I have multiple physical disabilities, including cerebral palsy, cortical visual impairment, and nystagmus. I was born in China, but it wasn’t until I was two and a half years old that I was adopted and moved to the United States. After I was in the United States, I was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy. There are multiple forms of Cerebral Palsy. My vision is severely affected. The nystagmus causes my eyes to move up and down when I’m looking at words and numbers; therefore, reading and graphing are difficult for me. Additionally, I have a Cortical Visual impairment, meaning my eyes don’t process what I am looking at. For example, if there is a box in the middle of the room and you ask me, “Do you see that box?” I will say, “yes,” and then proceed to trip on it because my eyes don’t tell my brain that an object is in my path. Having Cerebral Palsy also means my legs don’t function well, causing me to walk differently and fall often. Having these disabilities means that I’ve been part of the disability community all of my life. I bring these explanations of Cerebral Palsy and Cortical Vision impairment up because they are what make me part of the disability community, and being part of the disability community, I’ve met so many different people through various leadership camps like Boundless Washington and the DO-IT Scholars program run by the University of Washington. All the people I’ve met through these various experiences have varying experiences of what it is like having a disability, and hearing all of those other experiences has impacted my worldview. For example, in my world, people are caring, helpful, empathetic, and accepting of what makes different people unique. But I know of others who did not have this experience. They have to fight every step of the way for the rights they are entitled to as a person with a disability, and they have to do it by themselves because they don’t have a support team that is helpful and empowered to enforce these rights. This is highly different from what I have and grew up with. I have a fantastic support team of friends, family, and therapists who ensure I have everything I need to access a world designed for “normal” people. Additionally, through Boundless Washing and the DO-IT Scholars program, as well as my personal experiences, I’ve learned to view the world as a world of acceptance and possibilities or opportunities if given the right tools and support. Given my experiences and worldview, I've decided to pursue a career within the Washington State Legislature at the Office of Program Research to participate in the policymaking process. This would enable me to help give people with disabilities the proper tools and support they need to live their lives and be more accepted. However, to pursue this career, I need to receive a master's degree in public administration, which is why I'm applying for the scholarship. Although I work part-time and have saved money to attend graduate school, I still don't have enough to cover the costs on my own. Lastly, my parents will be retired when I start graduate school, so they won't be able to help me nearly as much with my graduate school costs. As demonstrated above, I am a perfect candidate for this scholarship because I am part of the disability community. Through my career choice in office program research, I want to provide the support and tools that people with disabilities need to succeed and thrive in this world.