If you had asked me this question two years ago, I would've said that I have absolutely no idea, but thanks to my school's global business and finance (GBF) program, I know business is the right path for me. Specifically, I'd like to double major in accounting and entrepreneurship and minor in finance or business administration. I've come to realize that I have an entrepreneurial mindset and not just when it comes to finding new business ventures. I always found myself thinking differently than my peers in the sense that we'd reach the same conclusion/answer, but my approach was always different than my classmates. I don't solve problems the way teachers tell me to solve them, but I still get the right answer and that happens in all the business electives I've taken too. Granada's GBF and DECA - a national business organization that prepares emerging leaders in business and entrepreneurship - programs have taught me about entrepreneurship, finance, accounting, investing, taxes, and so many other invaluable things that we, as high school students, don't typically get to learn in the classroom. I've participated in various competitions like the California DECA State Conference where I pitched my own business and the DECA CA Pitch Contest where I pitched yet another business of my creation (and placed sixth in the state). I've also competed in national stock market games where I've ranked in the top 30 nationally, but aside from performing well in these events and competitions, I found myself enjoying the world of business more and more. I've found my passion in business and know it's where I'll be the most happy and successful. Some people help others by saving lives, but I'm going to help others by creating something new and innovative that solves their problem(s).

I never could’ve imagined going through senior year isolated and in quarantine, but that doesn’t mean I can’t make the most of it. My friend, Laisha, and I decided to do something with our free time and give back to the doctors and nurses who are risking their lives to keep us safe. When the Coronavirus hit the nation hard, healthcare providers were left with limited resources to aid those infected and to protect themselves from the virus. We started a face shield donation project and have recruited over 30 volunteers to strengthen our outreach. After reaching out to our business program at school and starting a GoFundMe page, we’ve raised nearly $5,000 to purchase the necessary materials. We aim to deliver 300 face shields to each of the 10 hospitals in the San Fernando Valley. Laisha and I are in the process of creating kits with instructions and enough acetate, elastic, and foam to make 25 shields per kit. Once they’re ready, our volunteers will pick up the kits from our doorsteps and build the shields themselves. Meanwhile, we’re reaching out to the Granada TK-8 schools and asking the younger students to write letters and/or draw pictures to the hospital staff. As the lead planning advisor, I’ve created a schedule as to how/when we will pick up and deliver face shields and cards to the hospitals. We intend to personally deliver the shields and cards by November 20th and possibly continue our project to aid hospitals in the greater Los Angeles area. Laisha and I didn’t want to waste our time moping about how we don’t get to spend our senior year at football games, prom, grad night, and other typical senior year festivities. Instead, we found a way to turn misfortune into an opportunity to interact with our classmates all while giving back to our community and the healthcare workers who have been risking their lives to keep us safe.