From New Orleans to Me by Leah

From New Orleans to Me by Leah - October 2026 Scholarship Essay

I read the words, 'Human Geography final project, 100 points,' over and over for months. This seemingly harmless project taunted me, laughing directly in my face. As the due date approached, I knew it was time to start. I could no longer hide.​​ The directions were simple: pick something that influenced and shaped your life and culture, trace it back to its origin and discover how it made its way to you. In a moment of distress the only thing I could think of was jazz. The one thing I have always loved, from dancing to its sweet rhythm in my living room as a child to using jazz in a desperate attempt to focus while studying for an exam. I'm not sure when I was first drawn to the authenticity and passion of jazz, but my love for it has been strong ever since. Instantly, I grabbed my laptop and knew I found my inspiration and motivation to face this project. Typing up a rough draft of my ideas and finalizing my plan, I was ready to begin.
Human geography is a special subject because it explains how people, cultures, and traditions interact with each other. It showed me how community and innovation help music travel beyond its origin and become part of cultures in places far away. As I created map upon map, detailing how jazz made its way from New Orleans and Chicago to the west coast and cities near me, I became astonished by the complex journey it had gone on. Immediately I knew I found something I truly loved. Jazz music echoed in my ears as I began to wonder about the human geography and migration of various other elements of my life were, football, Christmas, and those special Portuguese desserts my relatives bought each visit.
This once scary final project changed how I view human geography and its influence on my life. Mapping the spread of jazz showed me that geography is not just locations, it is people, passion, and connection. Understanding human geography through jazz showed how music that developed in New Orleans could travel the country and reach people across decades and miles. What began as a project I dreaded sparked a passion for human geography and taught me to look at the journey things must go on to reach each one of us.