Not many people find their passion in life at the time they learn to walk, but Christen Hoyte is one of the lucky few. The 10th-grader at Marburn Academy is a singer, songwriter and pianist who knew extremely early on the importance and impact of music.
Hoyte’s parents, Marshawna and Chris Hoyte, remember her younger years being filled with dancing, singing and creativity. Marshawna says Hoyte always had a pen in her hand, and Chris says Hoyte has always been musical, ever since she was “a little itty bitty.”
“(Christen) would just be in a zone and there can be things going around her. Her brother could be playing, her little sister could be playing, but Christen, you would see her just marching around in a circle in the living room and she’s singing,” Marshawna says.
Christen Hoyte
A Difficult Note
Unfortunately, growing up and navigating a school setting can be difficult. Hoyte has autism, ADHD and a comprehension disorder, and says she was bullied in elementary and middle school because of it. Her experiences made her lean even more into music.
“I remember being in recess back in elementary, and I didn’t have any friends. So basically, what I would do is I would just make songs in my head and act out whatever I was seeing,” Hoyte says.
Marshawna says she and Chris started to notice that Hoyte learned differently around fifth grade. They noticed she wasn’t grasping certain concepts, despite her desire to do well in school.
“It was almost like there was this roadblock in her way and she couldn’t figure out what the roadblock was. She’s always worked hard in school and always has put her best foot forward but back then there was just something there,” Chris says.
Between her challenges in the classroom and being bullied, Hoyte expressed to her parents that she wanted to change schools. They quickly started their search to find a school where Hoyte would thrive academically and socially, too.
New School, New Life
Christen Hoyte
christen listening to music
After getting turned down by the first school they applied to, Marshawna says they were referred to the Jon Peterson Special Needs (JPSN) Scholarship Program.
Hoyte and her parents received a list of schools in their area eligible for the scholarship, which led them to Marburn Academy. Marburn is an independent day school that serves students who learn differently or have disabilities, like ADHD and dyslexia, that create obstacles in traditional classrooms. It turned out to be exactly what Hoyte needed.
“It’s been a great experience (at Marburn). It’s just really nice here. I’m trying to make more friends so it’s definitely easier for me to make friends here. It’s a smaller school and I do better in smaller environments,” Hoyte says.
Marshawna said she noticed a change in Hoyte’s confidence levels when she started attending Marburn and is happy that Hoyte seems more comfortable in her own skin.
“Being afforded the opportunity to even share those parts of her that are the critical parts, like the musical side of her, the acting, being able to really engage in those ways too I think has helped to build up her confidence even more,” Marshawna says.
Christen Hoyte
christen hoyte school picture
Next Chapter
At Marburn’s 2023 graduation ceremony, Hoyte had the opportunity to sing two of her original songs: “Miss Weird” and “Keep Moving.”
“‘Miss Weird’ is about what people would think of me, what people were calling me because they didn’t understand me, so they would call me Miss Weird,” Hoyte says. “And then ‘Keep Moving,’ it’s very inspirational. So it’s telling people, don’t give up on your dreams, even when it’s tough. Even when you’re getting bullied or anything, you gotta keep pushing, because you’re never gonna know where you’re gonna get in life if you give up so soon.”
Despite her challenges with making friends, Hoyte says music is her best friend.
“Anytime I would do music if I was feeling sad or something it would make me feel happy after I would be done doing a song,” Hoyte says.
She hopes to release music before she’s 17 years old and is interested in going to college for music or education. Marshawna and Chris hope to see her grow in her confidence while never forgetting who she is.
“I always tell her all the time, ‘You belong here. You know the way it’s supposed to be. Just keep focused, … stay the course. You’re doing what you need to do to get there,’” Chris says. “I just love to see her continue to chase after what she wants, and I believe she’ll get it sooner than later.”
Ava Huelskamp is an editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
