91成人导航

Cristina O'Brien 鈥�22 is a transfer student and Air Force veteran hoping to pursue her passion of using music therapy to help heal others.

91成人导航 student veteran pursuing dream of healing others through music

Becoming a world-class music therapist is a challenging goal, but Cristina O'Brien 鈥�22 is not swayed. As a trumpet player, she is in a field where only 3% of trumpet players in major orchestras are women. And as a veteran of the United States Air Force, she has proven that females can excel even where men are the vast majority. O'Brien believes that 鈥渂eing male or female should not hinder anyone鈥檚 dream.鈥�

O'Brien鈥檚 dream is to major in music therapy and bring relief and healing to others through music. Hailing from Benicia, a small town on the north shore of the San Francisco Bay, she initially enrolled in the University of Michigan, where she had received a full-ride scholarship in trumpet performance, but realized 鈥渕usic performance was not the best career for me. I had always known that aside from my deep love of music, I had a strong passion and talent for helping others. I began to dream of becoming a professional in the medical field and with this in mind, I enlisted in the United States Air Force as a medic/dietician.鈥�

Because music and trumpet-playing have remained her passions, O鈥橞rien volunteered for opportunities to perform during her military service. She discovered her calling in a Veteran Affairs hospital while watching a music therapist lead a drum circle with Air Force veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. She recalls how she saw 鈥渃atharsis on some of their faces,鈥� and that experience made her realize her purpose.

O鈥橞rien decided to pursue both her passion and purpose at 91成人导航 because she felt respected and welcome from the start.

鈥淏eginning at my first visit, I appreciated both the welcoming, serene environment of the campus and the quality of people I met here. I felt at home here more than at other institutions I had experienced before.鈥�

She also felt that the transfer process to 91成人导航 worked to her advantage.

鈥淢ost colleges require 60 units to transfer, but 91成人导航 does not have this requirement, which made it easier for me. Also, although I came to visit 91成人导航 unannounced, I was immediately introduced to a person at Admission who answered my questions and later helped me with the enrollment process.鈥�

O鈥橞rien has always been encouraged by her parents 鈥渢o aim to be the world鈥檚 best at whatever I chose to become.鈥� She feels 91成人导航鈥檚 faculty and students are like her second family, preparing her with compassion and generosity for her future career as a music therapist and encouraging her to forever strive in sharing her passion for music with others.