On December 7, 2018, my mother passed away from stage 4 breast cancer. Reality and my view on everything around me changed drastically. Standing over her coffin, counting her eyelashes for the last time was my awakening. Not everyone had black in their closets, some guests settled for neutrals. There were no “tear-stained” faces, besides my own. Nothing matched the emotions coursing through my body, on display for everyone at the cemetery to see. As if I were an exhibit at the museum, every thought that crossed my mind landed on an eight by 11 text box for onlookers to pout at. I didn’t want to be on display. I wanted to be strong, but nothing held my emotions back. I began to realize the great impact one person made on my life. Taking the role of providing for me, looking after me, being my teacher, my cook, my safe haven, and most importantly the role of being my mother. There are nearly eight billion people on this planet and not one of them mattered to me that Sunday morning, and my mom didn’t matter to them. My mother’s death made me think about all the lessons my mom passed on about life’s fragility. “Be healthy so that you can grow up nice and strong!” Mothers want to watch their kids grow up and meet their grandkids. Oh, the smile I would love to see on my mother’s face that day. A core moment in all mother’s dreams has been taken away. She is never going to have this opportunity, how many moments in my life will she now miss? Instead of thinking about how many moments she'll miss in my life, I'm thinking about how many milestones I can achieve that will make my mother proud. This realization is what makes me one out of eight billion. Perspectives only change because of the differences everyone has. This is now a milestone in my life. I know my mother would want me to understand, but because of this drastic change in my life, my perspective has shifted towards: would this make my mom proud if she was here? By bringing joy everywhere I go, cracking jokes, and making friends smile, I know I am brightening both of our hearts. I know for certain that my mother would not want me to be gloomy and drag on with life, but prosper and make the best of the situation at hand. I now believe that my mother's death has made me even stronger as a person. If you were to speak with me, you would never know what I endured. I exert happiness and smile at all times, just like my mother. The realization that people have their own lives also makes me want to make more of an impact on people. Change is an inevitable part of life, and we will all continue to experience and grow from change.

When people hear words like millions, billions, trillions, and quadrillions, they might be confused about how many digits they actually contain. There are seven digits in millions. One billion has 10 digits, making it even more extensive. It’s harder with statistics. 4.3 billion people who live in Asia are battling starvation. 1.3 million Americans are legally blind. All awful, but unfathomable facts to me. When speaking of numbers like these, we cannot possibly grasp their magnitude until we put them into perspective. Perspective is not something we're born with, it's something we gain. Standing over her coffin, counting her eyelashes for the last time was my awakening. Not everyone had black in their closets, some guests settled for neutrals. I began to realize the great impact one person made on my life. Taking the role of providing for me, looking after me, being my teacher, my cook, my safe haven, and most importantly the role of being my mother. There are nearly eight billion people on this planet and not one of them mattered to me that Sunday morning, and my mom didn’t matter to them. My mother’s death made me think about all the lessons my mom passed on about life’s fragility. “Be healthy so that you can grow up nice and strong!” Mothers want to watch their kids grow up and meet their grandkids. Oh, the smile I would love to see on my mother’s face that day. A core moment in all mother’s dreams has been taken away. She is never going to have this opportunity, how many moments in my life will she now miss? Instead of thinking about how many moments she'll miss in my life, I'm thinking about how many milestones I can achieve that will make my mother proud. This realization is what makes me one out of eight billion. Perspectives only change because of the differences everyone has. This is now a milestone in my life. I know my mother would want me to understand, but because of this drastic change in my life, my perspective has shifted towards: would this make my mom proud if she was here? By bringing joy everywhere I go, cracking jokes, and making friends smile, I know I am brightening both of our hearts. I know for certain that my mother would not want me to be gloomy and drag on with life, but prosper and make the best of the situation at hand. I now believe that my mother's death has made me even stronger as a person. If you were to speak with me, you would never know what I endured. I exert happiness and smile at all times, just like my mother. The realization that people have their own lives also makes me want to make more of an impact on people. Change is an inevitable part of life, and we will all continue to experience and grow from change. In college, I'm eager to study Information Management and Technology, fueled by a deep passion for all things tech. Already, I've made a significant impact at my local church, modernizing their technological infrastructure. Now, I'm determined to extend my expertise to the business world, empowering more organizations and individuals through advanced solutions. With a genuine desire to drive growth and efficiency, I aim to create a positive, lasting impact on their lives. Embracing new challenges, I'm excited to shape a tech-enabled future, where innovation and progress lead us towards a brighter tomorrow.