Option 1: Relationships & Impact Lessons from Joann’s Kitchen One of the most meaningful relationships in my life began in a small kitchen filled with the smell of freshly baked cookies. When I was in third grade, my teacher told my mother that although I had earned the highest Lexile reading score in my grade, my writing skills lagged far behind my reading ability. As immigrants from South Korea, my parents spoke Korean at home, and I struggled to express myself confidently in English. I often felt frustrated that the ideas in my mind could not fully translate onto paper. After hearing about my struggles, my next-door neighbor Joann, a retired teacher, offered to tutor me for free every Wednesday after school. Each week, I walked to her house, where she gave me writing prompts while baking cookies in the kitchen. She did not focus on rigid correction; instead, she encouraged me to write freely, believing that confidence would come before perfection. As we shared cookies at her dining table, she patiently read every sentence I wrote, helping me strengthen my voice and confidence. At the time, I thought Joann was simply helping me improve my writing. Looking back, I realize she taught me something far more important: the transformative power of human connection. She had no obligation to invest her time in a shy child next door, yet her consistency and empathy changed how I viewed myself. She made me feel seen, capable, and worthy of support. That relationship shaped how I connect with others today. It taught me that meaningful relationships are built not through grand gestures, but through consistency, empathy, and genuine investment in others. More importantly, it showed me how one person’s encouragement can create a ripple effect far beyond what they may ever see. I carried that lesson into action by co-founding Kick 4 Kids, a nonprofit soccer program with my high school varsity teammates. Over four summers, we volunteered more than 250 hours serving over 300 children in underserved communities who lacked access to structured sports programs. Beyond teaching soccer skills, we focused on creating belonging, confidence, and mentorship—ensuring every child felt seen and supported, just as I once did. These experiences also shaped my professional relationships. While completing my associate degree with a 4.0 GPA, I worked 40 hours a week as a Starbucks barista, where I learned the power of small, consistent human interactions. Whether remembering a customer’s name or supporting someone during a stressful moment, I saw how empathy and presence can turn routine exchanges into meaningful connection. These relationships also extended beyond the workplace, opening doors to student internships and broader professional opportunities through trust and networking built over time. Now, as a newly admitted transfer student at UCLA studying Business Economics, I hope to continue exploring how human connection shapes communities, workplaces, and future technologies. As artificial intelligence transforms society, I believe preserving empathy, trust, and authentic relationships will become even more essential. My long-term goal is to help organizations embrace innovation without losing the human-centered values that create belonging and opportunity. Joann likely never realized how profoundly her Wednesday afternoons would shape my life. Yet because one person chose to invest in a struggling child, I learned not only how to write, but also how to lead, connect, and give back.

During a junior high school end-of-year event, my peers voted me the student "most likely to solve the global warming problem." It was a playful superlative at the time, and I envisioned purely scientific or policy-driven solutions. However, as I grew older and began my professional and academic journey, my perspective shifted. As a newly admitted transfer student to UCLA’s Business Economics program, I no longer believe the battle for a greener future will only be won in research labs; it must be won in the boardroom. Caring for the planet must become a core metric of corporate success, and true environmental progress requires economic frameworks that align profitability with ecological responsibility. My ambition is to fulfill my childhood prediction by pioneering sustainable business models that prove corporate growth and environmental stewardship can coexist seamlessly. This pragmatic view on sustainability was solidified behind the counter as a Starbucks barista. Juggling a forty-hour workweek while maintaining a 4.0 GPA and completing an accelerated 18-unit course load was a masterclass in personal efficiency. However, working in high-volume food service also exposed me to the immense operational footprint of daily business operations. I witnessed firsthand the staggering volume of waste—from single-use plastics to mismanaged inventory—and the hidden carbon costs embedded in supply chains. I realized that my junior high promise could not be fulfilled without addressing corporate logic. Corporate sustainability cannot be a public relations slogan; it requires a fundamental overhaul of how businesses manage resources, design logistics, and view their long-term impact on the planet. As a future business leader, I see myself helping to reduce environmental impact by bridging economics with advanced technology, specifically artificial intelligence. Too often, companies resist green initiatives because they fear the short-term financial costs of transitioning to sustainable practices. I want to change that narrative. At UCLA, I plan to engage with the Anderson Venture Impact Lab to research how businesses can leverage AI to optimize resource allocation, minimize production waste, and build highly efficient, circular supply chains. By utilizing predictive analytics, companies can accurately forecast demand to drastically reduce manufacturing overproduction. Furthermore, AI-driven logistics can optimize shipping routes globally, cutting down on fuel consumption and corporate carbon footprints at a massive scale. My vision is to design frameworks where technology lowers the cost of "going green" so that companies of all sizes can afford eco-conscious operations. I want to help businesses realize that waste is not just an environmental hazard—it is a financial inefficiency. Ultimately, I aspire to work with organizations to build resilient, inclusive, and technologically advanced workplaces that prioritize the planet. The future leaders of the business world cannot rely on the exploitative economic models of the past. By transforming sustainability from a compliance burden into a competitive economic advantage, I hope to lead the transition toward a marketplace that values human dignity, economic equity, and environmental preservation in equal measure.

I learned about finance from behind a coffee counter. While working forty hours a week as a barista and completing my associate degree in twelve months with a 4.0 GPA, I served hundreds of customers a day. In brief conversations across the counter, I heard stories of financial stress: families living paycheck to paycheck, coworkers unable to cover small emergencies, and students overwhelmed by debt with no plan for the future. Those everyday interactions shaped my belief that financial advisory services should not be a luxury for the wealthy, but a foundational tool accessible to everyone. Managing my own life required the same discipline. Balancing full-time work with an 18-unit course load became a daily lesson in resource allocation. I tracked every dollar, planned months ahead, and applied what I was learning in real time. While working at Starbucks, I began contributing to my 401(k). Even with a modest income, I chose to start early because I understood the power of compounding over time—the earlier you begin, the greater the outcome. That decision reinforced my understanding that financial literacy is not theoretical; it directly changes real-life outcomes. This perspective is what drew me to pursue Business Economics as a transfer student entering my junior year. I became deeply interested not only in how markets function, but in how financial knowledge can transform a person’s trajectory. I saw that the primary barrier for many people is not a lack of effort or intelligence, but a lack of access to trustworthy, practical financial guidance. Today’s financial advisory system often excludes the very communities that need it most. High minimum asset requirements, complex jargon, and fee structures make professional advice inaccessible to working families, first-generation students, and immigrants. This systemic barrier prevents people from building the fiscal security and generational wealth that financial advising is meant to create. I want to be part of changing that. I believe the future of financial advisory services lies at the intersection of economics, technology, and human connection. Emerging tools like artificial intelligence can handle quantitative analysis, portfolio monitoring, and risk assessment at a fraction of traditional costs. If used responsibly, this technology can lower barriers to entry and allow advisors to serve more clients at affordable rates. Human advisors, in turn, can focus on what technology cannot provide: empathy, behavioral coaching, and personalized life planning. My goal is to help develop advisory models that combine machine efficiency with human insight to create scalable, affordable financial planning for lower- and middle-income families. I am especially motivated to serve first-generation college students and working families because I understand their perspective firsthand. I know what it feels like to worry about tuition, rent, and the uncertainty of the future without a clear financial roadmap. Receiving this scholarship would reduce the financial pressure of continuing my education and allow me to focus more fully on developing the skills needed to contribute to this evolving field. More importantly, it would support my commitment to entering a profession where I can create meaningful impact. Finance has the power to change lives—but only if people can access it. I intend to be part of the next generation of financial advisors who ensure that access is no longer a privilege, but a standard available to everyone.