Like any other kid, I used to run around carelessly no matter the surrounding. One day, this bad habit caused an accident; I ran down the stairs with my wet flip-flops, fell, and cut opened the skin near my left eye. I went through several surgeries, and instead of being scared, I was amazed by how the doctors could magically sewed up the wound. You could say that this event slightly opened the door for me to the healthcare path. I became more interested in science and enjoyed learning about how everything in the world works. Human injure themselves all the time, and if not, diseases still make their way throughout their lives. I learned this the hard way; even after grandma’s knee healed (she fell and broke her knee before), she developed other illnesses and continued staying in bed. It is very difficult to see her like this everyday, and I imagine lots of people are also experiencing the same thing with their loved ones. I want to do something with this heavy feeling. I want to help my family and those around me, and create a community where everyone can live happily with each other. Healthcare is the path I have chosen because I can directly help injured people and take care of my community. Coming from a low-income household myself, I also long for a stable and successful life for my parents for their love, hard work, and nurturing. This healthcare path will help me achieve the goal of traveling around every corner of the world with my family. With the close relationship I have with science, I can promise that I will bring positive impacts to the healthcare field and to our community by just being myself. I am very cheerful and easygoing, meaning that I smile a lot and I like to make people happy, and sometimes, that can sure cure away most illnesses. I am also a curious person who is willing to learn new things, which is why I am extremely into conducting science research and doing lab experiments. Maybe one day I will be able to find a cure to a disease? Who knows. But I know this career path will satisfy my eagerness to learn and my work ethics. Though I am better at working independently, I enjoy working in teams as I can learn from my teammates and we can cover each other weaknesses. The healthcare field offers both these work environments and it totally matches with my core values since I like to get to know and be closer with my community. As the first daughter in my family to pursue the healthcare field, I am blessed with many learning opportunities on my way, such as from field trips and workshops from my school career specialist. Therefore, I would like to ensure that these opportunities also reach the later generations, especially those who are female and are first-generation to go to college in their family. I am going to work harder everyday to create an even bigger picture of women in the healthcare field and to be a role model to those small kids dreaming of being doctors.

Like any other kid, I used to run around carelessly no matter the surrounding. One day, this bad habit caused an accident; I ran down the stairs with my wet flip-flops, fell, and cut opened the skin near my left eye. I went through several surgeries, and instead of being scared, I was amazed by how the doctors could magically sewed up the wound. You could say that this event slightly opened the door for me to the healthcare path. I became more interested in science and enjoyed learning about how everything in the world works. Human injure themselves all the time, and if not, diseases still make their way throughout their lives. I learned this the hard way; even after grandma’s knee healed (she fell and broke her knee before), she developed other illnesses and continued staying in bed. It is very difficult to see her like this everyday, and I imagine lots of people are also experiencing the same thing with their loved ones. I want to do something with this heavy feeling. I want to help my family and those around me, and create a community where everyone can live happily with each other. Healthcare is the path I have chosen because I can directly help injured people and take care of my community. Coming from a low-income household myself, I also long for a stable and successful life for my parents for their love, hard work, and nurturing. This healthcare path will help me achieve the goal of traveling around every corner of the world with my family. With the close relationship I have with science, I can promise that I will bring positive impacts to the healthcare field and to our community by just being myself. I am very cheerful and easygoing, meaning that I smile a lot and I like to make people happy, and sometimes, that can sure cure away most illnesses. I am also a curious person who is willing to learn new things, which is why I am extremely into conducting science research and doing lab experiments. Maybe one day I will be able to find a cure to a disease? Who knows. But I know this career path will satisfy my eagerness to learn and my work ethics. Though I am better at working independently, I enjoy working in teams as I can learn from my teammates and we can cover each other weaknesses. The healthcare field offers both these work environments and it totally matches with my core values since I like to get to know and be closer with my community. As the first daughter in my family to pursue the healthcare field, I am blessed with many learning opportunities on my way, such as from field trips and workshops from my school career specialist. Therefore, I would like to ensure that these opportunities also reach the later generations, especially those who are female and are first-generation to go to college in their family. I am going to work harder everyday to create an even bigger picture of women in the healthcare field and to be a role model to those small kids dreaming of being doctors.

Most people had a childhood dream job, whether it is to become a cashier, a soccer player, or a nurse, they are mostly silly little dreams that people just end up bringing it up and laughing about it when they get older. But ever since I knew of the job named doctor when I was four, it has always been on my life’s to-do list. Not any typical doctor that you usually encounter, I want to become an artsy surgeon who can freely travel and discover every corner of the world. My goal is to not only help those who are in need but also make new discoveries as much as I can throughout my lifetime. As a curious person myself, I always find everything around me fascinating, from the way human act to the love language of animals. My head is filled with questions that are waiting for answers all the time, and in order to answer all those questions myself, travelling is a step I must take. Traveling will not only provide me happiness and relaxation, it will also help me gain valuable medical knowledge from different countries and cultures. The doctor goal at first was just there because of my dad; he thinks it’s one of the most successful careers someone can be. I was only fulfilling his wish as his daughter, but it eventually became one of my goals as I grew up. Long story short, during my middle school year, after dissecting a frog in my science class, I learned that I enjoyed the whole dissection process; it was very fun learning about different organs while doing hands-on experience. After several years of core and advanced placement science classes, I realized that I and science has a very good relationship with each other. I find it exciting when learning about different chemicals and how living things work. While art is more like a hobby to me, I do have plans to pursue a higher level of art from YouTube videos and myself. This hobby greatly helps me deal with stress, expands my creativity, and as well as teaching me to observe things from multiple perspectives. Since I am good at drawing and painting, I have very stable arms and hands, and I can control them very well. This will help a lot when doing complicated surgeries that require great hand controls and extreme attention to detail. I have already taken a step toward the goal of becoming a surgeon with my gifted artistic skill and I am working hard to improve it into an even better state. My next goal while staying in college is to gain as much clinical experience as possible by volunteering in hospitals, shadowing doctors, and doing research. Of course, I can’t forget to build healthy relationships with those around me and maintain good grades in my classes!

Today is my eighteenth birthday, but - it doesn’t feel real at all. I was just a little kid whose face sticks to a sketchbook all the time, what do you mean I’m going into college in about half a month to pursue my pre-medicine degree? This doesn’t feel real at all. However, when going through the ‘GUTS’ album this morning - the album that I’ve listened to many times before, a part of the song ‘teenage dream’ feels so real to me. “I’ll blow out the candles, happy birthday to me Got your whole life ahead of you, you’re only nineteen But I fear that they already got all the best parts of me And I’m sorry that I couldn’t always be your teenage dream” Not even nineteen, yet this part of the song unexpectedly filled me with endless of thoughts. I don’t think I have made the most of my teenage years as I have seen many teenagers on social media showing how successful they are in both their academic and social life all the time, and I’m here, watching TV while munching on snacks. I’m really behind, am I not? I’m wondering if I should be hanging out with friends late at nights, or filling my schedule with extra cram classes? Should I be looking for a job or staying at home, hanging out with my parents and siblings? What do teenagers suppose to do? I used to think like this. While the lyric I introduced does make me feel sorry for my teenage years, I think it’s just part of the adolescent’s experience that most people face. Not having everything figured out is what special about being an adolescent. It is the time to try new things, whether it is partying with friends or staying home doing what you enjoy; it is the time to discover more about your own interests, not comparing yourself with other people. Everybody has different lives and they go at different pace, there is no use in comparing when there is nothing the same in the first place. The lyric greatly depicts the challenge that most teenagers face; though it might be the truth that you haven’t been your best or that other teenagers are going faster than you, when you look at it the other way, it’s not bad at all. It’s all part of the human experience growing up. It is the same for me, it is alright that I couldn’t fulfill my teenage dream completely, I still have many years ahead of me, and I’m not going to give up. This lyric encourages me to work harder and aim higher, it is a reminder that I shouldn’t let go of all the opportunities given to me in the future. I also shouldn’t compare myself with others, you know, like some say, “A flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms.”

I did not grow up in a rural area, but rather a bustling city in a lower-middle income country. I moved from Vietnam to the U.S in 6th grade, and I would say these two communities are very different from each other, and they have surely made an important impact on me. Vietnamese schools were extremely strict. Students had to dress uniforms properly and use specific types of backpacks when going to school. The academic pressure was overwhelming since students had nine classes a day and multiple assignments and studies to do at home. Because of this environment, I became very polite and respectful to other people in school, especially the adults; I did not want to get into troubles. Teachers were very hard on students, I would get whooped if I forgot to finish my homework. As a result, this taught me to be responsible with my work and to be always on time. Opposite from this kind of school system, American schools wholeheartedly teach and provide students with opportunities to succeed in their life. Thanks to this easygoing school life and my teachers, I am able to gain back some of my confidence and I enjoy going to school more while also still getting good grades in classes. Both of these communities have done most of the part of shaping the way I am today, the other contribution is from my family. Since my family moved to the U.S. just years ago, my parents have to work hard every day to get back on their feet, earning back the pennies we used to move here. My parents are the reasons I continue further education. My dad overworked to the point his arms and hands gone numb from carrying heavy packaging. And my mom overworked to the point her legs are sore from the constant standing and walking in her job. I couldn’t stand watching them coming home from work and feeling exhausted every day, so I decided to work hard towards my dream career in the healthcare field. My current goal is to graduate with a BS in Biomedical Science and apply to a medical school where I can continue with my learning. When I finally become a surgeon in the future, I wish to travel around the world with my family, discover new things, and enjoy our time together. Though I did not grow up in the rural area, my family has always been a low income family. The only main goal of my life is to keep my family healthy and happy together, and I figured that becoming a surgeon will be perfectly fit for this mission. I can also help other people in my community and make the world a better place.

It was a rainy day, I was expecting my brother to wake me up to get ready for school like usual, but only to get woken up by a loud sound of something fell down on the floor. I opened my eyes and found it was my grandma, lying on the floor with a shattered knee and calling for help. Grandma was fortunately not in a severe condition, but the fall took away portions of her walking ability. And as she got older, growing more illnesses; her arms, back, and legs got weaker and can no longer move like how they used to. Dad and mom were busy with work all day and I was asked along with my siblings to assist grandpa to give cares to grandma, such as helping her to get on the wheelchair and keeping her entertained. I would sit next to grandma when she’s meditating and do digital art; she became very excited and proud whenever I showed her my drawings. I would also sometimes watch cooking shows with her and once in a while, she would give out usual cooking knowledge that she has. She had the best and random ones, not going to lie. But as both my grandparents grow weaker, my responsibilities increase as well, as in time and difficulty. Now, I help grandma clean her lower body and change her diaper two times everyday. Once a week, I will together with my parents carry her to the bathroom and help her take a shower. I’m also in charge of other smaller duties, such as doing the laundry, washing dishes, and helping to prepare meals. These works don’t bother me much. But sometimes, it can be frustrating because my grandma’s personality has changed because of old age; she doesn’t know what’s good for her and rarely listens to family members anymore. However, as time passes, the anger eventually turned more into a sadness, and I learned to be patient and to understand her; that grandma is really getting old. I also got used to the workload, and turned it into a routine thing that I barely complain about. Although I have limited free time for extracurricular activities, I still make some time for art club and my school work. I also challenge myself with advanced classes and able to stay at the top ranks in my school. Thanks to these caregiving responsibilities, I get to gain valuable experience about taking care of other people, especially the elders, and have a better understanding of the mind of a patient. The conditions of my grandma encourages me to work harder in college and pursue a career in the healthcare field in the future, so that I can protect those I love. I’m happy that I got to have a great start to my dream career path.

I first known of Billie Eilish from the song COPYCAT; the melody and lyrics were so playful and captivating that I started listening to all her other songs, unaware that I had become one of her fans. It was hard to choose my top three songs because one of the main reasons I enjoy Billie’s songs is because of how real and honest they are. However, I have chosen to write about the songs Idontwannabeyouanymore, Bury a Friend, and Everything I Wanted because they deeply resonate with me. Idontwannabeyouanymore talks about the insecure she feels about herself, and I can relate to that because I, too, feel insecure about myself. The song starts off with, “Don’t be that way. Fall apart twice a day,” this reminds me of the self reflection I usually have when I failed to accomplish something. Later it follows with the line, “But I know you too well. Got a mood that you wish you could sell,” this makes me realized how much I wish to be a better version of myself, a version that is confident enough to speak every time I wanted. However, Idontwannabeyouanymore doesn’t leave me with sad feelings because it is a song that encourages me to step up and improve myself. It is okay to feel insecure, but it is not okay to stay at the same position and keep feeling bad about yourself. This message was conveyed clearly and cleverly at the end of the song with the line, “I don’t wanna be you anymore.” Similar to the first song choice, Bury a Friend has a deep meaning to me because sometimes I see myself as one of my enemies like how Billie sees herself as a monster. I dislike myself when I am not perfect, and to the point even hating myself when I made a mistake. Having to know that someone else is also experiencing the same thing as me makes me feel relieved in some ways. And lastly, I chose Everything I Wanted because it is like a comfortable song to me. Even when there’s no one cares about what I’m doing, I know I still have my family here by my side. I got left out most of the times while in school because of my shy personality, but this song has helped me overcome those difficult times. My favorite part of the song Everything I Wanted is, “As long as I’m here, no one can hurt you. Don’t wanna lie here, but you can learn to.” Of course, there are other Billie’s songs that are my favorite but I specifically feel deeply connected with these three. Billie Eilish is such a talented young artist that motivates me to become successful like her in the future.