The next step in the journey of this diva will be...

I've tried to write this post at least five times, and it never comes out properly. 

At the end of this past spring semester, I finished my fourth semester at the community college where I've been studying.  I've been incredibly blessed to have had the teachers I've had: how many college voice instructors wouldn't even crack a smile when a person walked into her office and said, "I'm a nursing major, but I've decided to change to voice, and how do I do that?"  And my theory teachers have been naught but fantastic.  There have been others, too: the choir director who taught me how to be a section leader, the accompanists who've stretched me as a musician...the list goes on and on.

Howesomever, this college, being, as it is, a community college, does not offer a bachelor's degree.  I've finished over half the hours I'll need for that degree, but there isn't anything else for me to take at this level.

In March, I auditioned for the music program at a university in Fort Worth.  There is a voice teacher there under whom I'd like to study: I sang for her in a master class once and very much liked her insights and style. 

I walked into a hall with stunning acoustics and sang my head off.  I talked to instructors, and left.  Couldn't decide how well I'd done.  The accompanist said I had done well.  My heart said I'd done well.  My head said that it stank.  ("Stank," of course, being a technical musical term.)

A few weeks later, I heard that I'd gotten in.  All I needed to do was find a way to pay for it.  Did I mention that this college is private and that they charge nearly 18 grand a year?

I spent the next month getting together paperwork to get my financial aid status considered separately from that of my parents.  That was an enlightening but extremely stressful process.  All sorts of tap-dancing skeletons got hauled out of closets.  I won't go into details here.  However, if anyone reading this would like some pointers on getting independent student status when he or she is under 23 years of age, PM me and I'll be happy to share what I've learned.

A few weeks ago, I finally heard back from Texas Wesleyan (the school to which I applied).  The financial aid folks had approved my request...and I'll be heading for Wesleyan in the fall.  Orientation was last Saturday, and I'm meeting with the head of the music department next week to get a class schedule set up.  Come September, I, UbiCaritas, will be a college junior.  I am still having a hard time believing this.  Throughout the audition/financial aid process I kept expecting someone to call and say, "Oh, sorry, we didn't mean you, wrong person."  I think a part of me still expects that call.  It's a much smaller part than it used to be, though.

Now if you'll pardon me, I'm off for a celebratory lunch and bookstore run with my adopted family.  ("Adopted family" is the best description I've come up with for people who aren't officially family but who treat me like a daughter.  They're in town, and it's so nice to see them!)