Senior Raina Hubbard will be attending college this fall to become a music therapist.

Hubbard admits she grew up surrounded by a music-loving family who introduced her to singing and new instruments. She said, “With that expansion of knowledge it was a lot easier to gain a love and a knowing for music.”

She acknowledges how music has played a crucial role in her life as a way to bring up her mood when she is down and express herself. Hubbard said, “It has given me a safe space to be, and it’s just giving me fun times with a lot of people, it’s giving me bonding experiences that I never would have had.”

Additionally, Hubbard remembers it was watching a TV show called “Lie To Me” that sparked her interest in psychology. She said, “It explained the psychology of […] micro-expressions and that’s what really sent me on psychology as a whole.”

She only recently realized that she wanted to go into music therapy after a conversation with her father. “My dad said that my auntie was studying musical therapy, and it took me like a couple of weeks after that to be like ‘Oh, that’s exactly what I want to do’,” said Hubbard.

Sophomore Jaime Israel met Hubbard in Mayfield’s production of “Chicago,” and they quickly became friends. Israel admits Hubbard is good at helping people.

“Last year during rehearsals for Mayfield’s production of ‘Chicago,’ I was depressed. She was there every time I cried and helped me through it,” said Israel.

Hubbard plans to help as many people as she can, regardless of age. Hubbard said, “I hope to focus on anybody I can really, everyone has their struggles and everyone should be able to be relieved from those struggles in whatever way they can. I will do my best to make sure that they are capable of doing so.”

As Hubbard has been preparing for college and adult life, Israel has noticed some of the positive changes in Hubbard. “I think she’s gotten more responsible. She’s grown up and is slowly preparing for her life as an adult. She has also gotten much more caring,” Israel said.

Hubbard hopes to go to Kent because it’s close to home. She said, “[Kent State has] both music majors and psychology majors that I could get into.”

According to her research, it should take Hubbard about six years to graduate with her preferred majors. She said, “I will surely study a lot and try my best to not be distracted as that is a main obstacle of mine. All I can do is do my very best.”