Dear MOMOLAND, I was a junior in high school when I discovered you. It was during COVID when I was feeling isolated at home. Frankly, I was used to it because my life has been marked by isolation. Having ADHD, I was always the quirky kid that nobody wanted to talk to. I was seen as weird in my community, constantly facing criticism and annoyance. I felt extremely vulnerable and weak under all this pressure until I found you. The performance of your iconic bop "BBOOM BBOOM" on MCountdown instantly grabbed my attention. I was completely mesmerized by the energy of your extraordinary members and the joyful vibes you radiated throughout the entire three minutes. The way you screamed “GREAT!” with your cute dance captivated me. Your adorable smiles made me eager to learn more about you. You have never failed to brighten my days with your eras, from “JJan! Koong! Kwang!” to your last comeback with “Yummy Yummy Love.” Your unique talents have come together to form a discography of happiness that always leaves me with a smile. However, the main reason you are my favorite is that you have nourished an essential value inside me: confidence. Since the moment you got into the spotlight, the whole world seemed to be on a hate train. People became very judgmental of every action you displayed on camera, criticizing you for your looks, scandals, and misunderstandings. It pained me to see other K-pop fandoms spamming ridiculous hate comments on every single post and video, with some even sending death threats. They dedicated their time to making videos expressing their hate towards your fun attitude. They called you “annoying” and “disrespectful” while you were just being yourselves: energetic, happy, and bubbly girls. How is it that one achieves their long-wanted success but ends up getting this hate? I want to remind you that you are confident and resilient. No matter how hateful they are, you have never dimmed your light. You never changed yourselves just to please these haters and continued giving your best. You put so much effort in your comebacks, filming lively music videos and carrying out promotions around the world. The love you gave me, a MERRY, was unconditional and the best thing that happened in my life. When you shed tears after your win on MCountdown with “Thumbs Up,” I empathized with every second of it. The chapters of my life are filled with so much criticism from people in my community who have always tested the depths of my vulnerability. After finding you, I learned that confidence is key. You taught me to never stop shining my light by being my true self. You are the reason I can walk through the busiest crowds without fear of criticism. Additionally, I want to emphasize this impact coming from a different country. Your lyrics have reached places thousands of miles away, all the way to Myanmar. I, someone who does not know Korean, was eager to sing out the energetic lyrics and learn their meaning through translated videos. These were words I had never heard before, but they brought so much life into my isolation. It led me to learn more about South Korean culture and the beauty of the country. I have to say that my obsession with kimchi fried rice began from this discovery. You may have disbanded as a group, but the impact you have on me will never disappear. I wish you so much success in your future paths. And remember, be confident, and don't let the haters get you down. With love, Kaung

"Challenges will always be Kaung's best friend," told the astrologer. I grew up being a hyperactive person in which I have a challenging time focusing and always being sleep-deprived due to my overexcited heart. Growing up in a striving family in an economically challenging country like Myanmar, I see these challenges as my momentum to push towards my passion and ambition. Being a STEM student, many people believe I chose to pursue it due to the mere fact that I love mathematics or never want to stop finishing dozens of homework every night. However, there is one short yet compelling reason why I picked STEM: it never lies. It has always been intriguing to me the way how one can not falsify information from the field of STEM in any way. For instance, mathematics problems always have one true answer, and there is no valid explanation that leads to a different answer. Three plus five will always be eight, and there is no method to falsify this. As a lover of mathematics and critical thinking, I enjoy working on a problem until I find a way to get the right answer. If I fail to reach the correct answer on my first attempt, I adjust my way of thinking to push myself to the correct one. The same principle also applies to Science subjects. With the leading up of information based on countless historical research and strong evidence, it is impossible to argue with a concept that is always occurring in the universe. “Nobody can create or destroy energy, but rather, it is transferred from one form to another.” Humans have observed this law throughout all of their lifespans, whether it is pushing a door or simply walking. This is and will always stay true as it never lies. Specifically, I decided to pursue Chemistry as it is the trunk of a tree that leads to other branches of STEM. It carries countless engaging concepts of the tiniest particles in our universe combined with mind-blowing calculations of mathematics that would heat one’s ordinary life. For instance, biological processes such as cellular respiration and photosynthesis are all chemical redox reactions through multiple steps. The DNA that identifies our uniqueness are chemical molecules that are bonded through covalent bonds. Similarly, the electric circuit and battery cells studied in physics are based on the flow of electrons. It is simply impossible to avoid the presence of atomic particles in the field of science; it exists everywhere. As an aspiring chemistry student, there is no class I enjoy more than a chemistry-related one. The endothermic reaction that occurs every time I enter the chemistry lecture hall never fails to warm my heart, whether I acquire new chemistry knowledge from the professor or do challenging problems together. When I practice chemistry problems or go through my notes, the fabulous links between numeric values and atomic behaviors always catalyze my race to happiness. My bond with chemistry is covalent, which is the strongest of everything. My biggest ambition as a STEM major is to become a research chemist that investigates the use of inorganic and organic substances. I envision taking part in the development of novel treatments that the pharmaceutical industry is in demand of. Winning this scholarship will reduce the heavy financial burden that my family has to deal with back in Myanmar. More sanctions on Burmese banks and increased inflation have worsened the economic status of my family, making it extremely difficult to find American dollars to pay for my tuition. This scholarship will ensure the achievement of my ambition. Thank you for reading!

For the first time in 14 years, I joined a community service organization in ninth grade. I was not sure of what I was supposed when we got to the destination. As the van arrived, something captured my heart within a blink of an eye: hundreds of adorable children racing toward me. Like a magnet, their innocent smiles and captivating Burmese face-paint, Thanakha, attracted my soul towards them. I felt an extreme joy that I had never experienced before, which “happiness” was not a sufficient description. The orphanage that stood in front of my eyes was an enormous withering building. There were not sufficient chairs to accommodate every child in the orphanage, as a result, many of the children had to sit on the bare floor. The moment our classes on core subjects such as Mathematics and English began, every child, no matter where they sat, expressed their eagerness and enthusiasm by actively participating in our games and activities. The magnetic force that stemmed from our first encounter intensified as their smiles enlightened the whole classroom. Contemplating carefully, I realized how life does not give fair opportunities to these children who have a fondness for constructing bright paths. Despite harsh living conditions, they are willing to express how eager they are to gain knowledge. Since that morning, I spent time thinking of how it is unjust that children who sincerely desire accessible education are forced to go through harsh conditions to follow their dreams. Consequently, I had been participating in more volunteering sessions hosted by the organization on a weekly basis. Specifically, I am proudest of the organization that I founded back in July 2021: Biology for Better Yangon. During the period of heavy obstacles on the futures of Burmese teenagers following a brutal military coup and economic turmoil, I initiated this non-profit organization with the mission to assure the accessibility of STEM knowledge to teenagers not only in my city but also in the whole of Myanmar. Despite starting off with a small team, countless free STEM worksheets, concept videos, and interactive posters on these topics were made throughout the life of my organization. Additionally, I collaborated with various local orphanages to have weekly visits with enthusiastic teenagers in which I strengthened the magnetic force from my first volunteer experience. I also had the opportunity to volunteer at different underprivileged places in Myanmar such as disabled centers and other orphanages. The more I voluntarily participate in these experiences, the more it came to my mind how it is always wise to give out a hand to people. As an aspiring Chemistry student, I have developed my ambitions to give back to my community with my knowledge and experience. The most essential step to this plan is to benefit our community with my future career which is investigating new scientific knowledge. One other ambition that has grown to me is creating my own scholarship fund by the time I have successfully run my career in order to assist deserving and enthusiastic students in their educational paths. As a student who comes from a low-income family in a third-world country with an economic crisis, I understand the feeling of how challenging it is to walk your dreams while dealing with conditions that are out of one’s control. While searching for ways to lessen the enormous financial burden that my family has to support back in Myanmar, more sanctions on Burmese banks and increased inflation have made it difficult to find dollars to pay for my tuition. Winning this scholarship will assure my achievement of these selfless ambitions.