When thinking of the impact Burgundy has made on my professional career as a musician and educator, I must reflect on the impact Burgundy has made on me as a person.

I arrived at Burgundy’s doors during a turbulent time in my life—Middle School! Most of the students had been students at Burgundy for their entire academic careers. How would I, or could I make friends there, I wondered? Nevertheless I entered. Afraid and acne ridden, I had no idea what to expect from my new school. What I encountered was life changing to say the least.

Everyone at Burgundy was so incredibly welcoming and warm. I wasn’t treated as an outsider from Prince George’s county—I was treated as a new friend. One day, some students and teachers overheard my singing at lunch with a classmate, and encouraged me to audition for the school musical. When I did I wasn’t met with laughter or jeers, I was met with support, encouragement and enthusiasm from everyone. This was a turning point for me. I went on to be featured as a vocalist at Burgundy including being one of the soloists for Graduation. This gave me the confidence I needed to win auditions into The Duke Ellington School of the Arts for high school, the Peabody Conservatory of The Johns Hopkins University and Howard University for my undergraduate and graduate studies respectively. It started at Burgundy.

“How?” you might ask. “Burgundy’s focus isn’t solely on the arts.” No, but Burgundy’s focus is solely on the child. The child’s interests and strengths are what Burgundy focuses on. The community then welcomed me, focused on what I was interested in and helped me to develop the tools that I needed, and still need, to be successful in my field. Those tools of; kindness, compassion, confidence, self determination, along with the support from the Burgundy community have made a marked impact on the trajectory of my life.

I was able to reflect on just how monumental the impact has been when I attend the weddings, baby showers and other life events of the friends I have made at Burgundy almost 20 years ago. I truly believe that when a community focuses on the development of the child solely, the soul of the child develops and the world will change for the better.