Pablo Picasso said, "The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away." Indeed, successful people seem to be following this formula of becoming successful in their field first before focusing on philanthropic work. Even my great-grandfather spent the first half of his life perfecting his music skills in Japan before returning to Indonesia to give back with his music school. I grew up a little differently. I spent my childhood helping my mom feeding and teaching the street kids in Manila, cleaning up the beaches in Bali, and making monthly visits to the orphanages in Jakarta. I did not know I was "volunteering" until I was much older. When we moved to Texas 4 years ago, I have continued helping out through school and with the Indonesian American Community Association in the area because I can't imagine not giving back and feeling like I am making a difference. Even though I feel like I am doing life backward as I still have to work on myself to find "my gift", I am excited to learn about Business and Finance and how this knowledge can further contribute to the world around me.

I was absolutely thrilled to come across this prompt as I have spent countless hours binging on Netflix shows, especially if you count Covid 19 period when I was remote learning, and the TV was pretty much on the whole entire day and night. Instead of going back and recommending the hundreds of memorable shows that I have watched the last 10 years, I want to recommend a show that I watched just last month. It is an Indian production called 'Heeramandi', and I have watched it 2 more times since then, first with my mom and then again with my grandparents because it is that good! The show takes us into a visually stunning world of tawaifs, or courtesans, and nawabs, or noblemen, in old Lahore, India, during the Indian Independence movement against the British, specifically inside the Heera Mandi, which is an elite house of courtesans. If ever there was a show that pulls us in immediately, not only with the intensity of the dialogue, but with mesmerizing details of the palace and gorgeous grand sets and traditional costumes, this show definitely has it all. I have always enjoyed watching historical drama, especially when it has such creative dialogues and scenes such as the ones we see in 'Heeramandi' in every episode. At first, I thought the series was going to be a typical drama about a rivalry between courtesans, their lives, struggles, and competition to be the most powerful woman in society. Then the story unfolds and keeps sucking us in as we fall in love with each of the fascinating female characters and keeps us riveted with the breathtaking scenes of 19th-century India. In just one episode, which is shown in such artistic cinematography, we see immediately that this show will be more than about heartbreaks, romantic entanglements, and revenge. Indeed, we are given a glimpse of the harsher realities of life that the director, Sanjay Bhansalli, does not try to hide or sugarcoat. 'Heeramandi' draws parallelism between India's fight for freedom and the different kind of freedom that each courtesan is seeking, which is shaped by their yearnings. Each tawaif, even the most powerful, essentially is not free to choose her life's course, as her place in society restricts her every movement and behavior. They are not even free to fall in love and get married, as evident by quotes such as "A woman's dreams are her worst enemies," and when the head courtesan teaches her daughter a lesson by saying she doesn't believe in punishing the body, only the soul. There are so many other heart-wrenching moments like comparing the death of a courtesan to her finally getting her freedom and when a young courtesan is willing to go to prison for her lover. As India's fight for freedom gets even more heated, the tawaifs find themselves putting aside their rivalry and start fighting for a common cause. There are a lot of critics that speak of how inaccurate the show is at depicting the actual images of Heera Mandi, but this isn't a documentary and as such I feel that the show is successful in drawing and maintaining our interest. I love learning about a specific time period and this series made me Google a lot of information about Heera Mandi and the actual involvement of the tawaifs in the resistance against the British rule, and what I have read is truly inspiring! As one of the courtesans reminds the others, urging them to join the freedom movement, "Who understands the price of freedom more than we do?" This is a Netflix gem.

My great grandfather, Pranadjaja, started a music school in Jakarta, Indonesia, in 1972. It was the first of its kind, and he was the first classically trained Indonesian musician who studied in Japan with a vision to teach other Indonesians proper vocal techniques, which was unheard of back then. He was a singer, a songwriter, and a beloved teacher who shined by sharing his love of music to everyone. In less than 10 years, the company had franchised into more than 10 cities across Indonesia. His wife, my great-grandmother, managed the company, but when my great-grandfather died suddenly in 1997, my great aunts took over as both management and head teachers. In less than 5 years, however, the company started losing money; students were leaving the school, and franchises started to close for unclear reasons. My great-grandfather’s original school, Bina Vokalia, still exists today, with two of my great aunts and a cousin running it. What could have been a great legacy is now a sad and misunderstood story because of the lack of transparency in how the company was managed for years. Growing up, I kept hearing about the different blames thrown around for the failure and the shame that the family now faces for what they see as the ruin to my great-grandfather’s name. All I know is that no one in the family, not my great-aunts, nor any of my cousins has any business background, so there is not a single concrete plan on how to take this company forward, or whether the company could even be saved. My first goal as soon as I graduate is to help my Indonesian family rebrand and rebuild the music school. My brother and I both love to sing and we plan on promoting the songs written by my great-grandfather on social media. My great-grandfather was very much loved, and his light shone through his music, and I aim to bring that legacy back first and foremost. As devastating it is for his company to almost be bankrupt, it is even more tragic to have his name be forgotten considering the number of lives he had touched with his music and the power of his voice. Ultimately, music has the power to create positive changes in the world. Music heals and can affect people's mood and whenever I sing, I know I bring my mother joy. Hence, my dream is to create a company that uses the power of music to raise awareness of social issues, particularly mental health. Several of my relatives died tragically young, and two died by suicide. This has made me recognize from a young age how precious our time is in this world. With my company, I would love to not only increase everyone's understanding of mental health, but also to provide a way of healing our mind through the power of music. Suicide should be recognized as a public health problem. People should know that it can be prevented, and that its rates can be reduced. This is what I have volunteered most of my time in and what I will continue to fight for. The smallest act of kindness counts and if we can impact just one person with our light, then the ripple effect is endless. Music can do that. I also believe that our life's successes should also be measured by the amount of joy we bring to someone else’s life. Therefore, my deepest wish is for my legacy to not only be remembered by the dollars but by the number of lives I can touch and change for the better.

Reading is my escape. It always has been for as long as I can remember, and not because I had really needed to escape from a terrible life; I don't read to seek solace from my world. I read to enter worlds far away from mine and to catch a glimpse of how other people live. I read tons of books as a child and in my teenage years, from the easy romance novels to dark gripping mysteries that I would spend all night finishing. I believe as young children we all need to read fiction, for they teach us how to feel and to appreciate the myriads of people's backgrounds and stories. Now, though, as a young adult, I find myself searching for a book that is more rewarding than hours of escape, and I came across The Mountain is You, by Brianna Wiest. As a 17-year-old girl, I thought this book would not have been relevant since it was in the self-help category. I mean, what self-sabotaging habits would I have or could possibly even recognize in myself at this age? However, the title immediately captured my attention, and I felt compelled to read what the author meant by "mountain". I had a feeling this book would change the way I think, and I was right. After reading this, I understand how this book could be highly effective for older people whose "rock-bottom becomes a turning point" and they just want to understand and overcome the behaviors that have become the "mountain" or "the block between them and the life they want to live." However, simultaneously, I see how beneficial this book could be as a guide for younger readers. Young adults could learn all the different self-sabotaging behaviors early so they could identify them and approach life differently. Most young people are driven solely by inspirations and the idea that only tremendous actions could truly impact their life's path. Wiest urges us to take responsibility for every decision and choice we make in life, big and small, and reminds us that "emotions are temporary, but behaviors are permanent." Ultimately, mastering our self, life, and happiness is not by making big, radical changes, because "the outcomes of life are not governed by passion; they are governed by principle." Reading empowers, and I believe that reading this book is the first step to transforming everyone's lives for the better.

I come from a long line of impact players from my mom's side of the family. She has raised me as a single mom since I was 2, so she has been highly influential in the way I think and my ambitions. All my life I hear, "It may not be your job, but if it's a job that needs to be done, then do it." As a result, I have applied this everywhere I go, and I can see how much impact I have made, either through directly helping someone with a task or indirectly creating a much better experience for everyone. What’s more, if some people's names could influence how they live their life in any way, then mine is certainly one of them. My full name literally means a precious little sister who is a giver of light and splendor in the darkness. Even my nickname “Zoe” means life, and one thing my mom always said was that to create beauty around me, all I needed was to be kind and to smile. A smile costs nothing but has the ability to change someone’s mood and even their whole day. Thus, I learned from a young age how small actions could have positive impacts and how small deeds could have amazing ripple effects. Also, very early on, born was my passion to make a difference. For years I have volunteered in many organizations and been a member in a variety of school clubs, but the ones that have taken most of my attention are the ones involved with wellness and mental health. I especially love and feel strongly rewarded from helping other girls who are struggling with different life events. My aunt committed suicide in 2020 when she was only 33 years old, and I could not talk about it to anyone for over a year. Thankfully, I found my own way to cope on the internet and was finally able to talk to my mom about it. No one suspected that I was spiraling down because I was still smiling on the outside and was as helpful to everyone at home and at school. Society has created too many unseen pressures and challenges for girls to be perfect, but not enough support system to help them navigate and succeed in life, especially when life has thrown them a curveball. I am excited to pursue International Business and Finance as I see this as the foundation that I need to build a life where I could potentially make the biggest impact. We all have personal struggles that other people cannot see, and I know a successful career in Finance will help me achieve my passion in making a difference in people’s lives. I will simultaneously be able to help my future clients achieve their financial goals and improve their overall financial literacy, while at the same time personally fund and even volunteer in a number of organizations that focus on mental health.

If a name could shape one's life, then I am surely destined to bring light into people’s lives. My name is Anggia Zohara Kusuma, “Zoe” to everyone. My mom very carefully chose my name, as ‘Anggia’ means precious little sister and ‘Zohara’ means fire or a source of light. Even my nickname ‘Zoe’ means life. She wanted me to be fiery and someone who is a giver of light. She always says that beauty comes from the inside and that to be beautiful to everyone around me, all I need is to be kind and to smile. A smile costs nothing but has the ability to change someone’s mood and even their whole day. Thus, I learned from a young age how small actions could have positive impacts. I come from a long line of impact players from my mom's side of the family. She has raised me as a single mom since I was 2, so she is highly influential in the way I think and my ambitions. All my life I hear, "It may not be your job, but if it's a job that needs to be done, then do it." As a result, I have applied this everywhere I go, and I can see how much impact I have made, either through directly helping someone with a task or indirectly creating a much better experience for everyone. The ripple effect we create by the smallest deed is truly amazing. There is also a quote by Queen Rania of Jordan that has further increased the passion I feel about making a difference. She said, “If you educate a woman, you educate a family, if you educate a girl, you educate the future.” I feel 100% aligned with this statement because of how I was raised, how I live my life now, and how I truly see my life's purpose. In my life I have experienced a lot of deaths in the family, and incidentally, most of them have been the male relatives, who all died relatively young. For this reason, my family gatherings are very female dominated, especially since I also have more aunts than uncles, and more female cousins than male ones. My own mother has never remarried, choosing to focus on her career and her children for the last 15 years. It is inspiring how the women in my family support one another and collaborate to find solutions to each other’s problems, both emotional and financial. I have been mentored by my female cousins and now I have a 5-year-old cousin who adores me, and I find myself already mentoring and watching out for her. I am excited to pursue International Business and Finance as I see this as the foundation that I need to build a life where I could potentially make the biggest impact. In high school, I am involved in more than 6 clubs, and 2 of them have to do with wellness and mental health. Society has created too many unseen pressures and challenges that girls face every day and not enough support system to help them navigate and succeed in life. For me, whether I would or could change the world is not something that I aim to do only after graduation because I have seen how truly short life is. Therefore, as I continue to work on my long-term career goals, I will also try making a difference every way I can now, from the smallest acts of kindness to being as active as I possibly can in my university’s Women Center and Symposium.

As a 17-year-old girl, most people would not think to discuss mental health with me. At school, I am known as someone who always has a smile on her face, the ultimate teacher’s pet, and everyone’s helper. In fact, there is a lot that people do not know about me because in my culture we keep our private life private. My aunt committed suicide in November 2020 in New Orleans. She was a singer, photographer and one of the most beautiful women I had known. I was 13 and we had just moved to Texas from Jakarta, Indonesia. She was only 33 years old and could not support herself financially because of COVID 19. My mom, being the closest relative in the US, had to take care of the autopsy and funeral arrangements because the rest of the family could not fly to the US due to the COVID lockdown. There was a lot of sadness, anger, and a lot of blame being thrown around. I had never seen my mom so distressed, and I felt powerless. We did not talk about what happened to my aunt and I remember having so many questions and life feeling off balance. Meanwhile, I still had to attend zoom classes, complete all my assignments, and act like my grades were the only things that mattered. Ironically, even though I was remote learning, and new to the country and school system, I had a successful 9th grade because school was an escape. Time marched on, 10th grade came and the world started to open, and I had to learn how to navigate school in person and make new friends while still really missing my family and friends in Indonesia. The sense of helplessness did not disappear as it seemed like everything was back to normal after Covid 19, and yet, I felt so alone. No one suspected it because I showed up to school every day with a smile. I also felt that I could not approach my mom because I could see how much stress she was under as well. Consequently, I turned to the internet and social media and everything I could read about how to process different life events. I even secretly created a social media page about self-growth called @bonnejourneeyall, which I kept to myself for almost a year. Researching and creating content about motivation made me feel stronger and more empowered. When I finally told my mom about my Instagram page, she felt terrible about not being there for me. For the first time ever, she shared about her own childhood and how she was not free to express her feelings. In the Asian culture, any type of mental instability is seen as weakness, and she was raised to suppress her emotions and rise above life’s stresses. She told me how my aunt’s mental struggles were never taken seriously and that I had another relative who had taken his own life when he was just 19 years old. Apparently, anxiety and depression run deep on her side of the family. We all have personal struggles that other people cannot see and things that life throws at us that are outside our control, and this could be quite debilitating. Empowerment to me means to be continuously working on the most precious asset we all have, which is our mental health. As a Wellness Ambassador for my school district and an active member in my school's mental health club, I am committed to helping myself and other people as we continue to pursue our dreams and embark on our academic journey.