"I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed.” - Michael Jordan When I was a junior in high school, I got cut from the varsity basketball team. My main goal during that time was to make the team, and I failed. I was in disbelief that I was not going to be on the basketball court with my friends. I cried for weeks and felt lost. I had no idea how to manage the emotions I was feeling. However, I found this quote the same year; it had given me a different perspective on failure. So, after weeks of crying, I picked myself up and started training again. I missed so many shots, sprained my ankle several times, and had many moments of uncertainty, but this quote helped me persevere. I wrote this quote on a piece of paper and put it as my cover on my math binder to remind myself every day to never quit. One year later, I tried out again; I made the team. I was so happy and ended up finishing the season strong. I had achieved my goal. Eleven years later, I am no longer playing basketball, but this quote remains with me. I spent five years in community college and three years at a four-year university. I failed classes during my time in college, but this quote has inspired me to keep pushing forward. I re-took classes, re-wrote papers, and ultimately achieved a better grade and passed. I learned that as long as I have a clear goal in mind, I can achieve it. Failure is okay, as long as I take that failure and learn from it. I now understand that it is part of the journey and that nobody has become successful without failing. Now, I have another goal. My goal is to get my Master of Arts degree in Marriage and Family Therapy and help individuals, couples, and families manage their stress and emotions. My goal is to provide support and create a safe space for venting and dialogue in communities of color. There have been many things that have changed in my life since high school, but this quote remained constant. It has helped me through some of the most challenging and uncertain times in my life. This quote forever holds and place in my heart.

When I was an 11-year-old, I wanted to be white. I am a first-generation Filipino-American born and raised in California. My parents came to the United States in search of a better life than the one they had back in the Philippines. They arrived with little education and a desire to work. Despite the financial struggles my parents endured, they always found a way to make it work. While they were going through financial stress, I was going through an identity crisis. Growing up in a small city with the majority being white, I knew I was different. For the majority of my childhood, I did not see many kids that looked like me. The lack of diversity and representation created deep insecurities. As a young kid, I struggled to find where I belonged. I was ashamed of my skin color, my body, and my culture. Unsure of how to manage these insecurities and feelings, I felt isolated. At the age of 22, I attended San Francisco State University; it was one of the best things I've done. I took ethnic studies classes and met many people from different backgrounds. I met folks who share the same experiences I had. I felt seen and understood. I began to embrace who I am more and wanted to pursue a career supporting people of color. After I graduated in 2018, I was still trying to figure out what I wanted to do. It took several years of networking and volunteering abroad to figure out how to turn my passion for helping others into a career. I got accepted to attend Touro University Worldwide for their Master of Arts program in Marriage and Family Therapy. I will be starting the program next month; I am ecstatic. My ultimate goal is to provide support to individuals, couples, and families in communities of color through psychotherapy and counseling. I understand the struggles of navigating through the world as a person of color so, I want to create a safe space for venting, dialogue and provide different ways to manage emotions and stress. My goal is to complete the program and apply what I learned with myself and others. My desire to be a therapist stems from my experience as a first-generation brown boy growing up in California. My experience as a nine-year-old and journey in college has helped shape my dream of being one of the few male Filipino-American therapists in California. I believe representation matters; I want to represent the young brown boys and show them that anything is possible. This scholarship would help me tremendously in achieving my dream of being that example for them. The goal is to provide the resources and support to people who need to be seen and heard. This scholarship will take me one step closer to achieving that. Thank you for your time in reading my essay and for your consideration.

When I was 18, I thought going to college and graduating was impossible. I am a first-generation Filipino-American born and raised in California. My parents came from The Philippines in search of a better life. For the majority of my life, it has been a struggle financially for my parents and me. As soon as I turned 18, I worked several jobs to help my parents with the bills. I worked at a car wash washing cars and vacuuming car mats during the day and night shifts at CVS. All I thought about was working full-time. My focus has always been to work to help my parents financially and pay for school. After five years in community college, I transferred and attended San Francisco State University and graduated in 2018. However, after I graduated, I still didn't know what I wanted to do. It took several more years of working, networking, and volunteering to figure it out. Now, I have figured it out. I will be attending Touro University Worldwide for their Master of Arts program in Marriage and Family Therapy. I will be starting next month; I am ecstatic. My ultimate goal is to help and provide support to individuals, couples, and families in communities of color and give them a space for venting, dialogue, and provide different ways to manage different emotions and stress. After working several jobs to help my family and pay for school, this scholarship would help me tremendously with books and other school essentials for my program. Thank you so much for your consideration and time in reading my essay.