I am inspired by women like Mother Teresa who so beautifully embody what it means to live a worthwhile life. She once said that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt — only more love. Mother Teresa did not just have conceptual love; her love compelled her to action, even at great personal sacrifice. I desire to live a life that emulates hers, willing to risk it all for the sake of loving boldly. After completing a master's in international business, I moved to the Middle East to work for a non-profit organization focused on leadership development, conducting seminars and trainings at local universities. While living there, I became friends with many women who were experiencing abuse and had significant trauma. I wanted to know how to help but felt very ill-equipped. Simultaneously, I was personally walking through depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation as I had an abusive supervisor. I had no support system and felt like I had no voice or ability to fight for myself; I wanted my life to end. In this incredibly dark season, I remember thinking, "I came here to love and empower these women, but how can I do that when I do not even believe I am worthy of love?" It was the hardest season of my life, and I had completely lost sight of who I was. For the first time, I began counseling and my therapist truly saved my life. I finally had someone who could really sit with me in my pain. She helped breathe wholeness back into me, graciously helping me find my voice again after it had been silenced. As a result of experiencing the healing power of counseling, and witnessing how much it is needed globally, I returned to the States and began pursuing a degree in clinical counseling. My experience also shaped how I approach self-advocacy and suicide awareness. Having lived through suicidal ideation in silence, I now speak openly about mental health and help-seeking — both in my personal life and within my clinical training. I believe that de-stigmatizing these conversations, particularly in communities where mental health is rarely discussed, is itself a form of prevention. I am currently entering the last year of my program. My goal is to become a Licensed Professional Counselor specializing in trauma-informed care for refugee women — one of the most underserved and underrepresented populations in the world. Refugee women frequently carry compounded trauma with little to no access to culturally sensitive mental health care. I know for certain that the hardships I have experienced are not a waste. My experiences have given me a deep passion to help others experience healing and wholeness in the way that I have. I want to empower women to own their stories and walk with much courage, hope, and dignity, just as my first therapist did for me.

Throughout my life, I have come to see that one of my greatest purposes is to love, serve, and fight for others. I grew up biracial with a Chinese mother and an American father, and our family moved quite frequently due to job changes. I often struggled with knowing where I belonged, feeling as if I never fully fit in. Many of my childhood memories also revolve around working late nights with my father to help support our family as we experienced significant financial hardship. I did not find much joy in doing this at the time, however, looking back I am grateful as my dad taught me the value of being a hard worker and refusing to give up even when facing all odds. After completing my master's degree in international business, I moved to the Middle East to work for a non-profit organization focused on leadership development. While living there, I became friends with many women who were experiencing abuse and significant trauma and as a result struggled severely with mental health. I wanted to know how to help but felt very ill-equipped. Simultaneously, I was walking through my own depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation under an abusive supervisor. I had no support system and felt like I had no voice or ability to fight for myself; I wanted my life to end. In this incredibly dark season, I remember thinking, "I came here to love and empower the women here, but how can I do that when I do not even believe I am worthy of love?" It was the hardest season of my life, and I had completely lost sight of who I was. For the first time, I began online counseling with a counselor in America, and she truly saved my life. She helped breathe wholeness back into me, graciously helping me find my voice again after it had been silenced. As a result of experiencing the healing power of counseling, and witnessing how much it is needed globally, I returned to the United States and began pursuing a degree in clinical counseling. I am currently entering the last year of my program and will graduate in December 2026, with the goal of becoming a Licensed Professional Counselor specializing in trauma-informed care for refugee and expatriate women. I know for certain that the hardships I have experienced are not a waste. My experiences have given me a deep passion to help others experience healing and wholeness in the way that I have. I want to empower women to own their stories and walk with much courage, hope, and dignity, just as my first therapist did for me. I truly believe that our greatest challenges can become our greatest assets as they propel us to become stronger in the face of defeat. As Mother Teresa said, "I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples." By God's grace, that is exactly what I intend to do.

Throughout my life, I have come to see that one of my greatest purposes is to love, serve, and fight for others. I grew up biracial with a Chinese mother and an American father, and our family moved quite frequently due to job changes. I often struggled with knowing where I belonged, feeling as if I never fully fit in. Many of my childhood memories also revolve around working late nights with my father to help support our family as we experienced significant financial hardship. I did not find much joy in doing this at the time, however, looking back I am grateful as my dad taught me the value of being a hard worker and refusing to give up even when facing all odds. After completing my master's degree in international business, I moved to the Middle East to work for a non-profit organization focused on leadership development. While living there, I became friends with many women who were experiencing abuse and significant trauma and as a result struggled severely with mental health. I wanted to know how to help but felt very ill-equipped. Simultaneously, I was walking through my own depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation under an abusive supervisor. I had no support system and felt like I had no voice or ability to fight for myself; I wanted my life to end. In this incredibly dark season, I remember thinking, "I came here to love and empower the women here, but how can I do that when I do not even believe I am worthy of love?" It was the hardest season of my life, and I had completely lost sight of who I was. For the first time, I began online counseling with a counselor in America, and she truly saved my life. She helped breathe wholeness back into me, graciously helping me find my voice again after it had been silenced. As a result of experiencing the healing power of counseling, and witnessing how much it is needed globally, I returned to the States and began pursuing a degree in clinical counseling. I am currently entering the last year of my program and my goal is to become a Licensed Professional Counselor specializing in trauma-informed care for refugee and expatriate women. I know for certain that the hardships I have experienced are not a waste. My experiences have given me a deep passion to help others experience healing and wholeness in the way that I have. I want to empower women to own their stories and walk with much courage, hope, and dignity, just as my first therapist did for me. I truly believe that our greatest challenges can become our greatest assets as they propel us to become stronger in the face of defeat. To anyone walking through a similarly dark season, my advice is this: do not suffer in silence. Seek help without shame, allow others to fight for you when you cannot fight for yourself, and trust that your pain is not the end of your story — it may become the very thing that propels you into your greatest purpose. As Mother Teresa said, "I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples." By God's grace, that is exactly what I intend to do.

Throughout the years I have learned many lessons, but one of the most important is that my life purpose is to love, serve, and fight for others. Mother Teresa so beautifully said, “If you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love.” I have desired to live a life that emulates hers and others like her, willing to risk it all for the sake of loving boldly. Thus, after completing my bachelor’s degree, I pursued a master’s in international business. My dream was to help create small business pathways in underdeveloped regions of the world that would equip women with skills, confidence, and the opportunity to pursue their dreams despite natural obstacles. Following graduation, I moved to the Middle East to work for a non-profit organization focused on leadership development in the community, particularly through conducting seminars and trainings at local universities. While living there, I became friends with many women who were experiencing abuse and significant trauma, and as a result struggled severely with varying mental issues. I wanted to know how to help but felt very ill-equipped. Simultaneously, I was walking through my own depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation as I was under an abusive supervisor. I had no support system, and I felt like I had no voice or the ability to fight for myself; I wanted my life to end. In this incredibly dark season, I remember thinking, “I came here to love and empower the women here, but how can I do that when I do not even believe I am worthy of love?” It was the hardest season of my life, and I had lost sight of who I was. For the first time, I began online counseling with a counselor in America, and she truly saved my life. I finally had someone who could listen and really sit with me in my pain. I felt she was fighting for me when I had no one else. She helped breathe wholeness back into me, graciously helping me find my voice again after it had been silenced. As a result of experiencing the healing power of counseling, and also witnessing how much it is needed globally, I returned to the United States and began pursuing a degree in clinical counseling. After graduation, my goal is to become a Licensed Professional Counselor specializing in trauma-informed care for refugee and expatriate women. Since starting my program, I have gotten married to a wonderful man who is also a therapist. We are both passionate about taking clinically based counseling to regions of the world where there is little to no access to quality mental health care. I know for certain that the hardships I have experienced are not a waste. My experiences have given me a deep passion to help others experience healing and wholeness in the way that I have. I want to empower women to own their stories and walk with much courage, hope, and dignity, just as my first therapist did for me. Mother Teresa said, “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” She was determined to simply use what she had been given for the good and advancement of others, and she left a legacy worth remembering. By God’s grace, I strive to be this type of person, not for sake of notoriety or personal gain, but for all I can add to the human story.

Throughout the years, I have learned many lessons, but one of the most important is that my life purpose is to love, serve, and fight for others. I grew up biracial with a Chinese mother and an American father, and our family moved quite frequently due to job changes. I often struggled with knowing where I belonged, feeling as if I never fully fit in. However, this gave me deep empathy for those who feel unseen or misunderstood, the outsiders. I also grew up in a Christian community where the role of a woman was quite rigid, reserved to quieter roles such as housewife. I often wrestled with my identity as a woman, especially as I felt gifted in leadership and wanted to trail-blaze to make a difference in the world. My childhood was also marked by significant financial hardship. Many of my memories revolve around working late nights with my father to help support our family. I did not find much joy in doing this at the time, however, looking back I am grateful as my dad taught me the value of being a hard worker and refusing to give up even when facing all odds. In high school, my father told me they would not be able to support me financially in college. I fully planned to work multiple jobs, but through unexpected financial assistance, I was able to simply focus on my studies instead. Through many instances of support such as this, I have become the woman I am today. I am filled with much gratitude and humility and am inspired to give back to others in return. Through navigating cultural tension, identity confusion, and financial hardship, I became impassioned to equip and empower women across the globe to experience lives of flourishing and deep purpose – especially those in communities where resources and opportunities are limited. I am inspired by women like Mother Teresa who so beautifully embody what it means to live a worthwhile life. She so beautifully said, “If you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love.” Mother Teresa is one who did not just have conceptual love, but whose love compelled her to action, even at great personal sacrifice. I desire to live a life that emulates hers and others like her, willing to risk it all for the sake of loving boldly. Thus, after completing my bachelor’s degree, I pursued a master’s in international business. My dream was to help create small business pathways in underdeveloped regions of the world that would equip women with skills, confidence, and the opportunity to pursue their dreams despite natural obstacles. Following graduation, I moved to Iraq to work for a non-profit organization focused on leadership development in the community, particularly through conducting seminars and trainings at local universities. While living there, I became friends with many women who were experiencing abuse and significant trauma, and as a result struggled severely with varying mental issues. I wanted to know how to help but felt very ill-equipped. Simultaneously, I was walking through my own depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation as I was under an abusive supervisor. I had no support system, and I felt like I had no voice or the ability to fight for myself; I wanted my life to end. In this incredibly dark season, I remember thinking, “I came here to love and empower the women here, but how can I do that when I do not even believe I am worthy of love?” It was the hardest season of my life, and I had lost sight of who I was. For the first time, I began online counseling with a counselor in America, and she truly saved my life. I finally had someone who could listen and really sit with me in my pain. I felt she was fighting for me when I had no one else. She helped breathe wholeness back into me, graciously helping me find my voice again after it had been silenced. As a result of experiencing the healing power of counseling, and also witnessing how much it is needed globally, I returned to the United States and began pursuing a degree in clinical counseling. This path was not a part of my original plan. I had fully intended on spending my life empowering women within the business realm. However, after all I had seen and experienced, I knew this was the path I needed to pursue. I am currently entering into the last year of my program and will graduate in December 2026. After graduation, my goal is to become a Licensed Professional Counselor specializing in trauma-informed care for refugee and expatriate women. Since starting my program, I have gotten married to a wonderful man who is also a therapist. We are both passionate about taking clinically based counseling to regions of the world where there is little to no access to quality mental health care. I know for certain that the hardships I have experienced are not a waste. My experiences have given me a deep passion to help others experience healing and wholeness in the way that I have. I want to empower women to own their stories and walk with much courage, hope, and dignity, just as my first therapist did for me. I truly believe that our greatest challenges can become our greatest assets as they propel us to become stronger in the face of defeat. Mother Teresa said, “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” She was determined to simply use what she had been given for the good and advancement of others, and she left a legacy worth remembering. By God’s grace, I strive to be this type of person, not for sake of notoriety or personal gain, but for all I can add to the human story.

Throughout the years I have learned many lessons, but one of the most important is that my life purpose is to love, serve, and fight for others. I am inspired by individuals like Mother Teresa who so beautifully embody what it means to live a worthwhile life by being determined to use what they have been given for the good and advancement of others. Mother Teresa so beautifully said, “If you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love.” I desire to live a life that emulates hers and others like her, willing to risk and sacrifice it all for the sake of loving boldly. With this vision in mind, a few years ago I moved to the Middle East to work for a non-profit focused on leadership development in local universities. While living there, I came to know women who were experiencing all kinds of abuse and significant trauma. They struggled severely with varying mental illnesses, and I wanted to know how to help but felt very ill-equipped. Simultaneously, I was walking through my own depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation as I was under an abusive supervisor. I had no support as I was far away from all my family and friends, and I felt like I had no voice and could not fight for myself. It was the hardest season of my life. For the first time, I started doing online counseling with a counselor in America and she truly saved my life. She helped breathe wholeness back into me, graciously helping me find my voice again after it had been silenced. Experiencing the healing power of counseling led me to return to the United States and pursue a degree in clinical counseling. I am a Chinese American, and know the struggles of living in between cultures, never quite feeling like I completely belong. My experiences as biracial, as well as living in the Middle East and traveling to countries across the world, have shaped my desire to serve displaced and marginalized women across the globe. I believe the hardships I’ve faced have not been in vain but rather have fueled a deep passion in me to walk alongside a greatly underserved community in their own healing journeys. As a clinician, I seek to use a trauma-informed approach and integrate my training in EMDR and Story Informed Trauma Therapy along with CBT and Somatic techniques to help my clients discover a path towards holistic healing and health. I want to empower women to own their stories and walk with much courage and dignity, just as my first therapist did for me. I am passionate about walking with others through the journey of healing, even as I am still learning to walk on my own path. I truly believe that often our greatest challenges can become our greatest assets as they propel us to become stronger in the face of defeat. Mother Teresa said, “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” She was determined to simply use what she had been given for the good and advancement of others, and she left a legacy worth remembering. By God’s grace, I strive to be this type of person, not for sake of notoriety or personal gain, but for all I can add to the human story. Thank you for considering helping me so that I can go into the world and help others too.

1. Throughout the years I have learned many lessons, but one of the most important is that my life purpose is to love, serve, and fight for others. With this vision in mind, a few years ago I moved to the Middle East to work for a non-profit focused on leadership development in local universities. While living there, I came to know women who were experiencing all kinds of abuse and/or significant trauma. They struggled severely with varying mental illnesses, and I wanted to know how to help but felt very ill-equipped. Simultaneously, I was walking through my own depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation as I was under an abusive supervisor. I had no support as I was far away from all my family and friends, and I felt like I had no voice and could not fight for myself. It was the hardest season of my life. For the first time, I started doing online counseling with a counselor in America and she truly saved my life. She helped breathe wholeness back into me, graciously helping me find my voice again after it had been silenced. Experiencing the healing power of counseling led me to return to the United States and pursue a degree in clinical counseling. I am a Chinese American and know the struggles of living in between cultures, never quite feeling like I completely belong. My experiences as biracial, as well as living in the Middle East and traveling to countries across the world, have shaped my desire to serve displaced and marginalized women across the globe through teletherapy. I believe the hardships I’ve faced have not been in vain but rather have fueled a deep passion in me to walk alongside a greatly underserved community in their own healing journeys. As a clinician, I seek to use a trauma-informed approach and integrate my training in EMDR and Story Informed Trauma Therapy along with CBT and Somatic techniques to help my clients discover a path towards holistic healing and health. I want to empower women to own their stories and face the world with much courage and dignity, just as my first therapist did for me. 2. One significant change I would focus on is expanding trauma-informed mental health services tailored to underserved and displaced populations, especially refugee and expatriate women. Many in these communities face stigma, financial barriers, and simply lack access to care that respects their unique cultural and trauma histories. This gap could be bridged through training clinicians in cultural humility and trauma-informed approaches, as well as making affordable teletherapy a widely available option. Creating inclusive spaces that honor diverse backgrounds and experiences is essential to equity in mental health care. 3. The greatest benefit of teletherapy is that it is incredibly accessible. For those living in more remote locations, or who have other obstacles which prevent them from in-person therapy, telehealth offers an avenue to receive quality care. It also offers more flexibility as clients can do therapy from any private space and can often work it around their schedule with more ease. However, one of the challenged to telehealth is that it can be more difficult to establish a felt sense of safety or deep therapeutic rapport. Another challenge is that some may not have access to adequate technology or internet. An innovation that could be helpful is to focus on providing affordable and reliable technology and internet access. For example, creating a digital hub within the community that has private, sound-proof spaces could increase accessibility for some.