"Sunsets and Iced Coffees" by Isha Patel For my album describing my experiences as I near the end of my first year of college, the first song I have is 'Something About the Sunshine' by Anna Margaret and Christopher Wilde. This is from the Disney movie Starstruck. This movie is one of my roommate and I's favorite movies from our childhood and we forced all of our friends to watch it too. One of the activities my friends and I like to do together is watch movies and make snacks. This movie, and the song specifically, are one of my fondest memories of spending time with my friends and is one connection I have with my roommate. The second song is 'Kiss Me Thru The Phone' by Soulja Boy. My roommate and I knew each other before high school but we have gotten so much closer since we've lived together. We consider this "our song" and are constantly singing to it. We surprisingly have different music tastes but this song is one that we like to jam out to when we play music in our room. I also have said that I would possibly consider getting matching tattoos of one of the lyrics, "678-999-8212", with her to represent our bond and our love for this song. Another addition to my album would be 'Ain't It Fun' by Paramore. Listening to this song makes me think about the independence that college has allowed me to develop. I am the oldest of three so I have a big family and I feel that my parents have always tried to shelter me from all of the harsh elements the world had to offer. By moving out and learning different lessons of adulthood, I have learned how to navigate issues on my own and support myself. Even though there has been a learning curve, I have also discovered that I enjoy being independent. Knowing that I figured out something on my own without any help makes me feel stronger and have more confidence in myself. The fourth song in my album would be 'Good Day' by Surfaces. As an outcome of living through the pandemic, one lesson I have learned is to appreciate the little things in life. This song is very chill and uplifting to me. It encourages me to remember that even if I have had a stressful day or week or month, I shouldn't let that take away from my happiness. This song gives me the same joy as watching a sunset or going on a coffee run; these are things that I do to treat myself for simply existing and pushing through all of my challenges. One song that I have strongly associated with a difficult time in my life is 'comethru' by Jeremy Zucker. When I first heard this song, I remember crying because I related to it so deeply. I was extremely burned out during my Junior Year of High School and in a really dark place mentally. That song was my comfort song because I felt like someone else understood my pain. Even today, I still break out in tears when I hear that song. I like to listen to it now and then because I can see how far I've grown mentally compared to that time three years ago when I was in a depressive state. I used to receive all of my self-worth from academic validation and I think this is something first-generation students go through specifically. It took me a long time to overcome this and it is still something I continue to struggle with and work on. Even though this song dates back to when I was in high school, I wanted to include it in this album because it's just as prevalent today, the difference is that I take away a different feeling when I hear it now. The final song in my album is 'Stronger' by Kelly Clarkson. I have big aspirations: my dream career, to give back to my parents for all of their strenuous labor, and to support my younger siblings to accomplish their own goals. My career goal is to become a physical therapist. Doing so would require 7 years of school in total and lots of dedicated hours. I have the passion to achieve this goal but what worries me is my resources, the biggest one being financial aid. Coming from a low-income family of immigrants, I have overcome a lot of challenges including language barriers, low financial resources, and navigating through unknown processes to get to where I am in college. This song prompts me to look ahead and work towards my goals. I will continue to persist through the challenges I face because of my drive for success and fulfilling all of the dreams I have for myself and my family. I have happy memories associated with most of the songs in this playlist and they are also a reminder of the people I have in my life who are a support system for me. If I were to listen to this album in a rut or when I felt burnout, I know my mood would instantly be uplifted. This is because I would look at the bigger picture and realize that I have a lot more to strive for in my life than my grade on a singular test and I would be reminded to enjoy those other aspects of my life. This album reminds me of where I come from and where I want to be in the future so it motivated me to persevere.

My career goal is to become a physical therapist. Currently, I am studying for my undergrad degree on my path to obtaining my Doctorate of Physical Therapy Degree! I want to gain more practical experience that will help improve my application for physical therapy school and elevate my overall knowledge of the field. To do this, I am looking into finding a job or doing observation hours at a local clinic over the summer and fall of 2022. To do so, however, I would need a car. Currently, my family only owns one car which is shared between my parents. I live on campus in a different town, meaning I have no way to get to the potential clinics I will be working at. My current goals are to apply for jobs and save money to purchase a vehicle to meet my transportation needs. As of now, I have applied to and am in the interviewing process for multiple on-campus jobs. Saving up for a car would significantly help me advance in my long-term goal of going to physical therapy school. I know that my parents can not afford to purchase a car at the moment as they are already making ends meet to pay my tuition. Having this resource would be immensely helpful for me to gain experience at a physical therapy clinic and improve my knowledge about exercise health!