Hello! I am Marie Dillard, Scholar, Artist, Athlete, and Founder of Persistent Endeavors Foundation! I started my foundation in 2022 when a quote by American activist and scholar Pauli Murray inspired me. Murray stated, “What is often called exceptional ability is nothing more than persistent endeavor.” This was Pauli Murray’s response to ridicule from classmates for pursuing additional interests beyond academics in the novel Song In A Weary Throat: Memoir Of An American Pilgrimage as a high school sophomore.
Persistent Endeavors Explained…
A foundation for my passions
I’ve always enjoyed a full schedule of interests and activities beyond the traditional classroom. Throughout my life, carefully curated extracurricular and cocurricular activities and my innate interests in things like family, ancestry, and vegetable gardening have fueled my educational pursuits. As outlets for creativity and self-expression, there’s no denying these pursuits, my persistent endeavors, spark further academic curiosity for me in the classroom. Pauli Murray’s words reminded me to stay true to things that bring me joy no matter what—stay true to my persistent endeavors. Persistent Endeavors Foundation was born to help me help other young people do the same.
I decided to formalize the transition of my ideas and intentions into actionable projects (or labs) to have a meaningful impact on the world, hopefully. I secured official nonprofit 501(c)(3) status for Persistent Endeavors Foundation, Inc. from the Internal Revenue Service in early 2023 and immediately started seeking grant opportunities and other support as planned.
a 501(c)3
I presented my first idea for a Persistent Endeavors Foundation, Inc. initiative, The Crescendo Lab, in April 2023 at the Inaugural Be All You Passion Project Festival hosted by Ryan Pruitt at the University of Pennsylvania. The Crescendo Lab is a classical music mentoring program that exposes Black and Brown youth to Black and Brown classical musicians and composers in history to cultivate and nurture the musical passions of their souls. The Crescendo Lab won second place out of 40 projects presented by high school students from PA, NJ, and DE.
I was invited to the Be All You Passion Project Festival because I previously completed the Be All You LaunchPad Bootcamp. The experience transformed my journey and helped me focus on the impact I wanted to have in my community.
I launched The Crescendo Lab Pilot at the Art of Living Collective in Englewood, NJ, courtesy of Ms. Andrea Patterson. The Crescendo Lab will expand to Middletown, DE, during the 2023-24 school year, while other musician friends have expressed interest in implementing the program through their school communities.
2024-2025 Fundraising Goal
In addition to The Crescendo Lab, Persistent Endeavors is raising money to fund small grants for young musicians 10-18 years old to assist with the cost of private lessons.
Today, you can help me futurecast American Symphonies and Orchestras with underrepresented young musicians with your tax-deductible donation of $10, $25, or $200 or more for The Crescendo Lab and music education. For more information, you can email us at info@persistentendeavors.org or follow us on Instagram @persistent_endeavors.org
I hope you will support me along the journey!
