I remember having this line read to me and reading it to myself countless times. "And the tree was happy." What a wonderfully sad yet heartwarming line. What a wonderfully sad yet happy tree. "The Giving Tree" by Shel Silverstein has always been an incredibly important book to me. Although it was a childhood favorite, it still remains one of the most impactful stories I have ever read. The tree amazed me. She was so strong, so loving, and so kind. But she suffered. She suffered at her own hand because she loved the boy more than herself. At first, I didn't understand why she would give him everything for nothing in return. Why she let herself wither away as he grew tall. But as I grew, as I reread the lines, as I imagined her pain and love and happiness, I began to understand. I began to realize that I had my own tree. My mother immigrated to the U.S. from China when she was 30. She left her family in China and gave up her citizenship to start a new life with my father. Three years later she gave birth to me, and I was gifted my own tree. My mother works harder than anyone I have ever known, and anyone I will ever know. She has given me all her apples, all her branches, all her leaves, and all her heart. I watch her work every day, more than eight hours a day, in order to make sure I have what I need. To make sure I can go to college and educate myself in order to be successful. And I have watched as this work has eaten away at her, leaving her as a stump of what she once was. And yet my mother, my dearest tree, is still happy. This quote means so much to me as it is not only a reminder of my favorite childhood story. It serves as a reminder of how much my mother loves me and how badly I want to make her proud. It serves as a reminder that as I grow I want to help my mother re-grow. I want to help her grow her trunk sturdy and tall, her leaves green and lush, her apples red and sweet. This quote is about family. It is about love, love that surpasses our physical beings. My mother, my tree, is the strongest thing in the world to me. Even after shedding all her fruits, leaves, and branches, she is still strong. She still has more to give. But my mother has given me enough. She has given me everything. It's now my turn to be the happy tree. To love selflessly. To find the joy in pain. To find the happiness in hardship.

In 2018 after the Parkland shooting I remember feeling so small. So afraid of the world and unable to do anything about it. The more helpless I felt the more I wanted to do something about it. So I took to music, which has always been my greatest outlet. I wrote my song, "Enough", as not only a way for me to process my feelings and thoughts, but as a call to action against gun violence. The recording is in no way professional, it's just me in my room, however, I am so proud of it and its message.

The rhythm and energy from the chanting from the crowd took over my body. I felt overwhelmed with anger, sadness, and a need to do something about it. The 2018 Boston March For Our Lives changed me and my understanding of what I am capable of. My ability to use my art to speak out for change is my "everything". I have struggled with finding my voice and the strength that it holds, but as I have grown I have realized its power. I grew up in a home where I was afraid to speak my mind in fear of inciting anger from my parents, so I conditioned myself to keep my opinions private. However, in high school, I started to become restless. I would hear my peers making inappropriate comments, attacking people who could not defend themselves, and falling victim to fake news. I slowly started to express myself more, engaging in debate with my peers. I started to feel so more confident and I loved being able to discuss with people who thought differently than I did. In 2018 after the Parkland shooting I remember feeling so small. So afraid of the world and unable to do anything about it. However, there were people who still did not understand the danger of American gun laws. There were people who empathized with the attacker, people who made jokes about the innocent lives lost. Listening to my peers make such incentive comments lit a fire within me. Despite being afraid of conflict I began to share with them how I felt. Why I could not agree with them, and why I thought they needed to be educated. I also began using my voice to express myself at home. I have always loved to write music. It is an outlet where I can express myself without the fear of argument. After attending the March For Our Lives, I went home and immediately started writing a song about the dangers of unregulated gun control. I felt like I could finally do something in a situation where I felt so small. At first, the song was just for me. It was a way for me to cope and understand my thoughts. But I realized that it could do no change sitting in a file on my laptop hidden from the world. So I decided to perform it at my school's talent show. I was terrified, not only was I performing an original song, but a controversial song at that. But it was so freeing. I felt powerful like I was actually making change. I later went on to release the song on Spotify. It's just a recording I did myself in my room, but I still am so proud of it. So what is my "everything"? My everything is my voice. It is my ability to connect with others and share my mind, and hopefully encourage others to share their voices too.