the years. I have thoroughly enjoyed assisting in the various events such as audition days, music major for days, honors festivals and concerts, and more! I truly do not even see it as “work” or even volunteering for that matter because I love that I am able to be a part of and contribute to something bigger than myself. I also think that all of these opportunities I have had the privilege to be a part of will certainly help me navigate similar events in my future career as a music teacher.
Over the past summer, I was also presented the opportunity to accept a work study position and begin organizing our music library. Although I did not know what to expect, I definitely walked into a bigger project than I was anticipating.
However, I was up for the challenge. Over several weeks and countless hours, I was able to file hundreds of pieces and create six corresponding spreadsheets for this music. I made sure every piece of music was assigned a number that corresponded to the correct spreadsheet for easier access in the future. I also filed a lot of new music given to the department and labeled each cabinet with the correct category, which also corresponded to the title of the spreadsheet. Even though I was getting paid for all of this work, which I greatly appreciate and am fortunate that they found the funds to do so, I would have enjoyed taking on this project regardless of the pay. Though some may think I am crazy, I actually really enjoyed taking the time to organize everything and set up a system for those who take on this job in the years to come. And once again, this is a project that will absolutely help me in the future, so I am forever grateful that I was chosen to take this on.
Additionally, being a work study/teacher assistant has been such a blast these past few semesters as I am able to assist with working sound and lights, making copies and passing out music for our various ensembles, and being a friendly face for those who need help within the music department. Working with Alyssa Wells and all of the other faculty members is a great time and building these relationships has made the PAC a wonderful place to work and learn at.
As a work study, a consistent volunteer within the program, a performer in many ensembles, and a music student in general, it can be very stressful and time consuming, as I am sure most are aware of. It is very easy for us to become extremely overwhelmed, negative, and complain often. As a relatively quiet and reserved person, I have observed this behavior and experienced it first hand. I completely understand why some college students feel this way and why ranting and getting things off the chest about workload and lack of time can be relieving. I have done it myself from time to time as this is a normal thing.
However, one thing I pride myself in is the way that I am able to stay positive and put on a smile most of the time, through all of the stressful moments as a music major. We all have bad days or bad weeks, but I believe that I have been able to demonstrate a good attitude and act as a role model for younger students who may not entirely know how to navigate themselves through music school just yet. I hope that the way in which I have attempted to carry myself is seen by others and that they perceive me as someone they can come to with questions and concerns that can provide them with logical answers and positive encouragement.
In addition to trying my best to act as a role model and leader towards other students of the program, I have had a lot of fun participating and acting as an officer in the NAfME (National Association for Music Education) club at Seton Hill. The first two years, I volunteered at various events NAfME held while also observing how upperclassmen ran the club and events. As soon as I felt ready to take on a leadership role, I was eager to become secretary and start contributing even more. I have helped put together various events and fundraisers including Pie a Professor and Masked Talent. These events involved a lot of communication with people on the hill and at the PAC along with a great amount of organization. As a team we were able to pull these events off and raise a substantial amount of money for the music education program! These events were a lot of fun and very rewarding in the end. Being a NAfME officer has helped me communicate professionally with students, staff, and faculty, work with others, and organize events big and small.
Over the years and time spent at the PAC, I have enjoyed every minute of it and I truly can not believe that I am about to be a senior and begin student teaching next semester. Time really flies faster than you would ever anticipate. Through all of the opportunities and experiences provided to me, I believe that I am in a great position to enter the field and begin living out my dream. If I were to receive this scholarship, I would be truly honored, not only to be chosen, but to be named a Presser Scholar alongside so many other past students that I genuinely look up to and admire. Thank you for your time and consideration, and regardless of the outcome, I am forever grateful for all of the opportunities and memories I have made.
