1. Dear Selection Committee,
The violence we see today in communities throughout our country and this world can be
averted through the sharing and immersion in music. While it is often not understood why these
violent individuals commit the acts they do, it is important to understand that these events have
the potential to be avoided. In his 1981 autobiographical collage, Kurt Vonnegut rhetorically
asks his readers what young people should be doing with their lives in those present days and
answers, "...The most daring thing is to create stable communities in which the terrible disease of
loneliness can be cured." While music is a powerful means of filling a listener's heart and
bringing individuals together, what it ultimately creates is collective harmony, exuded from the
bliss and closeness it compels an audience to feel. This influence is what has the capability to
change an outlook of an individual. By the sharing of music, people are compelled to feel close
to those they are sharing it with, eluding them away from destruction. The music provided by the
Symphony is what aids in the exposure of the communal happiness and beauty of the human
condition. It's about allowing the commonality of music to engross and light the spirit of unity
within its audience. The unfolding of these reactions and refined perceptions of the world are
what embodies individuals with differences to unite and strengthen a community. With the recent
tragedies of shootings, violent mass attacks, and extreme acts of violence, it is indisputable that
we are not intended to live this way as human beings.
I applied for the incredible internship opportunity with the Grand Rapids Symphony to
embrace the role and responsibilities of strengthening the Grand Rapids community. After
graduation, I aspire to use my skills gained through my education and experiences with the
Symphony to benefit a city that I have come to love so dearly. I am extremely passionate about
Grand Rapids and everything it has to offer. I am especially appreciative of how the exposure of

2. arts and culture unite a community in such a constructive and positive manner. Due to my heavy
involvement in the hospitality industry, I pride myself on consistently serving others above and
beyond the norm. The importance of maintaining commonality through creative cultural arts
within a community propels innovation and promising change for the future. It deters individuals
away from violence and corruption against their community because they develop a sense of
closeness and relatability amongst their neighbors. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to
contribute my skills to an institution that so well lines up with my own passions and values in
this world. Having the fortune to work for an organization you so strongly believe in is
incredibly empowering and motivating. With my strong admiration and constant curiosity for the
Grand Rapids arts and culture, I believe I can strengthen the community with my contagious
enthusiasm and underlying belief in the power of societal unity. It is vital that a community as
blessed as Grand Rapids maintains and builds upon practices that promote communal harmony. I
possess the passion and confidence in my self-direction to better this community and intend to
continue to promote the importance of togetherness in other areas of the world. I am enthusiastic
to serve an organization that has so generously impacted and benefited a community that means
so much to me. With my abilities, education, and experiences acquired through my internship, I
aspire to continue to bring and uphold the constructiveness and positivity the city of Grand
Rapids has shown its citizens to other areas of the world. The importance of community pride
and engagement is what creates safe and bright futures, while inspiring seismic change within a
world that can be so dark. The lives of the individuals touched by what the Grand Rapids
Symphony does is what compels me to work for an organization such as this one. And it is by
touching these lives and the creation of a sense of togetherness that keeps a community thriving
and safe. So where I will go location wise specifically after graduation is unknown. However,

3. where I want to head is in the direction of maintaining and enhancing societal safeness,
togetherness, and prosperity through the promotion and emphasis of cultural arts. As this
scholarship opportunity asks how my internship intends to help me get to where I want to go
after graduation, I truly believe this internship is not about me. It is not about where I want to go
after graduation, but how I can cultivate lasting harmony for the Grand Rapids community as a
whole from my time spent at the Grand Rapids Symphony.
With this opportunity, I will be aiding the Grand Rapids Symphony marketing team in
the coordination and communication of their 2016 concert season events to the community. I
look forward to working alongside staff, musicians, the Board and community leaders to help
increase community engagement. As a representative of the Symphony, I will be challenged to
develop, express, and execute innovative ideas in the anticipation of bringing in new members to
the organization. I will have the pleasure to establish relationships with various individuals,
businesses, and organizations to collaborate on projects that support Grand Rapids. It is through
the memories of purity and happiness from the music provided by the Grand Rapids Symphony
that will uphold and continue to construct the beauty of this community. By being part of
something much greater than myself, it is a privilege to give my time, talent, and energy to
sustain the constructiveness and positivity of the Grand Rapids Symphony and the city of Grand
Rapids as a whole.
Thank you in advance for your time and consideration.