“I know I have the best teachers in the world and the best school in the world. I am going to work hard to make my family and all my teachers at Merit proud.”
—Tony, Merit student
SPOTLIGHT ON:
Tony, Group & Private Lessons
When Tony was in first grade, he was diagnosed with autism and ADHD. Soon after, Tony’s mother enrolled him in music lessons at Merit. She found that through violin classes and private lessons, Tony was able to make new friends, learn to stay calm, and concentrate for long periods of time.
Now in seventh grade, Tony continues to play violin and attributes much of his success in school and life to Merit violin teacher Iris Wei. “Ms. Wei has been my private teacher for 4 years now. She understands me and helps me get better. She is honest, fun, and persistent. I am very blessed to be her student. She helps me set goals for myself and to be resilient. She is very patient with me. I want to be like her one day.”
Thanks to the Taylor Family Scholarship, one of many generously endowed financial aid scholarships at Merit, Tony and his sister are able to engage in classes at Merit. Without this support, music classes would be out of reach for their mother, a single parent who never misses a lesson with Tony and even rented a violin so she could play along with her children at home.
Vital access to music education has had a profound impact on Tony, who was recently inspired to take up a second instrument. “I discovered last year that I have an interest in drums,” says Tony, who dreams of becoming a successful violinist, percussionist, or music producer. “I know I have the best teachers in the world and the best school in the world. I am going to work hard to make my family and all my teachers at Merit proud.”
