My Barbie dream house would be in Switzerland, in Tribschen, next to a sizeable gorgeous body of water. I aim for a mid-century modern theme for the house. I had fallen in love with the mid-century modern look when I was younger, especially when watching Chip and Joannes's TV reality show. My aunt and I would bond over watching house remodeling shows; they are what we bonded over most. We both loved the idea of interior and exterior design. My aunt Tammy loved unique architecture. Therefore, if I had a Barbie dreamhouse of my own, I would incorporate unique architecture that would be sentimental to me and my aunt to honor her. On the inside of the house, I would want to include heated floors for the shivering cold winters. In the home, I would want the theme to be mid-century matte black and emerald green to be incorporated throughout the house. Dark wooden floors would complete the look, along with unique crown molding presenting my unique touch to the house. The splash of modern touch to the outside patio area, where an outside kitchen and hot tub connected to a pool would lay. I would want the outside to be an area where family and friends enjoy. Such as including a pool table and an outdoor entertainment system! I would want to complete the look with a matte black finish and gold and metal accents for the outside of the house. That would be my ideal Barbie dream house!

Earlier this year, on January eleventh, I lost someone who had and still has a significant impact on my life. But first, let's rewind; six years ago, my aunt Tammy was struggling to find a diagnosis for her back pain. First, the doctors thought she had appendicitis; she had no appendix. Then, they told her it could be period cramps; she just had a hysterectomy. The doctors finally decided to conduct blood work and schedule an MRI. They found that her white blood cell count was extremely elevated, and she had stage four breast cancer. Fast forward to late December 2022, my dad left the country for three weeks for work. My aunt had been admitted to the hospital; we were told everything would be okay, but it was not. For those next couple of days, I watched the person who took me in as her own, even though my biological mother betrayed their friendship and we were not considered blood. I admired everything Tammy had done for me growing up; my mother chose men and sex over me over and over again. Tammy took me in as one of her four kids. She contributed to my birthday parties, celebrated anytime I hit a milestone in my young teenage years and supported me through all my decisions. Watching all these chemo's not working for her over the past six years has been extremely hard on me and my family. I was tired of watching this strong independent woman beaten down by cancer. Then, she passed on January eleventh, 2023. Watching her in the hospital bed, barely breathing, has been one of the most challenging moments in my life; my father was in Tokyo, and his flights were repeatedly delayed. The month of January is all about new beginnings and new goals. That is when I told myself that somebody must make an advancement in oncology. Tammy is my reason for joining STEM, even before she passed. It had been hard watching none of the chemotherapies work for her over the past six years, and I know that many advancements within the field will begin to happen. I want to contribute to that; I want to help contribute to the new chemotherapies that will begin within the next few decades within nuclear medicine. If I can contribute in any way to honor Tammy, I will. I know it is hard watching someone you love lose the oomph in their soul, especially when countless treatments fail repeatedly. I want to help change that.