I've always wanted to fit in. To belong, to feel valued, seen, heard, and a part of something bigger than myself. I know I'm not alone in this, as humans we all desire to be connected to someone somewhere or to something that makes us feel seen. From a young age I struggled to make friends and as I grew older my circle of friends decreased as the years passed by. Now that I'm in college I look back and I'm thankful for one thing that has stayed constant amidst all the change and chaos life can bring. That thing was BTS. From the age of 15 to now almost 20 years old I've been supported by a K-pop community of ARMYS around the world and a group that taught me how to love who I was, am, and will be and that I never walk alone. BTS consisting of 7 amazingly talented members from BigHit Entertainment (now HYBE) has brought me so much laughter and comfort over the years as I dealt with loneliness, depression, isolation, and anxiety. My biases Tae and Namjoon have taught me to be myself and not worry about what others think as well as to love the life I'm living and live intentionally. BTS has helped to shape who I am, from Eat Jin Vlives to new album releases their music has touched my soul like nothing before. I've felt comforted by words I couldn't understand and I could feel the emotion behind every single lyric written. I've been greatly influenced by their way of life and how every single member of BTS lives so authentically. They are unapologetically themselves and they've modeled for me what I wanted to live like and what kind of person I wanted to be as I got older. I found comfort in their words of encouragement and at times when I was alone they became my best friends. I know I'm not the only army that has experienced their positive influence and impact. I know that on a global scale, BTS has one of the largest if not the most global influence out of all the K-POP groups in the industry. I've seen the way they have shaped Korean culture and influenced many Asian Americans to grow curious about Korean Culture through their music and promotional events. In this same way as they're a globally renowned group they've shown many young men and women around the world the value of loving who you are and knowing you are valuable and that life itself is valuable. They've spread many positive messages and supported various global causes like UNICEF to show their support to end violence against children. They've also donated thousands of dollars to fund scholarships in support of everyone receiving equal education and the right to learn. Additionally, another huge donation that was matched by ARMYs globally was to support Black Lives Matter and end AAPI Hate. Overall they've been an amazing positive influence in my life and impacted me in ways I can't even explain. Without knowing them I don't think I'd be as confident or personable as I am today, I can say the same for the many ARMYs they've impacted around the world. BTS has been a friend to me, a mentor, a comforter, an encourager, and above all else leaders who have changed the global culture and world around us to make it a better place.

Growing up as a first-generation Asian American mental health was an issue my parents had never heard of. This is how it’s affected me personally as a Laotion-American student and first-generation American. At the beginning of middle school, I struggled with my identity as a person, which caused a dissonance within my mind. This was when my battle with mental health began. Through my transition to middle school, I found myself lost in who I wanted to be and who I was. My image of self began to change and decline in a way that my self-worth took a dive that seldom recovered. I was faced with depression in my freshman year of high school and even considered suicide with how bad things had gotten. I not only struggled with my self-worth but also with how others viewed me. I allowed the opinions of my peers to shape who I was as a person, and as a result, I became someone I despised. I was isolated and lonely. Cooped up in my room I pushed away all the people I cared about. My relationships with friends and family became strained as I didn't know how to ask for help. I felt as if they didn't care when I did express my anxiety and depressive thoughts. I would often get responses saying "Your life isn't that hard, look on the bright side" and "It could be so much worse you need to be more grateful". These responses mirroring toxic positivity made it hard for me to seek out help from those around me. As the years passed by the value of my life in my eyes was close to nothing. Although I’ve never been clinically diagnosed, I know that the way I feel and have felt can only be described by depression and anxiety. Mental health isn’t just an issue for clinically diagnosed people who are medicated; it’s an issue many teens and young adults face today. While the floor is opening up to more conversation, there are lots of ways we can begin to talk about it more. For me opening up the floor was being honest and telling my parents I was struggling. While they didn’t believe me at first, as time passed, they began to see the symptoms of what I told them. They slowly started to recognize mental health was a real issue. Although it was difficult at first, it’s essential to make an effort in any way possible to raise awareness in my community. That's why I hope to pursue a degree in psychology which will allow me to ease the burdens of those struggling with their mental health. I want to know more about the mind and why we as humans struggle with such strong feelings and emotions. Although I have my dark moments I'm in a much better place than I was several years ago. I owe it to my friends who never stopped checking on me even when I ignored them, and my relationship with God. I truly believe I wouldn't have survived the dark times in my life without God. He was able to heal my heart and all my wounds and bring me the peace I have today. To end, mental health is not for the faint of heart, it's a fierce battle that many cannot win. It's a terrible struggle many people experience and one that I hope to fight against in the future.

Growing up I didn’t get the ideal family situation and my parents weren’t very knowledgeable about education. Immigrating from Laos and Cambodia my mom and dad had a hard time assimilating into society. Now that I’m older I see all the amazing opportunities their struggles have provided for me. That is something I’m forever grateful for and the reason why I so badly want to succeed. Life has been a crazy ride with the death of family members, my dad going to prison, my parents getting divorced, and the extreme effects of covid. All of these things while being hardships have played a vital role in my determination to keep going and pursue a better future. While things have been hard and the loss of loved ones isn’t easy I’m reminded that my uncles and grandparents who passed would’ve wanted me to keep pushing through. My education is the most important thing to me right now. I strive to obtain a master's degree in psychology and marketing in hopes of gaining insight into the business world. I want to impact the world with my knowledge and help those who are less fortunate, especially in the Laotian and Cambodian communities. Asian representation is also something very important to me and while I model on the side I’d like to break into the modeling industry as a Laotian Cambodian model. Being a minority in a majority white industry would provide young girls like me with a role model and I want to be that. I want to show young girls who look like me that they can achieve anything and pursue their dreams. I hope to pursue a dual degree in college and nurture my modeling career to make the world a better place one small step at a time.

There are many answers to this question but none can truly encapsulate what it means. I could say working out, relieving stress, or eating healthy is what leads to a long life but in the end, the fact is, we’ll all die one day. While yes the average lifespan ranges from 70 to 80 years old, many people pass away daily. This is why instead of living a long healthy life, I say live a happy one. I mean, truly enjoy the world around you. Explore new hobbies, travel the world, learn to work out, or pick up a new sport. Invest in relationships and be vulnerable with the people around you. Listen to good music and eat the best foods. All of these things encompass what it means to live a happy life, which in turn to me means a healthy life as well. There’s no guarantee if we’ll all live to 70 or 80 years so it’s important to enjoy life while it lasts. There’s truly no such thing as a long life, only a happy one.

When you’re young you don’t truly understand the world around you. You often follow what people say and do as you are told. Your understanding of what is and isn’t ok isn’t fully established. When I was little I was molested. There’s no proper way to transition into such a heavy statement, but this is my story of overcoming trauma. From ages 3 to 6 I was unknowingly molested by a member of my family. It wasn’t until years later I realized what he did to me was something that never should’ve happened. As years passed my recollection of the assault began to resurface. I would remember bits and pieces of the horrific events and I thought I must’ve been crazy. I tried to reason with myself that it was just a figment of my imagination, not my real memories from what should’ve been a happy childhood. It wasn’t until someone else stepped forward with a similar recollection of memories. She told me what he did to her and I knew that what I remembered was real. Though many years have passed the scars from my childhood trauma remain. As a survivor, I’ve dealt with depression, suicide, fear of men, insecurities, and more. While I’m still fighting through the healing process I’m in a much better place than before. I no longer isolate myself but seek out help from friends and loved ones. I’ve picked up healthy habits like praying, reading my Bible, and working out. Each of these things has helped me to overcome my trauma and move on into a new phase of life. I now understand that what happened to me doesn’t define who I am. I shouldn’t be ashamed, because I know now I did nothing wrong. This is my story of overcoming.

As cryptocurrencies and stock prices are plastered on newspapers and headlines on social media I began to take interest in the world of investment. Stock and bonds, gain and loss. This new world opened my eyes to the possibilities of investing and the high reward it could bring. The intricate workings of wall street and investment were introduced to me by my Securities and Investment class at school. Learning about the types of stock, the options, and much more has made me interested in starting to invest myself. Over the year I’ve learned that the most important thing when investing is to never bet on a decision you aren’t sure of. A lot of what happens on the stock market from day to day seemed like luck at first, and I’m sure some of it is. However, a lot of the decisions made by professional brokers and investors have calculated decisions that lead to greater returns on investment. While in class I’ve also been able to practice trading on the stock market through online simulations. This has given me more insight into when I actually invest. I’ve been able to research and learn more about companies on the market and what affects the rise and fall of stock prices. Overall the investing tip I’ve taken to heart is to never make a decision I’m unsure of. I’ve learned that it’s extremely important to invest time into researching before making any decision. Once a decision is made it’s vital that I’m sure I won’t regret my investment in the case it goes wrong. It’s not possible to always make the right guess or prediction but I can do my best to prevent any extreme loss of money by knowing all the facts.

From a young age, my family situation wasn’t the best. My parents often fought and I would always see my dad yelling as my mom burst into tears. His anger issues and alcoholic tendencies created a destructive environment and eventually destroyed our family. When I was three they eventually got divorced as a result of my dad starting relationships with other women. This was the beginning of a long and brutal battle for custody. My mom ended up gaining custody over me and opted to keep me away from my dad and his family until he proved he was worthy of being a father. When he finally gained visiting rights this only ensued more chaos. Although I was young I knew the situations I was put in and the way things made me feel weren’t right and something always felt off. Every time I would visit my dad he would bring me to meet a new woman, a new girlfriend, and a new “friend” for me to try and get along with. Each new face I was met with also came with a set of crazy horror stories and unsettling character traits. The worst of them all was when my dad brought me to meet his previous drug addict girlfriend Jessica. She would always smoke and drink every time I was there and would even ignore me as if I didn’t exist. While he’s remarried now to a woman who’s much different than his crazy exes, and everything is in the past, this is just the start of my long bizarre story. After he remarried he found himself in some trouble with the law. Arrested and sentenced to jail time my dad appeared in the headlines of newspapers and websites galore. It was a living nightmare and one of the most heartbreaking moments of my childhood. To see the only father I knew behind bars as people ridiculed and called him names like “gang leader”, “drug dealer”, and even “killer”. While all of these were proven to be untrue words still hurt and the judgment and hate our family faced can never be replaced. Although he was released from prison I can’t say that things have completely changed. His alcoholic tendencies and destructive behavior have only gotten worse over the years and show me the very things I don’t want in a future husband or life partner. I’ve seen my father go through trial and tribulation. While I’m learning he’s not all that bad I never believed turning to alcohol was ok. All it helped to do was numb his pain. As I’ve grown older I’ve made the conscious choice to avoid any alcohol or drugs as I feared I would become the very person I hate. The anger-fueled, disrespectful, and unloving alcoholic I saw my dad as. I hope to instead become a woman of God who can lead others with love and speak peace and joy with each word I speak. This scholarship will allow me to pursue a degree in a Christ-centered environment and show my dad that he can change and let go of all the bad he’s been holding onto. I want to show him and my mom that I won’t become the things about themselves they hate. Instead, I will strive to be a better person and a better parent to my kids in the future. This scholarship would be a stepping stone toward my brighter future and the future of my family.

In today’s society while the importance of mental health and the stigmas around it is gaining more attention many immigrant families and first-generation parents don’t understand the weight it carries. Attending school was always emphasized as a blessing. While that’s true, and I’m very fortunate to receive a quality education, in some ways it felt like a curse. Growing up I was labeled as a gifted and talented child. One with prospects of a possible doctor, lawyer, or something my parents deemed “successful”. Attending school became more about good grades and the pressure to succeed rather than the enjoyment of learning itself. Even from a young age, I recognized the value my quarterly report card held and felt the repercussions when I didn’t provide successful results. This academic pressure carried into my years as a high school student as I juggled extracurriculars, school, social life, and much more. With hopes of attending a well-known college and graduating top of my class, I fell into the toxic mindset of prioritizing school over everything else. I soon found myself isolated and severely depressed even to the point where I faced suicidal thoughts and attempted to take my own life. I was overwhelmed and drowning in stress, anxiety, and fear. This was the first time I’d hit rock bottom. My mental, emotional, and physical health was at an all-time low and I knew something needed to change. I turned to the many comforts the world had to offer but realized nothing brought me true peace until I reconnected with God. I grew up in a Christian household and was raised as the pastor's grandkid. Although I’d been attending church for years I didn’t truly understand what it meant to be a Christian or have a relationship with God. This changed once I found myself at the end of my rope. I began to seek comfort and find peace in reading my Bible. After a stressful day or a failed test or bad grade, I found myself playing worship music and crying to relieve all the pain. I started to see my life change and realized Jesus was the reason. I finally understood all the cliche lines about Christianity and all the popular Bible verses. He really does care for me and He’s there to comfort me in my darkest hour. While I know many people in the world follow other religions and may even disregard Christianity this is how I’ve found peace and restored clarity in my life and mind. I can go on to list the various basic suggestions on how one might better their mental health or relieve stress, but I truly believe nothing is as healing as Jesus. In this life, we will always face difficulties and struggles but knowing he’s on my side gives me the strength to go on. I no longer need the academic validation I once lived off of, I’m free from all the mental chains of depression that weighed me down. Life isn’t easy, and college definitely isn't cheap, but God is the reason I’m here today, and I’m thankful for that in itself. I’ll probably continue to stress about the various student loans I’ll need to take out, and the $49,000 I’ll need to pay each year at DBU. However, I know that amid all the chaos college is, God is always by my side, and he will carry me through it all as he’s done all this time.

Happiness can be many different things for many different people. To the person, next door happiness could be a stable job and extra spending money. To the child in Laos happiness could be a full stomach and a meal each day. To the newlywed couple, happiness could be found in one another. Happiness is a broad term, defined by many things, but confined by none. To me, happiness is peace. While that may sound simple, there’s much more to that statement than meets the eye. Growing up I was constantly surrounded by chaos. My life consisted of moving, death, and disorientation. From a young age, I found it hard to be at peace. My parents were always fighting and eventually got divorced. My only comfort, my dog pinky, passed away after their split, and death became familiar. Every year since a family member of mine passed away and funerals became a habit. However, while life has given me many lemons I’ve somehow found a way to make lemonade. Amid all this chaos, death, and pain, I’ve learned what it means to be happy. The peace I find in a good book helps me escape reality. The calm that worship music brings on my darkest nights. The peace that washes over me when I enjoy a good kdrama. The silence as the stars shine at night. All of the moments where I’ve found peace in the small details of life are what truly makes me happy. Being able to enjoy the little things and value the beauty of nature has given me much more joy than I can explain. Sitting at peace under the stars is a blessing, as I’ve learned over the years life is too short. The peace in the details is what makes me happy.

The dictionary defines “joy” as “a feeling of great pleasure and happiness”. This broad definition can be interpreted in many ways, but for me, Joy comes from music. Growing up I’ve always been drawn to the arts, singing, dancing, and making music. From a young age, I picked up various instruments like the piano and violin. I enjoyed the creative outlet music provided me. To me, music isn’t just a song on the radio or a fantastic concert, music is a part of who I am. Most people find joy in their families, relationships, money, or other things, but for me, nothing can compare to my love of music. It’s carried me through my darkest hour with soul-felt words of comfort. Whether listening to or making music, it’s as vital to me as the breath of life itself. When I was three years old my parents got their first divorce. At the time I was too young to understand the weight of that term but I knew through the music my mother would play the pain it must’ve caused. Music was the first time I truly expressed and experienced my emotions in full. It taught me the weight of pain, sorrow, loss, and much more. While joy is defined by the words pleasure and happiness I find pleasure in knowing more about people and music helps me do that. Being able to empathize with their somber songs and heartfelt lyrics is a gift beyond what words can explain. Music is my sunshine, my cloudy day, and my first love. It’s the very thing that keeps me going and that brings me joy no matter how old I get.