Two of my favorite shows growing up were Kim Possible and Phineas and Ferb. Both have similar aspects of being animated TV shows with action, comedy and usually some lessons to be learned. Usually, Kim possible, that they would fight a villain and then have their out-of-hero life be the B plot. In Phineas and Ferb there would be whatever Phineas and Ferb would be doing and then what their sister or Perry were doing. Both shows also had cute pet in Rufus the Naked Mole rat and Perry the Platypus. Both shows also have catchy songs every now and then like Kim Possible's " Quit Playing Games With My Head" and Phineas and Ferb's "Aglet" song. Kim Possible aired between June 7, 2002, and ended September 7th, 2007. Phineas and Ferb started on August 17, 2007, and ended on June 12 2015 originally. Both shows represent different periods in Disney Channel's timeline but I think they would fit perfectly so well! For the exciting grip of plot, I feel like it would be cool to have some interdimensional story. Phineas and Ferb have explored this before and it would be cool to see the various characters interact. I would like to see Kim Possible fight along with Perry the platypus. Phineas and Ferb can work alongside Wade to assist them or Wade could interact with Francis Monogram, two people on the screens. It could be cool to see Rufus gain a hat like Perry too! I would also want to see how Dr.Doofenshmirtz interacts with Dr.Drakken and Shego. I would start the story in Phineas and Ferb's world. then Dr.Doofenshmirtz creates some kind of something he calls the "anotherworldinator". But Perry messes with it or Phineas and Ferb are creating a machine that disrupts it so then it only brings in the main characters and Wade from Kim Possible's world. Then We have the villains team up and the protagonists team up. We can also throw in a song in the middle! A fight between Perry the Platypus and Shego would be very fun to watch. Since I have the Kim Possible Characters coming into the world of Phineas and Ferb I would love to see how the animators animate them in the style of Phineas and Ferb. It would also be cool as a post-credits scene to have Phineas and Ferb come into Kim Possible's world and then they can relax eating at bueno nacho.

San Jose is no small city, with close to a million people in the population we have people of all cultures, genders, ethnicities, and backgrounds. Being in California and the heart of Silicon Valley one thing that can separate people is the wealth disparity. You'll see rows of the newest cars at a stoplight but on the side rows of homeless tents. But I grew up and here and I want to fix that. That's why I would want to give back and find ways to contribute to this city. I would want to make a business that encapsulates my passions, San Jose, and has a passion for giving back. I am personally passionate about coffee and I think this can be a good baselayer for my business plan. Firstly, Coffee and drinks are a loved commodity here in San Jose. Drive around and you'll see countless Boba shops. The classic homely Cafe is honestly pretty rare for such a huge city. Having a coffee shop that is homely and safe is a good way to give back to the many students of San Jose. This will provide a place to study and learn and nurture goodwill. Secondly, having worked in the food industry my whole life I know there is a ton of waste. I think I could find ways to cut back on that waste. Firstly, food at the end of the night can be sold for cheaper or given away to help feed starving or homeless people. There are even apps like TooGoodtoGo which let companies sign up to sell their foods online at a discount to make sure people buy them. Secondly, coffee grounds are great for compost and I would start a community garden. A community garden is a guaranteed way to give back to the community even if its just flowers or small things. As they say, every little bit counts. To get this started I would have to first find a space to rent out and get investors to pitch in. I would also need a detailed business plan so that I could at least be able to profit a bit to be able to pay back investors or we can establish as a non-profit organization. I would also want to pay my employees a fair living wage. Here in California, it is already $19.25 but to be frank that doesn't even cover rent. I think this is a good dream and one I hope to be able to establish once I feel comfortable with where I am in life.

Big Bang is not a big group now compared to the giants that are BTS but they were the ones that walked so BTS could run. One of Big Bang's first hits came out in 2008 for reference. Their song "HARU HARU" was one the first truly global pop songs to go viral. I listened to it when I was about 7. Growing up I had an older cousin that was into K-pop so I was early on the train. It impacted my life knowing people of Asian Ethnicity could be seen as "cool". Eventually, the group would also have another global hit in the form of "FANTASTIC BABY" in 2012. Part of their comeback album "Alive". This would be in part due to the internet and the YouTube series "Fine Bros". They would have many people react to the song and it went viral. Most of their songs also have music videos and I think they really set the standard on music videos. "Fantastic Baby" and "Haru Haru" are proof of that themselves. Eventually, as Big Bang set the wave of Asian artists and other groups popped up it impacted my life in unforeseen ways. For one, growing up in America many people are now more aware of other cultures thanks to the Korean wave and in parallel the Japanese cultural wave. The rise of Korean music, especially thanks to Big Bang has helped spread Korean shows, and fashion to the United States. It can now be trendy to have Korean style hair or enjoy Korean foods. To me, this is people being more accepting of other cultures and has positively impacted my life as an Asian-American. My favorite out of the group is G-Dragon. I think he has a higher-pitched voice and is more into fashion than most men tend to be. He is able to sing most high notes and is even the secondary rapper of the group. Despite all of this he is usually known as the leader of the group and therefore the most popular as well. Being more traditionally not masculine has shown me it is okay to break stereotypes and do your own thing. Despite all the controversy that all the group members have faced throughout the years I think the impact of Big Bang is undeniable. they set the road for Asian Artists and Culture to thrive everywhere else. They were the ones that walked to BTS and many others could run.

Andrew Garfield's portrayal may not be the most accurate Spiderman or the first on-screen one but he is my underrated king. The Amazing Spider-Man series had the nice factor of coolness for my younger self. To a real comic book die-hard, he isn't as nerdy or smart as Peter Parker was supposed to be. But he wasn't a cool guy either. It made the character feel like me, just a misfit and a person who is able to do their own thing. This shows through when all the spidermen show in in Tom holland's universe. you can see the coolness and wittiness of Andrew's portrayal in the film more compared to Tobey or tom. Another aspect I liked was the chemistry of Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone. I think as a kid watching them interact was the cutest thing. Though both are adults and moved on with their lives their chemistry for the film was unmatched is remains my #relationshipgoals. Visuals are important to a movie and they keep us drawn in. The amazing Spiderman series was one of the first times I saw the power of CGI and special effects in a superhero movie that felt real. It felt so realistic compared to the original series.

Bang! A loud crash shook the whole house. I was about 9. I remember I was on my dad's computer and it was a bright and calm day out. Everyone in the house seemed to exit their room at the same time to see what the noise was. In my grandmother's house that I used to live in we all ran around to see who had made such a visceral noise. We found the source of the noise in my grandpa's room. The next thing I remember was about 5 firemen coming in and an ambulance going off into the distance. What was speculated to occur was my grandpa for a second got dizzy and fell and hit his head on the edge of a table. He would end up fracturing his skull and losing the ability to move everywhere except his eyes and maybe one hand. My grandpa would eventually spend 5 years paralyzed in a hospice until he passed away of natural causes. This whole experience shaped me in several ways. Firstly, it gave me appreciation for the family I still had with me, especially my grandma. I never learned anything about my grandpa except sometimes he would pick me up from school. So with my grandma, I learned more about her interests. I learned what shows she watched while we were all away, what she liked to drink, and what she ate. I also learned to cherish life more. Year after year we would give my grandpa a visit. Every time I would see him alone and paralyzed in the bed unable to move. It made me appreciate everything else about life more. When I am having tough times I think about all the people who could be suffering like that and thank my lucky stars for anything I am going through. This whole event even shaped the initial major I had chosen. When I first entered college I had no idea what I wanted to do. I had no idea what my interests were or what I wanted to do in life. I distinctly remember looking back to all my memories and remembering all the nurses and first-aid responders and how they tried to help my family. I wanted to be like them for other people. For the first 2 years of my college life I decided to try and be a nurse. A Registered Nurse. Eventually, I would end up as a Certified Nursing Assistant and realized that it was not for me but the inspiration is still there. I still want to help people in someway and giveback like those before me. Having a loved one passed is not something I wish on anyone. However, we must continue and live on for them. We live to remember and to carry on their legacy.

Many people think tarot cards are just superstitious but in reality, they can give insights into who we are, how we are doing subconsciously, and our desires for the future. Each card has a meaning and depending on their position can change. On top of this during readings there can often be an order in which cards are drawn which can tell us how the card is relevant within our timeline. However, no matter the orientation or order one card sticks out to me. That card is the justice card. The justice card usually represents balance or moral sensitivity. It reminds us of our core values and asks us to take a step back and see if our actions are truly representing us as a person. As they say, after all, Actions speak louder than words. In the upright meaning most will consider it to represent moral sensitivity in the most direct sense. It encourages you to think about empathy and be considerate of others. In the reverse position, some things may seem to be the opposite but only the higher powers know why. The card shows us to remind us of our core values and then the truth and proper time will reveal itself in due time. Lastly, in the advice position, it shows up again to advise you to listen to others and how they are doing. Hearing others out will let you hear their full story. Hearing how others approach problems will then allow you to take a step back and reflect upon how you attack your own problems. Justice is not always fair and that can be frustrating. I think what this tarot card reminds me of and why it sticks out to me is the fact that it tells you to stick to your beliefs. For me, that is caring and understanding of other's scenarios. We all have our own problems and it's important to appreciate the life you have. My life may seem more adversarial compared to others but Justice comes for me and I know it will pay off. As long as I stick to my core beliefs I know I will be rewarded. Others may choose to live their life how they want but I know my time will come. I will graduate college and help support my sister through her college life. I will work hard no matter where I end up and be able to help my parents retire.

There is a famous experiment about fleas jumping. If placed in an open jar, the fleas will be able to jump out. If you then close the lid the fleas will imagine a lid there and not be able to jump as high as they once were able to. Their offspring will then also follow in their footsteps. No other generation of fleas will think to jump out of the jar nor think they will be able to jump high enough to jump out. We are the fleas in our little box. Travel to another city faraway and your perspective will change. Travel to another country and your mind will change. I have a personal example of this. All my life, I have grown up and lived in San Jose, California. According to multiple websites, San Jose is often viewed of the top 10 most expensive cities to live in. With rent usually costing 1100 a month, not including utilities for a single room. Gas is often 5$ a gallon. Being the heart of Silicone valley I am constantly surrounded by all this wealth. Teslas are every other car on the road, everyone has the newest iPhone and wears the most expensive lavish clothing. However, my family is nothing like that. My dad and mom constantly work overtime and two jobs while making minimum wage to support my sister and I. We have to work three times as hard as someone just to live here. All of it can be overwhelming. Because of this growing up I never had any new devices or clothing. I would get 2 outfit for the year and shoes would have to last me two years. All my devices I would have to stretch to last as long as possible. Growing up here this lead me envious of everyone. That was until I took a trip to visit some relatives in Taiwan. In Taiwan, I was able to see the culture there. Sure, there were still affluent people there but a lot more people were just ok living the life they had. It opened my mind more. I saw street vendors content and happy to be doing his job. I saw families being happy with each other as they split a 2-bedroom house amongst 6 people. I saw those who knew to be grateful for not what they could have, but for what they did have. Being stuck in the jar can be tiring. Opening up our minds and learning about one another makes us human. What more to live and learn about one another's culture and way of life? Why constantly chase money, status, and fame when life is so much more vibrant then that. To travel is to experience life and the life of others.

Art is often said to have meaning because we as the audience give meaning to the art. Even if the art was not intended as such, what we gain from the song transcends the artists and becomes so much more to the audience. This is how I felt about Taylor Switft's 1989, song "Out of the Woods". In Taylor's "Out of the Woods," she sings about her sticky relationship with Harry Styles. In the chorus, she repeats, "Are we out of the woods yet? Are we out of the woods? Are we in the clear yet? Are we in the clear yet?". The meaning out of the woods is a phrase that represents difficulties, trouble, danger, anxiety, etc. Knowing this we can infer she was feeling unstable in her relationship and was constantly thinking about when the relationship would become stable. However, when I hear this song I relate to it differently. It resonates with me in a different way. I have worked part-time, attended school full-time, and worked out consistently since high school. I work to support myself and my sister through school. Because of this, I have never taken a vacation and am constantly stressed financially, academically, physically, and mentally. So when Taylor Swift, sings out the chorus, "Are we out of the woods yet? Are we out of the woods? Are we in the clear yet? Are we in the clear yet?" I see myself in that. When am I going to finally be out of the danger? Out of the fight or flight mode? When will I be able to finally sit down and lie down peacefully? Honestly, most of the time I hear this song, I can't help but sing along either inside my head or out loud when I'm driving because It helps me relax. An art no matter the medium is mostly dependent on what we audience takes away from it. The artist may have a different intended effect but their art can speak in different tongues. And I think that's what makes her 1989 so special. She relates to so many people and many people may draw their own conclusions from her song. Even if some of those meanings are simple and basic or deeper mine. No matter what we all need some way to sing out and relate to our frustrations. At the end of the chorus, she ends the song with a "Good.". I hope to one day be able to say that with confidence like her too. When I graduate and work comfortably I will say "Good,".

Mr.Work. That's the nickname I had received from my friends after the 100th time they asked me to hang out on the weekend but I was at work. I've worked a part-time job since my senior year of high school, 4 years at community college, and even now as I try to earn my bachelor's in finance. I've been a waiter, receptionist, CNA, and now barista. While I wish everyone was able to focus on their education full-time and live their life free of financial worry, working through school was able to teach me valuable lessons. I'd definitely say working has affected my schooling. Even though I was able to graduate with a 3.4 for my associates and a 3.7 from high school I definitely could have had more studying time and felt more confident during my exams. Spending 4 years at community college is not ideal and I attribute some of that to the fact that I was working for half of the time. Working stresses you out. While taking an order, I'll never be able to shake off the fact that I should be studying for an exam. And then during the exam, I'll be tired from work the night before and keep thinking about that one customer who kept yelling at me. In many ways, it's a lose-lose. Combine this with the fact that if you are working during schooling this most likely means you need that money to, well, get through school. That was and is the case for me. You will always be wondering if you have enough money for textbooks, school supplies, and even gas. The very gas you need just to get to school and work. This even hurt my social relationships. I never had enough time for my girlfriend at the time. I can say some of my friendships suffered. Not only for the fact that I could not spend time with them but also for the fact that I eventually became envious of them. Why do they get to live a nice life free of financial freedom and get to focus only on their education? Why do I have to work on this Friday night all alone? But with pain and suffering comes the chance for us to learn from it. Personally, having so little time for other people has taught me to really cherish my time with them and find unique ways to hang out with people while being productive. I'll now meet with people at a cafe to hang out and study. Its also given me reflection time and be thankful I can even work and study. Working in service jobs also exposes you the the big world around you. I have met many wonderful people who inspire me to work hard every day. Their unique backgrounds and history have assured me no matter how long I take in life I am still living my life. I've met immigrants, people who have graduated, fathers, mothers, you name it. Professionally, working while at school has taught me soft and hard skills. I've learned to have better time management, improved my public speaking, and learned to read people's body language, etc. I've also heard having some job experience helps on a resume but I've yet to see that take effect. While I don't think everyone should work for all of their schooling, I think just one semester can be beneficial. It helps humanize part-time workers and helps you get a grasp and sympathy for those around you. It will help you grow personally and professionally as you gain some work experience.

To live comfortably and to retire are concepts foreign and abstract to my immigrant parents. Currently nearing the age of 60 my dad works two jobs and my mom works overtime to support my younger sister and me. My plans for the future are to help them realize such a thing is possible. To do this I plan on graduating within the next 2 years with a degree in Finance. Not only will this degree help me manage our finances but also can prove to be lucrative if I am willing to put in the work. And I am. At age 22 most people by now would have had their degrees but being from first-generation and lower-income I've had many setbacks. I've had to work part-time and help support my younger sister all throughout my schooling. That does not stop me. I know I am and will keep working hard. I know I will graduate no matter how long it takes me. Once I graduate I will work either in big tech, managing finances, or managing a branch of a major banking firm. I plan to earn over 100k within 2 years of work but my goals don't stop there. Once I am at the job I will support my sister throughout her schooling. After she has graduated I hope to be able to retire my parents as I increase my income and position. I hope to be able to buy a house one day for us and some nice luxuries like a car. Finally, once I am comfortable and feel stable I want to give back to the community. Growing up my family was lower income and I was able to see the stressful effects of that. Not knowing what your next meal is or always feeling envious of people getting new clothes, technology or even gifts from their parents. Little did my family know, there was help and resources out there. But there isn't enough nor is access to these resources known to most people. I hope to change that one day. I grew up in San Jose, California and the wealth disparity here is huge. You will see streets of homeless camps contrasted by rows of the newest teslas at the stop light. Once I have helped my family I want to work towards helping those homeless and people that are lower income. One of my goals is to eventually be able to spread financial knowledge and information so that everyone can one day achieve their own dream and plans for the future.

In 1984 R. Edward Friedman came up with the stakeholder's theory. This is a theory of organizational management and Business Ethics where the business entity should account for all involved or "hold a stake". These stakeholders can be employees, governments, shareholders, creditors, governments, etc. The theory states that it is important for businesses to practice this not only to maximize profits but also to maximize the longevity of their company. This is in stark contrast to the more popular model of Shareholder theory. Shareholder's theory seeks to maximize profits for the shareholders. If we consider this shareholder profits increasing is only good for the short term. Is it not better for a company to last longer and make more profits in the long run? Sustainable practices are not only good for the company. The very world we live in relies on sustainable practices. A company will only hurt itself if it seeks to destroy the very resource its business model relies on. For example, in recent years there has been a rise in "Real-Time" fashion brands that are faster than fast fashion. Like fast fashion, these companies' only advantage is price and the rate at which they can pump out "in-trend" items. However, the only reason their products sell again is the price. Well if they keep up their practices then eventually the earth will not be able to produce their resources. Next, their prices will then go up from the lack of resources, and their only competitive edge is gone. Eco-friendly practices need to be implemented as soon as possible. We need more clean energy adoption and more net-zero carbon practices. I am excited to see how Solar, Wind, hydropower, geothermal, and bioenergy need to be more integrated. Brands should also look to produce high-quality products that will last a lifetime. One thing severely underlooked is remote work. During the pandemic, we were able to see the effects of reduced traffic. Many cities were able to see the skies without smog for a long time. We should allow those in cities to do remote work and subsequently find sustainable supply chains in our systems. It is time we break tradition and work towards bettering humanity. We can not constantly pull the ladder from up under us and instead realize we stand atop giants. We need not worry about ourselves but worry about the ones that come after us. We must leave the world a better place than we came in.

What are we but a bundle of atoms and particles interacting with other atoms and particles? Well, we are life. We are our memories and experiences on this earth. But with these eyes, we can see further than earth. With man-made tools, we can peek into the infinite past of the outside universe. As man we should seek to explore and understand these things well that may not be within our reach but maybe one day. Many people will ask why should we even seek to go for the stars. I feel like that is a very closed-minded way of thinking. For one as we push ourselves into researching the spaces, we can use that technology to improve life at home. Many inventions like freeze-dried foods, ballpoint pens, solar cells, etc.(the list goes on and on) are just a few technology explorers of space like NASA helped invent or improve upon on their mission. the more we find out about the world that we are encapsulated the more we can live more comfortably. We are so focused on how things can help us now we often forget our future. Even if exploration right now does not help us why not let it help those that will come after us? How do we as a species expect to further ourselves if we never leave the small island we call Earth? Instead of pulling up the ladder we are on we must seek to extend the ladder so that when we are too tired to climb others will climb for us. But how are we going to explore the universe and what concepts or ideas can we use? Well, the tried and true, Scientific method of course. First, we observe things and then form a hypothesis around such observation, Secondly, we will research the topic to find all and any relevant information. Then we form a hypothesis with an If-then statement. If this happens then this. We then form an experiment that can test our hypothesis. Then we gather and analyze our data. Finally, we can post our conclusions. It is important that we write down all the steps of our experiment so that it is repeatable and people can understand how we got to our data. I wish for humans to definitively have an answer to the many questions of the world. How does quantum physics work, what is Dark Matter, how does time work and is the multiverse real? How can we better understand time and space or Time-Space? What about the 4th dimension or a 5th? We need to better understand the world we live in to help us and those around us.

Like watching a car crash in slow motion you can't help but watch. We stay hopeful that those in the incident will live but we know the outcome. Grave of the Fireflies is a film by the famous studio Ghibli and director Isao Takahata. Set during World War Two, we see the effects of war on two Japanese siblings, Seita and Setsuko. Right away the film draws you in with a mysterious beginning. We see a character is passed and his ghost or spirit begins recapping the story. We learn this is the main character of Seita around the age of 14. As the story progresses we see how war strips the character of his values, family, and eventually hope. There are small victories here and there. This film helps remind us that even in certain death and pain there is joy to be had in life. Like a cautionary tale, the film makes us wonder whether or not war is at all necessary. The animations are fluid and real. Some characters show better emotion than some actors. This film combined with the beautiful score will make you happy, sad, and mad, and ground you back to reality. In the face of life, an exam or passing college is not that daunting when I know I could be living through war efforts. Though my pain is still valid I know that is all part of the walk of life. Death comes for us all and we may not be able to choose how we go but we may choose how we live life.

No one is perfect and I had to learn that the hard way. As a young kid growing up in Silicon Valley, I was surrounded by wealth. I always hated how everyone else got the newest clothes, technology, or room to themselves. My family of 4 shared a room in a house that also housed my cousin, uncle, aunt, grandpa, and grandma. I never understood why our situation was like this until I learned of their story. My dad had come to America as an immigrant fleeing the Vietnam War. His brothers and sisters escaped on a boat to eventually gain citizenship. My oldest cousin was actually alive at the time and has even recalled a story about how people tried to take over the ship they were on and many people escaped for their lives by jumping off the boat. Eventually, my dad would find ways to settle in America while my mom was in Taiwan. They would constantly write letters to each other and eventually marry and come back to the United States to raise my sister and me. All this is hard enough but what inspires me is how my parent's work ethic has not waned. Knowing college is expensive, my parents constantly work jobs that go from 12 pm to 12 am. They both work laborious jobs near minimum wage to save enough for college. This has inspired me to work part-time so I do not have to rely on them as much. My mom works typically 6 out of the 7 days and my dad currently works 2 jobs that are usually 12-hour shifts or 8-hour shifts. However, because of this extra income, we do not qualify as lower-income without the extra work we would be struggling. Their work ethic to support my sister and me is a constant fuel to my never-ending goal of graduating. No matter how many years, or months, they want to see me succeed. This drives me to continue no matter what.

As easy and cheesy as it is to say Jim Halpert is your favorite character, he is my favorite. I mean who doesn't love his blank stare into the camera, or his relationship with Pam!? Jim Halpert however, is more relatable not only because he is often the contrasting straight character but because of his role in life. At first, Jim doesn't enjoy his job, in the pilot, when he is talking about his job he is "boring himself just talking about this,". Jim does not want to be there. Truth be told he probably only stayed for Pam and the pay. Over the series we see him grow not only in his positions in the job but also in character. He learns that people at the workplace are more than just people. They are friends. He learns that he needs to break out of his comfort zone and try to do things. He asks out his best friend, he even leaves to pursue a promising prospect in a startup. Jim even eventually has two kids. This is relatable. Every now and then I feel like we as people can get used to the repetitiveness of life. And that is ok. But we need to remember the small details and whenever we are ready to break out of our comfort zones. Don't take small things for granted and enjoy the ride. This speaks for the show as well. Many people see The Office and think it's basic humor. Maybe surface-level simple humor. But does that make it bad? No, The office has shaped my sense of humor to enjoy anything that is fun or silly. Humor does not need to be deep. If you are trying to make me laugh I'll take it and enjoy every bit of it. The office has shaped me by allowing me to reflect and resonate with the character of Jim. I have grown with the show and now feel better about having watched it. The office may seem basic and simple and that's because it is and there's nothing wrong with it like our favorite character, Jim Halpert.

"Hey stop that, ARGH!" , "I Quit", I scream, followed by a loud crashing thud as a controller hits the ground. I walk away from the TV sad and disgruntled. Nintendo games are known to be happy and playful but as a kid I was competitive and I was getting frustrated. I was probably in the 3rd grade when my dad gave my cousins and me an old Nintendo 64 that he had gotten from a friend. I didn't have much so my dad always got stuff that his friends were going to throw away. Even though the console had come out in 1996 and It was 2010 the graphics and characters blew me away. We had gotten the classic first Super Smash Bros as one of the games included. At first, it would just be my cousins and I fighting it out in player vs player. They were all older than me by a few years so naturally I kept losing and getting beat down. As shown I eventually would get frustrated and quit. But I had good cousins. They eventually realized beating up a little kid in a game over and over wasn't fun. So they invited me back but this time we had a common enemy. The Level 9 CPU. Also known as the hardest-difficulty robot. First try, I went with my favorite, Link and my cousins went with Fox and Mario. We try to take down the level 9 big bad Donkey Kong. First, try, we load in, on the starship, nothing can beat the power of friendship, and... we lose. Ok, the robot got lucky the first time. The second time, we got this load in the starship again, let's fight and we lost. Ok, maybe the stage was bad let's load castle,... we still lose. I don't remember exactly how many times we tried but I know by the end of it we had risen atop victors and had made a lifetime friendship between us. To this day, 13+ years later we still talk about games and I credit Nintendo for bringing us together. Many people like to look down on video games but like watching sports, or watching a movie together it's just a pastime to bond with the ones we care about. Those that make life worth living. Nintendo has crafted many special and unique worlds whether it be in Legend of Zelda, Starfox, Mario, Pikman, Pokemon, etc. you name it. Games bring us together and the industry would not be where it is today without Nintendo.

There are a lot of financial traps in this day and age. There are many get-rich-quick schemes with cryptocurrency, "buy now pay later" plans paired with credit cards that will get young people into a life of debt, and the advent of looking wealthy for social media. Good financial literacy is a soft spot for me as I grew up poor and want to help others in my community learn how to better manage their money. One thing that helped me take a step in the right direction of financial literacy is budgeting. People often see budgets as a limit on their fun but I believe budgeting is the key to saving for a better future. A common statistic that people throw around is that "57% of Americans can not cover a $1,000 emergency," or that "22% of Americans do not contribute towards savings,". Budgeting can fix that. Budgeting is setting aside your money before you even touch it. There are several ways you can budget, whether you divide your income into percentages or set amounts, budgeting helps you track your expenses. You can start this by looking at your income and tracking how much you spend in a category. These categories can be up to you to decide. For example, I have categories like, "for fun category", "Eating out", "hobbies", "School", "transportation" etc. Once you set up your categories you can then take several steps. After a month or two of tracking your expenses, you can see where you spend money, your habits, and more importantly, what is essential for you to live. Once you have narrowed down exactly how much money you need to live, you can then budget the rest of your income into savings and into "fun stuff" like clothes, games, hobbies whatever you want. Many people will try to do budgeting in their head but it's not the same as using an application. In today's age, there are plenty of services that help you track your spending. There are free ones and paid ones. You may be thinking "Well, now that I track my money nothing going to change, I'm still spending and spending, now it just has fancy names and slots, and I have to do more work,". This is where I disagree. This is where you can shift your mentality. Let's say you make 5,000 a month and need $2,000 to survive(rent + utilities). Well, now you have 3,000 left over. OK, what if you want to build a comfortable savings net for a rainy day, or maybe you want to start investing? Let's then set aside $500 a month to work towards that goal. Now you have $2,500 to spend CARE FREE. Instead of worrying about this or that, you have set your categories up and know for this month this can be your fun money. What if you don't need that much to have fun? then you can save more or find other areas to put your money into. Budgeting may take some time to set up, but budgeting is the key to financial literacy. From budgeting, we can use it as a stepping stone towards overall financial literacy.

Bojack Horseman by Netflix is one of the shows at first you think is going to be light-hearted. Its animated nature assumes that it is going to be another family guy or Simpsons. Viewers who jump in expecting to laugh will find themselves also feeling shame, pride, sadness, and hope. Bojack Horseman has very real episodes that tackle addiction, depression, and death. I ended up watching this series at a dark time in my life. I watched this near the pandemic struggled with life and had many things falling apart. This show helped show the real effects and dangers of vices people lean on that helped me pull myself out. Not every episode is that happy. In between just like life you will find hilarious running jokes, great plot points, and even some happiness. Bojack even has room for very experimental episodes. One episode might be a 20-minute long monologue from one character and another episode may have no speaking at all. This show is truly a great testament to animated art, screenwriting, and voice acting. One character that really spoke to me is the main character of Bojack. Though not every one of us has felt the highs and lows of addiction, or even committed such heinous acts as Bojack I think the essence of his character is relatable. We've all been in (or known) someone who's been in a rut. Someone down on their luck and is slowly losing grip on life. Slowly we try to take steps in the right direction but it may not always work out. Due to that some may end up worse, constantly feeling discouraged in life even unworthy at times. And it's hard. It's hard to live life constantly feeling like that. But through this show, we learn sometimes that's ok. It's okay to reach out for help and even be there for a while. What's important is when we are ready we can pull ourselves out. | If anything I think you should watch the clip of the poem "The View from Halfway Down", If you do not care for spoilers then this is a real hook-grabbing scene. Even without context, this scene will get you going to binge this show. I hope you are strapped in to learn all about Bojack, Todd, Mr.Peanutbutter, Princess Carolyn, Diane, and Sarah Lynn. All these characters and more are unforgettable and worth investing your time.

Working towards addressing social issues can be daunting. How can 1 person tackle poverty, racial injustice, climate change, LGBTQ+ Problems, and so on? Luckily we aren't alone and it's not about taking big steps but rather the small strides we take in these areas. With the combined efforts of the Human Race, we can tackle these issues. Today I will be addressing how I am personally attacking social issues of Racial Injustice, Poverty, and Climate Change. Regarding Racial Injustice, I have had personal connections with this topic. In 2019-2020 Anti-Asian American sentiments rose again due to the connection with the 2019 Covid Pandemic. I remember working in an Asian restaurant near that time and our sales drastically went down and some of my manager's other stores were attacked. The steps I am taking to combat this may seem counterintuitive. I think showing kindness and proving our character can help Racial injustice. Of course, there is true injustice whether it be hate crimes or racial profiling but I think the majority of people are simply uneducated. We need to reach out to tackle this on both fronts the practical side and the emotional side. Regarding poverty, my goal is to be a Financial Advisor. I grew up in a lower-income house and although I technically do not classify as lower income, my dad currently works two jobs to support my sister and me. This on paper shows as lower middle class but in reality we have to live frugally. I hope to be able to educate others and myself on how to grow not only your income but your wealth. I also want to help people learn how to manage their money better. I also want to help unions one day to fight for better worker rights. Right now in America, we are seeing a shrinking middle class a rising of the lower class, and a bigger gap to become the top class. I want to work towards fixing that. Lastly, I want to work towards climate change. I have worked at many eco-conscious places. I have worked at a vegan restaurant and the coffee shop where I currently work use lots of reusable plastics and recyclable materials. Again I feel like this is one area where we as humans can work together. I use reuse bags, stay away from straws, support clean and reusable energy, and more. I think we need to attack climate change and leave the earth a better place then how we came in.

Small steps are the key to recovery. One must be willing to forgive themselves before moving forward. Addiction comes in many forms, more than people realize. My dad to this day still has a cigarette/nicotine addiction. One pack a day type of guy. Growing up I swore to not become like him but I found myself due to unfortunate circumstances addicted to Vaping. Vaping was a stress reliever for me. The instant rush leaving and nice flavors provided a good break from the stresses of everyday life. I had to stop before I couldn't. Now clean I was able to recover through taking small steps. One day at a time I would not vape. I would focus on all the other things, things I could look forward to. For me, the gym was a real life saver but the hope of a better future was the motivation I needed to keep moving forward. Recovery is taking steps along a hill that continues to drag you down. Fighting gravity, you will continue walking up no matter what it takes. Sometimes gravity will win or the hill may be slippery but we press on no matter what. In the hope, that we will eventually reach the peak and enjoy the sunset and views that are life.

Minecraft has always held a special place in my heart. Every summer in middle school my cousins and I would create a new world. While their goals were collecting resources, fighting enemies, or exploring one aspect always drew me in. That aspect was building and by extension Redstone. Many people such as adults or even other kids did not truly appreciate the potential of Minecraft's building. Not only does it offer a way for kids and people to express their creativity but it also helps in understanding code through Redstone. For someone like me who had no intuitive artistic talent, I learned how to decorate and create pieces of art through Minecraft. I learned color theory, theming, and Feng shui. It may sound crazy but decorating in Minecraft led me to research and watch videos on how to decorate and make things look good. If you look online you will see people creating pixel art, using creativity to transform a house into a castle, whole cities, the possibilities are endless. One thing people also create is through Redstone. People have made a fully functioning computer within Minecraft, moving machines, through creativity the potential is endless. This really resonates with me because I love the human creativity and self-expression available through Minecraft.

In the student union building of SJSU on the bottom floor, you will find a student-run Starbucks. In the room next to it you will see students enjoying billiards and outside the store, you will find students diligently studying. Usually, my go-to drink at Starbucks is a nice brown sugar-shaken espresso. But the signs were showing off new and impressive Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew. I decided to embark and try a new drink to suit the fall weather. Cautiously, I took a swig and was blown away immediately. The cold foam introduced sweet and pumpkin flavors in a spicy way. Then the body and finish of the cold brew smack you with its simple yet bold flavor. I knew after drinking it that this drink would be special to me. In my opinion, this has reflected my journey as a student at SJSU. As a first-generation student of immigrant parents, I prefer the simpler things in life. I am simple in my wants, needs, and work. My go-to outfit is a plain color tee with jeans or slacks. My goals consist of making It through school and getting a good job. However, growing up in America a place of freedom, and growth, that's the spice, the American dream. There are so many vibrant cultures and prosperity that I have grown from my simple roots and have "spice" now. Now in my outfits, I add flair with jewelry, jackets, and nice shoes. My wants and needs have grown to want more out of life. I like to go out visit cafes, concerts, and explore nature. This is reflected in my time as a student as well. Before I would constantly study and stay up late with no self-care. Now that spice, I know to take time off. Enjoy the fall festivities with friends, loved ones, and myself. This has led me to grow of character. The character I would describe now is a confident person. Before I was more or less just beans. Sheltered, grown but not yet gone through any experiences or "processes or brews". I am now willing to try new things with an open mind but I do not forget who I am. The boldness remains but I have a layer of sweetness and a sprinkle of spice. I hope to carry this throughout the fall and winter and continue evolving as a person. Just as Starbucks will continue to evolve its menu I hope to continue and improve as a person.