I feel most creative when I am with my little boy. He is 3 years old and full of life! He gives me so much motivation and strength to succeed in life. I come from a family of immigrants and my parents are natural born leaders. They were activist back in the Philippines during the Marcos era in the 1970's and have fought their way through so many tragedies in turmoil during Marcos' dictatorship. My mother was destined to be a doctor in her family and my father an engineer. Our family was separated in 1997 when my mother decided to reside in USA to build a better future for us. My father followed the next year and my sister, and I were left under the care of my aunt and uncle and their kids for a year. After that year, my parents worked hard to bring me to California to rejoin them and reunite the family while my sister overstayed and was too old to follow us in America. I grew up here, I came here at 7 years old, and I did not know a thing about America. I went to school here and excelled and eventually started a family. Although, my journey was not rainbows and butterflies. I struggled with an abusive and drug abuser husband who left me at the bottom of the pit while caring for our son. I still struggle to this day to make ends meet for my son (without a father), I am a full-time student, a full-time mother, and when I get lucky, I get contract work in the medical field. I am studying to be a health care administrator, but I want to pursue and further my studies and become a chief nursing officer in the medical field. Our family tragically lost my mother on September 3, 2022 due to a sudden heart attack and our family dynamics lost our equilibrium. I am the only one strong enough in our family to continue to better her education and uplift my family's name and spirit. My son plays a big role in my strength and creativity because he always tells me to keep going and we are the best team and that I am the best mom. Hearing him happy and excited about life is what keeps me going. He's only 3 and going on 4 years old in July and already he knows so much for his tiny little self. He is my motivation, my hero, and my life.

I come from a family of immigrants and my parents are natural born leaders. They were activist back in the Philippines during the Marcos era in the 1970's and have fought their way through so many tragedies and turmoil during Marcos' dictatorship. My mother was destined to be a doctor in her family and my father an engineer. Our family was separated in 1997 when my mother decided to reside in USA to build a better future for us. My father followed the next year and my sister, and I were left under the care of my aunt and uncle and their kids for a year. After that year, my parents worked hard to bring me to California to rejoin them and reunite the family while my sister overstayed and was too old to follow us in America. I grew up here, I came here at 7 years old, and I did not know a thing about America. I went to school here and excelled and eventually started a family. Although, my journey was not rainbows and butterflies. I struggled with an abusive and drug abuser husband who left me at the bottom of the pit while caring for our son. I still struggle to this day to make ends meet for my son (without a father), I am a full-time student, a full-time mother, and when I get lucky, I get contract work in the medical field. I am studying to be a health care administrator, but I want to pursue and further my studies and become a chief nursing officer in the medical field. Our family tragically lost my mother on September 3, 2022 due to a sudden heart attack and our family dynamics lost our equilibrium. I am the only one strong enough in our family to continue to better her education and uplift my family's name and spirit. My son plays a big role in my strength and creativity because he always tells me to keep going and we are the best team and that I am the best mom. Hearing him happy and excited about life is what keeps me going. He's only 3 and going on 4 years old in July and already he knows so much for his tiny little self. He is my motivation, my hero, and my life.

I feel most creative when I am with my little boy. He is 3 years old and full of life! He gives me so much motivation and strength to succeed in life. I come from a family of immigrants and my parents are natural born leaders. They were activist back in the Philippines during the Marcos era in the 1970's and have fought their way through so many tragedies in turmoil during Marcos' dictatorship. My mother was destined to be a doctor in her family and my father an engineer. Our family was separated in 1997 when my mother decided to reside in USA to build a better future for us. My father followed the next year and my sister, and I were left under the care of my aunt and uncle and their kids for a year. After that year, my parents worked hard to bring me to California to rejoin them and reunite the family while my sister overstayed and was too old to follow us in America. I grew up here, I came here at 7 years old, and I did not know a thing about America. I went to school here and excelled and eventually started a family. Although, my journey was not rainbows and butterflies. I struggled with an abusive and drug abuser husband who left me at the bottom of the pit while caring for our son. I still struggle to this day to make ends meet for my son (without a father), I am a full-time student, a full-time mother, and when I get lucky, I get contract work in the medical field. I am studying to be a health care administrator, but I want to pursue and further my studies and become a chief nursing officer in the medical field. Our family tragically lost my mother on September 3, 2022 due to a sudden heart attack and our family dynamics lost our equilibrium. I am the only one strong enough in our family to continue to better her education and uplift my family's name and spirit. My son plays a big role in my strength and creativity because he always tells me to keep going and we are the best team and that I am the best mom. Hearing him happy and excited about life is what keeps me going. He's only 3 and going on 4 years old in July and already he knows so much for his tiny little self. He is my motivation, my hero, and my life.