I planned my mother’s funeral at fifteen. The spacious chapel was suffocating. Violet orchid decorations contrasted with the gray of incense smoke. For the entirety of the event, I held the hands of my sister and brother. As people recognized our trio, they whispered the same phrase: “She passed away too soon.” They were right. Gazing across the room, I saw the same teary face on everyone. Despite all the mournful conversations, there was an unaddressed feeling of loss. A loss of a person and of hope. I grabbed the microphone, not really thinking of what to say: “Today, we are all ducklings who have lost our leader. But maybe Mother Duck wants us to thrive, not just live. She always told me, ‘You are me and more.’ That is her legacy—to tell us we are all her and more.” Time has not tarnished that message. Since my mother’s death, my family became my biggest priority as I stepped up as a caregiver and mentor. When my siblings fell ill for the first time without her, it was apparent her death casted gray despair on the family. I then took the initiative to begin uplifting my family through rice porridge and medication–my love and empathy. It was the beginning of my transition from a daughter to a mother. As a caregiver, I strive to enhance my mother’s legacy through compassion and resilience. When my siblings are hurt physically or emotionally, I try to mitigate their pain through kindness and understanding. Whether it be through fixing up a comfort meal, providing a shoulder to cry on, or cleaning wounds, I try my best to emulate the care my mother always showed us. I want to continue her legacy of resilience and compassion. I want to make sure my siblings know that everything will be OK. However, there is a difficult balance of being a caregiver and a normal teenager. When my father was going through stressful times, he would fall ill, and some nights I would stay up with him in the bathroom as he threw up the half-digested parts of that day’s dinner. I remember feeling terrified of the future because I was so unsure as to how to care for him while continuing to be a strong role model for my siblings and maintaining a “normal” teenage life. Still, I stayed firm in my goals and have since continued to support my family the best I can. I am “her.” While managing my new role as “mother”, I strived to continue being passionate about my academic and professional career. Between earning 80 credits in community college classes as an high school student and working in Stanford research labs, I made the time to spread the mission I began within my family. As a girl scout, I connected sponsors with a county foster youth organization. As an inspired ASL student, I brought better awareness of my local Deaf community through social media broadcasting. As an aspiring physician, I found a public health organization inspired by my mother’s career. In these experiences, I created spaces where participating individuals had the support and love to keep pushing forward, similar to that of a mother’s. I am becoming “more.” Although I have always been interested in medicine, my experiences as a caregiver have shifted my understanding of medicine from knowledge of curing diseases to healing and alleviating human pain with kindness and scientific mastery. It meant I had an opportunity to change the world, not just with those who are injured, but the people around them who are impacted as well. In a way, it is a chance for me to extend my family through medical practice. Someday, I hope to be a part of the team of thousands who eradicate human pain each day, and I am pushing myself to gain a deep education and understanding of the biomedical world. I want to continue my mother’s legacy in compassion and perseverance and uphold those values in patient care. I fully intend to continue to uphold them further along my journey as well, maximizing my time in college and career to push further towards my future. I especially want to hone in my skills to better care for my family. No matter my circumstances, I take the time to reflect and support the people around me; with such a strong community, I know that I am able to be more passionate about my interests and strive towards my goals. While being a full-time college student, I am independently trying to fund my education through work study opportunities and scholarship. This was a decision I made to lessen the burden on my single income family. Living in California, one of the most expensive areas in the world, has particularly made our family situation difficult. With this scholarship, I have a greater opportunity to afford my education, such as high cost textbooks and equipment needed for STEM classes. I will be able to better focus on my education and work towards my ultimate goals to become a medical physician. My mother’s legacy lies six feet under as my inspiration to step into who I am. I strive to be passionate about my education, to uplift silenced voices, and to be a part of the change. I am a leader who has overcome grief by transforming it into opportunity and action. I am “her and more.”

I planned my mother’s funeral at fifteen. The spacious chapel was suffocating. Violet orchid decorations contrasted with the gray of incense smoke. For the entirety of the event, I held the hands of my sister and brother. As people recognized our trio, they whispered the same phrase: “She passed away too soon.” They were right. Gazing across the room, I saw the same teary face on everyone. Despite all the mournful conversations, there was an unaddressed feeling of loss. A loss of a person and of hope. I grabbed the microphone, not really thinking of what to say: “Today, we are all ducklings who have lost our leader. But maybe Mother Duck wants us to thrive, not just live. She always told me, ‘You are me and more.’ That is her legacy—to tell us we are all her and more.” Time has not tarnished that message. Since my mother’s death, my family became my biggest priority as I stepped up as a caregiver and mentor. When my siblings fell ill for the first time without her, it was apparent her death casted gray despair on the family. I then took the initiative to begin uplifting my family through rice porridge and medication–my love and empathy. It was the beginning of my transition from a daughter to a mother. As a caregiver, I strive to enhance my mother’s legacy through compassion and resilience. I am “her.” While managing my new role as “mother”, I strived to continue being passionate about my academic and professional career. Between earning 80 credits in community college classes as an untraditional high school student and working in Stanford research labs, I made the time to connect with my community; there was a push inside of me to spread the mission I began within my family. As a girl scout, I helped connect sponsors with a county foster youth organization. As an inspired ASL student, I sought to bring better awareness of my local Deaf community through social media broadcasting. As an aspiring physician, I found a public health organization inspired by my mother’s career. With all these experiences, I sought to create a space where participating individuals felt like they had the support and love to keep pushing forward, similar to that of a mother’s. Knowing that my work is far from done, however, I am ready to develop such networks in every community I am a part of. I am “more.” Her legacy lies six feet under as my inspiration to step into who I am. I strive to be passionate about my education, to uplift silenced voices, and to be a part of the change. I am a leader who has overcome grief by transforming it into opportunity and action. I will bring to college my initiative to inspire others to flourish, too. I am becoming “more.” When I encounter people who are nostalgic of Mother Duck, they tell me I increasingly resemble her as I age. They ask how I’m doing. My response? My mother’s strangely omniscient phrase: I am her and more. She was the seed to my flowering tree. But spring is hardly over; there are still many orchid buds waiting to bloom.

About three years ago, I planned my mother’s funeral. She was killed in a car accident while driving home by a reckless driver. My mother was everything to me and she was the glue of our family. Her absence left a heavy impact on everyone in my family, and it felt like there was an empty vacuum in the laughter and joy in my household for a very long time and continues to be so. Everything about my life changed since the day she died. My role in my family changed, particularly as a caregiver and role model. When my siblings are hurt physically or emotionally, I try to mitigate their pain through kindness and understanding. Whether it be through fixing up a comfort meal, providing a shoulder to cry on, or cleaning wounds, I try my best to emulate the care my mother always showed us. I want to continue her legacy of resilience and compassion. I want to make sure my siblings know that everything will be OK. However, there is a difficult balance of being a caregiver and a normal teenager. When my father was going through stressful times, he would fall ill, and some nights I would stay up with him in the bathroom as he threw up the half-digested parts of that day’s dinner. I remember feeling terrified of the future because I was so unsure as to how to care for him while continuing to be a strong role model for my siblings and maintaining a “normal” teenage life. Still, I stayed firm in my goals and have since continued to support my family the best I can. While managing my new role as “mother”, I strived to continue being passionate about my academic and professional career. Between earning 80 credits in community college classes as an high school student and working in Stanford research labs, I made the time to spread the mission I began within my family. As a girl scout, I connected sponsors with a county foster youth organization. As an inspired ASL student, I brought better awareness of my local Deaf community through social media broadcasting. As an aspiring physician, I found a public health organization inspired by my mother’s career. In these experiences, I created spaces where participating individuals had the support and love to keep pushing forward, similar to that of a mother’s. Although I have always been interested in medicine, my experiences as a caregiver have shifted my understanding of medicine from knowledge of curing diseases to healing and alleviating human pain with kindness and scientific mastery. It meant I had an opportunity to change the world, not just with those who are injured, but the people around them who are impacted as well. As I am moving across my state to attend college, attaining my necessary financial support independently would lessen the burden on my single income family. With this scholarship, I have greater opportunity to focus on my education and work towards my goals of improving health equity. Someday, I hope to be a part of the team of thousands who eradicate human pain each day, and I am pushing myself to gain a deep education and understanding of the biomedical world. I want to continue my mother’s legacy in compassion and kindness and uphold those values in patient care. Especially with my perspective on medicine and its purpose, I am confident that my passion and scientific curiosity will light the future of medicine as a whole.

About three years ago, I planned my mother’s funeral. She was killed in a car accident while driving home by a reckless driver. My mother was everything to me and she was the glue of our family. Her absence left a heavy impact on everyone in my family, and it felt like there was an empty vacuum in the laughter and joy in my household for a very long time and continues to be so. Everything about my life changed since the day she died. My role in my family changed, particularly as a caregiver and role model. When my siblings are hurt physically or emotionally, I try to mitigate their pain through kindness and understanding. Whether it be through fixing up a comfort meal, providing a shoulder to cry on, or cleaning wounds, I try my best to emulate the care my mother always showed us. I want to continue her legacy of resilience and compassion. I want to make sure my siblings know that everything will be OK. However, there is a difficult balance of being a caregiver and a normal teenager. When my father was going through stressful times, he would fall ill, and some nights I would stay up with him in the bathroom as he threw up the half-digested parts of that day’s dinner. I remember feeling terrified of the future because I was so unsure as to how to care for him while continuing to be a strong role model for my siblings and maintaining a “normal” teenage life. Still, I stayed firm in my goals and have since continued to support my family the best I can. While managing my new role as “mother”, I strived to continue being passionate about my academic and professional career. Between earning 80 credits in community college classes as an high school student and working in Stanford research labs, I made the time to spread the mission I began within my family. As a girl scout, I connected sponsors with a county foster youth organization. As an inspired ASL student, I brought better awareness of my local Deaf community through social media broadcasting. As an aspiring physician, I found a public health organization inspired by my mother’s career. In these experiences, I created spaces where participating individuals had the support and love to keep pushing forward, similar to that of a mother’s. Although I have always been interested in medicine, my experiences as a caregiver have shifted my understanding of medicine from knowledge of curing diseases to healing and alleviating human pain with kindness and scientific mastery. It meant I had an opportunity to change the world, not just with those who are injured, but the people around them who are impacted as well. As I am moving across my state to attend college, attaining my necessary financial support independently would lessen the burden on my single income family. With this scholarship, I have greater opportunity to focus on my education and work towards my goals of improving health equity. Someday, I hope to be a part of the team of thousands who eradicate human pain each day, and I am pushing myself to gain a deep education and understanding of the biomedical world. I want to continue my mother’s legacy in compassion and kindness and uphold those values in patient care. Especially with my perspective on medicine and its purpose, I am confident that my passion and scientific curiosity will light the future of medicine as a whole.

About three years ago, I planned my mother’s funeral. She was killed in a car accident while driving home by a reckless driver. My mother was everything to me and she was the glue of our family. Her absence left a heavy impact on everyone in my family, and it felt like there was an empty vacuum in the laughter and joy in my household for a very long time and continues to be so. Everything about my life changed since the day she died. My role in my family changed, particularly as a caregiver and role model. When my siblings are hurt physically or emotionally, I try to mitigate their pain through kindness and understanding. Whether it be through fixing up a comfort meal, providing a shoulder to cry on, or cleaning wounds, I try my best to emulate the care my mother always showed us. I want to continue her legacy of resilience and compassion. I want to make sure my siblings know that everything will be OK. However, there is a difficult balance of being a caregiver and a normal teenager. When my father was going through stressful times, he would fall ill, and some nights I would stay up with him in the bathroom as he threw up the half-digested parts of that day’s dinner. I remember feeling terrified of the future because I was so unsure as to how to care for him while continuing to be a strong role model for my siblings and maintaining a “normal” teenage life. Still, I stayed firm in my goals and have since continued to support my family the best I can. While managing my new role as “mother”, I strived to continue being passionate about my academic and professional career. Between earning 80 credits in community college classes as an high school student and working in Stanford research labs, I made the time to spread the mission I began within my family. As a girl scout, I connected sponsors with a county foster youth organization. As an inspired ASL student, I brought better awareness of my local Deaf community through social media broadcasting. As an aspiring physician, I found a public health organization inspired by my mother’s career. In these experiences, I created spaces where participating individuals had the support and love to keep pushing forward, similar to that of a mother’s. Although I have always been interested in medicine, my experiences as a caregiver have shifted my understanding of medicine from knowledge of curing diseases to healing and alleviating human pain with kindness and scientific mastery. It meant I had an opportunity to change the world, not just with those who are injured, but the people around them who are impacted as well. As I am moving across my state to attend college, attaining my necessary financial support independently would lessen the burden on my single income family. With this scholarship, I have greater opportunity to focus on my education and work towards my goals of improving health equity. Someday, I hope to be a part of the team of thousands who eradicate human pain each day, and I am pushing myself to gain a deep education and understanding of the biomedical world. I want to continue my mother’s legacy in compassion and kindness and uphold those values in patient care. Especially with my perspective on medicine and its purpose, I am confident that my passion and scientific curiosity will light the future of medicine as a whole.

About three years ago, I planned my mother’s funeral. She was killed in a car accident while driving home by a reckless driver. My mother was everything to me and she was the glue of our family. Her absence left a heavy impact on everyone in my family, and it felt like there was an empty vacuum in the laughter and joy in my household for a very long time and continues to be so. Everything about my life changed since the day she died. My role in my family changed, particularly as a caregiver and role model. When my siblings are hurt physically or emotionally, I try to mitigate their pain through kindness and understanding. Whether it be through fixing up a comfort meal, providing a shoulder to cry on, or cleaning wounds, I try my best to emulate the care my mother always showed us. I want to continue her legacy of resilience and compassion. I want to make sure my siblings know that everything will be OK. However, there is a difficult balance of being a caregiver and a normal teenager. When my father was going through stressful times, he would fall ill, and some nights I would stay up with him in the bathroom as he threw up the half-digested parts of that day’s dinner. I remember feeling terrified of the future because I was so unsure as to how to care for him while continuing to be a strong role model for my siblings and maintaining a “normal” teenage life. Still, I stayed firm in my goals and have since continued to support my family the best I can. While managing my new role as “mother”, I strived to continue being passionate about my academic and professional career. Between earning 80 credits in community college classes as an high school student and working in Stanford research labs, I made the time to spread the mission I began within my family. As a girl scout, I connected sponsors with a county foster youth organization. As an inspired ASL student, I brought better awareness of my local Deaf community through social media broadcasting. As an aspiring physician, I found a public health organization inspired by my mother’s career. In these experiences, I created spaces where participating individuals had the support and love to keep pushing forward, similar to that of a mother’s. Although I have always been interested in medicine, my experiences as a caregiver have shifted my understanding of medicine from knowledge of curing diseases to healing and alleviating human pain with kindness and scientific mastery. It meant I had an opportunity to change the world, not just with those who are injured, but the people around them who are impacted as well. As I am moving across my state to attend college, attaining my necessary financial support independently would lessen the burden on my single income family. With this scholarship, I have greater opportunity to focus on my education and better prepare myself for medical school. Someday, I hope to be a part of the team of thousands who eradicate human pain each day, and I am pushing myself to gain a deep education and understanding of the biomedical world. I want to continue my mother’s legacy in compassion and kindness and uphold those values in patient care. Especially with my perspective on medicine and its purpose, I am confident that my passion and scientific curiosity will light the future of medicine as a whole.

About three years ago, I planned my mother’s funeral. She was killed in a car accident while driving home by a reckless driver. My mother was everything to me and she was the glue of our family. Her absence left a heavy impact on everyone in my family, and it felt like there was an empty vacuum in the laughter and joy in my household for a very long time and continues to be so. Everything about my life changed since the day she died. My role in my family changed, particularly as a caregiver and role model. When my siblings are hurt physically or emotionally, I try to mitigate their pain through kindness and understanding. Whether it be through fixing up a comfort meal, providing a shoulder to cry on, or cleaning wounds, I try my best to emulate the care my mother always showed us. I want to continue her legacy of resilience and compassion. I want to make sure my siblings know that everything will be OK. However, there is a difficult balance of being a caregiver and a normal teenager. When my father was going through stressful times, he would fall ill, and some nights I would stay up with him in the bathroom as he threw up the half-digested parts of that day’s dinner. I remember feeling terrified of the future because I was so unsure as to how to care for him while continuing to be a strong role model for my siblings and maintaining a “normal” teenage life. Still, I stayed firm in my goals and have since continued to support my family the best I can. While managing my new role as “mother”, I strived to continue being passionate about my academic and professional career. Between earning 80 credits in community college classes as an high school student and working in Stanford research labs, I made the time to spread the mission I began within my family. As a girl scout, I connected sponsors with a county foster youth organization. As an inspired ASL student, I brought better awareness of my local Deaf community through social media broadcasting. As an aspiring physician, I found a public health organization inspired by my mother’s career. In these experiences, I created spaces where participating individuals had the support and love to keep pushing forward, similar to that of a mother’s. Although I have always been interested in medicine, my experiences as a caregiver have shifted my understanding of medicine from knowledge of curing diseases to healing and alleviating human pain with kindness and scientific mastery. It meant I had an opportunity to change the world, not just with those who are injured, but the people around them who are impacted as well. As I am moving across my state to attend college, attaining my necessary financial support independently would lessen the burden on my single income family. With this scholarship, I have greater opportunity to focus on my education and better prepare myself for medical school. Someday, I hope to be a part of the team of thousands who eradicate human pain each day, and I am pushing myself to gain a deep education and understanding of the biomedical world. I want to continue my mother’s legacy in compassion and kindness and uphold those values in patient care. Especially with my perspective on medicine and its purpose, I am confident that my passion and scientific curiosity will light the future of medicine as a whole.

“Two chai lattes, please.” After swiping her card, my mother pointed towards a table for two underneath the flashy neon lights depicting a mermaid. My excitement brewed; we were in Starbucks—the coffee chain my mother brought me to whenever she had a new task for me. She situated herself across from me in an interview fashion, holding a fist under her chin. The way my bubbly mother’s stern face contrasted the relaxed atmosphere almost made me chuckle. “I want you to plan your sister’s birthday party.” Immediately, my enthusiasm crumbled like the coffee beans behind us. Planning a party that appeases a tween could win a Guinness World Record under Most Impossible Task. “Be your sister’s mentor and guide her like how I have with you. There’s no better time than the beginning of her teenage years. Start by showing her your Girl Scout initiative.” “But I’m barely a teenager. What do I know?” The lattes were taking forever. My mother released an amused exasperation: “That makes you the perfect candidate. You understand her more than me.” She pinched my cheek. “You are me and more.” I laughed: “Yeah, right.” “You’ll do great. I have high hopes for this party.” Those hopes were crushed; instead of preparing my sister’s birthday party, I planned my mother’s funeral. The spacious chapel was suffocating. Violet orchid decorations contrasted with the gray of incense smoke. For the entirety of the event, I held the hands of my sister and brother. As people recognized our trio, they whispered the same phrase: “She passed away too soon.” They were right. Gazing across the room, I saw the same teary face copied 200 times over. Despite all the mournful conversations, there was an unaddressed feeling of loss. A loss of a person and of hope. I grabbed the microphone, not really thinking of what to say: “Today, we are all ducklings who have lost our leader. But maybe Mother Duck wants us to thrive, not just live. She always told me, ‘You are me and more.’ That is her legacy—to tell us we are all her and more.” Time has not tarnished that message. Since my mother’s death, my family became my biggest priority as I stepped up as a caregiver and mentor. When my siblings fell ill for the first time without her, it was apparent her death casted gray despair on the family. I then took the initiative to begin uplifting my family through rice porridge and medication–my love and empathy. It was the beginning of my transition from a daughter to a mother. As a caregiver, I strive to enhance my mother’s legacy through compassion and resilience. I am “her.” While managing my new role as “mother”, I strived to continue being passionate about my academic and professional career. Between earning 80 credits in community college classes as an untraditional high school student and working in Stanford research labs, I made the time to connect with my community; there was a push inside of me to spread the mission I began within my family. As a girl scout, I helped connect sponsors with a county foster youth organization. As an inspired ASL student, I sought to bring better awareness of my local Deaf community through social media broadcasting. As an aspiring physician, I found a public health organization inspired by my mother’s career. With all these experiences, I sought to create a space where participating individuals felt like they had the support and love to keep pushing forward, similar to that of a mother’s. Knowing that my work is far from done, however, I am ready to develop such networks in every community I am a part of. I am “more.” Her legacy lies six feet under as my inspiration to step into who I am. I strive to be passionate about my education, to uplift silenced voices, and to be a part of the change. I am a leader who has overcome grief by transforming it into opportunity and action. I will bring to college my initiative to inspire others to flourish, too. I am becoming “more.” When I encounter people who are nostalgic of Mother Duck, they tell me I increasingly resemble her as I age. They ask how I’m doing. My response? My mother’s strangely omniscient phrase: I am her and more. She was the seed to my flowering tree. But spring is hardly over; there are still many orchid buds waiting to bloom.