I’m a ninth grader at Everett High, and music is my anchor. I’ve played cello for about four years; it’s where I can breathe, connect, and feel useful. I grew up in Washington—Seattle, then Lynnwood, now Everett—and I like being involved at school and learning new things. After graduation I want to study education and music, start with Running Start at Edmonds to earn my AA, then transfer—Michigan State is on my wish list—and come back to teach in the Edmonds or Everett district. A teacher helped me through a hard sixth-grade year; since then I’ve TA’d for beginning orchestra and realized I want to give students the same steadiness music gave me.
College, though, feels confusing and expensive. I know community college is more affordable, but tuition, books, and everything around school still add up. I haven’t hit big financial barriers yet, but I’m realistic: later—especially if I pursue performance—costs could be a wall. That’s why I support guaranteeing the first two years of college free. Running Start helps some of us, but not everyone can or wants to take that route. Free first years would let more students try college, explore classes, and focus on learning instead of calculating what they can’t afford.
Support beyond tuition matters, too. At Everett High we’re opening a school-based health clinic, there are counselors (one works with a service dog), and staff who connect students to supplies or community programs. Still, most of us hear about resources once, in the first week, and then it’s on us to track everything down. Making help more visible—regular reminders, clear posters, quick ways to schedule time with counselors—would reach shy students and those who don’t know what to ask for yet. The same goes for mental health: I know help exists, but it’s hard to build a relationship when counselors are stretched thin. More proactive check-ins and simpler ways to get same-day support would help.
I want to be a music teacher because classrooms can change lives. Making the first two years of college free, strengthening wraparound support, fixing transfer, improving mental-health access, and opening on-campus work to more students aren’t abstract policies to me—they’re the bridges that make that classroom possible.