Hi, I’m Julia! As a first-gen student who moved across the globe alone at the age of 20, I have learned that opportunities and good fortune comes from a strong, and positive mindset, and that nothing will work unless you do. While life may seem tough at times, it is important to never lose sight of your long-term goals. During my 4 years in America, I have attended 2 Colleges and maintained a 4.0 GPA while being involved in multiple extracurriculars. I am currently serving as the Advertising Chair for Iona College Club Soccer Team, the Marketing Chair for Iona College Women in Business Club, all while working as a social media manager/content creator for the school’s Career Center. I am proactively trying to work towards my dreams; That is, a future within Marketing. Concurrently with the COVID-19 crisis, I recognized an increase in the need for blood as less and less people were stepping outside their homes to donate. As a young and healthy woman, I realized I could have an impact on my community by bringing people together to fix, at least a fraction, of the problem. With the support and help from the American Red Cross, I decided to plan and execute a blood drive to encourage people within my circle to give blood (in a safely manner). As a result, we managed to collect 36 units of blood with a potential impact of 108 lives. With a little bit of thoughtfulness and effort, we can soon observe the positive outcomes as a result of these factors. Whether it is helping others or yourself, we have to first make the task a priority for it to become successful.