Competing in the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arts Business Competition (and winning second place–woo hoo!) a few weeks ago prompted some serious reflection around the questions, “why am I here” and “how did I get here?”
To get to the root of the answer, I had to go back in time–I’m talking 19 years ago, when I was one of the few students chosen in my second-grade class to learn to play a string instrument through the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra’s Progressions program. I remember shaking with excitement at the opportunity to learn to play an instrument, but I was quite disappointed after my first lesson when all I did was learn how to properly hold my viola…for an hour. Nonetheless, I kept at it. Looking back now, the mere act of putting an instrument in my hands changed the course of my life.
The arts and music were a foreign world to me as a daughter of Mexican immigrant parents who prioritized hard work, and ensured their family’s needs were met first and foremost. This new world was exciting, and it cultivated a new passion. However, conflicting thoughts about my next steps (and whether a career in the arts was legitimate) led me to temporarily pursue a different career as I transitioned from high school to higher education. Yet, a year away from the arts was all I could bear and shortly after, I found myself at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh (UWO) pursuing a degree in Audio Production and Music Business.
My undergraduate program granted me opportunities to lead programs and build a team of students to bring more music events on campus. I grew more and more grateful for how playing the viola continued to open new doors for me. This sense of gratitude instilled a strong desire to create access to the arts for future generations. In fact, I remember a distinct conversation with a friend during my first year at UWO when I told her that I wanted to start a music or arts program. Prior to this, I had not conceptualized how I would use the arts to offer opportunities to others.
While completing my undergraduate program at UWO, I met my husband and started a continuous process of learning about Native communities in Wisconsin and throughout the country. His love for his community at the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin and fervent hope for a better future inspired me. As I learned more about the Oneida Nation and later became a community member myself, I witnessed how people interacted with the arts and the opportunities that existed to build connections and support our youth.
So, after graduating with my undergraduate degree during the height of the pandemic, after several jobs in the music industry and educational institutions, I find myself here, in the Bolz Center. Being even more inspired and equipped to build an arts organization that will uplift my community and create access to the arts for Indigenous youth. Cornhusk Collective is a culmination of talented Oneida artists, community member feedback, and my personal goals to pass opportunities forward.
In this fast-paced program, I have been able to solidify my core values and grow confident in living my truth. During a conversation about my plans after this program, a dear friend in the program, Marcela ‘Xela’ Garcia, asked me “where do you want your magic to go?” Without hesitation, I knew that I wanted my talent, my love, my magic, to go to my community in Oneida, WI. That is my truth.
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