KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) — Sixteen-year-old Isabella Peters is entering her senior year at Lincoln College Preparatory Academy while also preparing for college. This summer, she received news that she was selected as the first recipient of KC Scholars’ Ralph Yarl Scholarship.
“I’m just really happy that I got a scholarship like this,” Peters said. “This scholarship will help me pursue the career that I want. It will fund most of my studies, so it’s really a relief. Getting a scholarship like this is a huge relief for me.”
The $50,000 scholarship is named after Ralph Yarl, the Northland teenager who was shot in the head last year when he accidentally rang the wrong doorbell to pick up his younger sibling. Yarl personally selected Peters as a scholarship recipient; she will be the first in her family to go to college.
“This is very important,” said Naila Sherman, the college program manager at Great Jobs KC. “It gives them the certainty that they can go to college. We place them in 11th Great, so they have time and don’t have to worry about where the money comes from.”
KCTV5 spoke with Peters at the Northeast Community Center in Kansas City, where she attends Project Harmony KC. The local nonprofit provides music lessons to children in the community. Peters says her aunt introduced her to music.
“She introduced my grandmother to the Harmony Project when I was in fifth grade,” Peters said. “She had signed up my cousins for the program. My grandmother decided to sign me up so we could all be in the same program together.”
Peters describes music as her safe place and her outlet.
“When I’m stressed, upset or sad, I can channel that while playing my instrument or listening to music that helps me get through those feelings,” Peters said. “Music can be uplifting; it can calm me down. It creates a community. Since I’ve been with the Harmony Project, all of my colleagues love music, so we can all connect on that level. It’s inspiring. The people in my orchestra grew up together.”
Peters plays double bass.
“It’s the biggest stringed instrument,” Peters said. “My grandfather played bass in the symphony, so I was always interested in it as a kid. When I first joined Harmony Project KC, it was the first year they introduced the double bass. There was no teacher for it back then. When there was one, I immediately took it up because I thought the biggest instrument was the best instrument.”
One morning, Peters learned that she had received the Ralph Yarl Scholarship.
“I kept getting calls from a random number and thought it was a scammer,” Peters said, laughing. “Who else would call me so early in the morning? I got a text telling me who was calling, so I called back. When she told me I had received the scholarship, I was shocked.”
The scholarship money goes directly to UMKC, which Peters plans to attend.
“I’m going to go to their conservatory and do music therapy,” Peters said. “I wanted to choose something that would not only give back to the community but also allow me to stay in music. I wanted to work in the medical field and music therapy is a profession that is in demand. I just want to help people and keep music in my life.”
With her story, Peters wants to encourage other people who aspire to study.
“You just have to reach out to organizations and nonprofits,” Peters said. “There are organizations in the Kansas City area that are willing to help students like me and others get into school and get an education. It’s not impossible.”
Sherman says Great Jobs KC and KC Scholars not only provide scholarships, but also provide a scholarship representative to guide students and support them on their journey to college. They can also offer additional resources like covering transportation costs. For those who think college isn’t for them, they also have a job training program. Click here to learn more about the different programs.
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