Kyle Snipes
Position: Tuba / Major: Broadcast Journalism / Future Aspirations: CEO of Mass Media Corporation
It really just came out of nowhere. It was spring 2017, the end of my junior year in high school. Around the time I became drum major, my mom was diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer. That was an unexpected hit. I had this really big role to fill, but I also had other things going on at home to deal with. When it comes to band, it doesn’t matter what you have to do at home, you have to make sure you get your job done at the end of the day.
My job—to figure out my own way to college.
Where I’m from, not a lot of people end up going to college because they don’t see it as an option. Not because they don’t want to go, but more so because they lack the funds to succeed. My dad is retired Air Force. He was a master sergeant. My mom was a nurse. We were taking financial hits already and two of my siblings were already in college. During my 8th grade school year, my brother graduated and went to college at The University of West Georgia. Being the youngest of four—I have one brother and three sisters—what my parents saved, was gone. I didn’t know where the money was going to come from or where I was going to end up going. I joined band my freshman year of high school and maintained good grades and was diligent with my instrument. I’m the type of person who likes guarantees. So I wanted to guarantee my education. Not only for their sanity, but for my own.
Where I’m from, band is heavy culture-wise. Most people in the band world know about my high school—Southwest DeKalb in Decatur, Ga. The main reason I’m very excited about The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is Southwest DeKalb has been in it a ton of times. It’s something I’ve been looking forward to since I joined band my freshman year. I got a section leader position at the end of my 10th grade year. My senior year drum major.
I auditioned with Dr. Jones and I got a pretty hefty scholarship right as my mom overcame her first battle with cancer. Blessings. I didn’t have to pay for tuition my whole first year. But during band camp they diagnosed the cancer as reoccurring.
Being so far away from home, I wish I could help but I can’t because I’m trying to make sure I get my education. At the end of the day, that’s always what your parents want. They want to make sure you’re doing a great job in school. Academics first. Band second. If I do well, that’ll make them feel better.
That’s what kept me going my first semester in school.
That, and making sure other people who are looking up to me and want to go to college know that they have an opportunity to go. Most people see Atlanta as a very big city full of opportunity, and it is. But that’s the small part of Atlanta that people see. Growing up, seeing people in high school and then they’re dealing in drugs or they are working in Kroger is normal.
The inside of my home was 10 times different from everything outside. I can tell you having good parental guidance will definitely help straighten a child. I could have easily become someone else. I could have easily been that person that has no inspiration and has no goals.
I want to break that the cycle of that being normal. College is not out of reach. An education is not out of reach. And that’s why we’re heavy in recruiting in the south. I recruited about eight people from my high school to join the band this year and received a scholarship for it. That helped my parents out a lot. I try to help as much as I can because Dr. Jones has already helped me.
My mom is not completely clear yet. But I think she has about two more chemo treatments left. I will say she is feeling a lot better than she was a year ago. She’s able to walk around. She’s able to go to the mall and have fun with her friends. It’s great to hear that whenever I’m on the phone with her or my dad that things are definitely looking a lot more positive than it was before.
