When it comes to choosing teams, I am not choosing based on who Belly should date, I am choosing based on who I like more. For all I care, I am Team Laurel slapping Belly. However, I am Team Jeremiah. If I am being honest, I wasn't always. When Conrad first saw Belly the first summer back, I knew the chemistry they had was different than hers and Jeremiah's. But I have grown to side with Jeremiah when it comes to his family problems, and being the "other man." The second season is where I grew to become Team Jere. Through the flashbacks, and seeing how uncomfortable Jere was around Belly and Conrad on Thanksgiving, you can only help but feel bad for the boy. He lost his Mom to cancer (who was the only one who saw him and how hurt he was), and his girl best friend to his older brother. He has been through so much and everyone expected him to be okay. I feel like the first season made Jeremiah look bad when it came to Belly because they decided to show his wrong moments at the wrong time. With the debutante ball, Jeremiah just found out that his Mom had cancer and that news is not something you carry lightly. Therefore, of course, Conrad comes to sub for him when Jere's angry and now looks like the better brother. When in fact, he decided to keep the secret from Jeremiah the whole time. That wouldn't have happened, if Conrad would stop trying to put all the burdens on himself. That moment made Jeremiah look very bad, but it's not like he meant to do that. He was there for Belly throughout the whole first season, whereas Conrad ruined her first date with Cam Cameron and always played with her feelings. The second season is no different. But this time, moments are looking better for Jeremiah. Just like Belly said about Conrad, "He gives, then he takes." Conrad is the opposite definition of "If he wanted to, he would." Whereas Jeremiah is. Although Jeremiah was angry with her at first, he ended up being mature and forgiving her. He drove her to Conrad's college and back, bought her food, threw a party with her, toured Finch with her, and encouraged her dreams about volleyball. He has always been her biggest supporter and never expected anything back from her. He didn't even want to look at her when she was confessing her feelings, because he's been hurt so many times by the people he loves. On the other hand, Mr. Conrad Fischer deliberately tells Belly she was a mistake, that he no longer loved her, and was on another girl's lap at his mother's funeral. This man has done so many things to hurt Belly, and his feelings towards her always change that it confuses not only her but Jeremiah as well. One day his chest hurts so much because he can't say he loves her, then another day he wants nothing to do with her. Jeremiah wants everything to do with her. "If he wanted to, he would" is 100% Jere's look. Throughout the series, I've realized that not everyone is a saint and has done things to hurt each other. However, the experiences and treatment Jere has endured have only left me feeling sorry for him. He treats Belly like the most important thing to him, even though I don't think she deserves it. #TeamJere.

My parents are both Filipino immigrants. With five American kids, adjusting to a culture different from their own was difficult, but raising children in it was a different story. My mother is a nurse and my Dad received his bachelor’s degree in the Philippines. Moving to a new country, they came to realize that a Political Science degree wasn’t going to give him the job he needed to support us. As a child of immigrants, I knew I was different from other kids in our area. In a community filled with blue-eyed blonde girls, I was constantly getting asked questions like, “How do you stay tan all year long?”, and comments such as, “You’re not like other Asian people.” In a predominantly white community, the connection I had to my culture started to vanish. I no longer wanted to eat Filipino food, so I started to agree with my peers’ comments and told my Mom to stop cooking Tuyo because it “smelled gross”. Knowing I was partaking in hatred against my heritage, I started realizing the impact it had once the pandemic started. Hate crimes and microaggressions were now something I started realizing. This sparked a passion in me to start my community chapter called “Dear Asian Youth”. We started making weekly posts on Instagram about social stereotypes against the AAPI community. We gained members across the three different high schools in my area and held weekly Zoom meetings on what steps we should take. Conversing with students and partaking in social activism, has sparked my interest in following my Dad’s footsteps in receiving a Bachelor’s in Political Science. Although he didn’t get the chance to follow through with his dreams, his sacrifice gave me the motivation to fulfill my own. With the experience my parents had moving from the Philippines to the U.S., and growing up facing racial struggles, my passion for politics and social issues has motivated me to take my public service to greater heights.