1. Why do I need to "deserve" this scholarship if I've already won it. I'd like to thank the Academy so much for this incredible honor. To be in consideration against veterans like Leonardo Dicaprio and Matt Damon is something I could never take for granted. Thank you to my family, management, and the team that keeps me grounded in this wild yet unbelievable career. Have a good night! 2. Retirement. Preferably traveling. I'm (sort of) just kidding! 3. One time, I was at Wendy's and craved a baconator. They gave me my burger, and tears began forming in my eyes. On the bun laid the ketchup mashing together with mayonnaise. I specifically requested no condiments. Mustering up all the courage I could find for this confrontation, I walk over and politely ask for a replacement burger. They happily obliged. It was the bravest I had ever been!

My parents, after learning the cost of heading straight into the University of Texas, regrettably told me they could not afford it. I could have taken this setback with great disdain. All my high school years - being in multiple extracurriculars, honor societies, and the IB program - all seemed like it went down the drain. However, I had understood the sacrifices and hardships my Filipino parents endured for me to have a better life in the United States. If they persisted, so could I. Rather than seeing this as a loss, I scoured for the next best alternative: community college. Twenty minutes from my bedroom became my new home: Lone Star College. The same dedication, reverence for education, and commitment to excellence I cultivated in my time in high school would remain steadfast in college. In retrospect, community college was the best decision of my life. I earned a merit-based scholarship that covered my associate's degree, discovered a new passion in business and technology, and went on to present my academic research to multiple conferences and got published. While this was happening, I even acquired multiple internships and job opportunities, from a non-profit health clinic to the World Affairs Council to an international tech training startup. Among the greatest lesson I learned in these two years surrounded perseverance and perspective. I had every opportunity to let the stigma of community college get to me. Instead, I sought for the good and the growth. I reached out to professors during office hours to establish relationships, persistently asked the student center for career-related opportunities, and re-calibrated my own goals, endeavors, and dreams. At a time, when I felt lost in what my next chapter was, I continued pushing. Without doing so, I would not be where I am today.

The moment arrives. I head over to my desk, make awkward eye contact with my teacher, and she hands over the test. Several pages of multiple choice and free response, yet, I feel beyond prepared. Like it's me against the world. Firstly, preparing a week in advance forms the foundation of my study habits. Personal obligations, extracurriculars, and homework always find a way to take up valuable time. Looking at the material early, between 1-2 hours every day before the test, ensures that I can adjust for these life events, properly retain the information, and not get too overwhelmed. As I dive into the test material and study guides, I immediately categorize the concepts of interest. If I understand certain categories, I focus on them less. The majority of review is reinforcing the material that is unfamiliar or confusing to me. Utilizing Quizlet flashcards, verbally reciting the concept back to myself, and analyzing multiple practice problems allow me to comprehensively learn the necessary information. Lastly, I go into every test-taking scenario with optimism and trust in my abilities. If I've done my due diligence, then there's nothing to worry about. Prior to the test, I refrain from last-minute studying and orient myself into a tranquil mindset. No matter what happens on the test or quiz, I remind myself that I prepared well and that no grade, no matter if it's a 100 or a 50, defines my intelligence. There will always be more tests. There will always be more learning opportunities. The bell rings to signify that the period has ended. I skim over my test one final time, put my pencil down, and happily hand my teacher the test. This time, making confident eye contact!

I once believed that the dreams you craft in your head had to remain constant. Since I was 10, I created a narrative where I would head to a top 20 university, then med school, and eventually save lives as an internal medicine doctor. Two years later, jarred by a global pandemic, I discovered I was simply in love with the idea of working in medicine. Maybe the Filipino ideal of reputation and the weight of being an immigrant child made me believe being a doctor was what I wanted. However, I didn’t feel it in my bones. Ready to study Public Health and take the pre-med track, I quickly pivoted to community college. I needed to figure out what I wanted. This was the best decision I had ever made. The honors college program director directed me to my first internship. Initially marketed as a Public Health role, I became exposed to the world of digital marketing and business communications. I found myself insatiable when the internship concluded, yearning for more relevant business experiences. Over the subsequent year, I worked as a technical content writer, marketing intern, and social media manager. I want to take all I’ve learned and combine it with a bachelor’s degree in Management Information Systems. This major encompasses my newfound interests at the intersection of business, healthcare, and technology. Once my educational journey has concluded, I intend for my professional career to be focused on two things. I first want to work as a product manager in the technology industry, building up my business acumen and creating impactful digital products and software that incorporate the Filipino American experience. The most important goal will focus on using my business experiences to start a nonprofit organization that enhances the transplant donation process for highly sought-after organs in developing countries like the Philippines. Seeing my aunt Alma persistently fighting for her life with ESRD remains a driving force for me. One day helping the aunt Almas in the Philippines and across the world provides a full circle moment that combines my passions with my Filipino identity.

While painting-by-number portraits and bike rides provided temporary distraction amidst the global pandemic, I found true solace in award show and media statistics. Quick Google searches of "How many Tony's has Lin Manuel Miranda been nominated for?" became deep dives into Wikipedia searching for Emmy award record breakers and comparing Spotify streaming numbers of popular artists. These statistics transformed into hypotheses. For the 93rd Academy Awards, I watched several Oscar-nominated movies, cross-referencing my personal category picks to critics on Gold Derby and Reddit threads. I successfully predicted that Megan Thee Stallion would win Best New Artist at the 2021 Grammys through analyzing media appeal and the Billboard Hot 100. As the world shifted to a post-pandemic paradigm, this newfound hobby manifested itself in multiple facets of my life. Studying pop-culture statistics helped me realize that relying on data can be vital in making important decisions. For instance, as a social media manager for two companies, I shared a multitude of content on different social channels. These posts were followed with insightful analytics detailing content interactions, account reach, and user demographics. I utilized this information to craft effective LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter strategies, then identified improvements for the next set of posts to boost overall follower engagement. While I felt that this data-centric mindset formed newfound confidence primarily as a social media manager, I realized that the sheer volume of movies and music I had consumed would also aid in dissolving my social anxiety. I vividly remember the first "post-pandemic" dinner party I attended, filled with unfamiliar guests. A passing comment about the breakout song "Driver's License" transformed into an hour-long discussion discussing the extent to which one can separate the art from the artist. Strangers became friends that night, and I reinforced the value the subjectivity of art had in propelling conversation. Finally, this pastime taught me that everything is not what I initially perceive or intend. Despite multiple outlets predicting Sandra Oh as a clear winner, she would go home empty-handed at the 2020 Emmys. A realization occurred to me as she accepted this defeat with grace on my TV screen. Even if data revealed foolproof predictions, I could never forget about the impact of the .01%, and the statistical anomalies. Applying this sentiment to my life, I had always believed, since the age of ten, I would head straight to 4-year university, study to become a doctor, and work in internal medicine. At nineteen years old, that idealized vision of my future has dissipated. Now, as a nearly finished community college student who wants to work as a tech product manager, I am committed to preparing for this career while giving myself the freedom to adventure into the unknown, the .01%, and the statistical anomalies. While the culmination of engaging with these numbers may not give me an Oscar, the insights I've obtained have created a version of me that embraces change, looks at every situation from different perspectives, and is unafraid to start the conversation.