Showcase Artifact 1
When I entered the Honors Program at IUPUI, I was a first-year Music Technology student still exploring how my creativity could translate into academic and professional direction. At the time, my goals centered around expressing creativity and finding ways to apply it within the Honors Program.
As a soon-to-be graduate in two majors now: Music Technology and Computer Science, my perspective has shifted significantly. Through honors contracts, research, software engineering, composition work, and audio engineering projects, my creative identity has become more focused and grounded in real-world application. This artifact juxtaposes the intention statements I wrote in HON-H200 with my current goals to demonstrate how I have grown throughout my honors journey.
Original HON-H200 Intention Statements (Spring 2023)
The following “I Am” and “I Want to Become” statements were written during my second semester at IUPUI as part of HON-H200.
I AM Statement:
I am someone who has a creative mindset. I am always creating things such as stories, videos, and music. I wan’t to grow in actively evolving these creative ideas into proper creative existences. I also am a kind person who focuses on helping others more than myself. I am always trying to make sure others, specifically those I am close to, are safe, healthy, and most of all happy.
As I said in my “I am statement”, I am a creative person. My brain is always actively creating something, whether that is music, stories, or videos. I want to become successful in utilizing these skill sets in a proper way to better myself as a person, an IUPUI student, and an honors student. I value my life and hope to be successful in the future. And being creative in the Honor’s Program is one of the best ways to achieve this goal.
I WANT TO BECOME Statement:
As an honor student I want to become someone who is known for my creativity. One of my goals is to try to complete all or at least most of my Honors Contracts in a creative way instead of a simple essay. I prefer doing Honors Contracts over honors courses because in my major the contract projects have a lot of potential for being fun and being something I can keep for future. For example, this could be a fun music technology system project, or an arrangement of an original composition and I can add some of these projects to my e-portfolio. Obviously, these projects will have to meet a certain value of success in order to be qualified to fit my e-portfolio, however I believe I can achieve greatness with this as long as I value its success. I also very much want to grow as a person in the job field. Being more creative in my approach to Honor Contracts and other projects, it helps guide me to build experience in thinking outside of the box. To go along with this, I hope to eventually start releasing my music on Spotify and Apple Music. This will help get my name out there and encourage me to grow more creative than I am currently.
In Conclusion, I want to build upon my creativity. Doing so will help guide me to great places in IUPUI’s honors program along with life in general. Using well thought out projects for Honors Contracts will be much more engaging and help me learn quite a bit more than writing an essay would. In short, I want to become a well know, creative person in this organization.
Updated Intention Statement (Spring 2026)
I am a music technologist, audio engineer, and creative problem-solver who combines artistic vision with technical precision. My work spans music composition, live sound, audio engineering, computer science, and creative technology.
I am becoming a professional who designs and supports audio experiences across music, media, and live environments. Through academic research, honors projects, and real-world work, I have learned how to translate creativity into structured and reliable outcomes.
I want to continue building a career at the intersection of music and technology, where creativity is supported by thoughtful design, technical skill, and real-world application.
Reflection on Growth:
When I wrote my HON-H200 intention statements, I was focused on identifying myself as a creative person and finding ways to express that creativity within the Honors Program. At that point in my academic career, creativity itself was the primary goal.
Throughout my honors experience, my understanding of creativity evolved. Honors contracts, research projects, audio engineering work, and composition taught me that creativity must be supported by structure, technical skill, and reflection. I learned how to plan, document my process, and apply my ideas in meaningful ways beyond the classroom.
As a soon-to-be graduate, my goals are clearer and more grounded. I now understand how my interests in music, technology, and problem-solving connect, and how they can translate into professional work. This shift from creative exploration to purposeful creation represents the most significant growth of my honors journey.
Journey Map: Planned vs Actual Experience
This artifact compares the journey map I created in HON-H200 with my actual honors experience from 2022–2026. By placing my original plan next to an updated journey map, this section highlights how my academic and professional path developed through the Honors Program as I pursued Music Technology and Computer Science.
Freshman Year Journey Map (Spring 2023)
When I created my original journey map during my second semester of college, I had a simplified and linear view of how my college experience would unfold. My goals focused on releasing creative work, gaining basic job experience, and graduating with a job lined up. At the time, I was primarily a Music Technology student still exploring how my interests might develop.
Actual Honors Journey (Spring 2026)
My updated journey map reflects what I actually accomplished throughout the Honors Program. I released original music early in my degree, added Computer Science as a second major, completed certificates in Artificial Intelligence and Network Security, gained professional A/V and IT experience, and founded my own music and audio business. Rather than following a simple timeline, my honors experience became more technical, applied, and professionally focused.
The Honors Program played a big part in connecting my interests in music and technology. Honors coursework, contracts, and applied projects supported my growth as I moved from creative exploration to building technical systems and real-world solutions. This progression reflects how my goals evolved and how Honors helped shape my academic path and professional direction at the intersection of Music Technology and Computer Science.
