While I like to say I have a decent memory, I definitely struggle when it comes to keeping track of names and faces. While talking to friends about characters from our favorite books, I always manage to mix up what a character did or what the spelling of their name was. However, I can confidently say that Mrs. Gay is someone I would like to never forget. As a new first grader joining in the middle of the school year, she noticed me alone during recess and first handed me a library book on tornadoes. She was an avid nature lover, and I soon found fellow students who also shared this love, despite what their parents would say about mine. When I moved in third grade, Ms. Gay gave me one final book, Anne of Green Gables. Thanks to her encouragement, I discovered my love for nature from a young age. Her memento is a reminder of how I was able to remain true to myself through all four elementary schools I attended. Anne’s story and outspoken personality helped me get through the moves, inspired me to keep my passions, and reminded me that my appearance does not define me. Coming from a small public high school (with a graduating class of 100), there are not many class opportunities that many other schools offer. Therefore, during high school, I applied and was accepted into the Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP). I spent a combined 1280+ hours working on hurricane data through the Navy’s Geolocated Information Processing System (GEOIPS) system. This becomes data that is more accessible to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) and the public. I was able to learn from my fellow interns, mostly graduate and postgraduate students, about their interests in meteorology, as well as the overlap with computer science and math. This insight cemented my decision to seek an education in computer science, as I then would be able to use my math and coding skills to contribute to those knowledgeable in the field and be able to support the scientists and naval personnel who are out in the Pacific Ocean risking their lives as they brave Mother Nature and her rough waves. Today, I still strive to stay curious and am currently pursuing a career at the Naval Research Laboratory in Monterey— the Navy’s only location for their Marine Meteorology division. While working part-time, I am able to continue previous work from my internships, as well as gaining real-world experience that I will need to become a valuable member of any team I work with in the future. On top of being a full-time student at my local community college and supporting my family, I still find time to enjoy reading. Besides my computer architecture and physics textbooks, I still find time to pick up things like Rick Riordan’s continuations of his Percy Jackson and the Olympians series or find a good murder mystery. When the fog creeps into the Bay where I live, I get to get cozy by the window and read whatever I got my hands on while getting to enjoy the view. Weather is an exciting addition to my day, and I could not imagine being unaware of such a beautiful phenomenon. Being from California means we are not able to experience such extreme weather conditions on a regular basis. However, thanks to this work I am able to be in a comfortable environment where I get to learn more about this weather and engage with those experienced in an area that I would like to become more knowledgeable about.

While I like to say I have a decent memory, I definitely struggle when it comes to keeping track of names and faces. While talking to friends about characters from our favorite books, I always manage to mix up what a character did or what the spelling of their name was. However, I can confidently say that Mrs. Gay is someone I would like to never forget. As a new first grader joining in the middle of the school year, she noticed me alone during recess and first handed me a library book on tornadoes. She was an avid nature lover, and I soon found fellow students who also shared this love, despite what their parents would say about mine. When I moved in third grade, Ms. Gay gave me one final book, Anne of Green Gables. Thanks to her encouragement, I discovered my love for nature from a young age. Her memento is a reminder of how I was able to remain true to myself through all four elementary schools I attended. Anne’s story and outspoken personality helped me get through the moves, inspired me to keep my passions, and reminded me that my appearance does not define me. Coming from a small public high school (with a graduating class of 100), there are not many class opportunities that many other schools offer. Therefore, during high school, I applied and was accepted into the Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP). I spent a combined 1280+ hours working on hurricane data through the Navy’s Geolocated Information Processing System (GEOIPS) system. This becomes data that is more accessible to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) and the public. I was able to learn from my fellow interns, mostly graduate and postgraduate students, about their interests in meteorology, as well as the overlap with computer science and math. This insight cemented my decision to seek an education in computer science, as I then would be able to use my math and coding skills to contribute to those knowledgeable in the field and be able to support the scientists and naval personnel who are out in the Pacific Ocean risking their lives as they brave Mother Nature and her rough waves. Today, I still strive to stay curious and am currently pursuing a career at the Naval Research Laboratory in Monterey— the Navy’s only location for their Marine Meteorology division. While working part-time, I am able to continue previous work from my internships, as well as gaining real-world experience that I will need to become a valuable member of any team I work with in the future. On top of being a full-time student at my local community college and supporting my family, I still find time to enjoy reading. Besides my computer architecture and physics textbooks, I still find time to pick up things like the latest installments of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series or find a good murder mystery. When the fog creeps into the Bay where I live, I get to get cozy by the window and read whatever I got my hands on while getting to enjoy the view. Weather is an exciting addition to my day, and I could not imagine being unaware of such a beautiful phenomenon. Being from California means we are not able to experience such extreme weather conditions on a regular basis. However, thanks to this work I am able to be in a comfortable environment where I get to learn more about this weather and engage with those experienced in an area that I would like to become more knowledgeable about.

While I like to say I have a decent memory, I definitely struggle when it comes to keeping track of names and faces. While talking to friends about characters from our favorite books, I always manage to mix up what a character did or what the spelling of their name was. However, I can confidently say that Mrs. Gay is someone I would like to never forget. As a new first grader joining in the middle of the school year, she noticed me alone during recess and first handed me a library book on tornadoes. She was an avid nature lover, and I soon found fellow students who also shared this love, despite what their parents would say about mine. When I moved in third grade, Ms. Gay gave me one final book, Anne of Green Gables. Thanks to her encouragement, I discovered my love for nature from a young age. Her memento is a reminder of how I was able to remain true to myself through all four elementary schools I attended. Anne’s story and outspoken personality helped me get through the moves, inspired me to keep my passions, and reminded me that my appearance does not define me. Coming from a small public high school (with a graduating class of 100), there are not many class opportunities that many other schools offer. Therefore, during high school, I applied and was accepted into the Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP). I spent a combined 1280+ hours working on hurricane data through the Navy’s Geolocated Information Processing System (GEOIPS) system. This becomes data that is more accessible to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) and the public. I was able to learn from my fellow interns, mostly graduate and postgraduate students, about their interests in meteorology, as well as the overlap with computer science and math. This insight cemented my decision to seek an education in computer science, as I then would be able to use my math and coding skills to contribute to those knowledgeable in the field and be able to support the scientists and naval personnel who are out in the Pacific Ocean risking their lives as they brave Mother Nature and her rough waves. Today, I still strive to stay curious and am currently pursuing a career at the Naval Research Laboratory in Monterey— the Navy’s only location for their Marine Meteorology division. While working part-time, I am able to continue previous work from my internships, as well as gaining real-world experience that I will need to become a valuable member of any team I work with in the future. On top of being a full-time student at my local community college and supporting my family, I still find time to enjoy reading. Besides my computer architecture and physics textbooks, I still find time to pick up things like new installations of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series or find a good murder mystery. When the fog creeps into the Bay where I live, I get to get cozy by the window and read whatever I got my hands on while getting to enjoy the view. Weather is an exciting addition to my day, and I could not imagine being unaware of such a beautiful phenomenon. Being from California means we are not able to experience such extreme weather conditions on a regular basis. However, thanks to this work I am able to be in a comfortable environment where I get to learn more about this weather and engage with those experienced in an area that I would like to become more knowledgeable about.

While I like to say I have a decent memory, I definitely struggle when it comes to keeping track of names and faces. While talking to friends about characters from our favorite books, I always manage to mix up what a character did or what the spelling of their name was. However, I can confidently say that Mrs. Gay is someone I would like to never forget. As a new first grader joining in the middle of the school year, she noticed me alone during recess and first handed me a library book on tornadoes. She was an avid nature lover, and I soon found fellow students who also shared this love, despite what their parents would say about mine. When I moved in third grade, Ms. Gay gave me one final book, Anne of Green Gables. Thanks to her encouragement, I discovered my love for nature from a young age. Her memento is a reminder of how I was able to remain true to myself through all four elementary schools I attended. Anne’s story and outspoken personality helped me get through the moves, inspired me to keep my passions, and reminded me that my appearance does not define me. Coming from a small public high school (with a graduating class of 100), there are not many class opportunities that many other schools offer. Therefore, during high school, I applied and was accepted into the Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP). I spent a combined 1280+ hours working on hurricane data through the Navy’s Geolocated Information Processing System (GEOIPS) system. This becomes data that is more accessible to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) and the public. I was able to learn from my fellow interns, mostly graduate and postgraduate students, about their interests in meteorology, as well as the overlap with computer science and math. This insight cemented my decision to seek an education in computer science, as I then would be able to use my math and coding skills to contribute to those knowledgeable in the field and be able to support the scientists and naval personnel who are out in the Pacific Ocean risking their lives as they brave Mother Nature and her rough waves. Today, I still strive to stay curious and am currently pursuing a career at the Naval Research Laboratory in Monterey— the Navy’s only location for their Marine Meteorology division. While working part-time, I am able to continue previous work from my internships, as well as gaining real-world experience that I will need to become a valuable member of any team I work with in the future. On top of being a full-time student at my local community college and supporting my family, I still find time to enjoy reading. Besides my computer architecture and physics textbooks, I still find time to pick up things like new installments of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series or find a good murder mystery. When the fog creeps into the Bay where I live, I get to get cozy by the window and read whatever I got my hands on while getting to enjoy the view. Weather is an exciting addition to my day, and I could not imagine being unaware of such a beautiful phenomenon. Being from California means we are not able to experience such extreme weather conditions on a regular basis. However, thanks to this work I am able to be in a comfortable environment where I get to learn more about this weather and engage with those experienced in an area that I would like to become more knowledgeable about.

A loud voice reverberated around my ears as I tried to twist out of the grasp on my ankle, all as I gathered carpet burns on my back. One of my earliest memories as a child was finding myself dragged down the stairs of the house. Flailing around but moving too fast to grab on the banister, I resigned to the gap growing wider in my heart as my vision blurred trying to look at the person I called mother. I knew I needed a way to escape. Escape seemed like my only option. I could run out the door into the humid air of Southern California, get some powerful adult who would magically tell my parents they were mentally insane, or even end my life while hoping for a better one. Growing up with immigrant parents meant they were less social, as English was not their first language. This led to much time spent at home under my mother’s watchful eyes. With characters that could only be imagined from the texts on our small bookshelf, I was stripped of making any other friends my age and lacked any other source of communication with anyone outside of our little household. It was not all bad because I had jump ropes, legos, and the occasional allowance of an episode of Dr. Oz. These were all overshadowed by the constant neglect, leaving me to raise my brother and I. Trying to navigate my home life and learn about how to combat reality made life feel like it was a menial chore, that it would never end because there were always other people that needed to be catered to other than myself. This was established by constant cold meals, rarely seeing my parents in the same settings, and the only ones to call company were the fictional characters brought to life through words of text in the many books littered throughout our house. Traveling to these fictional worlds was the relief I needed from beatings, being left unfed, or wallowing in feelings of self-doubt. In order to occupy this time, I was enrolled into programs like Kumon, a program created based on accelerating a child’s math and reading level. By fourth grade, I had been doing extra homework based on California’s public school’s seventh-grade level curriculum. My mother’s desire for my advanced education led to fewer playdates with other children, dinners around a table, or journeys with my favorite strong protagonist, and led to more practice in Math and English. As I got older, I saw more escape plans within my reach. They came in the form of a driver’s license and eventually a college application. My dream of running away will not fully be realized until I go to college. Then I will be truly independent and ready to start on a new chapter of my life. In college, I plan to major in the math and engineering field. Recently working as an intern at a Naval Research Laboratory and gaining experience in the Python Language has given me a new sense of freedom and confidence, as well as a passion for coding. While hardships are still a big part of my identity and the experiences I have gone through, there are still many years left untouched by my negative memories, and my goal of creating more positive memories remains to be accomplished. Thanks to my parents, I raised myself to be resilient and ready to face a world full of challenges.