I grew up with panic disorder, which at points was so crippling I would be unable to leave my house for days on end. In order to cope, I began to immerse myself in practicing music, which was made widely available to me by the band program at my high school. I joined every ensemble I could- marching band, jazz band, theatre ensembles- and the more I played, the less time I had to think about all the things that scared me. The availability of my directors and their passion for music ultimately aided in my ability to overcome the disorder that was slowly destroying me, and I hope to one day be able to do as they did for someone in the future. Within my family, my mother has always been a role model for my sister and I. She has always supported