“I felt abandoned by everyone I knew; like I was under mountains of debt, struggling to meet ends, I was living paycheck to paycheck and before I knew it, here I was.” Through streams of tears, a homeless man at the Samaritan Inn, a homeless shelter in McKinney, Texas, stumbled over his words to convey the depths of his financial struggles to me. Working with the Pioneer Lions, a non-profit organization dedicated to aiding local homeless shelters, gave me first-hand insight into the devastating impact of America’s substandard financial education. Students leaving college are drowning in debt and failing to manage their money properly – leading to eviction, gambling, or unhealthy addictions. Making matters worse, young adults blindly place their trust in credit/debit cards, which can lead to dangerous financial situations without the tools and knowledge to navigate them. One in every five teenagers lacks basic financial knowledge, and over 50% of adults are financially anxious. How can a country’s education system be so advanced while still failing to meet the core need of its future leaders? Financial literacy is essential for students to grasp at a young age so that they can properly apply these practices and develop sustainable habits to cultivate healthy and safe lifestyles. Seeing the ramifications of the lack of education revolving around financial literacy in America’s educational system inspired me to combat it. Throughout this past year, absorbing more about the intersection of government, policy, and education has allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of the legality and implementation of financial literacy in our education system. On paper, educating the youth through an all-encompassing lens sounds ideal. However, upending an entire country’s educational system is a bit more complex. There is a multitude of different ways that I could approach teaching financial literacy, although the method that I have found best aligning with my interests centers around creating a non-profit organization. Creating an organization that focuses on teaching fundamental aspects of money and sustainable living to middle and high school students endows them with crucial financial knowledge early on in their lives. To cultivate financial literacy, mentorship roles are pivotal. Throughout my first year at The University of Texas at Austin, I have come to value the importance of this culture within organizations. The McCombs School of Business' Undergraduate Business Council is a perfect example of this. There are numerous organizations that I have participated in at UT; however, UBC sets itself apart from the rest of my experiences this school year. The reason I have come to love UBC is that its culture revolves around nurturing incoming freshmen and helping them through their first encounter with college. When these underclassmen become upperclassmen, they grow into the effective role models and mentors that helped them in the beginning. This uniquely interpersonal organizational spirit is the perfect representation of what I hope to achieve on a much larger scale. The non-profit organization I hope to form involves student mentors and teachers educating students to create a stable reservoir of financial knowledge that will be passed down every year until there is a constant, maintainable cycle of successful education.

Throughout my life, I've been quite a frugal person because my parents taught me the value of money when I was younger and it really stuck with me. I oftentimes get made fun of for being "cheap" and never wanting to spend money, but I have found my ability to save and invest money quite valuable, especially recently. Once I started working jobs throughout high school and college, I realized that I'm really good at saving and investing my money. While many other teenagers are making money throughout the week just to blow through it all in one weekend, I've been steadily seeing my money increase from good investment decisions. I've found that a lot of people who used to make fun of me in the past and call me cheap are the same people that have asked me for investing advice and how to save their money better, so I'm really thankful for my parents and how they taught me such a valuable lesson at a young age. I will carry this valuable knowledge with me for the rest of my life as I continue to save and invest, and of course every now and then it's still ok to spend some money and have fun. I will always stay true to myself, even if I don't fit in with what everyone else is doing.

Throughout my life, I've been quite a frugal person because my parents taught me the value of money when I was younger and it really stuck with me. I oftentimes get made fun of for being "cheap" and never wanting to spend money, but I have found my ability to save and invest money quite valuable, especially recently. Once I started working jobs throughout high school and college, I realized that I'm really good at saving and investing my money. While many other teenagers are making money throughout the week just to blow through it all in one weekend, I've been steadily seeing my money increase from good investment decisions. I've found that a lot of people who used to make fun of me in the past and call me cheap are the same people that have asked me for investing advice and how to save their money better, so I'm really thankful for my parents and how they taught me such a valuable lesson at a young age. I will carry this valuable knowledge with me for the rest of my life as I continue to save and invest, and of course every now and then it's still ok to spend some money and have fun.

Oftentimes people associate success with material things such as a decent wealth of money or possessions to display, or maybe they focus on the way society views someone in relation to intelligence, such as a students GPA. I've seen so many people struggle to achieve success because their definition of success is something that simply isn't attainable for everyone, and even if they do attain their first goal, they will only continue to move that goal higher and continue to burn themselves out. To me, success is simply whether or not I'm happy in my future. I don't need a fancy car or house, I don't need to be insanely rich, and I definitely don't need a perfect GPA. I just want to be to enjoy my life, and of course I'm going to work hard to get there, but I'll make sure I don't stress myself out along the way. Currently, I am a first year Business student at the University of Texas at Austin. I plan to graduate from here in May of 2025, I will work incredible hard and pursue an MIS (Management Information Systems) degree, get an entry-level job that incorporates both technology and business, and overtime I will pursue starting a business on my own as it has always been my dream. Whether or not I accomplish all of these goals isn't what's important, as long as I'm enjoying my life throughout this process then I've been truly successful.

Start investing early. Most teenagers throughout high school or even college really spend money when they get money. They work a part-time job, make a decent sum of money throughout the week, and then spend it all over the weekend. Financial literacy and planning for the future is not taught in public school systems, and the teenagers that need advice the most don't seem to really get any. Thankfully for me, I have been quite a frugal person my whole life as my parents taught me about the value of money early on and it really stuck with me. When my parents first introduced me to investing my brain immediately lit up. I loved the idea of turning money into more money, especially without actually having to do much work at all. It amazed me that so many people let their money sit in a bank account with very little interest when they could be seeing a decent ROI in something as simple as a stock portfolio. I worked a few jobs throughout high school, and I first started learning to invest with paper money on different trading apps, and then once I felt conformable I moved on to using my real money. I learned all about investing and different ways to make a steady profit over time, and I was really successful. Before I knew it, I was profiting a couple thousand dollars, which is a lot especially for a teenager. I was so thankful that my parents had introduced me to investing so early in my life, and its a skill that I will carry with me far into the future. I'm currently trying to expand into new areas of investing, such as real estate, cryptocurrencies, and many passive income ideas. Financial literacy should be taught to everyone.

Deeply understanding the complexities of money and how it changes our world every day has always intrigued me, and businesses are at the core of this intricate network that spans across the entire world. The passion I’ve had since I was a child for one day building up a successful business of my own has always allowed me to persevere through any challenges that I’ve faced and maintain a positive outlook throughout my life. I am thrilled at the thought of potentially achieving this life long dream of mine, and it motivates me every day to be productive and achieve my goals. Of course, money alone isn't my goal with a business. While money is definitely a nice outcome of success, being proud of everything that I've accomplished in my life and the relationships that I've built along the way is the ultimate goal for myself that I look forward to every day of my life.

The only way to truly fail is doing nothing about it. This sentence completely changed my perspective about all my shortcomings in life. Failure is apart of growing. If someone only ever succeeded and never faced any obstacles in their life, then how would they be able to grow as a person? Adversity is a necessity for everyone. When you fail, you take that failure and you learn from it. You then apply what you learned in the future so that you don't fail in the same way ever again. I have seen so many people fail and then simply give up. Of course failure makes you feel more defeated than anything else , especially when you put in an incredible amount of effort, but giving up is never going to help you achieve what you initially sought out. If everyone in the world understood this one sentence, I believe that the potential for people's growth and society as a whole would be limitless.

During my junior year of high school, I competed in a DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America) competition called the Business Solutions Project, and I worked incredibly hard on this project because I wanted to prove that my passion for business would carry me towards success in the future, not just to my parents who saw fields such as medicine or law as the only practical fields of study in college, but also to myself in the sense that I am more capable than I let myself believe. I was able to pass the district competition with flying colors and move on to the state competition where I was filled with conceit thinking that I could just rinse and repeat what I did during the district competition at the state level so that I could move on to nationals, but overconfidence was my downfall. I just barely didn't have enough points to move on to the national competition, and this crushed my soul. If I put in just a little bit more effort, I most likely would have competed in nationals that year. This experience taught me incredibly valuable lessons, such as never letting overconfidence prevent me from myself, so that I never stop working to be better. This upsetting defeat was something that weighed on me for a long time, but perseverance was key because as I slowly realized, this would be a lesson that I would carry with me for the rest of my life. I would never again fail to put in all of my effort into something that I want to succeed at. Life isn't about taking shortcuts to get to where you want, and if you want something you have to do everything you possibly can to achieve that.

A lot of money. Not gonna lie, money buys happiness. Despite what anyone says, money can pretty much do anything for you in life, so yeah I want a lot of it. Of course there are so many other important things in life like friends and family and establishing meaningful connections with other people, but it's not like having money is gonna take that away. Really, it would only help you feel more at ease knowing you could financially provide for anyone that you care about. If I were to go into specifics about what I would do with that money, well honestly I'd wanna travel the world with my friends. I would love to go to a new country every day and go sightseeing in random corners of the world. Being able to do whatever I want, whenever I want, however I want to do it, is pretty much all anyone could ask for. Obviously, in the real world we have work to do and it's not all just fun and games, but my dream life would definitely consist of everything I mentioned.

Patience cultivates a deeper understanding of every human being and society as a whole. Without patience we would not be able to take the time to slow down and process what's happening around us and what other people might be saying to us. Our lives would not be able to properly function without a mechanism that allows us to simply wait. Every day of our lives we wait in lines, we wait for other people to finish talking, we wait for our food to come at restaurants, we wait for slow internet, we just wait so much all the time. Now, imagine if instead of waiting we threw a temper tantrum when things took too long and didn't go our way. Well, that would clearly be a problem due to a lack of patience. Patience is essential to all human beings, and without patience meaningful human interactions would cease to exist and the world would probably crumble quite fast. Being patient is important to me because not only is it something I pride myself on, but I genuinely respect when I see patience being displayed by others. I've always viewed patience as a display of maturity, and it's rather refreshing to see an individual showcase a tremendous amount of patience, especially when life doesn't seem to be going their way because we've all been in situations that really drain our patience away.

The basics of healthy living revolve around eating properly and exercising, but there's so much more that isn't talked about. Of course you need to eat healthy foods, drink a lot of water, and get some cardio in every now and then, but if you're not happy with yourself and if your mental health isn't in the right place, then life starts to slowly trudge itself along. Mental health is just as important as physical health. Maintaining a healthy mental state is not a simplistic process, and sometimes it can be rather overwhelming, but everyone is capable of overcoming their individual difficulties. I wish it was as simple as some people make it seem when they merely say "just stay positive and everything will work out", but the reality is much different. So many factors play into mental health such as cultural diversity, family, friends, social life, school, work, and more. When there's so many potential negatives in our lives it's hard to stay mentally healthy, but it is absolutely crucial to attempt to align all aspects of our lives in a healthy manner. Blocking out negativity and problem solving are some of the only ways to breed positivity into our own lives. Making sure we don't blame ourselves when things go wrong and understanding that setbacks are apart of life is incredibly important to our mental health. Mental health also goes hand in hand with physical health, because if you don't feel good about yourself mentally, you won't be able to produce any sort of physical productivity, whether that be eating properly or exercising. The best way to live a long, healthy life is by truly understanding what proper physical and mental health requires, and practicing to maintain them in our daily lives.

The first time I truly failed changed my perspective of life. I was competing in a state level business competition where essentially, you create a presentation that showcases the solutions you implemented to help a business grow. I walked into the presentation area with an air of self-assurance resonating around me, but as the minutes ticked down, so did my seemingly boundless confidence. I did not the win competition, and I certainly did not walk out feeling good about myself. Over time, the way I viewed this failure completely changed. How could anyone ever succeed without failing? In fact, if you never fail then did you ever really try? Setbacks and mistakes are what leads to growth and progress. I realized that failure was necessary for where I viewed myself in the future, leagues apart from my competition. Crawling out of the shy and frail shell that enveloped the person I used to be coupled with gaining enough confidence to create a professional-level presentation and stand above thousands of others made me truly understand that challenges are the fuel driving me towards improving myself. I struggled, I failed to meet my expectations, but I also loved every part of the journey. Next time I have to do better, I have to further prove that I will end up at the top where I've always wanted to be, not to anyone but myself.

Participating in the YouLead Global Youth Leadership Class of 2019-2020 taught me various aspects of leadership and how to effectively display these attributes in my daily life. I was able to drastically change my perspective of leadership through everything that I learned from this class, and I was able to incorporate this knowledge into my community by co-founding a nonprofit organization known as the Pioneer Lions. One of the most successful projects that our organization has been able to accomplish so far was raising thousands of dollars to buy a variety of necessities that we supplied the Samaritan Inn with, which takes care of numerous homeless people. Everyone in this world has the potential to positively effect those around them, but those who take the time out of their day to help others and make an impact in their community have already crossed the first step towards truly spreading positive change around the world. I want to spark the realization of the importance of helping your community through this organization along with how I go about my every day life in general. Every waking moment you could completely change a stranger's life, and whether you know it or not, the smallest of deeds can have the biggest effects on others.

Racism has, and most likely will continue to be, the biggest problem the world is facing. The people of our country are fortunate enough to experience the beneficial diversity that makes America what it is. With the attention of our country being placed on recent movements such as Black Lives Matter, now more than ever the ideals of unity and equality should be preached throughout our country. The diverse ideologies and unique perspectives that different people have coming from various backgrounds are necessary to create an optimal work environment and overall positive community of individuals. Having a diverse community of peers to collaborate with one another allows for any problem that arises to be tackled in numerous ways that take into account everyone's different logical approaches. Diversity correlates to the changing methodologies that individuals employ when considering a variety of tasks or conflicts, and after establishing a stable foundation to work off of, diversity is the key to aid a group in following through a plan of action to the last step. The indisputable fact that people's differences make our world all the better is something that I've thoroughly come to understand in college as an emphasis on cultural differences provided me with exposure to the unique intricacies of my peers' cultural backgrounds. Working on racism starts with changing the system, but of course this is easier said than done. Centuries of systemic and cultural conflicts won't just go away over night, but the only way we can work towards true equality is taking the problem step by step and day by day. Every day we must fight for our collective rights as human beings, and as individual people.

Investing money is literally the best thing that the average person can do with their money. Ever since I received advice about investing and personal finance along my pursuit of knowledge to be financially literate, I have hated when people say save your money. Saving your money won't do anything to be honest, but investing definitely will. People that I've heard from tend to make investing seem like some kind of gambling game or something that takes an incredible amount of time and knowledge to get into, but both of these baseless ideologies couldn't be further from the truth. Sure, there are many intricacies when it comes to the stock market, but as most investors know, the average return of the S&P 500 is around 6-7%, which is much more than you'll get from a bank. If anyone invests their money safely into certain ETF's, which essentially are a collection of stocks, they will most likely have a larger return on their investment than a bank would provide them. Investing one's money is the best way to achieve financial freedom.

Investing money is literally the best thing that the average person can do with their money. Ever since I learned about personal finance along my pursuit of knowledge to be financially literate, I have hated when people say save your money. Saving your money won't do anything to be honest, but investing definitely will. People that I've heard from tend to make investing seem like some kind of gambling game or something that takes an incredible amount of time and knowledge to get into, but both of these baseless ideologies couldn't be further from the truth. Sure, there are many intricacies when it comes to the stock market, but as most investors know, the average return of the S&P 500 is around 6-7%, which is much more than you'll get from a bank. If anyone invests their money safely into certain ETF's, which essentially are a collection of stocks, they will most likely have a larger return on their investment than a bank would provide them. Investing one's money is the best way to financial freedom.

Participating in the YouLead Global Youth Leadership Class of 2019-2020 taught me various aspects of leadership and how to effectively display these attributes in my daily life. I was able to drastically change my perspective of leadership through everything that I learned from this class, and I was able to incorporate this knowledge into my community by co-founding a nonprofit organization known as the Pioneer Lions. One of the most successful projects that our organization has been able to accomplish so far was raising thousands of dollars to buy a variety of necessities that we supplied the Samaritan Inn with, which takes care of numerous homeless people. Everyone in this world has the potential to be a leader, but those who take the time out of their day to help others and make an impact in their community have already crossed the first step towards truly becoming a wonderful leader. I want to spark the realization of the importance of proper leadership within countless others.

"Life is a big climb, but the view sure is nice at the top." I've always hated when people tell me quotes because they're all cliche and half the time are completely irrelevant to our own lives. Even this quote doesn't stray too far from the collective, but it was the moment in my life when my friend told me this, when it felt like the world was against me, that I truly resonated with the meaning behind the quote. There are so many ups and downs in our lives, and sometimes it feels like the negatives outweigh the positives, but with every challenge that we face and surpass, we move on to better and brighter days. My perspective on life now encompasses the fundamental ideology of not focussing on the bad things that happen because you can't change the past. Everyone knows this. The past is fixed and never changing, yet we are controlled by our emotions and we gravitate towards the wishful thinking of changing it. Realizing that working my hardest is the most that I can do helped me out immensely, and that might seem simplistic or even obvious on the surface but to me it was one of the deepest lessons I've learned and it took me over 18 years to learn it. I put way too much pressure on myself in the past and every failure was something that set me back, but now every failure pushes me forward towards the best version of myself.

Personally, my optimism is solely a result of truly being able to understand that life naturally has its ups and downs. Sometimes it feels like the negatives outweigh the positives, but with every challenge that we face and surpass, we move on to better and brighter days. My perspective on life now encompasses the fundamental ideology of not focussing on the bad things that happen because you can't change the past. Everyone knows this. The past is fixed and never changing, yet we are controlled by our emotions and we gravitate towards the wishful thinking of changing it. Realizing that working my hardest is the most that I can do helped me out immensely, and that might seem simplistic or even obvious on the surface, but to me it was one of the deepest lessons that I've ever learned. I put way too much pressure on myself in the past and every failure was something that set me back, but now every failure pushes me forward towards the best version of myself. Being optimistic in the face of adversity has taught me that life is genuinely a beautiful gift. I know how cliche that sounds, but every day we live is a blessing and even the bad days will lead to good ones.

"Life is a big climb, but the view sure is nice at the top." I've always hated when people tell me quotes because they're all cliche and half the time are completely irrelevant to our own lives. Even this quote doesn't stray too far from the collective, but it was the moment in my life when my friend told me this, when it felt like the world was against me, that I truly resonated with the meaning behind the quote. There are so many ups and downs in our lives, and sometimes it feels like the negatives outweigh the positives, but with every challenge that we face and surpass, we move on to better and brighter days. My perspective on life now encompasses the fundamental ideology of not focussing on the bad things that happen because you can't change the past. Everyone knows this. The past is fixed and never changing, yet we are controlled by our emotions and we gravitate towards the wishful thinking of changing it. Realizing that working my hardest is the most that I can do helped me out immensely, and that might seem simplistic or even obvious on the surface but to me it was one of the deepest lessons I've learned and it took me over 18 years to learn it. I put way too much pressure on myself in the past and every failure was something that set me back, but now every failure pushes me forward towards the best version of myself.

Our modern world is plagued by so many issues we tend to focus on the negativity that gradually makes its way into our lives. Progressively consuming the harsh reality that we see every day draws us away from everything we could be thankful for. Now more than ever people are affected by tragedies that occur across the world due to information constantly being at the tip of our fingers as technology continuously advances and social media captures the worst of it all. Being able to deal with a barrage of societal issues and daily problems at once is incredibly difficult for most people, and small acts of kindness can go a lot farther than most people tend to realize. A few years ago, I heard a story of a man who was struggling with his mental health. He slowly walked across a bridge looking at every person that he passed by, and unfortunately jumped off the bridge at the end of his walk. He left a note behind that stated if even one person simply looked up and smiled at him on his walk, then he wouldn’t have jumped. This tragic story is the reason I now smile at everyone I walk by and how my perspective has been completely changed. Something that seems insignificant to me, something as small as a smile, can have a profound impact on the life of a stranger. Generosity towards others seems to be fading as time goes on and people tend to avoid interactions with strangers more often, but it is an absolutely crucial part of our lives whether it be receiving or giving it. Generosity to me is having the power and privilege of bettering someone else’s day, and causing a surge of much needed positivity and joy in everyone’s lives.

Digital coins are changing the world. If someone told me this ten years ago I would've laughed at them consumed by my young self's close minded ideologies. Bitcoin? Who cares, money is never gonna change; the green pieces of paper we see every day have value right? Well, not necessarily. Paper money has value because we give it value. The concept of money itself is quite simplistic, governments regulate society to make money a necessity for various transactions in our daily lives. Even when this money is digitized through numbers we see in our bank account and cards that we swipe every day, the money is still tied to fiat. In recent years, cryptocurrency, or digital currency, has started to become much more popularized through social media and the emphasized importance placed on an individual’s financial literacy. The technology that cryptocurrencies revolve around and the problems that they attempt to solve provides an immense amount of value to this form of virtual money. What was just bitcoin years ago is now a plethora of intricately designed technology that provides plausible solutions to significant problems that plague the modern world. For example, a cryptocurrency such as VeChain is currently aiding in issues of supply chain traceability and the assurance of food quality which will greatly improve the management and business processes associated with these industries. There is an infinite amount of details you could delve into with cryptocurrencies to learn more about what they’re composed of, but one crucial element of why they’re able to accomplish so much is due to Blockchain technology. Blockchain is essentially a system that allows for information to be securely and permanently recorded. Every transaction that occurs through the blockchain is effortlessly stored digitally, and this occurs in a manner that allows for the incorporation of decentralized finance, which is finance that does not require intermediaries. To set a standard of comparison, centralized finance is what we’re all mostly used to with financial institutions such as banks being crucial elements of where we go to with our money. Decentralized finance seeks to replace these obsolete aspects of monetary transactions. There are new cryptocurrency projects being worked on every day and the future holds so much potential that most people wouldn’t even be able to fathom as of now, but the excitement I have for cryptocurrency to change the world can’t be conveyed by words alone.

Medicine. The only acceptable field of study in the eyes of my Indian parents. So how do I escape the shackles of this damaging cultural ideology? I had to prove that I could be successful in the field that I’m so passionate about. I had to prove that I could make a salary that eased their ceaseless worries of my future. I decided to make a wager with them, and I was willing to put everything on the line. If I was successful in my upcoming business competition, then they would accept my desire to go into business, but if I wasn’t, then I would drop business altogether. With their eventual agreement, my entire future was suddenly at stake. I joined DECA at the start of my junior after hearing how marvelous the competitions were. The visualization of towering over all else atop a grand stage while proudly raising a trophy as I’m showered with applause was something I had to achieve. I participated in the Business Solutions Project, but at the time, it was impossible to fathom even a fraction of how much this project was going to end up meaning to me. I initially steeled my resolve to balance my already challenging school life with this exhaustive project so that I could obtain more beneficial business experience, but it turned into a life-changing gamble with my parents. The Texas state Deca competition. I was finally here. When it came time to compete, I walked into the presentation area with an air of self-assurance resonating around me, but as the minutes ticked down, so did my seemingly boundless confidence. Despite the unease I felt, I gave an almost perfect presentation, and I felt a true sense of pride after contemplating how much effort I put in to chase after the future in business that I know is meant for me. The next day, I made my way to the award ceremony, and impatiently endured the suffering of hearing countless names called that weren’t mine. All of a sudden, “Adish Sundar” rang around the Fort Worth Convention Center, but the cheering from thousands of voices began to drown in the back of my mind as pure suspense took a hold of me when I acknowledged that this didn’t mean I qualified for nationals yet, as just being a state finalist was still a possibility. Name after name, hope slowly started to dwindle. All I could feel was agonizing silence in a room trembling with noise. The last name was finally called, and to my utter disappointment, it wasn’t mine. I took my state finalist award with dignity and concealed sorrow, and I walked off the stage while awaiting the doomed conversation I would soon have. I faced my parents and waited to hear them tell me to start studying for my MCAT, but then came something I could never have expected. They told me how proud they were of me for believing in myself for so long, and by showing the initiative to pursue this field on my own, they believed I was ready to enter the rigorous world of business. Crawling out of the shy and frail shell that enveloped the person I used to be that couldn’t even confront his parents on his dreams, coupled with gaining enough confidence to create a professional-level presentation and stand above thousands of others, made me realize that challenges are the fuel driving me towards improving myself. I can now confidently say that my future in business is set in stone.

Suffering alone in silence, isolation from society, and criticism from others. The torturous problems in our minds can have devastating effects when not taken seriously. The lack of understanding and perspective I once had for mental illness initially inhibited me from helping my best friend cope with the crippling cycle of trauma that he was facing. Therapy, rehab, school counseling, the list goes on. Everything he faced was simply awful, and I wish I could have helped him sooner. The burden he faced grew every day as people chalked his struggles down to laziness and a poor attitude, but as time passed and others saw weakness, I realized that he had a strength that most could never comprehend. I was his best friend. I was the anchor that kept him grounded. I was his coping mechanism. I learned how to give him comfort and help him fight the battle waged in his head, and in doing so he drastically improved over time. However, I could never have learned how to help him alone. It took me hours of research and consulting with various professionals to truly understand what he was going through and what I could do for him. The simplest thing that anyone can do for someone struggling in this way is just listen. Listen to their problems. Listen to their feelings. Listen to everything they have to tell you. Help them move forward with the grief of their past into a better future. The journey I went through with my best friend has provided me with crucial knowledge of what a mental illness truly is, and how to help those suffering through one. I will always lend an ear to anyone who needs me, and I will continue to comfort those battling one of the toughest fights there is.

“Why would you go to college just to be a business major?” The inevitable question all business majors seem to be asked. With a growing amount of success stories from people who never went to college and social media mainstreaming the idea that you only need to go to college to be lawyers, doctors, or engineers, many others seem to be left wondering if a degree is necessary. Considering years of student debt and a potential waste of four or more years to just maybe get a decent job, is college really worth it after all? To me: yes. Business is widely seen as a field that you can get into without any prior experience and since there are an immeasurable amount of occupations within this sphere, people find college as a waste of time for business majors. The reality of this flawed ideology is that the stories we hear about college drop-outs becoming incredibly successful, like Bill Gates, for instance, are simply not accurate representations of the real world. Many students are deluded with grandeurs of being rich and successful without college, however, they fail to realize the immense amount of work it takes. College can provide students with a stable foundation for their futures by setting them up with the necessary knowledge, experience, and qualifications to help them aim towards a financially successful future. The most critical aspect of flourishing in the field of business is networking and being able to establish connections with entrepreneurs, investors, and various higher-ups, especially when you’re just getting your foot in the door as you can take advantage of numerous opportunities to work your way up to a professional level. I am currently participating in various extracurriculars, but one significant extracurricular is a business internship at Upkey, which is a virtual internship where I am taught a variety of finance and entrepreneurship-related subject matter, and I have meetings with various higher-ups within business. Something that I have been incredibly passionate about lately is the acceleration of globalization due to advancements in technologies and travel that have allowed our world to become interconnected on a much broader scale than most people currently realize. Obtaining exposure to the intricacies of various places around the world and the diverse groups of people and cultures that exist is crucial to anyone who hopes to truly understand the world as a whole. The totality of experiences that each of us faces throughout our lives can't even compare to a fraction of what the world and all of its unique inhabitants have to offer, and this realization sparks an insatiable curiosity and hunger for knowledge and experience within me. Having a proper global perspective lets an individual think about various occurrences outside of the bubble that they live in and relate their life's circumstances on a worldwide scale. This is essential to become a human being that's aware of what's occurring all around the world and understanding the potential global impacts of events that we would assume don't affect others. Being truly aware of every possible outcome of one's actions allows our world to exist to some extent of peace and stability. If no one were to consider the global implications of various events, then the world as we know it would cease to properly function, wars would break out, chaos would ensue, and life would end. I have a variety of passions and interests and I hope to be able to carry and pursue them throughout my college career and far into the future.

The blend of colors and abstract shapes creates a completely unique art style of its own. A man that follows his passion and desire to express creativity in a new form. Pablo Picasso developed a style of painting known as cubism that went on to largely influence surrealism and symbolism. Being one of the most prominent artists of his time, he completely changed the perspective of art in his era, and the impact of his life is still seen in art in our world today.

“Why would you go to college just to be a business major?” The inevitable question all business majors seem to be asked. With a growing amount of success stories from people who never went to college and social media mainstreaming the idea that you only need to go to college to be lawyers, doctors, or engineers, many others seem to be left wondering if a degree is necessary. Considering years of student debt and a potential waste of four or more years to just maybe get a decent job, is college really worth it after all? To me: yes. Business is widely seen as a field that you can get into without any prior experience and since there are an immeasurable amount of occupations within this sphere, people find college as a waste of time for business majors. Proving this baseless belief wrong is something that thoroughly drives me every day of my life. The reality of this flawed ideology is that the stories we hear about college drop-outs becoming incredibly successful, like Bill Gates, for instance, are simply not accurate representations of the real world. Although I myself have been captivated and inspired by the some of the most famous and influential extreprenuers out there, many students are deluded with grandeurs of being rich and successful without college, however, they fail to realize the immense amount of work it takes. College can provide students with a stable foundation for their futures by setting them up with the necessary knowledge, experience, and qualifications to help them aim towards a financially successful future. The most critical aspect of flourishing in the field of business is networking and being able to establish connections with entrepreneurs, investors, and various higher-ups, especially when you’re just getting your foot in the door as you can take advantage of numerous opportunities to work your way up to a professional level. My greatest desire since I was a child has been to start my own successful business, and I will continue to work towards this goal every day, but I genuinely believe that college will be the gateway for me to achieve it. I will carry with me the inspirational stories of the people I look up to, but I won't base my life off of others. My life will be its own story, and I will go down my own path.

Medicine. The only acceptable field of study in the eyes of my Indian parents. So how do I escape the shackles of this damaging cultural ideology? How can I prevent disappointing the people I love the most? Simply put, I had to prove myself to them. I had to prove that I could be successful in the field that I’m so passionate about. I had to prove that I could make a salary that eased their ceaseless worries of my future, which they perceived to be devastating if I didn’t secure a job that they deemed financially stable. Gathering every ounce of courage in my body to tell my parents I was determined to do business was petrifying in comparison to the hour I spent practicing what I was going to say to the stuffed toy in my room. I decided to make a wager with them, and I was willing to put everything on the line. If I was successful in my upcoming business competition, then they would accept my desire to go into business, but if I wasn’t, then I would drop business altogether. They seemed to contemplate the idea for quite some time, but their eventual agreement placed a soul-crushing pressure that weighed over my entire body. My entire future was at stake. I joined DECA, a club that prepares future business leaders, at the start of my junior year. After hearing how marvelous the DECA competitions were, I decided to participate in the Business Solutions Project, but at the time, it was impossible to fathom even a fraction of how much this project was going to end up meaning to me. I initially steeled my resolve to balance my already challenging school life with this exhaustive project so that I could obtain more beneficial business experience, but it turned into a life-changing gamble with my parents. The Texas state Deca competition. I was finally here. When it came time to compete, I walked into the presentation area with an air of self-assurance resonating around me, but as the minutes ticked down, so did my seemingly boundless confidence. Despite the unease I felt, I gave an almost perfect presentation, and I felt a true sense of pride after contemplating how much effort I put in to chase after the future in business that I know is meant for me. The next day, I made my way to the award ceremony, and impatiently endured the suffering of hearing countless names called that weren’t mine. All of a sudden, “Adish Sundar” rang around the Fort Worth Convention Center, but the cheering from thousands of voices began to drown in the back of my mind as pure suspense took a hold of me when I acknowledged that this didn’t mean I qualified for nationals yet, as just being a state finalist was still a possibility. Name after name, hope slowly started to dwindle. All I could feel was agonizing silence in a room trembling with noise. The last name was finally called, and to my utter disappointment, it wasn’t mine. I took my state finalist award with dignity and concealed sorrow, and I walked off the stage while awaiting the doomed conversation I would soon have. I faced my parents and waited to hear them tell me to start studying for my MCAT, but then came something I could never have expected. They told me how proud they were of me for believing in myself for so long, and by showing the initiative to pursue this field on my own, they believed I was ready to enter the rigorous world of business. Crawling out of the shy and frail shell that enveloped the person I used to be coupled with gaining enough confidence to create a professional-level presentation and stand above thousands of others, made me realize that challenges are the fuel driving me towards improving myself. I struggled, I failed to meet my expectations, but I also loved every part of the journey. Next time I have to do better, I have to further prove that business is who I am, not to my parents, but to myself. My future in business is now set in stone.

Medicine. The only acceptable field of study in the eyes of my Indian parents. So how do I escape the shackles of this damaging cultural ideology? Simply put, I had to prove myself to them. I had to prove that I could be successful in the field that I’m so passionate about. Gathering every ounce of courage in my body to tell my parents I was determined to do business was petrifying in comparison to the hour I spent practicing what I was going to say to the stuffed toy in my room. I decided to make a wager with them, and I was willing to put everything on the line. If I was successful in my upcoming business competition, then they would accept my desire to go into business, but if I wasn’t, then I would drop business altogether. With their eventual agreement, my entire future was suddenly at stake. The visualization of towering over all else atop a grand stage while proudly raising a trophy as I’m showered with applause was something I had to achieve. I participated in the DECA Business Solutions Project, but at the time, it was impossible to fathom even a fraction of how much this project was going to end up meaning to me. I steeled my resolve to balance my challenging school life with this exhaustive project to obtain a more beneficial business experience, but it turned into a life-changing gamble with my parents. The Texas state Deca competition. I was finally here. When it came time to compete, I walked into the presentation area with an air of self-assurance resonating around me, but as the minutes ticked down, so did my seemingly boundless confidence. Despite the unease I felt, I gave an almost perfect presentation, and I felt true pride after contemplating how much effort I put in to chase after the future in business that I know is meant for me. The next day, I made my way to the award ceremony, and impatiently endured the suffering of hearing countless names called that weren’t mine. All of a sudden, “Adish Sundar” rang around the Fort Worth Convention Center, but the cheering from thousands of voices began to drown in the back of my mind as pure suspense took a hold of me when I acknowledged that this didn’t mean I qualified for nationals yet, as just being a state finalist was still a possibility. Name after name, hope slowly started to dwindle. All I could feel was agonizing silence in a room trembling with noise. The last name was finally called, and to my utter disappointment, it wasn’t mine. I took my state finalist award with dignity and concealed sorrow, and I walked off the stage while awaiting the doomed conversation I would soon have. I faced my parents and waited to hear them tell me to start studying for my MCAT, but then came something I could never have expected. They told me how proud they were of me for believing in myself for so long, and by showing the initiative to pursue this field on my own, they believed I was ready to enter the rigorous world of business. Crawling out of the shy and frail shell that enveloped the person I used to be that couldn’t even confront his parents on his dreams, coupled with gaining enough confidence to create a professional-level presentation and stand above thousands of others, made me realize that challenges are the fuel driving me towards improving myself. I can now confidently say that my future in business is set in stone.

Growing up in the United States as one of the first generations of children of immigrant parents from India has brought incredibly unique aspects of culture and tradition into my life that I never would have experienced unless I grew up in America. Every day of my life, I experience new things and meet new people, and I carry with me the differences between India and America that I compare with the stories that my parents tell me about every day. My parents came to America to provide me and my brother the best life that they possibly could, and one of the most amazing parts of this process with most immigrant families are the bits of change that naturally occur over time as immigrant families assimilate into the country that they immigrate to. My parents were unfamiliar with America's culture, but that's what I grew up surrounded by, so as they introduced elements of culture from their lives growing up such as Hinduism and Indian holidays, I tell them about the latest fashion trends like ripped jeans which they can barely comprehend. More than just the elements of contrast between my parents and me, the people of our country are fortunate enough to experience the beneficial diversity that makes America what it is. With the attention of our country being placed on recent movements such as Black Lives Matter, now more than ever the ideals of unity and equality should be preached throughout our country. The diverse ideologies and unique perspectives that different people have coming from various backgrounds are necessary to create an optimal work environment and overall positive community of individuals. Having a diverse community of peers to collaborate with one another allows for any problem that arises to be tackled in numerous ways that take into account everyone's different logical approaches. Diversity correlates to the changing methodologies that individuals employ when considering a variety of tasks or conflicts, and after establishing a stable foundation to work off of, diversity is the key to aid a group in following through a plan of action to the last step. The indisputable fact that people's differences make our world all the better is something that I've thoroughly come to understand within highschool as an emphasis on cultural differences provided me with exposure to the unique intricacies of my peers' cultural backgrounds. Living in the United States and experiencing this level of diversity is incredibly rewarding and allows me to develop a unique perspective that envelops an understanding of various cultural differences. In addition to diversity, the freedom that we get to experience every day, and most likely take for granted, is one of the most wonderful aspects of living in America. Freedom to me is being able to voice my opinions and stand up for what I believe in, freedom to me is being able to go wherever I want knowing that I'm always safe and that I have rights that protect me, and freedom to me is feeling comfortable in my own skin and being myself, all of which I can do while living in the United States which I remember to be thankful for every day.

The complexity of leadership cannot be defined under a few values or ideas. A leader is not simply someone who stands above others in a group, but rather it is someone who effectively interacts with other people and showcases qualities of professionalism and maturity while being able to decide the appropriate course of action in a variety of situations. Of course, these are only a few of the countless important characteristics that upstanding leaders embody. Participating in the YouLead Global Youth Leadership Class of 2019-2020 taught me various aspects of leadership and how to effectively display these attributes in my daily life. I was able to drastically change my perspective of leadership through everything that I learned from this class, and I was able to incorporate this knowledge into my community by co-founding a nonprofit organization known as the Pioneer Lions. One of the most successful projects that our organization has been able to accomplish so far was raising thousands of dollars to buy a variety of necessities that we supplied the Samaritan Inn with, which takes care of numerous homeless people. The leadership that I showcased was not only interacting with several people to set up this project, but it was also taking the initiative to go out of my way to help those in need. Everyone in this world has the potential to be a leader, but those who take the time out of their day to help others and make an impact in their community have already crossed the first step towards truly becoming a wonderful leader. I want to spark the realization of the importance of proper leadership within countless others. I believe that the most important quality I possess is my drive to succeed. Being successful for me isn't just being rich or attaining a life that satisfies some minuscule amount of happiness, I want to leave a legacy behind that adds meaning to my family's name for generations to come. I want to start one of the most prominent businesses in the country, but I want to focus on the part of myself that loves interacting with people and the community that surrounds me, so I will create a branch of my business that also provides support to various communities around America. I want to create an ethical and positive work environment that I can be proud of going to every day, and I want to be a role model for future business owners to look up to.

Medicine. The only acceptable field of study in the eyes of my Indian parents. So how do I escape the shackles of this damaging cultural ideology? How can I prevent disappointing the people I love the most? Simply put, I had to prove myself to them. I had to prove that I could be successful in the field that I’m so passionate about. I had to prove that I could make a salary that eased their ceaseless worries of my future, which they perceived to be devastating if I didn’t secure a job that they deemed financially stable. Gathering every ounce of courage in my body to tell my parents I was determined to do business was petrifying in comparison to the hour I spent practicing what I was going to say to the stuffed toy in my room. I decided to make a wager with them, and I was willing to put everything on the line. If I was successful in my upcoming business competition, then they would accept my desire to go into business, but if I wasn’t, then I would drop business altogether. They seemed to contemplate the idea for quite some time, but their eventual agreement placed a soul-crushing pressure that weighed over my entire body. My entire future was at stake. I joined DECA, a club that prepares future business leaders, at the start of my junior year. After hearing how marvelous the DECA competitions were, I decided to participate in the Business Solutions Project, but at the time, it was impossible to fathom even a fraction of how much this project was going to end up meaning to me. I initially steeled my resolve to balance my already challenging school life with this exhaustive project so that I could obtain more beneficial business experience, but it turned into a life-changing gamble with my parents. The Texas state Deca competition. I was finally here. When it came time to compete, I walked into the presentation area with an air of self-assurance resonating around me, but as the minutes ticked down, so did my seemingly boundless confidence. Despite the unease I felt, I gave an almost perfect presentation, and I felt a true sense of pride after contemplating how much effort I put in to chase after the future in business that I know is meant for me. The next day, I made my way to the award ceremony, and impatiently endured the suffering of hearing countless names called that weren’t mine. All of a sudden, “Adish Sundar” rang around the Fort Worth Convention Center, but the cheering from thousands of voices began to drown in the back of my mind as pure suspense took a hold of me when I acknowledged that this didn’t mean I qualified for nationals yet, as just being a state finalist was still a possibility. Name after name, hope slowly started to dwindle. All I could feel was agonizing silence in a room trembling with noise. The last name was finally called, and to my utter disappointment, it wasn’t mine. I took my state finalist award with dignity and concealed sorrow, and I walked off the stage while awaiting the doomed conversation I would soon have. I faced my parents and waited to hear them tell me to start studying for my MCAT, but then came something I could never have expected. They told me how proud they were of me for believing in myself for so long, and by showing the initiative to pursue this field on my own, they believed I was ready to enter the rigorous world of business. Crawling out of the shy and frail shell that enveloped the person I used to be coupled with gaining enough confidence to create a professional-level presentation and stand above thousands of others, made me realize that challenges are the fuel driving me towards improving myself. I struggled, I failed to meet my expectations, but I also loved every part of the journey. Next time I have to do better, I have to further prove that business is who I am, not to my parents, but to myself. My future in business is now set in stone.

The complexity of leadership cannot be defined under a few values or ideas. A leader is not simply someone who stands above others in a group, but rather it is someone who effectively interacts with other people and showcases qualities of professionalism and maturity while being able to decide the appropriate course of action in a variety of situations. Of course, these are only a few of the countless important characteristics that upstanding leaders embody. Participating in the YouLead Global Youth Leadership Class of 2019-2020 taught me various aspects of leadership and how to effectively display these attributes in my daily life. I was able to drastically change my perspective of leadership through everything that I learned from this class, and I was able to incorporate this knowledge into my community by co-founding a nonprofit organization known as the Pioneer Lions. One of the most successful projects that our organization has been able to accomplish so far was raising thousands of dollars to buy a variety of necessities that we supplied the Samaritan Inn with, which takes care of numerous homeless people. The leadership that I showcased was not only interacting with several people to set up this project, but it was also taking the initiative to go out of my way to help those in need. Everyone in this world has the potential to be a leader, but those who take the time out of their day to help others and make an impact in their community have already crossed the first step towards truly becoming a wonderful leader. I want to spark the realization of the importance of proper leadership within countless others.

Money doesn’t buy happiness. A common saying, yet the validity of it has never been questioned, almost as if it would be morally incorrect to disagree with this statement. Why is this the case? Simple. Society wants younger generations to accomplish a variety of things that are not focused on the monetary outcome of every situation. Not concentrating solely on money allows people to work towards a life where they can wake up every day looking forward to the near future, however, the undeniable truth is that the world we live in revolves around money. Deeply understanding the complexities of money and how it changes our world every day has always intrigued me, and businesses are at the core of this intricate network that spans across the entire world. I have already had the privilege of working within the business field through an internship with a wealth management company known as Samatva the summer before my senior year, and this valuable experience solidated my desire to continue down the path of business. The passion I hold towards learning everything that I can about the financial transactions that occur millions of times, every day, all around the world, is further deepened with every passing second. I believe that the most important quality I possess is my drive to succeed. Being successful for me isn't just being rich or attaining a life that satisfies some minuscule amount of happiness, I want to leave a legacy behind that adds meaning to my family's name for generations to come. I want to start one of the most prominent businesses in the country, but I want to focus on the part of myself that loves interacting with people and the community that surrounds me, so I will create a branch of my business that also provides support to various communities around America. I want to create an ethical and positive work environment that I can be proud of going to every day, and I want to be a role model for future business owners to look up to. Additionally, I believe I can turn my dream into a reality through my leadership qualities. The complexity of leadership cannot be defined under a few values or ideas. A leader is not simply someone who stands above others in a group, but rather it is someone who effectively interacts with other people and showcases qualities of professionalism and maturity while being able to decide the appropriate course of action in a variety of situations. Of course, these are only a few of the countless important characteristics that upstanding leaders embody. Participating in the YouLead Global Youth Leadership Class of 2019-2020 taught me various aspects of leadership and how to effectively display these attributes in my daily life. I was able to drastically change my perspective of leadership through everything that I learned from this class, and I was able to incorporate this knowledge into my community by co-founding a nonprofit organization known as the Pioneer Lions. One of the most successful projects that our organization has been able to accomplish so far was raising thousands of dollars to buy a variety of necessities that we supplied the Samaritan Inn with, which takes care of numerous homeless people. The leadership that I showcased was not only interacting with several people to set up this project, but it was also taking the initiative to go out of my way to help those in need. Everyone has the potential to be a leader, but those who have made an impact in their community have already crossed the first step.

Money doesn’t buy happiness. A common saying, yet the validity of it has never been questioned, almost as if it would be morally incorrect to disagree with this statement. Why is this the case? Simple. Society wants younger generations to accomplish a variety of things that are not focused on the monetary outcome of every situation. Not concentrating solely on money allows people to work towards a life where they can wake up every day looking forward to the near future, however, the undeniable truth is that the world we live in revolves around money. Deeply understanding the complexities of money and how it changes our world every day has always intrigued me, and businesses are at the core of this intricate network that spans across the entire world. I have already had the privilege of working within the business field through an internship with a wealth management company known as Samatva the summer before my senior year, and this valuable experience solidated my desire to continue down the path of business. Going into this internship, I expected a standard academic session every now and then where I receive information and work to complete similar to school, I never could have realized how significant the connection to my employer was going to end up becoming to me. My internship was guided by an incredibly intelligent and successful man who I now know as Mr. Mari. The extent of this internship wasn't merely academic, but rather, it allowed me to establish a genuine connection with an adult for one of the first times in my life. I had never felt comfortable opening up to a professional individual about my future and what I hope to achieve quite like I did with Mr. Mari. The positive business-like environment he created was professional of course, but it was also one that emphasized that we were all still kids following our goals and dreams and that we had lots left to learn and experience. Mr. Mari was able to take away the pressures of adolescence and let us be ourselves when we were around him. Being able to converse with a professional in a friendly matter and ask for any help or advice gave me a sense of belonging to the internship that he masterfully designed and executed. I know that if I ever need anything in the future or help following down the path of business, Mr. Mari will guide me in the right direction. Similar to how Mr. Mari saw his interns, I hope that my alumni in college will perceive me as more than just a student that's focused on his academics, but as an ambitious student that strives for excellence while also feeling the natural pressures and confusions that come along with the younger years of life.

Medicine. The only acceptable field of study in the eyes of my Indian parents. So how do I escape the shackles of this damaging cultural ideology? How can I prevent disappointing the people I love the most? Simply put, I had to prove myself to them. I had to prove that I could be successful in the field that I’m so passionate about. I had to prove that I could make a salary that eased their ceaseless worries of my future, which they perceived to be devastating if I didn’t secure a job that they deemed financially stable. Gathering every ounce of courage in my body to tell my parents I was determined to do business was petrifying in comparison to the hour I spent practicing what I was going to say to the stuffed toy in my room. I decided to make a wager with them, and I was willing to put everything on the line. If I was successful in my upcoming business competition, then they would accept my desire to go into business, but if I wasn’t, then I would drop business altogether. They seemed to contemplate the idea for quite some time, but their eventual agreement placed a soul-crushing pressure that weighed over my entire body. My entire future was at stake. I joined DECA, a club that prepares future business leaders, at the start of my junior year. After hearing how marvelous the DECA competitions were, I decided to participate in the Business Solutions Project, but at the time, it was impossible to fathom even a fraction of how much this project was going to end up meaning to me. I initially steeled my resolve to balance my already challenging school life with this exhaustive project so that I could obtain more beneficial business experience, but it turned into a life-changing gamble with my parents. The Texas state Deca competition. I was finally here. When it came time to compete, I walked into the presentation area with an air of self-assurance resonating around me, but as the minutes ticked down, so did my seemingly boundless confidence. Despite the unease I felt, I gave an almost perfect presentation, and I felt a true sense of pride after contemplating how much effort I put in to chase after the future in business that I know is meant for me. The next day, I made my way to the award ceremony, and impatiently endured the suffering of hearing countless names called that weren’t mine. All of a sudden, “Adish Sundar” rang around the Fort Worth Convention Center, but the cheering from thousands of voices began to drown in the back of my mind as pure suspense took a hold of me when I acknowledged that this didn’t mean I qualified for nationals yet, as just being a state finalist was still a possibility. Name after name, hope slowly started to dwindle. All I could feel was agonizing silence in a room trembling with noise. The last name was finally called, and to my utter disappointment, it wasn’t mine. I took my state finalist award with dignity and concealed sorrow, and I walked off the stage while awaiting the doomed conversation I would soon have. I faced my parents and waited to hear them tell me to start studying for my MCAT, but then came something I could never have expected. They told me how proud they were of me for believing in myself, and by showing the initiative to pursue this field on my own, they believed I was ready to enter the rigorous world of business.

Whether considering the ideal outward appearance that, unfortunately, usually aligns with eurocentric standards of beauty or a specific personality that fits a general societal definition of normal, a countless number of people are restricted from being comfortable in their skin. I have struggled with my self-image in numerous ways, as I used to be considerably overweight with an eccentric personality that did not necessarily fit in with the people around me. Growing up in neighborhoods with minuscule Indian populations only added to those struggles. My childhood almost took away my sense of appreciation for my family heritage as I tried to act like those around me in hopes that they would like me more, but this deceitful notion that developed in my immature brain took its toll on my current self. I still reminisce about the days I spoke fluent Tamil, and that I regretfully lost this ability due to the lack of people around me with a similar cultural background, however, I am grateful for still being entranced with the intricacies of Hinduism. After moving to Frisco, Texas, with a drastically larger Indian population, I felt a sense of comfort in knowing that there were so many people who came from backgrounds comparable to my own, and I was eventually able to find people who accepted me for who I was. Today, I carry with me the various perspectives from being at a low point in my life to the sheer happiness that I can confidently say I feel now. I truly hope to have the amazing opportunity of helping other Indian students feel comfortable with themselves despite their cultural and physical differences from many others, and so that I can preserve the authenticity of my culture within America.

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a small, feathery little creature that piqued my interest. Out of curiosity, I walked over to the plot of grass on which the bird seemed to be perched comfortably on, but at that moment, I failed to realize how much the poor, defenseless creature was struggling. I was merely a child back then, 11 or 12 years old, drawn to the sight of anything I found cute or interesting. I happened to come across this bird while waiting for my school bus to whisk me away to another dreadful day of school. To my surprise, I was able to pick up the bird without it flying away, which indicated that it was even younger than I initially realized. It was such a harmless creature, and I pitied how vulnerable it seemed. The bus eventually came and I placed the bird down back where it was and I went on with my day. That day at school, the first spark towards a deeper understanding of the struggles of life was ignited within me. I had heard countless arguments in my life, but I always assumed that only physical fighting was a real problem. After all, how can someone’s words harm someone else? I was more deeply mistaken then I possibly could have realized. In between passing periods, I witnessed the harsh impact that words can have for the first time in my life. Two kids got into an argument and they kept throwing insults at one another for a few minutes as countless other students, including me, simply stood there and watched. No one bothered trying to stop them, no one wanted to interfere at something we could laugh at instead. As the pressure of being the “winner” of the argument consumed both of their fragile middle school egos, one of them said something terrible that he could never take back. That child severely insulted the other’s mother with terrible comments that he probably only said in the heat of the moment, but nonetheless, every word he said brought forth emotional trauma that had never passed from the other kid’s mind. He cried for hours while reminiscing the times he spent with his mother that died years ago. It was then, seeing him break down in tears in a way that I had never seen before, that I finally began to understand that everyone’s lives are different, and we all go through different challenges that we must overcome in order to continue on living. The complexity of life and a deeper understanding of it had not yet come full circle for me, but later that day it would. There I was, waiting for the bus once again, except this time, thankfully, it was to take me back home. On the ride home, all I could think about was how different everyone's lives are, and how other people’s pasts can truly affect their emotions and well being. Shortly after I got off the bus, I once again noticed the small bird from earlier in the morning, and I slowly strolled over to go pet the soft creature. It was then that the cruel reality of the bird’s death had dawned upon me. So many questions surged through my head at once. “Why didn’t I notice the bird dying this morning? Could I have saved its life? How could something that looks perfectly fine be hurting inside?” Despite all the questions I asked myself, nothing could change the fact that the bird was dead, because even back then I knew death was irreversible. I left the bird where it was, and I walked back to my house. I pondered on and on about how similar the situation with the bird was to the lives of people. People might seem fine on the outside, but sometimes they carry the weight of immense burdens that others simply can’t understand. Just like the bird was in pain all day long, there are people who feel incredible amounts of emotional pain throughout their lives. Oddly enough, a sense of gratitude began to gradually envelop me as I realized how lucky I was to have been born into a privileged life and have been sheltered from any significant emotional wound. At that moment, I was thankful for the enormous amount of valuable insight that the occurrences of that day had provided me. I was finally able to comprehend that no one can ever truly know what other people have been through in their life, and similar to that bird, sometimes certain pain can only be understood by the one who goes through it.