As a first generation, low income Asian American student born and raised in South Philadelphia, the issues of my community have always been personal and important to me. This is the purpose that has impassioned me in an education in the STEM field of biology. I have always wanted to understand the why and the how of something's inner workings, and use that to solve problems for those around me. With the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers being key parts of my city, I have seen and experienced how issues such as polluted water and a lack of maintained public spaces affect the quality of life and the health of the environment in Philadelphia. The fact that many residents do not have access to clean and safe natural spaces for water, recreation, and fresh air is an issue that motivates me and guides my goals for a healthier, more sustainable city. An issue that is important to me, as a resident of South Philly, is the disparity of access to clean parks and natural spaces for minorities. My neighborhood of Lower Moyamensing, is often affected by trash dumping, pollution, and a lack of green areas. Communities near run-down industrial areas face high exposure to pollution, and these impacts are felt most by minority communities like mine. Over time, I realized that waiting for a solution to appear would not work, and improving the health of our community would require consistent effort and engagement. My passion for protecting the environment began in a simple yet deeply personal way. Being the owner of two pet turtles, I am responsible for maintaining a suitable environment for my green companions. Through my experience, I learned how ecosystems require deliberate and careful attention. Every choice I made for their care made me realize the impact humans can have on the environment and wildlife. This made me want to extend care for the environment beyond my own home to my neighborhood and city, contributing to a more sustainable community and planet. With this understanding, I have begun to make efforts to address environmental issues in the ways that I can. In the future, I plan to study biology and environmental science in college to better understand how urban ecosystems work and how communities can improve them. I want to support conservation initiatives, contribute to research, and help create community programs that improve the availability of green spaces in my city. My work will focus on protecting natural spaces and creating sustainable practices that future generations can benefit from and continue to maintain. Protecting the environment is also connected to social justice for me. Improving urban ecosystems ensures that communities of color in Philadelphia have access to clean air, safe water, and healthy green spaces. I also hope to inspire young people in my community to take small but meaningful actions, like picking up trash, emailing politicians to have their voices heard, or appreciating nature. Small efforts can make a difference in pursuit of a healthier, more sustainable city. Through my pursuit in a career in biology and environmental science, I plan to have my work and interests make a lasting contribution that combines environmental protection with social justice. I want to leave a positive impact on Philadelphia and help create a city where future generations can grow up in cleaner, greener, and more sustainable communities. With my curiosity, personal experience, and motivations, my passion in STEM will help me make sense of the world around me, as well as serve my community.

As a first generation, low income Asian American student born and raised in South Philadelphia, the issues of my community have always been personal and important to me. With the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers being key parts of our city, I have seen and experienced how issues such as polluted water and a lack of maintained public spaces affect the quality of life and the beauty of our city Philadelphia. The fact that many Philadelphia residents do not have access to clean and safe natural spaces for water access, recreational activities, and clean air is a issue that strongly motivates me and guides my goals. An issue that is important to me as a resident of South Philly is the disparity in minority communities of access to clean parks and natural spaces. My neighborhood of Lower Moyamensing is riddled with trash dumping, pollution, and a striking lack of green. Communities near run down fossil fuel powered industrial sectors face high exposure to pollution, and these buildings often have disproportionate effects on minority communities such as mine. Over time, I realized that waiting for a solution to conveniently appear would not happen, and it would require continuous community efforts to improve the health of our fellow Philadelphia residents. My passion for protecting my local environment began in a simple yet deeply personal way. Being the owner of two pet turtles, I was responsible for maintaining a suitable environment that would allow them to thrive and live comfortably. In this, I learned how ecosystems required deliberate and careful attention to detail. My every action in my turtle's tank made me realize the impact that human activities have on the environment and wildlife. With the power to create also came the power to destroy, and this changed my perspective greatly. With this newfound understanding, I began to make efforts to address this neglect of our environment in the ways that I can. In the future, I plan to study biology and environmental science in college to better understand both how urban ecosystems work, but also how we as a community can improve them. The issues of my community are very personal to me, and urban ecosystem development is an issue that needs to be solved with social efforts. In my career, I plan to undergo research, support conservation initiatives, and build community oriented programs that will improve the lack of green in the city. Fixing the environment will not only contribute to something greater, but build community and lasting friendships that will bring the city of Philadelphia together under a united cause. The things I learn in college will help me make a positive impact on the world by stepping up in a scene where many want to see improvements, but not many start the initiative. I will contribute to creating a hopeful vision of Philadelphia where rows of beautiful trees and clean air is a standard accessible to everyone, no matter what neighborhood you step through. My passion is rooted in the idea that protecting the environment is linked with social justice for communities of color, connecting with your neighbors, and finding better solutions for our crisis. I aim to inspire the youth of my community to follow my initiative in small ways. Whether writing to a politician and letting your voice be heard, picking up a piece of trash on the road, or just appreciating nature, I believe that collective efforts can make our beloved Philadelphia even better than before.

As a first generation, low income Asian American student, college was something that drew me in, but felt like an uphill battle to attend due to my family's financial situation. The opportunity to attend college would change not only my life, but that of my entire family and community in a great way. My college degree will be an accomplishment for myself and my family, as I will become the first person in my family to attend higher education and set a standard for generations to come. I believe that one's financial situation does not determine the potential of what they have to become, and I seek to prove that with my degree. For my family and future generations, a college degree is a symbol of self exploration and financial security. My parents sacrificed their own opportunities to be able to have me stand where I am now, and I would be honoring their efforts and make them proud. My college degree will show many Asian Americans in my family there is a way forward, and that higher education is achievable. A college degree would allow myself to explore the things that I love most, and put my talents and efforts into contributing to my local community in an impactful way. I have always had a deep love for nature and animals, and this has led me to pursue a degree in biological sciences. As the owner of two pet turtles, I understand the complexity of caring for animals, as well as the pride that accompanies it knowing that I made a difference in their lives. Caring for my turtles made me understand the need to protect ecosystems on a larger scale and how they must be protected. That is what I seek to achieve in both my community and beyond with a college degree. My passion for biology and habitats deeply motivate me to improve ecosystems through research and community oriented action. Especially in urban environments, wildlife is often overlooked, and I would like to dedicate myself to inching towards a world where people and nature can thrive together. Beyond the academics, I am passionate about competitive chess, which has shaped who I am as a person and the types of skill sets that I apply myself to. Chess has taught me about patience and the importance of thinking out important decisions, skills that are deeply connected with my own life. Chess has become a motivation for me to seek a college degree because it taught me the value of community, as participating in my local Philadelphia chess clubs has deeply moved me to challenge myself and contribute in positive ways to spaces that I am part of. Through my personal growth and my origins, I want to pay forward all the love and hope that has been imbedded in me throughout my life by assisting my community in a positive way. I am already working towards this, by tutoring my sister, assisting the elderly in my community, and being an inspiration to the youth in my school's chess club. These experiences have taught me how small actions can have big impacts to those around you, and this philosophy that I live by will be pursued further with a college degree. A college degree for me would represent a change in the way things are for my family. It would make those who have supported me proud, it would inspire those who want to follow the same path as me, and allow me to prove that where someone starts is not indicative of what they can accomplish.

Throughout high school, my experiences have shaped and guided my future goals. Due to a lifelong love for animals and interest in the environment, I am intending to pursue a major in biology while in college. I specifically want to build a career within the space of ecosystem development and maintenance, as it will allow me to use my interests and skills of problem solving and adaptation together to better the world we live in. The growth I have experienced through my AP Biology class has reinforced my love for understanding how ecosystems function, both on a bigger scale and on a molecular level. It reaffirmed my future goals of wanting to be involved in a space where I can contribute to the livelihoods of wild plants and animals. I have learned the importance of attention to detail in my class, as I have observed how the smallest changes can have the biggest impacts on the environment. In the long term, I hope to make the lives of wild plants and animals much better in both my local community and all of Pennsylvania. I would like to collaborate with similarly interested individuals in order to make my goals of healthy and diverse ecosystems a reality. My high school biology class has given me a clear direction and focus as I move towards a career making my dreams a reality. Throughout my involvement with chess, I had always thought that success was correlated with skill, that every loss was a direct reflection of my own inability. However, when my sister wanted me to tutor her and bring her into the world of chess that I loved so much, I knew that this own mindset was holding me back from truly being in love with the game. I started in a critical way, trying to rush her improvement to attain my skills and always pointing out better moves. I soon realized that what I was doing was actively discouraging her from loving the game in the same way that I did. Over time, I adapted my teaching methods to prioritize understanding of the game over simply accuracy. Eventually, I had a change of heart by realizing that what made me love chess so much was not the shiny trophies I could win, or the final move that brought me victory. What I loved about chess was the space that it put me in, being part of a larger community of people with similar interests. This experience changed me by realizing that process is just as important as results, as the means by which you do something can be transformative. Overall, high school not only taught me knowledge, but changed the way I saw the world and myself in ways that have given me direction and meaning, that will continue to shape the person I will become.

Being helpful has always been a core part of who I am, as I love giving back to those who bring love and light into my life. One way I have demonstrated helpfulness is sharing my love of chess with my own family, as I tutored my sister on how to play chess. By sharing my biggest passion and hobby, I was able to create something that brought my family together in a positive way, while helping my sister explore her own interests. I have also shown helpfulness with my consistent commitment to assisting the elderly in my community. For the past 8 years and even now, I help several elderly neighbors when they need assistance with groceries, taking out their trash, holding parking spots, and other tasks. It is only a few minutes out of my day, but I can see the real impact my actions have on those I have helped. Recently, my grandma has sold her house due to an injury that means she can no longer live on her own. I stepped up and travelled to New Jersey to help pack her possessions, return her Wi-Fi equipment, and clear out trash. While my grandma was fighting her own battles, I was able to take even a small part of her burdens away, and leave her knowing that she could rely on me to get things done for her. A time when persistence and perseverance have resulted in success is when I committed myself to improving at chess. I have committed myself to becoming a better player and an active member of the chess community in my local Philadelphia area. Through years of consistent effort, I have improved not only my chess skills, but I have grown as a person. I was able to understand the power of being in and contributing to a community of those with similar interests, as the players, mentors, and staff in my local chess community became a found family to me. I have not only become a popular and reliable player and team member in the ASAP Chess Club community, but a team player on J.R Masterman School's league team for over 8 years. As a supportive teammate, we have all lost, won, and faced challenges together that created lifelong bonds that will accompany us outside of chess. To me, the success comes from the people I have met and the experiences I have had in contributing to a larger scene that I can be proud of. Success isn't measured by solely my skill or achievement, but the role in the community that I have carved out for myself.