Time management and dedication are two concepts that band member, junior Kaity Rhine is familiar with. Originally joining band to keep in touch with her elementary school crush, Rhine fell in love with it and has never left since. Apart from band, Rhine has been faced with a set of challenges throughout her life relating to her family, health and education.

“I started band in sixth grade because my crush at the time played an instrument and I thought I would be relatable or something,” Rhine said. “I decided to do [band] in high school because my cousin always told me how amazing it was. [He] definitely didn’t let down. We are like a big family, ups and downs all around. It’s a lot of work but at the end of the day it’s really rewarding.”

Prior to moving to Cedar Park at age seven, Rhine was born in Georgetown and grew up in Burnet, TX. Her mother decided to make the move to get Rhine and her younger brother out of a poor family situation.

“My dad made some pretty bad choices and he was putting other people’s lives at risk,” Rhine said. “[Moving] was pretty scary because I really didn’t know anyone. It was kind of like one day you’re living in Burnet and then the next day you’re living in Cedar Park with a bunch of people you don’t know and at the same time my mom was dealing with the health issues that I’m dealing with now.”

Both Rhine and her mother suffer from endometriosis, a genetic disorder only found in women, in which the cells from the uterus line the organs. Build up of these cells causes irritation in the organs, and leads to severe pain throughout the body, especially during menstruation.

“My mom got to stage three endometriosis and I don’t even know how she did it,” Rhine said. “She was in severe pain and prepping to get a hysterectomy. There were a lot of what ifs. She almost ended up dying, but she came out and she recovered well. We’ve been living just me, my mom and my brother since I was about eight.”