"Life is full of baby steps, setting a goal is good, but if you focus too much on your ending goal you will miss out on the opportunities presented to you right now. Instead, focus and work hard in the present and before you know it, you will be appreciating every single goal you have set for yourself." This piece of advice was given to me my freshman year of high school by my counselor. Growing up, I was obsessed with what my future would hold. Starting young I would come up with plans of future colleges, jobs, and successes. Most of the time my mind would wander off into the future and forget about what was happening in the present. To my belief, I wanted to skip my youth and start my dream successful adult life already because I felt that then I could finally start living the life I always wanted for myself. When I got into high school, I met with my counselor to talk about future plans and I couldn't be more ecstatic at the time. I presented her with what I thought was my full proof plan full of prospective colleges, a competitive major, and lists of jobs in the field. She could tell I was a hard worker, but after talking with her for some time she gave me her advice. This advice made me think for a very long time, "how long have I been missing out on current things going on around me because I was too focused on the future?" Because of this advice, I still set goals for myself but they are more simpler and daily. I found that these little everyday goals give me more satisfaction then always waiting for the future to come.

The world we live in is ever changing and is full of people of different experiences, backgrounds, and values. Some people are more creative and sociable, while others are critical and inquisitive, but everyone has successes and struggles. The biggest problem facing the world right now, is how we, as a society, treat other people. Historically, social struggles have always been in the mix, whether it was race, social standing, gender, or mental health. Right now the majority of people believe that social issues are all political and most issues divide friends and family because of differing political positions, but instead we must change our way of thinking. Its easy to say, "put yourself in someone else shoes", but to really understand other people we must understand each others values and personal experiences. To do this, individuals must broaden their worldviews and go out of their way to experience different cultures, values, and traditions. A person who educates themselves in a varies of fields is an intelligent person. We also must strive to have more compassion between human and human, because no matter where you come from, or who you are, we are all human beings. I believe that by understanding each other on a human level we can help treat and reduce mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety. Not everyone is structured the same, and there not only needs to be more resources for those who are need, but there also needs to be more conversations in school, work, and between family and friends about mental health. I have hope for the new and up incoming generation because I have personally seen a shift of acceptance and inclusion. We are slowing towards a future that is showing great improvement of the consideration of other people around us.

I have great pride in my family, their heritage, and their struggle that has all brought to me where I am today. I am half Filipino and half Mexican as well as a first generation American. My mother, uncle, and grandparents all immigrated from the Philippines in the 1970s, during a difficult time of political struggle in the Philippines. My Lolo and Lola were one of the first of their family to come to the US and at the time did not have much of a support system and didn't know much English. After immigrating, my mother excelled in school and became a first generation college student at UCLA and a masters at UCSD. Everyday, my mother's drive for achieving her goals despite her disadvantages and struggles, inspires me to push past barriers and to aspire for something greater. In 2019, I got the chance to visit the Philippines for the first time and visit my Grandparent's hometown. I experienced the place where my mother grew up before she immigrated. I have always appreciated my family and their values, but I have never felt more love and sense of family than when I was in the little town of Gumaca, my family's hometown. Everywhere I went, people were friendly and inviting, and there was so much life in the people of the town. I got to meet family and connect and spend time with cousins I have never met before. Gumaca isn't anything like the United States and if I'm being honest, I did have some culture shock, but I also felt very at home and included. My trip to the Philippines will be something I never forget and I hope to visit it again soon. With my area of study, Construction Management, I want to help the Filipino community by building sustainable and safe housing both in the US Filipino communities as well as in the Philippines. I also want other Filipino Americans to experience what I experienced on my trip, by taking them on trips to the Philippines help me build these sustainable homes. My family has a longstanding charity for the town of Gumaca and I plan to work with that charity to enhance projects and prolong help for those in the community. Everyone should know where their family came from and appreciate the people and values of their race.