Mental health and disability advocacy are crucial within the Asian American community because of the heavy stigma that exists against these health issues, frequent refusal to acknowledge these issues, and the immense pressure to succeed felt throughout the Asian American community. Mental health and other "invisible" disabilities such as autism or ADHD are often overlooked by the Asian community, especially elders. Even in my own family, struggling individuals are told their mental health challenges stem from insufficient religious practice or laziness. Even when a disability is physical, Asian communities are too often unprepared to support them. This lack of knowledge and belief in mental health and disabilities contributes to the harmful narrative that Asian Americans are a “model minority,” creating a cycle of immense pressure to succeed followed by unacknowledged mental health issues. As the daughter of Bangladeshi immigrants who has grown up in predominantly Asian communities, I have experienced and witnessed this cycle firsthand. Many are told to "pray away" their mental struggles, while most of my friends never speak up or attempt to get help for whatever challenges they may be facing. Going into college, I knew I wanted to uplift immigrant communities like mine. I joined RISEUP, an organization that uplifts refugee communities in Tompkins county by providing healthcare access information, immigration law workshops, public service information, ESL classes, and more. Serving on the public policy and ESL committees, I helped organize "know your rights" workshops for refugees to learn about the health services they can demand and have access to. The aim of these workshops is to let refugees and immigrants know they don't have to withhold their health concerns out of fear of being deported; There are basic services everyone is entitled to such as mental health evaluations, physical therapy, pain relief, counseling, etc. I hope that by reassuring refugee communities that these mental health and disability support services are available, they will be more inclined to use them and let go of their potential stigmas Mental health service access is also important to me as a biomedical engineering major. One of my research interests are neurology and the science behind neurological conditions/mental health disorders. In the future I want to research Alzheimer's and how Alzheimer's connects to mental health issues such as chronic stress, depression, anxiety, etc. Depression and anxiety have been shown to be early indicators of Alzheimers; Finding a more specific connection between the two can not only help more accurately diagnose Alzheimers but also provide proof of the existence of conditions such as depression and anxiety, which many in Asian American communities still doubt. This scholarship would alleviate immense financial burden and allow me to continue with my undergraduate education. I am currently dependent on the Parents PLUS loan to pay for my undergraduate education, which the current administration has capped at $20,000 a year starting July 2026. I get almost no financial aid from my school, so outside financial support is crucial for me to continue attending Cornell University, a school with abundant resources for aspiring PhD students like myself. The school offers countless faculty labs, top notch student project teams, and incredibly knowledgeable and approachable professors. I am currently in a synthetic biology project team, iGEM, and doing research in an immunology faculty lab. Continuing these experiences and getting to graduate school is dependent on outside financial support. Being here gives me the resources to connect with peers with similar goals and help shift the narrative around mental health and disability in the robust Asian American community at Cornell, which I hope I can continue to do.