My journey towards DJing and eventually Academy all started on a sudden interest in DJing when I was able to learn through one of my housemates. I suddenly realized that the more I learned the intricacies behind DJing, the more I fell in love with it. After a while, I definitely knew that I wanted to take DJing more seriously and wanted to find a community of like minded individuals who would support me through my journey towards becoming a DJ. Eventually, I was able to hear about the Academy through social media and I knew that I had to apply. Since joining just a little over 3 months ago, I have been so fortunate to be surrounded by so many supportive and talented individuals, including staff, alumni, and my season. It definitely was a hard journey, filled with many sleepless nights and countless hours spent in the studio, but in the end, I can confidently look back at all my accomplishments with a proud smile. Before I close this out, I want to give huge shout outs to Season 17, Diamond Crew, my mentors Chris Paris and Ricky, management team, the rest of staff, and my friends and family for helping me reach this point. See you all in November, let's get ready to blow the roof off this thing. -DJ Marckey