My parents, who grew up in a small village in Wuhan, China, never failed to teach me the value of education and helping others. From joining Girl Scouts at three years old to leading events in non-profit organizations in high school, serving the community through knowledge became my passion and guiding principle. My journey to helping people was not always as straightforward as selling cookies or cleaning up the beach. After hours of debates on rebuilding infrastructure, I walked out of the UCLA Model United Nations conference hall feeling rejuvenated that I had improved everyone’s living conditions, only to see a wheelchair-bound student struggle to get over a curb on the way to the award ceremony. As I lifted her up the curb and glanced at the numerous bumps on the eroded roads, I questioned whether verbal advocacy alone was sufficient to address the government's neglect of essential infrastructure. After small talk while walking to the awards ceremony, I discovered that navigating obstacles as a wheelchair user is a widespread challenge, further motivating me to solve this issue. Beyond her physical abilities, she often shared that the sympathy and kindness she received began to feel misplaced, with more pity about her condition than trust in her abilities. With the motive to let her travel freely without judgment, I shared her story through “Everywheel,” an entrepreneurial team enhancing wheelchair accessibility. Through consulting community partners or utilizing Arduino coding and 3D printing, I turned her experiences into an intricate prototype. My voice in Model United Nations speeches transformed from speech advocacy to proposing business solutions to investors. Seeing the judge’s fascination to later receiving a community partner’s thank-you note, I realized that business facilitated both plausible solutions to wheelchair accessibility and connections with people just as passionate as me. Eventually, I did the honor of clicking the product onto the legs of my friend’s wheelchair, enhancing her mobility and allowing her to perform the tricks she once fantasized about. As we planned to travel together, I witnessed how far a business can take someone’s dream. With higher education, I hope to leverage my local experiences to a greater platform and help more individuals achieve healthier and happier lives. Through an entrepreneurship and economics concentration, I aim to understand how business can contribute to justice, addressing disparities in various medical fields. From studying international impacts abroad to developing technological innovations at entrepreneurship labs with peers, I strive to use business to bridge inequalities and build holistic solutions. I will bring forth a voice for collaborative efforts in college, translating daily interactions into tangible solutions and working with other intelligent minds for a greater world. Despite my aspirations to advance medical technology through business, my college tuition is beyond my means, making the scholarship crucial to fulfilling my ambitions. With the Schmid Memorial Scholarship scholarship, I strive to create positive social changes and build community as the heartbeat of a brighter future.

Over the past four years, diverse narratives of women opened my eyes to a bigger world. The teenager at a women’s homeless shelter who ran away from her abusive home at age 13, breaking the cycle of trauma in her pursuit of becoming a lawyer. The elderly woman who divorced her arranged marriage to become a pole dancer and explore femininity beyond the constructs of a male gaze. These stories of resilience motivated me to break the cycle of stigmas surrounding girls. In high school, I challenged myself academically by exploring a variety of fields to discover my interests. One area I delved into was medicine and science, which soon became my newfound passion as I delved into website coding and AP Biology labs by taking rigorous STEM courses. Beyond myself, I later shared my knowledge with other girls as a Pacific Coast Girl Up Coalition leader. In Girl Up, hosting speaker events and workshops with women in STEM and shared stories of female photographers breaking into male-dominated fields to educate girls about possible careers. My academic exploration in male-dominated fields has not only strengthened me but also inspired me to empower younger girls to break barriers. This journey has taught me resilience in the face of adversity and to continue striving towards making a positive impact in the world. In the future, I hope to leverage my efforts to a greater platform and encourage girls to explore their potential, a sentiment echoed by the San Marino Woman’s Club.