Full Name: Nicolas Mendoza

What school do you attend?

Beech High School

Tell us about yourself.

I’m a sophomore at Beech High school. I was born into a musical family (my father is a multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter and my mother is a piano play and vocalist).

What is your greatest strength, and why?

My desire to learn has always been my greatest strength. I strive to be the best in all that I can be, and this means I am always looking for opportunities to improve or learn.

What is your greatest weakness, and why?

Due to my insatiable desire to learn, I can become too spread out by trying to do too many things. I can stress myself out by not feeling like I’ve improved enough.

What skills do you need to learn to turn your greatest weakness into your greatest strength?

I need to learn to focus my energy on one thing at a time. As an energetic person who loves to learn I am constantly trying to do too many things.

What is the biggest challenge you have overcome, and what did you learn from that?

I struggled with my perfectionism for many years, but when I finally overcame the self-inflicted stress and sadness I realized that perfection is not the goal, but betterment is. Since, I have strived to be the best I can be at everything I do, and know that even if I fall short of perfection it only means I have room to improve.

Why do you deserve this award?

I would like to take every opportunity I can to learn more, and since I’m planning to become a music educator, all of what I learn will be passed on to future musicians, producers, composers, and teachers.

Who has been a role model for you, and why?

Jeremy Lanas, a friend of mine of the class of 2017, has been my biggest role model. He is the reason I got into jazz and taught me almost everything I know about music. Despite originally wanting to play football he continued in music and when he graduated, he graduated as an four All-State lead tenor with a full ride to college. Not only was he a jazz giant but he also was a great singer and classical saxophonist. Despite being all of these things he always remained humble and was always ready to teach or be taught.

What is the biggest mistake you made, and what have you learned from that mistake?

The biggest mistake I made was trying so hard to be perfect that I forgot to give myself care. I learned from this that sometimes, one’s own health is more important and that, to be the best I can be, I have to be healthy and well rested.

What activities are you involved in?

I participate in the marching band, jazz band, show choir band, select choir, and musical theatre programs at Beech. I also am part of the School of Fine Arts, MTSBOA Midstate AND MTVA Midstate and Allstate, and the worship team of First Baptist Clarksville.

How are you giving back to others?

My family has been helping create music ministries for Hispanic congregations all around the Middle Tennessee area; many churches lack a worship team and we teach those willing music so that they may lead their church in worship. Anything I learn will be passed to others who want to learn.

Tell us about a personal achievement that makes you proud, and what you learned from that achievement?

Last year I joined musical theatre. I was surprised to learn that I had gotten in because I had never acted before in my life. But I was determined to make it in and not only did I, but I was cast as a speaking character. I later auditioned for the Hans in Frozen, and was subsequently cast as the primary antagonist by the School of Fine Arts. I am immensely proud that I was able to portray the primary antagonist in the second musical I’d ever done. I learned that through perseverance and effort, anything is achievable.

How do you define being a humble person?

To be humble is to know that no matter how good you get, there is always someone better than you that you can learn from. Humility is never believing you know everything about something.

How do you define servant leadership?

Servant leadership means that one leads by example. It means always being willing to help the people around you, and to see them as people, not as numbers or means to an end. It’s like Jesus, who came to serve despite being of divine origin. He was honored to serve and never once complained that he was above such things.

Is there anything else we should know about you?

I am very grateful for being selected to participate in an event with such high caliber musicians and hope to participate in future events with Nashville Pops Orchestra.