As a first-generation student attending college in my family, I was honored to be able to take on this opportunity to be the first. Because of this, I have aimed to make my family proud and to do my individual part in making my family proud and also making a change in my community and in the world with my education and skills. With my bachelors degree in Psychology and as an incoming Masters of Social Work student, I have been committed to advocating for mental health rights underrepresented communities and individuals through my education and skills. I come from a background of Asian immigrant parents, where mental health is highly stigmatized in our culture. This motivated me to do my part in helping to destigmatize mental health in Asian culture and advocate and help those who may be struggling and suffering in silence, who feel like their pain is not valid. I have been passionate about advocating for the mental health rights of others. Moreover, through my time and experience as a crisis text-line counselor, I have talked to individuals one-on-one, providing emotional support and empathy. Through my learned skills of crisis intervention and my active listening skills, I was able to support individuals from different cultural backgrounds and different situations such as mental health problems, financial/resource struggles, family/friend issues, and even abuse. This experience allowed me to strengthen my cultural humility and actually help individuals feel heard and seen, and by providing resources that fit each person’s unique situation. It also taught me that building community is not always physical, but it could be online as well. I was able to connect with these individuals and help them feel cared for, listened to, and supported by me. Another way I have demonstrated providing help was through volunteering at a LGBTQ+ Senior community center as a front desk person. I welcomed older adults with a big welcoming vibe and initiated meaningful conversations with them. This experience allowed me to work with a new population I haven’t worked with before and I practiced openness and humility by being curious with respect. I acknowledge the generational gap between me and the elders and I learned the significance of conversing with LGBTQ+ older adults as they have experienced a lot of stigma and homophobia in the past. Listening to their stories reminded me that building community is crucial even in times of pain and oppression. Even when they were experiencing extreme homophobia from society and government, they were able to build a community with each other to feel safe and supported by one another. This made me realize the importance of building community, especially in a time of the present moment with how the government is and how climate change is accelerating. I learned that inclusion is not just about diversity, but putting yourself out there, actively building connections with other people and fostering an environment where everyone feels heard, seen, safe, connected, and respected. I hope that with my education, I will be able to help individuals be a part of a community where they feel like they belong through access to high quality resources, emotional support, and equitable care.

1. I first found TXT in May 2021 through an Instagram edit of Soobin. 2. One of the most important characteristics is to be open. I mean that you should be open-minded and curious of every new opportunity that comes up, whether it be a new concept of TXT, a new genre, or new MOA’s. I’ve come to learn that genuine friendships and personal growth occurred when I was open to exploring new paths, to other people’s opinions, open to change, and to grow. I believe that openness is what shaped me to who I am as a person and as a MOA. Being open to everything and everyone is crucial in creating a safe, fun, and enjoyable environment. 3. My TXT bias is Soobin because he was the first member to have caught my eye. However, it is not only because of his visuals, but also because he and I are very similar in terms of personality, we have the same MBTI (ISFP)! When I think of Soobin, I think about his quirkiness, awkwardness, thoughtfulness, and his genuineness. I think soobin is such a genuine and loving person because you can tell how hardworking he is. I think that sometimes he works too hard and cares a lot for other people that he forgets to take care of his own mental health. I remember there was a fan call with Soobin and a fan and the fan was just reassuring him and he started crying. Soobin genuinely cares about MOA’s and takes what every MOA says to him deeply. You can tell that he tries to be genuine with every fan he interacts with. 4. Soobin (TXT)! 5. My favorite TXT song is Maze in the mirror because it is the first song that hooked me to the group. Something about the melody really makes me feel nostalgic and it allows me to hone into my emotions and makes me feel comfort. In an interview, beomgyu explained how this song was based off of them being trainees and trying to find themselves. This was very comforting and relatable to me during 2021 because I was in a constant struggle of trying to discover who I really was. I had a really hard time with being my whole authentic self as I always cared about what other people thought of me. However, this song really comforted me on another level. It really helped me in my journey of discovering who I am. 6. No 7. My favorite album concept is The Chaos Chapter because it is the album that released when I first got into TXT and I really loved this “emo” look and vibe of the members’ visuals, MV, and songs. 8. I am going into my 1st year as a Master of Social Work student Fall’26 and I am planning to pay out of pocket by working full time while going to school. 9. As a first-gen student, my parents wished for me to pursue a higher education as they were not able to afford college. I made the difficult choice to move out of home and fly 17+ hours to attend University. This was a very costly decision to make as the tuition was very expensive. With the help of this Scholarship, I would be able to be supported on my graduate school expenses without having to increase my student debt. 10. I discovered TXT during a crucial time of my personal growth and development. Their music truly helped me during struggling times of my life, gave me hope that things will get better, and made me excited for upcoming albums, songs, collabs, and media to drop. This anticipating excitement was not just for entertainment purposes, but it gave me a reason to continue being resilient in my life. 11. With my bachelors in Psychology and currently obtaining my Masters degree, I plan to be a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and aim to improve accessibility, care, and resources for marginalized groups by advocating for policy changes and human rights while practicing cultural humility.