Stephanie's Tanglewood Fund

Hello, my name is Stephanie Chee and I am a sophomore in high school. When I opened the admissions notification email for the prestigious Tanglewood Institute, I could not believe my eyes. Never in my wildest dreams had I expected to make it into such an amazing program. I was ecstatic for two hours until I realized my mom could not afford the hefty tuition. I received a scholarship from the program, but it was not enough, so I appealed for more. Tanglewood was kind enough to contribute a substantial amount to my scholarship fund; however, this is still more than my mom can afford. My single mom already works extremely hard to support me in all of my endeavors, such as financing voice lessons, dance classes, piano lessons, and voice competitions, because she understands how passionate I am about voice. Though usually the payments work out, she is unable to cover this cost.

As background for those unfamiliar with the classical world, Boston University’s Tanglewood Institute is distinguished as one of the best summer classical institutions for pre-college students in the nation. It has been my goal to attend Tanglewood ever since I found out about it online. During the 6-week program, students receive master classes from professionals and have weekly voice lessons. They perform in one opera scene and present two solo voice recitals. It would benefit me greatly as a singer to participate in this program.

To elaborate, ever since I was born, I have loved to sing. Because singing is such a significant part of my life, I warm up every morning before school, practice art songs many times a day, and cherish my once-a-week voice lessons. I am an extremely dedicated and diligent student. My passion for voice is like no other, and I wish to grow to my full potential. Voice not only motivates me for singing-related activities, but also propels me through life. Through developing my voice, I strive to positively impact the world by inspiring others to continue to embrace the arts.

I want to attend this lovely program to foster my growth as a singer, but I do not know if that’s possible due to my financial situation. It would mean the world to me if you would donate to support the furthering of my vocal education. I am exceptionally thankful for any contributions to help me succeed as a singer.