From the gritty, weed-scented hallways of inner-city schools to the disciplined squad formations of the Marine Corps Junior ROTC, my journey has been an ever-extending "shashiko" depiction of my life woven into diverse threads. These threads, rooted in my experiences with Model UN, Student Government, city initiatives and various other obligations and interests, have moved me to unravel the mysteries of our universe. I will share why I believe it is essential to deepen our understanding of our universe; outlining the down-to-earth ideas and concepts I aim to employ in my navigation of the world around us. Understanding the nature of our universe is more than a scholarly endeavor. It is a bridge between the tangible and the infinite, using education to fuel our curiosity to discover the unknown. My journey began in an inner-city school where dreams struggled to take flight and where the challenges of limited resources and peer pressure from both students and society were the norm. After going through this rigorous path of inner-city school for eight years, I enrolled in the Marine Corps Junior ROTC, discovering for the first time academic and personal discipline, strategy, and resilience. A foundation that became the launchpad for exploration into the realms of community service, public policy, and law. The importance of unraveling the universe on your terms, no matter the circumstances, lies in the potential for you to transform into something better. Something you may have never seen coming and the potential for more. A journey that transcends academic curiosity, resonating with the urge to constantly progress and to grow into something greater than oneself. To dedicate everything and embark on this expedition of universal navigation and discovery, I apply a three-fold approach: 1) Holistic Education: The ability to observe the environment around you and transcend social expectations and barriers. By breaking educational barriers, we can truly open up our minds to learning, not solely surviving. My inner-city school experiences highlighted the disparities that hindered intellectual growth. We must reimagine education as a dynamic force that exposes the curiosity of young people, not the regurgitation of outdated information. Creating opportunities to transcend socio-economic restraints and plant a seed within young minds maintains curiosity through eliminating socio-economic fear and worry. Thinking in this way leads to the implementation of comprehensive curriculum reform that blends the concepts of science, the understanding of philosophy, and the creativity of the arts to foster a deeper understanding of the functions of the universe; integrating real-world applications and using education as the intended vehicle to enabling students from all backgrounds to connect with the world around them on a personal level. 2) Grassroots Empowerment: Amplifying engagement within the community to empower others to seek their potential and engage with the world around them. Engaging communities in the exploration of the world around them is a powerful catalyst of evolution. With my ability to draw inspiration from public involvement with my city government, I propose the empowerment of local communities to take ownership of their journey. Establishing community workshops, engagements with community leaders, and creating no-charge events to network with bright minds. By removing the stigma of traditional education and encouraging self-education through connectivity and networking, we can elevate the aspect of success. 3) Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Leveraging a myriad of skills and talents jointly to streamline societal growth, personal progression, and the progression of the world around us. The universe possesses particular intricacies that we as the sole individual cannot interpret and understand on our own. Human beings have the natural tendency to connect, collaborate, and comprehend intricacies as a unit rather than independently, so we must take advantage of this gift. In my journey through different groups and organizations on and off campus like the Marine Corps Junior ROTC, Model UN, Student Government, and FBLA, I witnessed the strength and human ability of diversely bright minds converging together to solve complex challenges within our world. Applying this principle to the constant pursuit of understanding the world around us, advocacy for interdisciplinary collaboration between scientists, policymakers, educators, and community leaders is paramount. Fostering the collaboration of all interests and talents will lead to the development of practical solutions, emphasizing the curiosity of understanding our universe better. By applying this three-fold conceptual approach, we can see that the exploration of the world around us is essential to understanding what we as individuals are dealing with. Not confining our minds to the restricting bars of societal norms and handouts, but by the implication of curiosity, wanting to know more about how our world works to truly change and evolve as a society and as a world. My journey through the gritty corridors of life has ingrained in me the conviction that understanding the intricacies of the universe is not a pursuit confined to academia. It is a journey of transformation that holds the key to breaking barriers, empowering communities, and encouraging collaboration. By embracing a holistic approach, empowering communities at its roots, and dedicating collaboration across multiple disciplines, we can embark on a collective journey to unravel the mysteries of our world, making the infinite tangible, the unknown familiar, and the impossible possible.

"Mabuhay" to being a dedicated Filipino-American student, "Mabuhay" to all of the blessings I have been given, and "Mabuhay" to all of the people I have met along the way. As a Pacific Islander navigating the halls of community college and higher education, my journey is a testament to resilience developed from both myself and my culture. From surviving to learning, I tackled many crucibles in my life, such as inner-city school, gang violence and initiation, and environmental distractions to being a part of a program that emphasizes militaristic discipline through the Marine Corps. Today, I delve into the world of public policy, entrepreneurship, and law through many engagements and am willing to emphasize and expound upon these attributes to become better as an advocate, a citizen, and an individual eager to change the world. Being a Pacific Islander in college means embodying the strength drawn from a resilient, rich Filipino culture while surmounting the challenges of an unconventional path. Beginning in inner-city school, where dreams seemed distant and smothered with gang violence and a disturbed learning environment, was where my so-called educational career began. I was lost, and more afraid of my peers rather than failing class. Still, I persevered. Moving past that stage of my life, I joined the Marine Corps Junior ROTC, instilling discipline and determination. It paved the way for my entry to the realms of public policy, business & entrepreneurship, and law, where I found my voice in government and campus leadership positions, as well as my purpose to dedicate myself to my community. The essence of my Pacific Islander identity lies in tradition and adaptation. Carrying the weight of my cultural legacy while forging a unique path in the pursuit of knowledge, service, and change. It is not just a personal endeavor, but rather a collective narrative for other Pacific Islander students to continue to move forward in their aspirations, no matter how difficult, underrepresented, and daunting a task may be. I seek this scholarship not as a privilege, but as a symbol of the diverse perspectives I bring to the table of community and academia. In awarding this scholarship, we as Pacific Islanders celebrate not just individual achievement, but an investment in fostering broader inclusivity within higher education. As a Pacific Islander, my experiences have helped me navigate the complexities of community college life and contribute a unique voice to the discourse. A voice rooted in cultural tradition and resilience, offering a different lens through which to view and address challenges. By supporting my journey, this scholarship becomes a catalyst for amplifying diverse narratives and cultural diversity within academia. Being a Pacific Islander in community college signifies embracing a heritage that has shaped my journey while carving a path that extends beyond personal aspirations. From a potential gang-banger to a Marine Corps Junior ROTC commander, and now to a youth representative in my community, government boards and businesses, is a testament to the transformative power of education integrated with resilient culture. With this scholarship, I not only seek financial support but also an acknowledgment of the value that diverse voices, like mine, bring to higher education. In investing in my journey, the contribution to the broader narrative of inclusivity ensures that the voices of Pacific Islanders resonate and echo throughout the halls of higher education and the world of academia. "Mabuhay" to education, "Mabuhay" to culture, and "Mabuhay" to contributors dedicated to the elevation of higher education and success.

There have been many twists and turns in life, especially with COVID-19 affecting everyone's lives, making life quite the rollercoaster. Although the obstacles and oppositions begin to grow, my strength has grown with it. Through this time of tragedy and quite chaotic reform, I have formed personally within myself that fear and waiting will not help me change what I want to change and help me gain success. This time, I have learned the importance of hard work, dedication, and the application of leadership. Being able to understand these things before my next chapter will help me get a test of what the real world truly is like. In terms of shaping my hopes for the future, I already see that the future is closer than we had expected it to be. Innovation and technology have begun to shape the world into the beginning of a new era. My hope that has been shaped by my life thus far is that I want to be included in the future of this innovation, the new era to life and humanity as we know it. By understanding what may be in store for humanity, I want to include myself in the change that will create progress faster than we thought possible. To have the ability to change the world one step at a time, being able to understand the limits for not just myself, but for humanity is a gift and a skill in one. Striving for a better world and improving both what is broken and what is progressing. Having this ability to change the world in every aspect of human nature is the dream, the goal, and the aspiration for others to do the same. Life is the understanding of the limits and attributes that are beyond measure. The hope.

The goals that I possess for the future stretch to a vast amount of things. My goals for the future are to become a beacon for those who don't have the same opportunities that I have. Let me reiterate. I come from a background of immigrant families that have been through a lot of misfortune; some still do. My family and I have been lucky enough to be in a land of opportunity and to be able to chase after the dreams that we have. Most people where my family and I are from don't have that luxury. I want to be able to change the world in a way where near everyone has that opportunity to become what their heart desire. By becoming a successful entrepreneur and/ or a successful attorney as well as being able to provide philanthropic services to those who need it is what I strive to do. Being able to provide help to people through my skill set is what I want. What I am hungry for. In terms of how I plan on achieving these goals, my answer to that question would be to continue striving, working as hard as possible every day, even if I don't feel like thriving or I'm uncomfortable. Being able to keep moving forward even when I am past my limit. Being Comfortable in the Uncomfortable and remaining outside my comfort zone to gain success. Doing whatever it takes to succeed as well as being able to prove that the impossible is possible. Being able to strive to get what I want to achieve in this life is also my primary goal to complete the one I want the most to accomplish. Wanting the best for my peers, colleagues, family, and people in general; primarily giving rather than taking

The goals that I possess for the future stretch to a vast amount of things. My goals for the future are to become a beacon for those who don't have the same opportunities that I have. Let me reiterate. I come from a background of immigrant families that have been through a lot of misfortune; some still do. My family and I have been lucky enough to be in a land of opportunity and to be able to chase after the dreams that we have. Most people where my family and I are from don't have that luxury. I want to be able to change the world in a way where near everyone has that opportunity to become what their heart desire. By becoming a successful entrepreneur and/ or a successful attorney as well as being able to provide philanthropic services to those who need it is what I strive to do. Being able to provide help to people through my skill set is what I want. What I am hungry for. In terms of if my goals are in line with academics, my career, and my personal life, I would say my goal applies to all three. Being able to achieve anything solely related to my goals for the future requires an amount of education. Being able to understand the simple social attributions to things and connecting to it to my desired career. In terms of my personal life, it will help me leave a mark on the world in a positive way. Being able to strive to get what I want to achieve in this life is also my primary goal to complete the one I want the most to accomplish. Wanting the best for my peers, colleagues, family, and people in general; primarily giving rather than taking

Legacies go far beyond money, wealth, and luxury. I feel a legacy is an important aspect of finding out what a person can do; releasing a person's full potential and being able to understand the true aspects of what they do to get what they truly want. How they want to succeed and being able to understand and sympathize with a person's psychological and physiological urge to succeed. After seeing them strive from the bottom or where they are stagnant to reaching the top, being able to see them pass it down to family and having the family pass it down to their family and so on. A true legacy. The legacy that I desire to the fullest is having the impression of a colorful reputation, strong mental and spiritual skillset, being able to change the world for the good, and being the one that goes above and beyond the prospects and limitations that life puts in from of me. I want the best for me and my family for the reason that everyone wants success and well-being. I know what it is like to be in the low end and I know what it feels like to be in the higher end. I have seen others that have struggled and scrapped to live a life, cherishing every little grain of rice they can spare and sharing a single disposable cup with a family of four while other people seem to waste life away by throwing away food or playing games instead of reaching their goals. I want my legacy to include not just my successes, but my process. What it took for me to get to where I will get to and what I did after my successes to help change the world for the better and improve humanity.

Being able to understand how others feel and controlling your emotions as well is important in many aspects. Having empathy for those around as well is crucial when needing to create a team and/ or improve certain relationships an individual may have with those around him/ her. Tying into loving and caring, empathy, and sympathizing with those who are under the sense of stress or despair can make and prevents breaking in relationships. In my life, how I make sure that I treat others with empathy is by implementing several aspects first. I first observe the people I am around, those with who I hang out with and/ or work with. Reading the room and knowing or thinking what other people around me may be thinking will better help me understand what those people around me may be feeling. I then consider my options, whether I should let them have their space if these people understand the value of the mission or task, is this person reliable, etc. Being able to rule these things out and understand what to do in certain situations helps create a rapport with not just the room but the people within. I finally then execute, understand who feels what, why they feel this way, and be there for someone when and if they needed it the most. Mentorship is also a great way I express my empathy for the other person. By teaching a person another skill that I feel is important for everyone to learn and implement into their lives and career helps my understanding of that person. Helps me to understand their ambitions, their goals, what they want out of life, and what they want in terms of assistance and their own needs. Understand the feelings of those around you; how to help.

Financial literacy is a crucial skill that I feel every young person must learn, but most don't have the luxury or are oblivious to the resources that there are for them. Being able to understand money, having the skills and the ability to use money more as a tool, and creating more from it is all possible. What truly needs to be done to make young people in this generation and beyond more prepared financially is being able to interpret currency and everything that goes along with it. Throughout my life, I have learned many skills in terms of financial literacy and entrepreneurship as a whole. Things like compound interest, product-oriented marketing, the difference between a ROTH IRA and a 401K, etc. But what I feel is a crucial lesson that all young people should know, especially before applying for employment or even before handling money is investing. Knowing when to invest, where to invest, what you are investing in, and how you will be able to pay YOURSELF back first is important. Having this ability solidified within your financial arsenal will help make better financial decisions as well as have enough left over for personal pleasure. Investing, however, doesn't apply to just currency. Most times, investing will apply currency, but it can also mean using money to invest in yourself. This can include improving your appearance to increase confidence, or investing in a gym membership, no matter what it is. By any means, investing solely interprets using a form of currency or trade to better improve yourself, life, the community/society, or the world as a whole. Investing is a chain that leads entrepreneurs or people interested in the line of business to understand the value of time, currency, and resources. Investing is a skill that must be learned. Value.

Being able to create happiness, especially loving happiness is a very important thing for me in terms of living a long and happy life and creating unbreakable bonds and relationships with people willing to connect with you. What I do to create happiness and spread love is by any means things people can do in their everyday lives to increase the number of connections and relationships one can have. You never truly know who you meet, who they are, and what they can and will become in the near future. In terms of making people in my personal life, (friends, family, colleagues, etc.), I am considerate, relatable, and approachable, amongst many other things. Being able to relate to and understand and a person, especially in a time of need is important to connect with the person on a personal level and make them know that they are not alone. Having the ability to support them whenever necessary, as well as expressing your own need for space and understanding in return. Knowing what a person needs and wants, especially if they are someone close to you, helps when putting them on the right track in life, leading them to what they truly want to succeed, and/ or giving them the courage to do whatever it is takes. Loving and caring for a person, in my opinion, is not on whether you give them chocolates and roses. Being loving and caring to another is having the ability to understand, connect, and support a person in anything that they do and being there for them in time of need. Having that connectivity and magnetic understanding with another in what you want to be heard, said, and accomplished will create positivity with you and the individual on the other end of the spectrum. Connectivity.

The amount of courage, bravery, and risk I have put into my life cannot amount to what I have done in my tenure in high school and throughout my personal life out of school. Most times, before implementing the risk factor and removing myself from the depths of my comfort zone, I had no idea what I was capable of at my full potential. I have tons of other things to learn throughout my life and beyond, but I feel I have implemented bravery thoroughly and through everything that I do. I practice bravery on many occasions. When I train other people in many niches, no matter what it is (fitness, combat, martial arts, leadership, public speaking, debate, etc.). One thing I have in common with these niches, they require an amount of leadership. Leadership requires massive courage. Being able to step up and stand up to someone when they are wrong and correct them in the right way, or being able to implement decisiveness whenever it's needed without the fear of being judged. When I mentor my Cadets within our Marine Corps JROTC program, I consider several factors. One, Is the task being accomplished? Two, What is being implemented to prevent things from repeating themselves from the past? and Three, How can influence my Cadets to create positive solutions and change to better the program and themselves? Being able to consider these factors for the betterment of the subject's past, present, and future will then lead to execution, the ability to step up in any situation with the confidence and open-mindedness to get the plan done and executed and progress. All the details will come after and will show the amount of work, planning, and bravery on how I have put anything I do. Showing that I am capable.

My hobbies amount to a vast variety of things that help mold and shape my personality and the person I am today. They range from several subjects, but the hobbies I will list are the ones I feel are fundamentally important for my physical, mental, spiritual health and uprising. What I would like to be taken away from the hobbies I introduce is that others feel they can do the same things or even better, articulate subjects to also better and improve their lives. Fitness is one of my favorite core foundational hobbies that I implement a majority of the time in my life and hope to stay consistent with it. Being physically active and focused in the gym on molding both my body and my mind helps me to stay focused throughout the day. When getting up at 4, 5, or 6 a.m. to better me physically and mentally before almost 99% of the world also helps me to take advantage and move ahead of my current and potential competitors. Going along with fitness, writing and literature are also another one of my favorite core foundational hobbies that I love but hope to implement more often as I used to. Being able to understand the precedent of the successful people in the past and noting every lesson taught from their literature is an asset and an advantage I feel most young people should also to into account. Understanding the value of things in the past, the present, and what comes up shortly. Finally, tying everything together, sports & martial arts. Being able to understand the competition and the name of the game; being able to understand and interpret the opponent and their movement. In turn, being able to defend against them, as well as creating a team-building skillset.

Being true to yourself can be difficult, especially on a daily. That is a skill one must ascertain and understand to become successful in anything that an individual does. Staying true to yourself can be difficult, yes, but it is not impossible. Here is how I stay true to myself daily: Open-Mindedness - I must be open to new ideas, new concepts to succeed. Being able to find solutions rather than complaining about an issue. Commitment - If I say I am going to do something, I do it. Being there where I am most needed and doing what I am assigned to or what I put my mind to. Having the discipline to go out there and strive 100% for what I truly desire to be successful. Courage - Being able to disregard the fear factor effect and take everything by the throat, grasping every opportunity that I can find, no matter the ethics. Having the ability to remove fear and act on the impulse to get things accomplished. These three fundamentals are the guidelines for how I stay honest and true to myself and everything that I do. Being able to improve myself and being able to take on anything, but are not the only things that make me stay true to myself. Being able to remember who I am as a person and knowing my worth is everything that I need. If I can use my skills and my personality to assist people and solve problems, then I will execute. I try my best not to compromise my true sense of self and who I am as a person to gain approval or greed; being able to stand out in a society that is extremely harsh and quick to judge. No fear of standing apart from everyone.

The goals that I possess for the future stretch to a vast amount of things. My goals for the future are to become a beacon for those who don't have the same opportunities that I have. Let me reiterate. I come from a background of immigrant families that have been through a lot of misfortune; some still do. My family and I have been lucky enough to be in a land of opportunity and to be able to chase after the dreams that we have. Most people where my family and I are from don't have that luxury. I want to be able to change the world in a way where near everyone has that opportunity to become what their heart desire. By becoming a successful entrepreneur and/ or a successful attorney as well as being able to provide philanthropic services to those who need it is what I strive to do. Being able to provide help to people through my skill set is what I want. What I am hungry for. In terms of if my goals are in line with academics, my career, and my personal life, I would say my goal applies to all three. Being able to achieve anything solely related to my goals for the future requires an amount of education. Being able to understand the simple social attributions to things and connecting to it to my desired career. In terms of my personal life, it will help me leave a mark on the world in a positive way. Being able to strive to get what I want to achieve in this life is also my primary goal to complete the one I want the most to accomplish. Wanting the best for my peers, colleagues, family, and people in general; primarily giving rather than taking

I have many passions, but I feel the one thing that I am most passionate about is growth. I am always striving for something more. In everyone's life, there is always something that entangles or lures us to wanting to have more of it or wanting to know more to improve. In every aspect of my life, that includes school, sports, competition, even on the media, there is always room for improvement and growth. In terms of my passion for growth, to be passionate about the growth you must change the way you think as a person. You mustn't seek problems or complain when one comes to pass, but you must seek solutions to the problems that are right in front of you. Whenever a problem arises and I am with a group of individuals, there are always the few that complain and the rest that sits back and waits for a solution to present itself. This causes the task that the group was assigned to remain stagnant and nothing gets done. To truly grow, you must seek the solutions instead of complaining about the current dilemma because time will wither away at the fact that you complain rather than the time investing itself into the solution that was implemented to fix the problem and/ or to grow. Growth is the key strength and a successful person's life, no matter what you tackle, no matter what degree a person opts for, and no matter how strong someone thinks they are. To accomplish anything and change the world to something anew, something better than it once was, you must step up and become the one that leads anything to its fullest potential. You must grow within yourself to grow others. Leaders must have the ability to possess a growth mindset.

Simple pleasures in my life are, to me, things that both improve my life and also help me keep my sanity. My pleasures can range from a vast variety of things. They can be related to fitness, productivity, hobbies, and other things that make life more entertaining, as well as elevate my mindset, my physical and mental health, and my belief system. Being able to use these pleasures to improve my life helps me change the world. Starting, one of my most often used simple pleasures is fixing my bed. Yes, yes, I know, why is fixing my bed such a great simple pleasure. By simply fixing my bed first thing in the morning mentally motivates me to complete any tasks that I will have throughout the day, knowing that I already have accomplished a task. "One task completed will lead to many tasks completed." - Admiral William McRaven. Another simple pleasure that I feel makes me happy and elevate my life and lifestyle is writing. And no, not typing on a computer or going into the notes app on a mobile device. Genuine writing. Pen and paper, the whole 9-yards. By writing on paper helps to elevate my writing skills, improve the way I write and how it looks, as well as write down my thoughts, plans, and methods of action. Finally, the simplest pleasure that also, I feel, helps me and makes me happy is well reading. Reading books that help me elevate my personality, my work ethic, and educate me in many ways are good for me to extend my knowledge and create detailed conversations with others, as well as increase the speed of my critical thinking in general. In all aspects these simple pleasures of my are just a few of the things that elevates me.

To me, giving is important for several reasons. One, giving to others helps you change the world. Let me reiterate. By giving something of value to someone just for the intention of giving is showing a sense of philanthropy and understanding for the person's needs, their true wants, and what they like; expressing their personality. By continuing to give to others through just the intention of giving, you could reach to the capacity of giving on a mass scale. When reaching the scale of the masses, giving becomes an act of philanthropy, a benefit to the world. You change the way you think. You no longer want to be given things just for your own selfish adequacies, but to given for other people's needs. Expressing our humanity and the lighter side of our personalities. By giving on a continuous basis, you can go from giving a chocolate bar to a kid in the street to giving crates upon crates of food to distressed areas. Being able to fund hospitals, shelters, being able to change the world from the inside out. Giving is important for not the person itself but to humanity as a whole. In my personal opinion, we should make it more apparent to the public to give more and express positivity, rather than exposing negative greed, wars, and bloodshed. Spreading positive giving rather and negative greed in order to truly change the world and humanity's perception. The only reason humans are not giving to each other as much as the should is because of the influence of major influences and negative marketing. In order to change the world, one must give to those that need the most change in their world to create numbers of world-changing individuals. We must be the influencers of giving to than taking from.

As an aspiring entrepreneur, at nature of the profession is to solve problems. In doing so, I pave the way for those who want to achieve what they truly desire. Creating the aspirations and dreams of those I inspire into the reality they have enough hunger and courage to go after. Making it possible for those who thought that they are unable to achieve such domineer to prove to themselves and the world that they can. I believe I can provide both that environment and that mentality and engrain this into the future generation that will take over after I diminish. Along with helping the future generation, another aspiration would be to help the world. The job of the entrepreneur is to lead and create solutions to create a better world and future for those around them. For the world to function properly and to possess entrepreneurs in the first place, we must be able to have a world. Solving the issues of progress, health, and morality is what, in my personal belief, is what the entrepreneur should focus on, not just on the financial awards that come with it. Starting on my journey at 14, all I wanted from entrepreneurship was money, nothing else. The aspiration arose from the environment around me, what was posted on social media, the various other influences I so desperately wanted. So, I decided to start. Didn't make much at all at 14 and still struggling a little bit now, but during that time anger and desperation were what took over for a time. I wanted the prestige of having money, the power that came with it. But then I had an epiphany. I worked at a soup kitchen during the first few months of my freshman year when I was just a Corporal; my battle buddy and I were complaining about how the food looked and the color, the smell, etc. Our ignorance was ridiculous, and we still went on and on. As we continued, a boy, finished with his bowl of food, said thank you, explaining to me and my partner at the time that that was one of the best full meals he has ever had for the past 4 to 5 weeks. We then said your welcome and greeted him on his way. I so then realized that instead of complaining about the visible and physical attribution that is in front of me, I should find solutions to what I see that needs fixing and create a world that better provides reassurance and assistance to those who need it. So that my arrogance and ignorance will never again blind me to what the real issues are in the world.