The first time I went to an interest meeting for the 2019 Girls Inc. of Orange County summer externship, I left with a 103º fever and chills, ungracefully shoveling a McChicken into my mouth. I attended the next meeting only begrudgingly. What I did not expect was that Girls Inc. would go on to help me make dozens of new friends all across my affiliate and the nation. I joined another program, then another, then another because of how excited I was to see the faces who always impressed me with their intellect and eloquence. Why was I so apprehensive about joining earlier? The short answer is the track I set for myself in middle and high school. I went into the externship thinking that a career in medicine is the end-all-be-all. Girls Inc. was a puzzle piece I could not fit into the mosaic of who I wanted to be. As an Asian American, I felt my weight of expectations stopping me from idealizing success beyond wealth and comfort. I did not realize that I was deceiving everyone. I wanted to be a social advocate and data scientist more than a doctor, so I permitted myself to be wholeheartedly myself in a network of other driven, motivated women. The best thing about Girls Inc. is the ability to join a supportive group of mentors, peers, and community members who all have the common goal of bettering the world. The path ahead for gender equity requires girls to know their worth and know themselves. I love how Girls Inc. empowers us to develop their confidence in our abilities. For Asian Americans, some of us can relate to not fitting neatly within our home culture or American culture. I have experienced microaggressions and blatant discrimination against me. I often feel like I must live up to the model minority myth while simultaneously defy it. Being from Wisconsin and growing up in Orange County, I rarely met someone who looked, thought, or was raised like I was; but, those environmental differences did not stop me from being compassionate to others and myself. Every program coordinator and mentor has their girls' well-being and safety in mind, whether through personal check-ins or affirmations. Those check-ins inspired me to stay in touch with my emotions and voice my opinions without fear of judgment. Girls Inc. starts conversations about promoting women of color's workplace and educational rights. What every girl needs is self-acceptance. It does not come easy, nor does it come after a checklist of accomplishments. Self-acceptance is ultimately what Girls Inc. strives to deliver. I still utilize the skills I learned from my peers to approach gender inequality issues more inclusively. I put into practice my time management and goal-setting skills, and I still keep in mind that education is still not fully optimized for our future generations. I look forward to how I can make a difference in my community as an Asian American woman.

They wondered how in the world an addicted teenager who sleeps for the better part of a week could wrangle together a 4.0 GPA at the end of sophomore year. My family barred me from ever purchasing or ingesting any drug form apart from medical emergencies in fear of me relapsing. Symptoms could include much worse than nausea and migraines. My shadow sweeps into the dark-value ocean of sobriety below because I fear what my mind can deceive myself into believing. I escape the distorted mindset to find a vast ocean: my emotional insecurities like being timid and anxious with fear of judgment. Sobriety now masks all anxieties I may have, posing as my reserved nature. It allows me to refocus on my education in preparation for college and healthy coping mechanisms for stress and insomnia. Pink clouds of summer sunsets and sunrises remind me of my ongoing battle with those little pink pills. These hemispheres of sky and sea do not represent opposites, but how my thoughts and subsequent actions play out within each mindset are different. Falling from grace, drowning in doubt, and getting lost in the unknown all play crucial roles in my continued exploration into whether there is a reality where I can be free from addiction. It has been one year later. I still look forward to the pink clouds of next summer.

At the American Chemical Society spring 2022 meeting, researchers at the National Research Foundation of Korea and Myongji University presented their findings about are C. elegans, worms placed inside a plastic chip to detect lung cancer from two cultures of healthy and cancerous cells placed on opposite ends of the chip channel. The “worm on a chip” are 70% effective at detecting lung cancer cells because the worms prefer the fruity odor produced by cancer cells, moving down the chip channel toward the cancer cell culture. Currently, these samples are from lung cancer patients' breath, urine, and saliva, so the transferability of the worm-on-chip tool is still in development for non-lung cancers. However, with more refinement into this diagnostic tool, researchers can use another relatively low-cost way to detect cancer. Detecting and screening for cancer, especially in its early stages, is crucial to increase survival rates and broaden treatment options.

From the first interest meeting to the panel last week, Girls Inc. always supports my journey. I began the summer before junior year, feeling trapped in my plans for what I wanted to become. The staff, girls, and panelists all showed me how Girls Inc. affiliates empower their communities. I realized the passion the facilitators have toward bettering my life, and I confidently say I have role models in my corner who look like me. I had the chance to share my story visually through the Girls Inc. film festival, and being a local now national brand ambassador inspires me when I hear the heartwarming stories of my peers. Not only did I pivot my career goals, but Girls Inc. also prompted me to pursue my passions first, which includes storytelling through data science. The externship program at ATTOM Data Solutions, the College Bound writing mentors helping me apply to college, and the women-led leadership panels at PIMCO and J.P. Morgan Chase career panels were the opportunities I thought were too good to be true. Having opportunities to communicate with others through advocacy and STEM programs uplift me. When I thanked my program coordinators for the care packages they sent to every local alumna after the College Bound shower, they responded that the Girls Inc. programming itself is not what I should be thanking. They said that every girl, such as myself, can realize their potential academically, physically, and personally when they take advantage of what makes them strong, smart, and bold to begin.

1: get up at a designated time every morning. 8 a.m. is a good time to start, and you can inch more forward to 6-7 am. 2: eat regularly and balanced, even the smallest changes: replace refined sugars with fruit, boba with only water/tea, try to aim for 40/40/20 protein/carbohydrate/fat but, of course, it is variable depending on your lifestyle 3: exercise!! try strength training and cardio mixing 2-3 hours per week (about 30 mins per day and you can chill on weekends) 4: charity, which you can put on hiatus until you're in an emotionally and financially stable place 5: have self-care days about once a week dedicated time for yourself: take a shower, bake, do something calming, meditate if that's your interest 6: personal development: teach yourself new skills, take some courses, have some study time allocated periodically, etc. 8: dedicate time to hang out with peeps like your family, your friends, and especially yourself yourself 9: if you can do it in five minutes, why procrastinate at all? cramming is shown to be no good for your brain in the long term, and gifted kid burnout is real