In order to serve the Filipino-American community, I am dedicated to working with outreach programs that are focused on accommodating minority athletes. It is important to have the capacity of understanding the needs and challenges the Filipino-American community face. It has been an essential goal of mine to gain knowledge and awareness of these specific challenges. Challenges such as issues related to healthcare, education, employment, housing, and cultural assimilation. In order to serve the Filipino-American community effectively, I have been educating myself to have a deep understanding and appreciation of their culture. This involved learning about my mother's Filipino traditions, customs, and faith, as well as gaining proficiency in Tagalog. Having the ability to proficiently speak my mother's native language has allowed me to make life-long friends in school and in a workplace setting where connections such as those are vital in my ideal line of work. With this skill, I have had the ability to form bonds with patients that I have shadowed during my time at offices such as San Diego Sports Medicine & Family Health Center. I can recall my favorite patient Ivanna, a Filipina resident of Sorrento Valley who suffered from ongoing pain in her right ankle after sustaining a damaging sprain. Her presence in the facility was a highlight for all of the staff present, she would tell me and my co-workers about her life. Ivanna's English was not the best but with my knowledge and proficiency in speaking Tagalog, I was able to help communicate her needs, concerns, and questions to staff that couldn't quite understand her. Another way that I plan to serve the Filipino-American community is by volunteering with community-based outreach programs that are centralized in organization care. Over the summer I had the opportunity to shadow physical therapists, athletic trainers, and nurses with an organization in their space of work. It provided me with valuable insights into how our heritage ties into a workplace setting and what it specifically entails for Asian Americans as a whole. It also allowed me to build connections with community members and leaders. As a present-day kinesiology major, I have a solidified road map of courses that I plan to complete, to earn my bachelor’s degree in kinesiology. Applying myself into a healthcare setting, I would be able to advocate for many Filipino-American Islander athletes determined on pursuing a club, collegiate, or professional athletic team.

To set the record straight, I can confidently admit that writing essays, especially about myself, is not my strong suit. But of course, I did what I needed to maintain my 4.00-grade point average throughout high school, but many of the classes that I was enrolled in didn’t capture my attention the way human anatomy did. Towards the beginning of my senior year, I knew I wanted to specialize in physical therapy. Stating this as a high school student and persisting to obtain that goal as a soon-to-be sophomore is impressive in my case. A personal characteristic of mine is that I am uncertain about many things, whether it’s a personal, academic, or physical challenge. But I never once questioned the line of work that I want to pursue. I can confidently admit that physical therapy is what I want to do. ​ ​If you are wondering why I am hellbent on specializing in a costly career such as PT, it’s because I have a long history clustered with physical therapy sessions. I’m familiar with all the peculiarities and details that go into rehabilitation and strengthening exercises. However, I desire to help other individuals, not just athletes, receive the recovery they deserve. As a Filipino-American, wanting to make an impact in the ever-growing healthcare field, I believe that is it important for me to expand my horizons to what I am passionate about as well as what can challenge me in the future. ​As a young student-athlete who second-guesses nearly every aspect of her life, to confidently say that she wants to become a physical therapist is a milestone. My path and road map are set before me. It is now simply just the matter of acquiring the right tools and the right help I need to get there. I know I am not the only applicant who struggles financially, but I know also that I haven’t been more confident with a decision such as this. Receiving any scholarships would help solidify this goal. Aside from representing Filipino-Americans in a competitive career environment, I don’t want to limit my assistance to just the Filipino-American community, but to provide help to any individual who requires it.