For Ari Martin, there’s nothing quite like taking the field in front of 50,000 spectators at Huntington Bank Stadium on a football Saturday. “It’s the most thrilling experience I’ve had,” says Martin, who is the 67th drum major for the Pride of Minnesota marching band.

As drum major, Martin is the face of the band, running into the stands to high-five students before the game, firing up the crowd, performing on the field during half time. “It’s amazing; it’s so much fun,” they say.

A senior in the College of Liberal Arts studying psychology and pharmacology, Martin began marching in the eighth grade. As a high school student in Woodbury, Minnesota, they took part in High School Band Day, playing alongside the U of M Marching Band. “I remember being in awe of them,” says Martin, who was drum major as a high school senior as well.

That experience brought Martin to the University of Minnesota after graduation. “I knew I wanted to do band,” Martin says. They played mellophone their first two years, then auditioned to be drum major as a sophomore. “It’s a pretty competitive process, so I was a little surprised to be chosen.”

This is Martin’s second year as drum major and recipient of the Brigadier General Dennis and Pam Schulstad Drum Major Scholarship. Martin says the scholarship has eased the financial stress associated with going to school and attending long practice sessions, which include the 12-hour-a-day Spat Camp, which begins two weeks before the start of the fall semester. (Martin also performs in parades and other events.)

The scholarship also made it possible for Martin to study abroad and do research in the University’s Research for Adolescent Depression (RAD) Lab. Last summer, Martin went to Madrid with a group from the RAD Lab to take classes and do observational research.

After the group returned, Martin analyzed data on connections between substance misuse and suicide in young adults ages 18 to 23 in the LGBTQ+ community. “I learned the LGBTQ community is at higher risk in general for suicide,” Martin says. “A lot of social stressors are escalated for queer youth, and literature and research on the subject are lacking.”

Martin, who became passionate about doing research on the subject, plans to continue working with the lab this spring. They’re also applying to pharmacy schools and plan to study clinical or psychiatric pharmacy after graduating.

As for music, Martin says it will always be a part of their life—perhaps through the alumni band or a community band.

“Marching band has helped me feel a sense of community and belonging while I pursue my degree at such a large university. I am very grateful for that.”

Support scholarships for outstanding members of the Pride of Minnesota who demonstrate leadership potential.