Growing up in a military family, I have experienced frequent moves throughout my life, both within the United States and overseas. When I speak with other military children, we often relate to each other over the difficulties we have faced growing up. These include adjusting to new schools and environments, managing high expectations from our parents, and dealing with the impact of deployments on our lives. I still remember clearly the night my Dad left for Iraq. I was still young, but I remember trying to hide my tears as my little sisters wept the car ride home. As an adult, I can admire and come to realize the bravery my mother exuded as a military spouse. That night she reassured us that "Everything would be okay. Dad will come back safe." As the oldest of my siblings, I remember feeling the need to be strong. I knew I had to be as brave as my Dad had shown us. I tried to be courageous, but I was only a kid with festering emotions. I was heartbroken when celebrating holidays and birthdays without Dad. I was discouraged when girls in my class would rave about Father's daughter dances. Although it was a bittersweet time, I remember the excitement I would feel at every phone and Skype call. I remember jumping with joy when counting down the days till Dad would finally return home. The night Dad finally came home, I was overwhelmed with tears and relief. The strong masks I had worn finally crumbled off. I was a child, free to cry in my Dad's arms. To this day, I get emotional watching videos of soldiers returning home to their families. I share their tears because it is a feeling we share as children of service members. There were bittersweet moments. But also rewarding moments; that make us proud to be military brats. Both my Dad and Aunt served in the military, and as a child, I was fascinated by seeing them in uniform. They were my role models and instilled in me the values of hard work and never settling for less. As I have grown older, I have realized that just because someone is strong or brave doesn't mean they are less of a human being with struggles and emotions. After years of dedicating their lives to serving and protecting our country, my Dad and Aunt struggle with mental illnesses such as BP, Depression, and PTSD. Although there are many services for our Veterans, I feel we could actively be doing more to support Veterans and their mental health. U.S. veterans deserve more than a pat on the back or a "Thank you for your service." I aspire to change how society looks at those who struggle with mental health through software development. In today's world, we are over-stimulated by our electronic devices. Applications such as social media, streaming platforms, and food delivery services function at our convenience. But what about mental health services? My ultimate dream is to create an app that simplifies mental health care, making it more accessible to everyone. We should show compassion and care for our communities and veterans who have sacrificed so much to keep us safe. We cannot leave these strong individuals alone to suffer. We cannot ignore people's challenges or force them to put on a brave face. We are all human beings who have experienced trauma and require support. As the daughter of a veteran, I've realized the importance of giving back to our community and supporting those struggling with their mental health.

As a young girl, I had a vivid imagination and saw the world in maltitudes of bright colors. When I felt sad or had a tough day at school, I found solace in my creative outlets. I painted, sang, danced, and made home videos with friends. These activities made life seem simple and my problems less significant. I believed that anything was possible and that my dreams couldn't fail. At 9, I thought the sky was the limit. A lot has happened since then- and I am not the same bright-eyed little girl. Today in my adult life, I see the world through a not-so-colorful, gray lens. Depression has plagued my days, making everyday life hard. Some days it is hard to take care of myself. On other days my depression makes it hard for me to be around people. Most days, I feel like I am drowning in my depression. But my lifesaver has always been my creative outlet. Music and art have grounded me over the years, and I have found joy in painting, playing guitar, and writing songs. While I am not a professional, these activities help me destress and fuel my creativity. When I use my creative outlet, I remember my childhood self and her generous warmth and determination. It encourages me to keep going and that life -no matter how hard-is still worth living. Life with depression is challenging. People who struggle with their mental health navigate through life differently than others. There are still many stigmas surrounding mental health. Having conversations around it- is still taboo. It makes it hard for people like me to reach out for help or truly feel seen or supported in finding ways to manage it. Living with depression is draining, and I often wish it would disappear. For a long time, I wished I was normal and didn't feel so awful all the time. However, I am learning to accept that it may never go away. And that's okay. What matters to me the most is savoring those moments of joy and striving to create a life I can come to appreciate. My biggest aspiration in life is to become a person who helps others like me who feel stuck in life. I want to use my creative outlets and interest in mobile development to inspire others to find and live for their small joys. I want to create apps centered around healthy productivity and mental health to help others believe in their dreams and live to see them happen. At 21, I struggle with depression. The worst in me wanted to die, but the child in me knew I had something beautiful I wanted to share with the world. So I will continue to reach for the sky no matter how hard depression tries to hold me down.

My future self is a creative, innovative leader in software engineering that works hard to liberate individuals from fear-based paralysis toward a life of action-based dreaming.

When I was younger, living in the States, I never noticed that I was different. It was just me being me. As a child, you don't realize the differences in people. Kids are all the same. But growing up overseas changed a perspective in me. Growing up mixed-race in a homogenous country like Japan makes it hard to love yourself. I always noticed that I looked different from everyone else. I often had an identity crisis like most mixed-race kids. I wondered why I couldn't look more like my mom instead of my dad. Why did I have to be born with such curly hair and not straight silky hair like the rest of my friends? I always stood out when I wanted to blend in with everyone else. And that brought me a lot of problems in school. I was always self-conscious about what others may think of me. I tried to stay under a label, keeping up with trends. I soon found that I had lost myself in the crowd. I wore a mask for so long I had forgotten what it was to be myself. Until a significant person in my life taught me the importance of self-love and being true to yourself. They told me that people could hate you because you are different, but people are only afraid of what they don't understand. It made me realize that I spent too much time worrying about others. Why should I worry if we were put here on this earth once? I should do things that make me truly happy! I started to wear my hair down at school. I didn't care if people stared or made remarks. I stood tall and confident, as it was just a part of who I am. I tried to learn new hairstyles and find what it was that makes me happy. I started to love the features that I didn't like about myself in the past. I could look in the mirror each day and smile a little brighter. I learned that hiding behind a mask was making me unhappy and projecting all these negative things about myself. I slowly learned to break free and find myself again. Years later, I can say with confidence that I love myself. I am proud of how much I have changed through my creativity, expression, and mental health. I love who I am, and I love the person that I am becoming. I hated my features, but now I have come to terms to accept them! I actively practice self-care, mediation, and journaling so I can continue to discover what it is to be me. I am an extension of my mom and my dad. And I am beautiful regardless of what anyone can say or think. I can say that I love myself, and that's all that should matter. If I can find happiness in this life, then I have won. As that saying goes, Love conquers all!

When I was 13 years old, I was an honors student in middle school. But it all drastically changed when I moved to Japan due to my father's work. Due to this, I had to start going to a Public Japanese School. And as you can imagine that with not knowing the language, "failure" comes hand to hand. It did do some damage to my ego, as I always prided myself as the "smart" student. I was failing all of my classes. Having dramatically low scores that I never once imagined having before. Have you ever got a three on a test? I have. It completely crushed me. And I was worried about my future. Going to school became draining for me. I was always unmotivated. And I felt isolated from my teachers and peers. I couldn't even understand when my teachers were telling a joke as the rest of my classmates laughed. But I realized that I have to adjust to my surroundings. I wanted to feel as involved with my school as I once was. I wanted to be apart of the classroom and smile with friends. So I began to work a bit harder. And slowly but surely, my hard work awarded me! My drive and motivation to learn Japanese showed me who I was as a person. I no longer cared about how smart I was as in the past. But how hardworking I am as a person. As long as I worked hard, it felt possible to achieve long term goals! Over two years, I was able to understand classroom lectures. And I made new friends. My teachers noticed my efforts, and I felt better about going to school. Transitioning to High School, I no longer worried or dwelled on test scores. I felt self-contentment with the hard work I put in. I made more connections with friends and teachers and learned a lot. While always trying my best, I was improving in all aspects of life. And I was happier! I graduated high school with a 4.0 on a 5.0 scale. And for me, that was one of the proudest achievements in my life! Something I wouldn't have imagined when I was in middle school. I am in the states back as a college student now, and I still work as hard towards small goals. I still have my ups and downs, but I don't dwell or get discouraged. Instead, I acknowledge my failures and try harder on something new. I'm thankful for that drastic change that happened years ago. From my past failures, it made me realize that it's okay to fail. It's okay not to succeed right away. From my failures, it made me realize that being smart doesn't define you. But instead, it made me see that if you work hard towards something, gradually you will succeed in life. No matter if you fail many times, as long as you can persevere and move forward towards a goal. Anything is possible!

Change alone is a huge factor in my life. It's unavoidable. Nothing stays the same forever. So what must you do in a world that is evolving? You have to learn to adapt. And trust me, it's never easy. Sometimes you can get comfortable if things stay in one place. You feel safe in that environment and become content with what you have or have to experience. That's why often people get riled up and shaken when changes happen. Often, we need to take a moment and find that change happens with a purpose. I have always prided myself as smart or gifted at a young age. It was a symbol of who I was and all of my achievements. But I soon had to learn that being "smart" wasn't who I was. And that dealing with change was something I was going to have to accept. The most significant change that I ever experienced was moving to a foreign country and learning a different language. I lived in Japan with my family. And I had to transfer to a Japanese public school when I was 13 years old. As you could imagine, I was overwhelmed with the change of environment. I couldn't understand anything. I couldn't understand what my teachers or classmates were saying. And worse of all, I wasn't passing any of my classes. There was a wall that I could not climb over. And it felt isolating. Naturally, I began to worry. If I wasn't smart, then what am I going to do with my life? There was a pit in my stomach whenever I looked down at a test because I knew I was going to fail. There was a time I was unmotivated to study. After being at school, practically learning nothing, I would sleep. I didn't want to face reality. I didn't want to come face to face with the fact change happened. I dreaded going to school. I got stressed and anxious when exams were coming up. And I felt alone, having no friends. I began to have resentment towards all the things I couldn't control. But one day, it finally clicked. I was taking language classes that my school offered (Japanese as a Second Languages -JSL.) And my teacher was helping me learn new words and writing. I was always trying to do good in that class because it was slower paced. And I could as questions freely in a one-on-one setting. My teacher smiled and told me, "You're always working so hard." And that compliment changed my perspective on life from that point forward. I began trying a bit harder with other classes. And my other teachers started to notice. I always asked for help and paid close attention in class. I tried to talk with classmates in broken Japanese. And I made a few friends, and eventually smiled more! I worked harder and harder. And I didn't dwell on what score I got on tests. I began to become more content with how hard I was working. And not the fact that I was "smart." I began to see that being smart doesn't show your achievements through letter grades or certificates and awards. But working hard and putting effort in all you do shows your accomplishments and character. With that, I was able to become fluent in Japanese in 2 years. I was able to understand classroom lectures and laugh with friends. And I felt happier and less worried about my future. I realized that change had to happen for me to understand something so important. "努力とやる気は成功の道あり- Hard work and enthusiasm is the path to success." This saying has been the motto that I stand by for the last six years. I continuously work hard towards my goal. And I don't become discouraged when I don't achieve them right away. I acknowledge the work I put in and become satisfied with myself. I have become less angry or worried when changes happen. I step outside of myself and try to see what this is trying to teach me. I am a college freshman now. Back in the United States, after graduating from a Japanese High School. Every day I actively work hard towards my goal. My dream is to one day work internationally in business. And though everything is online now, with its new challenges and the current state of the world. I use what I have learned to its advantage and can adapt to this situation. Though my younger self couldn't see it right away, I'm thankful that I kept moving forward long enough to realize it. All of the pain and hardship had a reason, and I am stronger now from it. Change is a life lesson that you have to accept, learn from, and come out a better person because of it. Change happens for a purpose: for you to change and transform.