Resilience. Confidence. Passion. All characteristics that Hailie, a high school student, and her grandmother, Hildegard, use to describe the impact PING has had on Hailie, making “her who she is today,” according to Hildegarde. Hailie began playing flute in 4th grade with PING’s help. But, unlike other young musicians, she soon began learning violin, also supplied by PING. Hailie later took on learning cello, and now also plays piccolo when needed, like for her school’s Marching Band where she serves as flute section leader.
“Hailie backs down from no challenge,” Hildegarde said. Her “intellect blossomed and matured through the music program.” Hailie participated in PING’s Mentoring Program as a middle schooler and is currently taking private lessons, funded by PING.
Hildegarde noted that instrumental music and PING programming has also increased Hailie’s confidence. “She didn’t have this confidence when she was younger,” Hildegarde said. She added that Hailie’s confidence carries over both socially and academically.
Hailie has participated in a variety of musical opportunities from solo recitals through her private lesson teacher, to improvising on flute in Jazz, to traveling to Memphis and New Orleans on her high school’s performing arts trip, to embarking with the Marching Band for the Thanksgiving Parade at Disney World, to enrolling in both curricular band and orchestra at school even though she was first told it could not be done.
“If you have a passion to achieve something you will achieve,” Hailie said.
“I tell her the stars are not the limit,” Hildegard said. “But none of this would be possible without PING.”
