Lee High junior credits Goose Creek CISD band program with shaping her life

Emily Sistos, a junior at Lee High School, said Goose Creek CISD's band programs helped her cope after the death of her grandmother and gave her a sense of belonging and leadership. "Please never underestimate the impact you have on your students," Sistos said, attributing her advancement and confidence to band directors and the program's opportunities.

Sistos told attendees she grew up surrounded by music and that her grandmother had been a longtime supporter of the band program. She said she started in choir in sixth grade and, after encouragement from band directors "Mr. Goodloe and Mr. Cormier," joined band in seventh grade despite being behind peers. The directors moved her into more advanced ensembles, she said, and by eighth grade she was in honors band and jazz band and later made wind ensemble as a freshman.

She described band as more than an elective: "Band taught me determination, resilience, and discipline," she said, and during difficult times the ensemble became a place of comfort. Sistos said she served as vice president of the band this past year and will serve as president next year, thanking "Mr. P" and "Ms. Rodriguez" for creating leadership opportunities for students.

In closing, Sistos linked her personal losses and growth: she said she carries her grandmother's legacy through music and that having adults who believed in her changed the course of her life. "Because someone believed in me, I found the courage to become the person I am today," she said. She concluded by thanking Goose Creek CISD and those present for listening to her story.