From the beaches in Puerto Peñasco, Mexico, to the waterfalls of Jasper, Canada, to the picturesque shops in Eureka Springs, USA, I am amazed by the wonders and beauty found around me. My family travels have shown me only a fraction of the unique cultures and beauty across the United States, let alone the world. The United States is often recognized as a melting pot of many cultures, cuisines, and customs. I dream of exploring the United States and the world to share my excitement and wonder as I educate others on diversity and inclusion. As an undergraduate student at Brigham Young University-Hawaii, I learn from a campus filled with students from 70+ countries. Majoring in Intercultural Peacebuilding, with minors in International Relations and Chinese Language, I am preparing myself for a life of service and volunteer work around the world. As I spend more time with my peers and coworkers, I begin to understand their languages and customs. For six years, I have studied the Chinese language and culture. During high school, my Chinese program, partnered with the Tucson Chinese Cultural Center, encouraged me to engage in annual traditional Chinese cultural performances. In college, I continued my studies, befriending students from Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China, immersing myself in the celebration of the Lunar New Year and other aspects of Chinese culture. I have grown to love the Chinese language, people, and customs because of my association and continued interactions with Chinese in my education. Through internships, study-abroad, and work experience, I aim to improve my speaking and listening skills through immersion, develop a greater understanding of Chinese history and culture, and serve as a beacon of peace amidst cultural differences. Living on the island of Oahu, I attend college with a large Pacific Island and Asian student population. From the nightly cultural performances at the Polynesian Cultural Center, to the concerts and bands dedicated to traditional instruments, like steel drum music, and from the plays performed in the languages of the Pacific, I have experienced Polynesian art first-hand. I have cultivated friendships with classmates from different backgrounds who share my desire to learn more about each other. Together, we work towards building bridges of understanding and compassion that transcend cultural biases and stereotypes. In ten years, I aspire to work for the United Nations or the U.S. Embassy & Consulates in China as a peace builder and conflict mediator between China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the United States. As an Intercultural Peacebuilding major, I strive to create moments of inclusion and memories of acceptance as I share my culture and understand the culture and history of others. Global exploration offers the United States the knowledge necessary to better serve those citizens in the United States with heritage or cultural ties to certain countries. The more we learn about the intricacies of a language, the customs associated with certain holidays, or the sacredness of song and dance, the better we can serve those around us. As we immerse ourselves in compassionate pursuits of knowledge about other countries, we grow to develop a deeper understanding of ourselves, our own culture and where we came from, and how we can contribute to protecting and serving those around us, no matter their cultural background. I seek to establish peace by teaching theories of harmony and cross-cultural conflict transformation. In the Peacebuilding field, I have expanded my understanding of peace and my ability to sustain peace across world cultures. I want to create opportunities that allow me to be a peacemaker, life learner, and advocate for inclusion and acceptance around the world.

I am a dreamer and a doer. My greatest dream is peace. My training from the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards, sponsored by Rotary International, introduced me to peacebuilding. I intend to continue my education in post-secondary schools, and by participating in peacebuilding workshops and fieldwork. Before graduating from BYU-Hawaii with a degree in Intercultural Peace Building, I will spend a semester creating an NGO and spend an additional semester at a peacebuilding internship. I dream of travel. My family vacations have shown me only a fraction of the unique cultures and beauty across the United States, let alone the world. I desire to travel and educate others on diversity and inclusion. My career will take me around the globe to immerse myself in diverse cultures and promote peaceful discussions. In five years, I aspire to attend graduate school at the University of Peace in Costa Rica, pursuing a master’s degree in Religion, Culture and Peace Studies. The University of Peace in Costa Rica allows me to study and understand many core world religions, while serving a wide-range of individuals. I dream of service. Throughout high school and college, I intentionally sought opportunities to serve in my community through the Sahuarita Teen Advisory Council, Church, David O. McKay Peace Center and Rotary International. In ten years, I dream of contributing to the world by working for the United Nations. For six years, I studied Mandarin Chinese language (simplified and traditional) and Chinese culture. My ultimate aspiration is to build connections with BYU-Hawaii’s large community of students from East Asia, and serve as a China-America liaison and ambassador for the United Nations. The relationships I develop and the experience I gain will further my growth in becoming a better global citizen and prepare me for a career dedicated to serving others.

Educational inequity contributes to the poverty cycle and systemic racism. During segregation and the post-segregation era, banks funneled more money into homes and communities with white families. To this day, schools receive money based on the taxes of the neighborhoods they serve. White middle-class families typically make more, thus funding elementary and high schools. The more opportunities presented during high school, the easier it is to pursue college education. Statistically speaking, those with a college degree work less physically taxing jobs and compete for salary based jobs compared to hourly pay. Educational equity programs aim to alleviate the cyclical effects of systemic poverty and racism. By raising the lowest among us, we lift entire societies. When we are no longer fighting for fully-funded kindergarten classrooms, we can pursue sustainable career programs, etc. By starting at the bottom to eliminate educational inequity, we transform the definition of “minimum”. When everyone has access to equal elementary educational resources, we can focus on high-school education retention and graduation programs, etc. In the spring of 2018, my family and I marched at the Phoenix Capitol Building for educational funding. The year before I started kindergarten, the government cut fully-funded classroom programs. Essentially, I never had reliable access to resources or materials that were not paid for out of the teacher’s pocket due to the scarcity of government funding. I stand for educational equity programs so that children can have reliable access to the tools they need to succeed.

During COVID-19, many of us were stretched so far we felt we had no more to give. There was heartache and uncertainty sketched into every masked face and empty grocery shelf. With a world in need of love, we can give our time, energy, and talents to uplift the world out of this pandemic. I choose to serve those who have struggled with mental illness. I choose to serve those without reliable access to food. I choose to serve the disabled, the homeless, and the elderly. I choose to serve the castaways and the forgotten. I choose to uplift because I have been uplifted by the service of others. I choose to give freely because others gave freely to me. I choose to see and validate their experience and existence because others dedicated their time to recognize and validate me. Beginning in December 2017, I planned a teen memorial that emphasizes the importance of life. I continued to lead the event for three years, before leaving for college. The memorial created a space for youth to connect with mental health professionals and for the community to show support and love. In June 2020, I initiated a pen pal community service project. This initiative connected troubled youth with isolated elderly in the community, fostering relationships that blossomed into friendships. In November 2020, I led a food drive, donating 600lbs of food to our community. These donations equate to 150+ meals and fed 30+ families during the Thanksgiving holiday break. With only a few hours dedicated each day, only a few dollars at a time, I gave myself freely to serving others. The act of giving is so simple, yet so transformative. I appreciate those who have given to me, but more than anything I appreciate any opportunity to give.

The Sahuarita Teen Advisory Council is a teen council that mirrors the Sahuarita Town Council. The STAC is designed to give youth in Sahuarita a voice by presenting input to the Sahuarita Town Council. STAC members aspire to lead, involve and unify their peers through special community events and projects. As Vice President of the Sahuarita Teen Advisory Council (STAC), I supervised the planning of teen events and led promotional campaigns on social media. For the past three years, I planned the teen memorial, emphasizing the importance of life. The summer following my freshman year, the youth in our town were devastated by the loss of a bright and talented musician, who died in a tragic accident while riding his bicycle. This loss renewed the energy and effort placed into organizing the annual teen memorial. The abrupt resignation of the former Committee Head a month prior to the memorial almost cancelled the event. Knowing the importance of remembering the teens who have died in our community in the past 20 years, I volunteered to lead. As Committee Head of the event, I secured a beautiful location, reached out to families, informed local schools and the community, contacted sponsors, and created a respectful event. My team worked with the local newspaper to print an article raising awareness about this monumental community event. We held the event by the town lake on a bright Saturday afternoon, with over 100 people in attendance. It provided a safe place for families, community members, and teens to honor and remember the lives of their loved ones. Before I left to attend college, I trained and supervised a new set of leaders to ensure the continuation of the memorial. A year ago, those leaders held the memorial, inviting four organizations that specialize in mental health to speak to the youth in our community. Attendees could create luminaries—bags decorated in honor of the deceased and filled with a tea light. After the loss of three more teens this year, the memorial uplifted the youth in our community. Leading this event taught me how to “mourn with those that mourn”. Despite having never met these teens, I hold their stories in my heart. I know this legacy will remain within my heart despite the distance from my hometown. I will never forget the impact it caused on myself, my committee members, the community, and the families and friends of the remembered teens.

I spent my childhood traipsing along the grounds of Fablehaven, exploring the busy and ever changing corridors of Hogwarts, and sneaking off into the forests of Camp Half-Blood. I befriended satyrs, fairies, and wizards. The vibrant lives of my heroes inspired me to chase a fantastical future of my own imagination. There were no limits to my potential, only my fear of failure could inhibit my progression. My fictional friends overcame obstacles with grace, submitting themselves to the refining fire of growth. I approach my challenges in their image, conquering every real and imagined foe, learning from my mistakes and shortcomings, and embracing every bit of myself. Throughout elementary school, I struggled to make sustainable friendships. I immersed myself in reading, striving to become as outspoken and morally centered as Lady America. I aspired towards the loyalty of the Mysterious Benedict Society. I sought to become as intelligent and well-versed as Hermoine and Belle. The authors weaved words together, creating people who taught kindness, honesty, compassion, empathy, and courage. Reading relieves the mind from the monotonous drudgery of daily life. The stories we write capture our experience and liberate us from the pains we have endured. As a young woman with deteriorating vision, my reality is hazy and uncertain; the world I see is unclear. The imaginative landscapes in writing provide me solace from a mundane reality. Reading provides me the opportunity to explore the corners of the world I have never experienced. When we read, we have a glimpse into the window of someone else’s soul, their experiences and hardships on Earth. Even the most unbelievable, far-fetched narratives capture the essence of someone’s experience. To share my experiences with others, to slowly introduce and normalize hard topics, is my goal with creative writing. I am currently pursuing a degree in Intercultural Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution. Through creative writing workshops and techniques, I hope to build bridges across cultural differences. Conflict arises when we cannot see past our own personal narrative to the narratives of our enemy. Peacebuilding teaches how to accept the narratives of others and how to question our own stories for self-justification. Creative writing allows us to express our experiences. With experience, combining these two disciplines maximizes the opportunity for understanding and growth. The interwoven tapestries of our lives can be interpreted through story. Reading the lives of others and portraying our triumphs and trials through literary means can begin the healing process of historic trauma, disability, abuse, and heartaches of life. I want to share my story with the world and use my skills to teach others to advocate for their inner peace and happiness. A scholarship that funds my educational journey will enable me to pursue this dream to its finale.

I was born with the desire to help others. When I was 5 years old, helping was comforting a friend who had fallen on the playground. When I was 10, helping was joining the Student Council and becoming active in my school. When I was 15, helping involved joining the Sahuarita Teen Advisory Council (STAC) and planning a memorial. The Sahuarita Teen Advisory Council is a teen council that mirrors the Sahuarita Town Council. The STAC is designed to give youth in Sahuarita a voice by presenting input to the Sahuarita Town Council. STAC members aspire to lead, involve and unify their peers through special community events and projects. As Vice President of the Sahuarita Teen Advisory Council (STAC), I supervised the planning of teen events and led promotional campaigns on social media. For the past three years, I planned the teen memorial, emphasizing the importance of life. The summer following my freshman year, the youth in our town were devastated by the loss of a bright and talented musician, who died in a tragic accident while riding his bicycle. This loss renewed the energy and effort placed into organizing the annual teen memorial. The abrupt resignation of the former Committee Head a month prior to the memorial almost cancelled the event. Knowing the importance of remembering the teens who have died in our community in the past 20 years, I volunteered to lead. As Committee Head of the event, I secured a beautiful location, reached out to families, informed local schools and the community, contacted sponsors, and created a respectful event. My team worked with the local newspaper to print an article raising awareness about this monumental community event. We held the event by the town lake on a bright Saturday afternoon, with over 100 people in attendance. It provided a safe place for families, community members, and teens to honor and remember the lives of their loved ones. Before I left to attend college, I trained and supervised a new set of leaders to ensure the continuation of the memorial. A year ago, those leaders held the memorial, inviting four organizations that specialize in mental health to speak to the youth in our community. Attendees could create luminaries—bags decorated in honor of the deceased and filled with a tea light. After the loss of three more teens this year, the memorial uplifted the youth in our community. Leading this event taught me how to “mourn with those that mourn”. Despite having never met these teens, I hold their stories in my heart. I know this legacy will remain within my heart despite the distance from my hometown. I will never forget the impact it caused on myself, my committee members, the community, and the families and friends of the remembered teens.

I battle Glaucoma, a degenerative disease that has stolen all the vision in my left eye and most of the vision in my right eye. In the last two years, I have recovered from my second eye surgery, which left me unable to read on my own for two months, a surgery on both my Achilles tendons, requiring me to relearn how to walk, and a global pandemic. I persevered through each hardship with hope and joy. Despite my disabilities, I spent my high school years persevering. I successfully graduated second in my class. I served as President of the National Honor Society (NHS), member of Interact (Rotary International), Vice-President of Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA), Vice-President of the Sahuarita Teen Advisory Council (STAC) and Local Young Women President and Regional Youth President for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I donated 350+ hours to community service. I participated in world-wide service events, including EndPolioNow! and International Day of Peace. I participated in local service events, including the annual Alzheimer’s Walk, planting trees, donation drives, mentorships, and the Hunger Walk. Unable to see, unable to walk, living amidst political turmoil, and civic upheaval, I persevered. I wrote 39,331 words for a novel, prior to COVID-19, revising my creative work in the middle of lockdown. I led the annual teen memorial for the community in a wheelchair. Pieces of art, created when I could not see, were displayed at the school art show. I had every opportunity to quit, to accept my shortcomings. Instead, I embraced my identity, alongside my limitations, choosing to live a joy-filled life, choosing to persevere.