Pablo Picasso is a renowned artist known by many even to this day. One of my favorite pieces of art and one of Picasso’s famous works was Guernica. The reason is not just the art itself but the story of Guernica itself. It all started in 1937, when a bloody civil war ensued between Republican Spain and Nationalist Spain, led by the future military dictator Francisco Franco and supported by Nazi Germany and Italy. Picasso was in France at the time of the Spanish Civil War. He was then commissioned by the Republican government to create a mural to help spread the news about the war, as well as gain funding. Picasso’s painting was of a once beautiful city of Guernica in northern Spain that was bombed by German’s “Condor Legion” and the Italian Air Force at the request of Nationalist Spain in April 1937. The bombing of this city was the main subject in Picasso’s painting of Guernica, which became eventually became famous and helped bring attention to the Spanish Civil War as well as raise funds for the Republican forces. Guernica is an anti-war painting with a rich story behind it, which stands as a primary reason why it’s my favorite. The painting depicts a powerful portrayal of the suffering and horrors of war, especially to those who suffered through it, particularly innocent people as shown in the painting.

I have been mentoring many individuals under the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) for around a year now, which will continue for the foreseeable future. I have mentored these individuals to succeed in developing their leadership skills and better preparing them for their future careers in the US Air Force. I hope that the mentorship of newer cadets will impact their character as a whole. Developing diverse, daring, and future leaders for tomorrow’s world. I have seen individuals break out of their shells and become vocal, confident, and happier versions of themselves. The impact I hope my mentorship of others will achieve is for the mentees to come out more confident, open-minded, reliable, more organized, and well prepared for what life has to throw at them. In addition to these goals, these individuals grow to be leaders. Leaders are looked to for guidance, inspiration, and help. Leadership and managing are different, managing is simply directing resources and personnel to achieve objectives. Leadership is the overall ability of the individual to influence, motivate, and guide the people under and around him/her to success. Leaders lead people, managers manage work/people; there is a difference, and the cultivation of leaders is a positive impact I have developed (and continue to develop) during my mentorship of others.

A book I thoroughly enjoyed reading was “The War of the Worlds,” written by English author H.G. Wells in the late 1890s. The book detailed the events of a Martian invasion experienced by the unidentified male protagonist and his brother in Britain. I enjoyed reading the novel because it was an interesting concept at the time. For a person to think of such things in the 1890s surprised me. The novel was considered as one of the first theories of the existence of an alien race intelligent enough to invade Earth. Many of the weapons the Martians used were weapons we would eventually create as the years passed. Black Smoke used by the Martians to kill large amounts of humans became a reality in the First World War in the form of chemical weapons such as Mustard Gas. Lasers from Martian Tripods became a reality in the 1950s with the development of prototype laser weapons. And lastly, Martian fighting machines can be referenced as the first tanks that debuted in World War I. It was fascinating to see that many of the weapons H.G. Wells described would come true. I am not a big fan of science fiction, but this is one of the few works of science fiction I enjoyed. The idea of an alien race invading Earth is something that piques my interest. What kind of extraterrestrial beings would come to Earth? Would they come in peace or for war? Who knows if there is life outside of Earth that has advanced so far into space travel that they are capable of landing on our planet. Only time can tell.

The biggest problem facing the world right now is the fear of large-scale conflicts or wars in the future. There are fears of a large-scale conflict that may or may not break out in the future. Unlike previous World Wars, modern-day technology has made warfare deadlier and simple for any country. Drones, chemical and biological agents such as nerve gas, and nuclear weapons, to name a few. Although, there is the Geneva Convention, which banned the use of inhumane weapons such as incendiary weapons, chemical agents, and other cruel weapons that cause immense suffering to civilians and combatants. The United States signed and ratified the convention along with 52 countries. However, since the Geneva Convention is a series of protocols that need to be individually signed and ratified, some countries did not sign some protocols. China never signed Protocol III of the convention. Protocol III states that any humanitarian (medical) personnel with a red crystal marking must be protected by all combatants. Not signing the protocol means that China has no obligation to protect medical personnel. Even with the Geneva Convention, there is no sure way that these countries would follow the convention if war does break out. The use of inhumane weapons such as the nuclear bomb would be something people hope never happens. The United Nations needs to be stronger and more willing to enforce these conventions and worldwide laws. Peacebuilding, conflict prevention, and mediation are the goals of the United Nations. The UN has been ineffective in handling global situations such as the Russo-Ukrainian War in 2014. Although the UN held meetings, they did nothing to prevent escalating the conflict between Ukraine and Russia. Although peace may never be concrete, we can at least strive for peace. We must live every day normally without worrying about hypotheticals.

A historical figure I firmly admire would be a German Commander, Erwin Rommel. Although he did fight in the Second World War against the Allied Forces, he was not a loyal Nazi-like many German commanders during Hitler’s reign. In some instances, Rommel was even disobedient to Hitler at many times whenever he saw it fit. I admire Rommel for his personality and respectful attitude towards his troops, unlike some German Commanders during the war. Often, Rommel was direct and firm to both his superiors and subordinates. Rommel, however, was gentle and kind to his troops, both German and Italian troops under his command. Despite being a renowned commander, he was a shy and introverted person, and he was overly formal even to his closest aides. Known as the “Desert Fox,” Rommel was instrumental in the German Army. Other than his military prowess, I admired him for his character. As I said earlier, Rommel, unlike other German commanders, treated his Italian allies with the utmost respect. Many commanders falsely accused Rommel of mistreating the Italians to get his position as Field Marshal, but the Prime Minister of Italy, Benito Mussolini, refuted these accusations. Rommel was the picture of modern-day Chivalry. During the war in Europe, there were orders for the execution of Allied commandos. Rommel chose to disobey these orders and treat these commandos as regular Prisoners of War. Rommel often led from the front, which put his life at high risk on many occasions. Although there are some controversies we don’t know much about, such as not intervening in the Holocaust, Rommel has proven himself to be a respectable and gallant individual. He died in 1944 after Hitler forced him to commit suicide out of suspicions that he may be rebelling against him.

An artist is someone with talent, skill, and creativity to create creative works ranging from amazing drawings to architecture to hit songs made by famous singers. People who can create spectacular creative works are often singled out and praised for their artistic and original ideas. An example would be Michelangelo’s painting of the Sistine Chapel ceiling and his famous sculpture of David. Another example would be a singer like Elvis Presley or Michael Jackson, known for their amazing songs. But there’s been one question that remains. What does it mean to be an artist? Everyone has their take on the definition of an artist, the same as me. My definition of an artist is a person who has the desire and passion to produce a creative piece of work. Creative pieces can be as simple as an architect designing a building layout, a jeweler making and designing a jewel, or a person drawing their favorite character from a TV series. These artists can be creative, often making their creative ideas for everyone to see. Artists are also important to our society because of their ideas. For example, Architects and engineers building infrastructure. Art drives me because it gives me a voice to express myself. I love drawing anime characters to show to my friends. Whenever I draw, I always feel a sense of ease. The feeling of zoning out and focusing on your work while listening to music or watching YouTube is astounding. Drawing gives me a break from real life. I feel a close connection towards art since art is essentially everywhere. A real person designed the home you live in, and another designed the car you own. Art is everywhere. "My drawings or art will change the world" is something many people would have answered if they were asked the question, "if their art would change the world?" I believe that my art won’t make a significant change in the world. However, I do believe that my art would be enjoyed by someone out there. I know that my art would not make a significant impact on the world. But, I know that putting a smile on someone’s face is worth more than fame and recognition. I draw as a hobby, and I will continue to draw for my life. Although I may not change the future of our world, there is most definitely someone else who can change it for us.

English is one of the top international languages, alongside Mandarin Chinese and Spanish. I didn’t know much English before moving to the United States when I was 13 years old. I was born in the Philippines for most of my early life. My primary source of learning English was from cartoons that I would watch on the TV sometimes. It was difficult to learn a new language when I moved to the US but I persevered. By the time I reached high school, English became natural to me, and it felt like it became my new native language. It became easier for me to meet my friends and interact with others. Although I still retain my accent, I believe my English knowledge has helped me become more successful in life because I would be able to go to college and have a future career. Music had an impact on my life. I listen to various songs and genres throughout my teenage years and to this day. Most of the time, I would listen to a lot of rock, heavy metal, and electronic music, a niche genre called Vocaloid. Songs like “Sincerity Nature: Drastic Measures of Ignorance.” which is a Vocaloid song to The Rolling Stones' “Sympathy for the Devil.” I listen to songs to help motivate me or hype myself up. Music is my top motivator to keep myself motivated through life. Without music, I wouldn’t know what to do. My dream is to join the United States Air Force as an officer. I have always been interested in the military from a very young age. I love the military, and with my stepfather being a Master Sergeant in the Air Force, I wanted to follow in his footsteps and make my parents proud. I hope that when I eventually join that I could meet some of my old friends from high school that I’m in contact with and travel around and visit them. I even made a promise to my friend, Danielle, that I would take her to Japan/South Korea when I join the AirForce. It’s my philosophy to never back down from such promises. I want to give my parents a vacation to Europe on their anniversary. I want to meet my friends in California and play some paintball or hang out. I want to succeed and make everyone proud. I want to become a philanthropist when I grow up and help out in my local communities by volunteering and donating. I know for a fact, I won't be able to bring everyone together, but I will be there to help.

Legacy. Legacy can mean many different things. The inheritance of money, status, occupation, gifts, and keepsakes are a few examples of legacies. History left behind by an individual or group of individuals also counts as a legacy. For me, legacy is the reputation you left in this world. If you make an impression on individuals, they would surely remember you for most of their lives. That is my definition of legacy. A legacy should be something people remember. A historical example would be Martin Luther King Jr. He was a non-violent leader of the Civil Rights Movement. His speeches and leadership helped contribute to the overall success of the Civil Rights Movement. Martin Luther King Jr.’s achievements have left an everlasting legacy in the United States regarding the issues of racial equality and civil rights. Legacies are valuable because it helps leave something for the next generation to build on. For example, if you had discovered a new industry and passed away later on. Someone would carry on and continue improving the industry. You're leaving a legacy for someone else to build on and continue or remember. Legacies are both positive and negative. There are people out there, who left and built positive legacies, such as Elon Musk. Elon Musk took over Tesla and became the new CEO. Elon is currently on his way to revolutionize the world. And unfortunately, some people have built on legacies to change the world negatively. Adolf Hitler is a negative example. Hitler became an icon of evil, and before his death and the end of the Second World War, he was a very successful politician. Europe had gained excessive cautiousness and lost its recklessness after World War II. Many Europeans abandoned Christianity for secularism focusing on survival and were scared that another World War or a dictator may appear in Europe after the Cold War. I would not leave a legacy. I don’t believe that I am anything special like Albert Einstein or Friedrich Nietzsche. However, if I did leave a legacy, I would like to leave behind a legacy of philanthropy and good. I want to be known for helping others. That’s all there is to it. I have no care for being well known. I want to put a smile on a person's face or help someone in need of help.

Asian-Americans have faced many types of adversities in the past. For example, racism against Chinese workers during the Gold Rush (1848 - 1855) because of the number of workers taking American jobs. And the internment of Japanese-American citizens to internment camps during the Second World War out of fear that they would sabotage the war effort against Japan and the Axis powers. Today there is little racial discrimination against Asians and Asian-Americans alike, but there are undoubtedly still people who harbor resentment against Asians and Asian-Americans. I have first-hand experiences facing adversities because of my race and have even experienced some of these adversities recently during the Covid-19 pandemic. When I first moved to the United States around 2014, I had difficulty getting adjusted to this new place. I grew up in poverty when I was young and never had access to things such as colored television, water fountains, and I didn’t even know what a cellphone was. It was a mind-boggling experience for me. I had previously learned English in the Philippines before moving to the United States. I never understood slang and metaphors until 8th grade. People made fun of me for not knowing the meanings of words like “are you special?” I never knew what that phrase meant. I know now that it essentially means “do you have a mental disability?” when before I thought it was “are you different (in a good way)?” When I was in high school, I finally mastered English. I slowly forgot my native language of Tagalog, focusing all my efforts on perfecting my English. I never spoke Tagalog anywhere for years that I eventually forgot about most of the language. I never experienced much discrimination in school about my race. However, whenever I played online, I would play shooter games and real-time strategy games most of the time. I put my name online as Japanese Kanji symbols since I was interested in Japanese culture. Sometimes people online would be racist and call me things I would rather not disclose. Some would be friendly and act normally. Usually, I would stick to not playing with random people. I only play with real-life friends and some online friends I have known for a long time. During the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, I have seen many people talk online about how Asians are spreading the virus. They also talk about targeting Asians and threatening people and such. Because the Covid-19 virus originated from Wuhan, China, some people blame the Chinese people for spreading the virus. In reality, no matter what race you are, everyone will still spread the virus equally. From my experiences facing adversity, I can say that I have learned to overcome this by not being bothered by insults. I have learned to assimilate myself to American life, overcome the language barrier, and improved my English. “No pain, no gain” really does apply to me since you can’t improve without failing. I faced adversity and conquered it. Could you conquer adversity and succeed in life? That is the question I leave to you to ponder.

Grave of the Fireflies is a Japanese animated film with a setting set in the Second World War where Japan is suffering air raids from American bombers. During these dark times, the movie follows the lives of two characters. Seita, a teenage boy who hoped to become a soldier, and his younger sister Setsuko. The film starts with their home bombed and their mother suffering severe burns and later dying. Their father is fighting in the war in the Japanese Navy and is presumed dead. With no one to turn to and nowhere to go, they make a new home in an abandoned bomb shelter. Unlike most war films like Dunkirk, the film follows the two characters trying to survive. The film showcases both the horrors of war and the nature of humans. Everyone is trying to survive and fend for themselves rather than share with others. An example is when Seita is stealing crops from a farmer to help his starving sister, the farmer didn’t care and beat him senseless. The farmer, just like Seita, is just trying to survive a war-torn Japan. Throughout the film, just seeing the two characters interact with each other creates a charm that helped me grow even more attached to them. But in the end, both Seita and Setsuko would die of malnutrition, with the film ending with their spirits overlooking modern-day Japan. We don’t see many World War II films showing the perspective of innocent people living in Axis nations. The story of the two siblings offers a lot of raw emotion. The art and music are overall charming, and the film showcased the horrors of war and the true nature of human beings in a dire situation. That is why I love Grave of the Fireflies.

Stories have existed way before history was even recorded. Stories have been recorded and/or talked about throughout the ages, from our days as cavemen and today’s modern society. Stories have been, undeniably a part of our society since its conception. Storytelling was the main contributor to spreading stories around the globe. Cavemen painting in caves, bards singing stories, writers writing stories, etc. Although the methods of storytelling have changed throughout the ages the fact still stands that humans desire to tell and hear stories and these stories have an impact on people’s lives. I love to read, it is my favorite pastime. I love a wide variety of stories ranging from something like the “Epic of Gilgamesh” (2100 BC) to the “Blind Man’s Bluff” (1998). “The Epic of Gilgamesh” was regarded as the oldest piece of written literature and detailed the life of the king of ancient Mesopotamia, Gilgamesh, and his tests of strengths and his journey for immortality. The “Blind Man’s Bluff” was published in 1998 and detailed the use of submarines in the Cold War as tools of espionage. I read a lot of stories but my favorite types of stories are manga, which is essentially Japanese comics. Manga is what furthered my interest in stories because with the help of visuals you are able to create a more detailed and impressionable story using drawings and dialogue. I myself dabbled in the world of story writing but most of the stories I ended up writing were never finished since I lacked some inspiration to organize and plan out. Some stories I’ve written about were of the fantasy genre and World War II-era fictional stories. I am currently practicing digital art to be able to draw a manga of my own later on in my life. I hope to create a manga detailing the adventure of several fictional soldiers from different countries and eras dating from the time periods of the Roman Empire all the way up to the US invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan. With that manga, I hope to be able to show readers many erased in history and provide information about it while the characters and stories themselves will range from funny to serious topics such as PTSD and discrimination. I believe that this manga if I make it would be able to differentiate itself from the sea of information available online because it would be one of the few comics detailing war and the various experiences soldiers go through from making new friends and losing friends, from funny moments to depressing moments. I want this to be a roller coaster of information and emotions that can resonate with the reader as if they were in that character’s shoes. Of course, the characters would be fictional but the historical background won’t be.

Desire is a force that drives humans to do what they do. Desire can take on many forms and can be interpreted in a variety of ways which include art. Art is everywhere, all around the world, and art is different for everyone. Art can be a marble statue in Greece of the Goddess Athena, art could be a Japanese manga about a fantasy adventure, art could be a depiction of the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) by Pablo Picasso called Guernica. What I am essentially trying to say is that art can be anything, like the saying goes, “beauty is in the eye of the Beholder.” For someone to create art they need to be able to envision or think of what they want to create, some of us may think of something right away while some may need more time to think of something. Travel is one of the many ways artists find inspiration and further their knowledge. Going around a city like Tokyo in Japan can help the artist figure out what it is they want to draw by simply sightseeing. Some artists travel around the world in search of inspiration for their next masterpiece, traveling also helps the artist to be exposed to different cultures and perspectives that may change their lives. When I grow older I want to travel to Japan to discover myself, I draw anime and cartoon characters as a hobby and I believe meeting people in Japan could help me improve on my art and help me learn more about Japanese culture. I have never experienced Japanese culture before, I have read many books on history including Japanese history which helped grow my fascination with art blended with a sense of Asian influence to it, much like drawing anime characters. I want to go to Japan and experience what it is like to be there and see if I can meet new people on my way to trying to find my inspiration. For me it’s not about the destination to find that inspiration to create a masterpiece, for me it’s about the journey to get there. How you met new people, how you experience something you have never experienced before, took part in a festival you have never even heard of before, it’s all about the journey.