Thank You for the Music: Graduation and What's Next!

Hello hello! ♡

The author of this humble little blog post has officially GRADUATED!

After a pandemic, lots of self growth, and a consistently busy schedule, this phin is ready to swim on her own! I'm so grateful for the experiences I've had, the friends I've made, the lessons I've learned, and the performances I've had the opportunity to give. Life has been a tough one so far, but through it all I've come out stronger. I wouldn't be who I am without the love and support of my family and my experience at Jacksonville University. I've grown so much as a person and learned how to live on my own, and I have JU to thank for that.

There were lots of photos taken, so I don't feel bad for all of these amazing photos with people I love. :)

I also had the absolutely amazing opportunity to sing the National Anthem as the soloist alongside my friends in the RiverTones. I was running through the lyrics in my head a million times, and my friend Natalie was hyping me up the whole time. I'm going to miss her and my other very talented friends so much. After everyone got their diploma, we also sang the JU Alma Mater right before we concluded. It would have brought tears to my eyes if I hadn't already been crying almost all day.

I graduated right after my best friend Meli, and we couldn't help but run and hug each other right after. I love her. ☺

After the ceremony I had time to spend with my cousins, and then we headed to dinner. My mom surprised me with about 10 balloons in JU green that said "Congrats, Grad", a Cold Stone ice cream cake in cookies and cream, and a dinner at a family-owned Italian restaurant. When we used to have life events back home, we'd go to the same restaurant every time. My mom and dad had their reception there after their wedding, my aunt also had her reception there, and I had some birthday parties there. I knew for my graduation dinner that I wanted a place like that, and my mom found it! It was perfect, the food was delicious, and the waiter even did magic tricks for me and my cousins. It was fantastic.

So, the question now is... What's next for me?

As of now, I am still performing with the Voices of Jacksonville, and am getting ready for a few performances. We're working on some pretty cool jazz arrangements for our concert in Lakeland, so stay tuned! I'm also singing with the Big Orange Chorus and will be working on their social media. As for jobs, I'm hoping to be a music teacher! I absolutely love kids, and would love to teach them everything I learned in my music life and be able to change theirs. I'm also auditioning for some things here and there, so we'll see what happens! ♡

To my family, friends, professors, and everyone else who helped me get to where I am today, thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

Feeling like a JU Alumn,

Taylor.