When I was on the Eras Tour, Taylor Swift's music made me understand my feelings and who I am more deeply. Her songs cover many topics and experiences in life, which touched me deeply. They made me think about my own life and experiences from various angles. Taylor's change through different musical styles and personal growth encouraged me to accept my authenticity. I appreciated how she fearlessly showed her weaknesses, specifically in albums such as "Folklore" and "Evermore." This inspired me to be more receptive and candid with myself and those around me about my own emotions and occurrences. Songs like "Shake It Off" and "The Man" emphasized toughness and self-control. These songs made me understand the significance of defending my rights and not allowing external negativity to impact how much I value myself. They gave me the courage to embrace my ambition without apologizing and continue striving for what I want despite difficulties. The ability of Taylor Swift to tell stories through her songs like "All Too Well" and "Cornelia Street" made it possible for me to look at my relationships using a similar viewfinder. The detailed narratives combined with genuine sentiment encouraged me to think more deeply about how I interact with people dear to me, increasing my comprehension of the feelings and dynamics within these personal connections. Watching Taylor grow from her country beginnings in "Fearless" to the more experimental sounds of "Midnights" mirrored my own progress. This showed me that it is natural to change, and every phase of life has unique knowledge and chances for self-finding. The new ways Taylor uses music and her fresh creativity, always doing things differently, inspired me to follow my own creative path. I felt motivated by how much she commits herself to what she does and isn't scared of taking creative risks. This pushed me to try out different hobbies and explore creative ways of expressing myself. The Eras Tour, which was like a jubilee for Taylor's musical trip, also triggered my self-examination and progress. Her music helped me discover more about myself in various aspects. It has taught me to value my strong points and find the bravery to tackle my weak spots. The way that Taylor Swift can link so deeply with her listeners made me understand how influential music can be in knowing and showing one's real self. In my life, I aim to keep the creativity and hope she has instilled in me and bring it with me wherever I go.

A quote that has considerably impacted my life is, “The best leaders lead by example.” When I found out that my grandmother was diagnosed with Dementia, I committed to becoming an expert on the brain, both physically and mentally, to help those that suffer from neurological diseases. Since it is just myself and my mom taking care of my grandma, I understand the patience one must have, and I feel for my mom when I am not home to help her fulfill my obligations. Out of all the qualities that make an effective leader, an essential quality I value most in myself is empathy, as it has been a defining characteristic throughout my successes and struggles. Unquestionably, empathy shows that a leader can understand a person’s feelings and will do whatever it takes to stabilize a community. Empathy allows leaders to build a close relationship with their community and keep everyone satisfied to know they are cared for. One Sunday afternoon, while volunteering at Kaiser Permanente, an older woman came in through the front door and frantically began crying for help. Without hesitation, I jumped into action and brought her a wheelchair, and together we headed for the emergency room. As we passed through the interminable corridor, she told me that she had closed the car door on her thumb, causing overwhelming pain with her fingers dislocated. While I sat with her in the waiting room, I told her my name to build conservation and distract her from the pain she was feeling. Additionally, I told her to grab my arm and squeeze it to release any stress in her system, making her feel safe and cared for at Kaiser. Eventually, the physicians came to take her, and I thought that would be the last time I saw her, so I quickly prayed that she would heal and travel home safely. As my shift ended, my peers and I were cleaning out the station when suddenly, the woman came back into my life and told me she was feeling better, with her wearing a cast around her hand. She told me she was grateful to have me in her life for a few moments and then embraced me with a warm hug, putting a smile on our faces. This moment in my life transformed me because I could see how kindness can instantly reshape someone’s life. Furthermore, this moment served for my benefit because, as a future physician, I will show the same amount of empathy to all of my patients to positively impact their lives. Equally important, a leader demonstrates an empathetic side to others to prove that they are trustworthy and responsible for leading a community to greatness. For example, when I am back home from college, I go to Lifeteen, a religious group designed to bring teens together and help lead the discussion to get the conversation started. Furthermore, I am a crucial member of retreats because I am part of the support group that listens to people with me, keeping the utmost confidentiality of their situations. Occasionally, my friends contact me and ask me to listen to their issues, with me being an open ear for a shoulder to lean on and giving them advice when necessary. As a result of having nobility, I have established copious friendships built on trust and show that I am loyal to being a leader. Once I become a physician, I will demonstrate my honesty to promote integrity in the medical field and hope for a better future in my patients’ eyes.

As an undergraduate student at UC Davis pursuing a major in Neurobiology, I have been struggling with dealing with my mental health while balancing school and financial problems. However, I have learned how to cope with my issues and refresh my mind through various techniques. For instance, I have been going to the gym three times a week and focusing on my upper and lower body, along with doing yoga to improve my flexibility. Unquestionably, music has helped me find my center focus, and inner peace when I was at my lowest. It has uplifted me and improved my mindset by seeing life in a more positive aspect and removing all the negativity surrounding my life. Not only have these activities made thoughts in my head clearer, but it has also been a game-changer in my life in that I can appreciate myself more and remove the self-doubt I have struggled with for years. Additionally, this year has taught me to open up more than ever and embrace my vulnerabilities, even when the moment seems frightening. I had lost a friend last year and found out my grandmother, who is like my second mother, was diagnosed with cancer. For months, I experienced depression and closed myself off from the rest of the world trying to make sense of what was happening during those dark moments. An activity that took my mind off reality and helped me cope with my emotions was watching Netflix. Believe it or not, it took my mind off of all the dark aspects of life and made me relate to some of the characters from certain shows I am watching such as Grey’s Anatomy. In some sense, their struggles relate to mine, such as struggling with loss and depression but seeing them overcome these hardships inspires me to do the same. Furthermore, prayer is a necessary part of my life in building my persistence in understanding God's intentions for my life by attending mass and helping my community whenever possible. As a devoted member of my church, it has been rejuvenating to give my trust to God, knowing that he sacrificed his life for me. These resources helped me realize that even through difficult times, there is always light at the end of the tunnel if we continue to pursue it. Equally important, another resource that has benefited me is discussing my issues with a close friend I trust. My friend and I have had our fair share of tragic events, and being able to release the raw emotions to someone that I know will not judge me has been a relieving experience. Our conservations are similar to therapy sessions, where one of us speaks our mind without interruptions, and then we would share our thoughts and how to go forward from these painful moments. Consequently, this relationship pushes us closer together in a beneficial way to display support and love for one another through the good and bad times. Without a doubt, I realize that my mental health is an essential part of my identity and shapes my interactions with the world and how the world views me. I have experienced dreadful moments where the pain felt unbearable, and I did not want to continue moving forward with my goals. Nonetheless, through working out, various activities, prayers, and unbreakable bonds, I have recognized my values in life and how to cope with my internal conflicts in a meaningful way. My journey has been rocky, but with resilience and hope, I will reach my goals and beyond.

The most important aspect I have done to be a voice and assistant to the elderly people in my community was volunteering at my hospital and being a caregiver for my grandmother at home. When I volunteered at Kaiser Permanente, a good portion of the community I addressed was the elderly community. I would assist by directing and taking them to the pharmacy to pick up their medications and help them back to their vehicle if they could not do it alone. Furthermore, I would discharge patients from the hospital, including escorting them with a wheelchair to their car where someone they knew would pick them up. Apart from this, I live with my mother and grandmother, but my mother goes to work, so I must be present to take care of my grandmother. This can be through making her breakfast and lunch, along with giving her the medicines for her dementia and other health-related issues. Additionally, since I spend most of the day with her, I make sure she is comfortable in bed and play board games to keep her distracted since she worries easily. Seeing my grandmother smile when we have meaningful conservations together reminds me of the importance of being appreciative of family members and the lessons taught by them. Undoubtedly, I have done my best to comfort the elderly community and will continue to give back my service in the future as a healthcare professional seeking to save and change lives for the better.

My favorite book is "When the Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down" by Anne Fadiman. This story dives into the Hmong culture, a specific family with epilepsy, and their distrust in medicine due to cultural beliefs and relies on alternative medicine in hopes of saving their daughter Lia. It addresses the differences between Eastern medicine focusing on the soul, and Western medicine on the body. Doctors believe that protecting a child's life is of utmost importance, while the families here believe it is more important to save the child's soul. Moreover, doctors are equipped with knowledge that the Hmong do not have and make decisions that follow the culture of biomedicine. Thus, medicine cannot entirely become a practice of cultural compromise. Biomedicine is seen throughout the book as having the power to control one’s culture and escalates tension between the doctors and their patients. In the book, the doctors lack cultural competency and empathy, further dictating how the parents should take care of Lia with Western medicine rather than alternative medicine. Additionally, the doctors never ask the family if they understand what is happening, assuming they comprehend English. This shows significant cultural differences, how the doctors expect them and the entire Hmong community to conform to society's norms, and how the doctors in this situation believe medicine gives all the answers to the social world when it does not. As an aspiring neurosurgeon, I have used this story to grow as a person in hopes of not making previous mistakes that doctors have made when it comes to patient care. It has taught me the importance of engaging with others that do not share the same background and how it can help rebuild trust in communities that do not see doctors as healers.