In May of 2022 I registered to be a volunteer with the American Red Cross. I knew about the humanitarian aid that the Red Cross does, but little did I know the impact it would make on my own life and my goals. I started out with a summer program that taught students from the greater Los Angeles Area learn about disaster preparedness. We learned about emergency plans, search and rescue, psychological first aid, and emergency medicine. I quickly learned about the organization that is the American Res Cross that provides humanitarian aid across the globe. Later that year, I had the opportunity to put my first aid skills to the test. I volunteered at the Tournament of Roses. Here, I helped patients with a wide variety of ailments and from different walks of life. From that experience, I learned the importance of helping people and that just a little bit of kindness can go a long way. Soon, I had the opportunity to become an instructor at the same disaster preparedness program I started in. It was a full circle moment. I taught my students how to make properly take care of wounds, how to help out other people in times of need, and grow as leaders. In my time at the American Red Cross, I feel like I saw myself flourish and grow as a person. I realized that it was my calling to help other people, and I turned to an issue rampant in my community, nutrition. Going into the future, I want to study nutritional science. Nutrition is such an important aspect of daily living, yet students from backgrounds familiar to mine, such as people of color and low income, often lack the resources to access proper nutrition. Growing up, many of my peers were food insecure. They lacked access to proper nutrition, and I saw the toll it took on their physical and mental well-being. Lack of adequate nutrition leads to many health problems can arise. From obesity, to increased risk of cardiovascular disease, food insecurity is a large issue in our current society. With my nutrition degree, I hope to bridge this divide. I want to establish programs and food systems that are accesible to as many people as possible. Now more than ever it is important for children and adults alike to have adequate nutrition. In the future, I hope to be able to make a difference in someone's life by making proper nutrition accesible.

In the future, I plan to live life, and a rich life at that. A life rich in happiness, adventures, love, gratitude, and in more ways than solely monetary. I hope to travel the world and become familiar with cultures from all across the globe and meet interesting people along the way. Not only do I want to be shaped by the kindness and generosity of others, I want to help shape other people, as a registered dietician. As a registered dietician, helping other people achieve their goals would be my mission. Although we as a society are centered around food, we have yet to recognize its healing powers. Of course food cannot help you regrow a limb or magically repair a damaged organ, but food can be used as a tool to manage an array of diseases and even certain cancers, in conjunction to modern medical technology. I have seen this first-hand in my mother’s life, and my own life. My mother has rheumatoid arthritis, causing her a massive amount of pain in her daily life. In the past, she has followed different diets, and although none of them have been perfect, when she is following a nutrient dense diet, her pain becomes more manageable and she feels much better. I, as well, have chronic joint pain, and I have noticed that when I am following a diet full of nutrient rich foods, my pain, similarly, is more manageable and does not interrupt my life. Along the way to becoming a registered dietician, I have to go to school and earn a bachelors and then a masters, which requires a lot of schooling. During my college years, I hope to study abroad where I would learn about other cultures and their eating habits as well as their overall health. In the future, I want to work as a dietician, and studying abroad would help me work with a diverse clientele helping them achieve their health goals and aiding in the prevention and management of diseases. The Bright Lights Scholarship would help me tremendously in reducing the financial burden that is education. As a high school senior who is going into college, I am aware of the burden that education can be. With this scholarship, I would have peace of mind knowing that my college education and experience will be more affordable. By awarding me the Bright Lights Scholarship, an investment would be made into a young woman whose mission it is to help a wide array of other people achieve their health and wellness goals, and funding my education is just the beginning of it.

Leadership is defined by our actions and the lasting effects, and leadership is what keeps the planet spinning. It is what keeps people growing and changing. I have had many leadership positions, yet, it was not until this summer that I felt like a leader making a difference. This summer, I participated in a program with the American Red Cross, as a Section Lead. Through the program, along with my other Section Leads, I presented lessons, led activities, and so much more. We mentored our participants in all aspects of disaster preparedness. The most gratifying activity I led was a simulated search and rescue. Before the activity, we had prepared a lesson on the basics when it comes to search and rescue and then started the mission. There had been a major Earthquake where 10 people went missing, and it was our job to save them. We assessed the situation and deemed it was safe enough to enter, and we searched high and low to find the missing behind fallen tables, behind broken furniture, and under the rubble. Under my direction, my participants were able to find all of the missing persons, and the 10 missing people were found. Through this position, I was able to not only teach my participants but also foster an environment where the participants were allowed to make mistakes, learn, and grow. It is important to me in leadership positions to create an environment for people to have the space to grow and flourish. Without doing that, the impact is lessened and does not allow for lasting prosperity. Not only is the growth of others important in leadership positions, but also your personal growth. In this same position, I saw a lot of my personal growth. Over the summer, I was paired with other Section Leads as well as participants from all over the Los Angeles Area from various backgrounds. Because of the diverse population and the frequency with which I saw them, I learned to grow out of my shy shell and I became comfortable around new people. In this position, I also grew as a public speaker. Having to do presentations nearly daily, and in front of new people, I quickly got comfortable speaking in front of people. It soon became quite easy to teach and demonstrate skills to others. I remember the first presentation I did was nerve-racking, and I dreaded it. It felt like a nightmare. After doing tens more presentations, I wasn't nervous, and I was having fun doing the presentations. On the last day, I gave a speech to my participants, and I remember doing it with such ease. Leadership is not only about your label but how your actions influence other people. Over the summer, I fostered personal growth for not only others, but for myself as well, and made sure others had lifesaving information.

Surprise Song O Clock: 9:30 pm Current time: 9:25 pm My fingers crawl across the screen searching for the live-streamed show. Every night that Taylor Swift has a show, I tune in and it is the highlight of my day. You see, there is a point in the Taylor Swift concert when she performs two songs acoustically. The catch is that she only performs each song once, and it's a secret until two and a half hours into the concert. I love watching all the TikToks that come up of the girls who do insane calculations on what songs could come out each day and making lists to see which songs are left. Soon after I started checking into Surprise Song O Clock, I realized that I did not look forward to much. On the days that there was a concert, I looked forward to Surprise Song O Clock, but on the days with no concert, I could barely get through the day. That sounds sad, but it is the truth. During the day, I went to school, came home, did homework, and then watched the day’s surprise song. Up until the time I watched the small portion of the Eras Tour, I was miserable. It was school, homework, rinse, and repeat. I had no social life, no personal time, nothing. Slowly, after realizing that I did not look forward to anything in my daily life, I decided that I needed change. I have watched hundreds of self-improvement videos throughout my life for temporary motivation, but one thing that is similar between all the videos is that you need drive and determination, not motivation. Drive and determination are long-term, whereas motivation is short-term. But, I did not have drive. I was just a girl who needed to get into college. After that, who knows? The surprise song O Clock was a reminder of my bleak life, so after each set of surprise songs, I journaled. Journaled about the life I wanted to have when I grew up. I would highlight the two to three things that I valued most from each journal section. On days without a concert, I would create a list of the recurring themes. The Eras Tour in the United States ended just in time for the new school year. Before school started, I made a long journal entry and described my dream life in all aspects. I also, in that same entry, created a list and timeline of how I could achieve that life. From the majors that could land me the job, to the colleges where I could earn the best degree, and the jobs that could support my lifestyle. I yearn for that dream life, and that yearning is my drive. The dream life is not a want, it is a need. Without Surprise Song O clock, I would still be a lost, confused student with only motivation, and no drive. Taylor Swift has been such an influential figure in my life, not only because of her music but in the way she has inspired me to create a plan for my life.