The arts serve many purposes, but to me, one of the most crucial is the power to help others. Before I could help others find their voice, I had to find my own, and I found it in theatre. Acting has not only pushed me to develop skills like presence and vulnerability, it also gave me a purpose, to tell stories which connect, educate, and create empathy. One of the most transformative classes for me has been improv, which is acting without a script. Through improv, my imagination has no limits, whether becoming an indestructible talking mouse, or portraying Eminem seeking therapy. These moments forced me to let go of self-consciousness and commit fully to a character. I’ve learned to embrace the moment with a “yes…and” mindset. So, inspired by what acting had done for me, midway through my junior year I decided to create an outlet for kids by leading free improv classes. I called the project ImprovItAll! I applied for and won a $5,000 grant and leadership training from the Dragon Kim Foundation Fellowship, which supports youth-driven passion projects aimed at making a difference in communities. With the help of volunteers from my high school, I have empowered over 100 kids by teaching them short-form improv games to alleviate anxiety and boost confidence. After one session, a student came up to me and said “When I went up there and did the games it was really fun and I got over my fears.” This moment reminded me why I started ImprovItAll! in the first place. I realized that if I wanted to expand access to arts, I also had to understand and challenge the systems that limited it. So in the fall semester of my senior year I joined Arts for LA’s Activate Student Organizing Cohort and learned about the lack of arts funding in Los Angeles. In monthly two-hour Zoom sessions, I dove into topics like Proposition 28 and collaborated with peers to discuss gaps in arts education and how to improve it. This furthered my passion with ImprovItAll! and is the reason I have continued dropping into community centers, such as the Korean Youth and Community Center (KYCC) to teach improv to the youth. Ultimately, I want to help others feel seen through the power of storytelling, and I’ll continue using theatre to uplift, educate, and connect others.

I sat on the edge of my seat as sound filled the black box theater; lights flashed bright and colorful; quirky props and costumes danced across the stage while music filled the air. I was ten years old, watching my first show, Alice in Wonderland. What truly glued my eyes to the stage was how the actors breathed life into their characters, pulling me into their world so completely. For a moment, I forgot about reality. At that time, I was a kid bubbling with anxiety. I felt shy and awkward in social situations. In the theater, those worries melted away. Captivated, I wanted to jump on the stage with the actors and join them in what felt like a magical space. My love of acting was born. I auditioned for my local community theater’s production of Aladdin Jr. and landed an ensemble role. There, I discovered a community and a passion, while developing trust, and expressing my creativity. As time went on, I found that it takes more than just actors to make a play “magical.” A collaborative group of technicians, artists, and creatives is needed to bring a story to life. This knowledge lets me explore other forms of storytelling, like piano, poetry, and directing, but I remain drawn to acting the most. I performed in three to four plays/musicals a year at my local theater. I auditioned for a performing arts high school for the acting department, and I was thrilled to get accepted. I took classes in acting, movement, speech, directing and comedy improv. I began devoting much of my time outside of school to improving my acting chops, such as attending summer intensives like the California State Summer School for the Arts (CSSSA). Acting pushed me to develop skills like presence and vulnerability, in both the theater and my personal life. I love that it’s a job where I can constantly play. The training I’ve gone through throughout my life was especially evident when I performed Steph's monologue from Reasons to Be Pretty, it was a challenge that pushed me out of my comfort zone. Playing a character so different from myself required me to stretch myself emotionally and do research. Although the monologue is about a break up, something I haven’t experienced yet, I was able to channel a friendship break up. While I have not experienced the romantic side of things, I have a big imagination and was able to imagine what that would feel like, along with personally relating to Steph’s feelings of betrayal and shock. The role of Steph from Reasons to Be Pretty is one of my dream roles. While Steph challenged my monologue abilities, a role that challenged me in an ensemble environment, is Foreman from the play 12 Angry Men. This play taught me a lot both about myself and being in an ensemble. The play was student directed, produced, and run. My cast and I explored our characters together, and learned that this play is harder to memorize than a lot of other plays because of its ensemble nature. We are on the stage the whole time, and have to constantly be listening and reacting. Without the trust of our ensemble, the play wouldn't have come out as well as it did. It's truly the connection with the ensemble that makes acting amazing. In conclusion, I plan to make this a career, and with my resilient nature, I know I'll succeed in this business. If I win money from this scholarship, I will use it to help fund my performing arts education.