As a cancer patient and lifetime Taylor Swift fan, her music has consoled me through some of the most difficult periods of my life. "Clean" from her '1989' album has long been a favorite of mine. This beautiful song is about releasing the burdens of past events and discovering a new feeling of independence and empowerment. The message of persistence and progress struck a deep chord with me, making it the most memorable song on the album.  The first lyrics of "Clean" are instantaneously engrossing, bringing the audience's attention in with their genuine passion and sincerity. "The drought was the very worst," Swift sings, "when the flowers that we'd grown together died of thirst." These phrases describe the anguish and grief of a dying romance. They express the impression of being caught in an untenable situation, uncertain of how to proceed. These lines spoke to me as an individual who has suffered pain and loss.  The chorus of "Clean" is a strong declaration of self-empowerment and improvement. Swift sings, "Rain came pouring down, and when I was drowning, that's when I could finally breathe. And by morning, gone was any trace of you, I think I am finally clean." These words express the concept that sometimes reaching rock bottom is necessary to genuinely find oneself and move forward from past traumas. They serve as an indication that, despite being in the darkest of times, there is always the possibility of growth and rejuvenation.  The rhythmic arrangement of "Clean" is as enthralling as the lyrics. Swift's vocals are wonderfully complemented by the song's soothing piano melody and minimal orchestration. The chorus, with its magnificent harmonies and strong vocals, is the song's outstanding point. It's a cathartic psychological relief, a time of abandoning oneself and moving on.   "Clean" has personal importance for me alongside its spiritual significance. Taylor Swift has always been a role model for me for years. Her songs and narrative have motivated me to persevere and refrain from giving up hope. My Make-A-Wish, when I was in treatment, was to meet Taylor Swift. Unfortunately, that never happened, but her art of songwriting has been an endless source of healing and motivation for me. The thought that we all can let go of the past and start again is what makes the song so encouraging to me. As a survivor, I've had to confront some of life's most difficult problems. The event showed me that the sole means to progress is to let go of whatever is holding one back. Like Swift's songs, I've realized that sometimes hitting rock bottom is necessary to genuinely find yourself and go on.  Furthermore, "Clean" demonstrates Taylor Swift's maturation as a musician. The album '1989' represented a big change from her former country sound, and "Clean" is an excellent illustration of her willingness to experiment with various styles and sounds. The song's composition is pared down and unprocessed, a change from the album's more polished contemporary feel. Swift's eagerness to become acquainted with different styles constitutes what makes her an engaging and interesting musician.  Ultimately, "Clean" is a song that has had a profound influence on me. Its encouraging message of perseverance and progress has gotten me through some of my most challenging times, reiterating that even in the darkest of circumstances, there is always the possibility of a better future. As a cancer survivor and lifetime Taylor Swift fan, I am appreciative of the solace and inspiration that "Clean" has provided in my life. To this day, I am inspired by its powerful lyrics and engaging tune.

1. Please tell us a bit about yourself and what specifically motivates you. If you could do anything with your life, what do you imagine you’d do? My experience as a cancer survivor has shown me that technological advances and studies can have a profound influence on the lives of individuals, and I am passionate about implementing my abilities to help those in difficulty. Recognizing the perspectives of individuals, backgrounds, and circumstances, I believe, is essential for discovering innovative technologies and remedies that genuinely make an impact. My drive stems from an aspiration to assist people and make an improvement in the global community. Nothing gets me more content than identifying that I have had the opportunity to make an influence in the life of someone else, perhaps through a little act of generosity or a revolutionary creation. For me, helping others is more than a career or an occupation; it is a significant element of life. If I were to accomplish anything throughout my life, I would employ my passion for STEM to create novel approaches that enhance the well-being and health of individuals. I am interested in the convergence between technological advances and healthcare, and there are a lot of unexplored opportunities in this area of study. Whether it's constructing mobile devices to monitor chronic diseases or finding intriguing treatment options for cancer, I'm excited to explore the endless opportunities of STEM to make true improvements in the lives of others. Nevertheless, I recognize that technology and invention are inadequate on their own. To effectively contribute, we have to first comprehend the personal narratives and life lessons that underpin the challenges we are attempting to address. As someone who has survived a fatal disease, I understand how critical it is to consider patients' needs as well as memories while creating inventive treatments and approaches. I strongly believe by combining the capabilities of modern technology with empathy and understanding, we can build transformational solutions that will benefit millions of people all over the world. Ultimately, my interest in STEM and inventiveness originates from my passion to contribute to people and to give back to my community. I am inspired by the potential to create new inventions and solutions that may better people's lives, and I feel that knowing people's observations and journeys is critical to accomplishing this objective. I am dedicated to using my abilities and expertise to make improvements in society, and I feel optimistic about what the future offers. 2. What excites you about STEM? How do you feel you could make a positive impact on the world through a job in information technology? What interests me the most about STEM is its almost infinite possibilities for bringing about beneficial modifications in humanity. STEM provides the means and expertise to address some of our society's most critical concerns, from generating vital medical cures to devising environmentally friendly energy solutions. As someone deeply interested in education and problem-solving, the possibility of participating in this subject is extremely exciting and fulfilling to me. I believe an occupation in the field of technology will allow me to have a beneficial effect on mankind in a variety of aspects. For one thing, I am honored by the capacity of advances in innovation to unite individuals as well as bridge cognitive and resource barriers. I feel that by inventing inventive software platforms or conceiving more user-friendly user interfaces, I can assist in bringing communities closer together and encourage better working relationships and cooperation. Furthermore, I am enthusiastic about employing science to deal with some of the most pressing social and environmental problems we confront worldwide. I think that technological innovation has an essential part to contribute to building an equitable and fair future for everybody, from engineering more efficient transit systems to finding energy sources that are renewable solutions. Finally, I am motivated by the conviction that by working in the field of information technology, people can have a good influence on mankind and contribute to building a more prosperous tomorrow for future generations. I am extremely motivated to investigate the possibilities associated with this area of study and to apply what I have learned to make an enormous impact on how others live. 3. Please describe the greatest challenge you’ve had to overcome and how you managed to get past it. One of the greatest challenges I have faced in my journey in STEM was being part of an FRC robotics team that did not welcome women. At the age of 14, I faced blatantly misogynistic discrimination by some team members, believing that women had no significance in engineering. Despite my interest in STEM and willingness to contribute to the team, I frequently felt ostracized and devalued. Despite this, I refused to allow these gender standards to characterize me, so I joined an all-girls robotics team where I felt encouraged and respected for my abilities and accomplishments. Becoming a member of this team was empowering, and it allowed me to mentor other young girls in STEM through events such as girl scouting and sharing my knowledge and experiences. This event taught me that conquering challenges like sexism and prejudice needs tenacity, persistence, and a solid base of support. I found courage in a community of women who embraced my enthusiasm for STEM and helped me overcome the obstacles I encountered. I also learned the value of pushing for diversity and inclusiveness in STEM fields, as well as opposing gender stereotypes and biases. In the end, I am proud of how I prevailed over this problem and dismissed it as letting individuals' narrow-minded attitudes prevent me from achieving my goals. By advocating for myself and identifying a supportive network, I was able to move forward in STEM and empower other young women to strive for the same! :)

An obvious tube hole on the body may be seen as disturbing and unsettling to the naked eye. When I initially encountered the term "scar," I thought of a potentially traumatic or painful occurrence that has happened with a long-lasting detrimental impact on one's memory. Others may not notice, but the port-a-cath scar wound connected to my heart, as well as STEM innovation rescued my life. And it continues to be a symbolic influence to support those around me to convey the mark as a battlefield of a war one conquered in life. At the start, the scar signified another week of hospitalization, blood transfusion, chemotherapy, spinal taps, bone marrow transplant, or trial studies to manage my leukemia. They also symbolize slipping behind in school, being isolated from classmates, and a never-ending cycle of expensive healthcare bills. As well as too many late-night visits to the emergency department, which would inevitably lead to another round of needle injections, nausea, ingesting massive volumes of medicine, hair loss, and unexpectedly waking up to the audible ringing of my intravenous infusion pole at random times. Nonetheless, when my health improved after four years of chemotherapy, I discovered my enthusiasm for the STEM profession, since I would not be here today without it. My older sister, who was a member of the FRC 971 Robotics team, was a huge inspiration to me. A further challenge I experienced was not getting admitted into my own high school's FRC team since I was the only girl who applied. This influenced me, even more, to join the all-girls, award-winning FRC team, Space Cookies 1868, during my first year of high school situated in NASA. Joining this robotics team was one of my best decisions in life since I was able to motivate other young girls to pursue their passions and become powerful women in STEM. Every adversity I've faced now reflects a beautiful lesson in building resilience, people I've met through my condition, and the opportunity to make a huge impact in the lives of those who are going through the same thing. From an early age, I grew to speak for myself, to be an efficient leader, to persevere and excel amid misfortune, to develop into a strong and self-sufficient student, and to seek delight in giving back to my community that supported me during my times of difficulty. I plan to build on those accomplishments by developing important relationships in a new setting that will remain influential in shaping and growing my perception of society and my new offerings to it. Through the years, I challenged myself and I acquired CAD skills, Python, JavaScript coding, and mechanical wiring, participated in Hackathons, volunteered in outreach for people in need, and how to develop as an individual. I believe STEM can assist so many humans all across the world, particularly those in the healthcare sector, and save lives, just like mine. To my experience with a fatal disease and robotics, we must be willing to go beneath our familiarity, take chances, conquer problems, establish new foundations, and devise solutions to stitch up the wounds that are revealed, including both our own and the souls of those around us. I ought to courageously investigate other individuals' conflicts, remain alongside them, and truly start to uncover solutions to ameliorate their suffering through the universalities of human consciousness. If we can embrace our diversity while focusing on what unites us, I strongly feel there will be greater peace and fewer instances of pain and misery. Kindness and empathy, when combined with research, technology and innovation, can completely transform well-being.

From an early age, my health was never my strongest suit. My life was ordinary until an illness altered everything. I was diagnosed with Acute Leukemia, a form of cancer that affects the bone marrow and bloodstream. The next thing I knew, I was a bewildered girl ready to go on a three-year treatment program with no idea if she would be alright, however, the elegance and emotion of art, dance and music let me articulate and heal myself throughout the time of adversity. My Leukemia not only affected me, but it also had a tremendous negative influence on my family, resulting in a never-ending cycle of expensive healthcare costs and a worried mother. It was exceedingly tough to organize appointments and my medication regimen, modify my treatment plans and deal with the bad side effects of treatment. Those lengthy years began to feel like a daily battle of blood transfusions, sickness, drinking massive amounts of medication, and intaking needles. During my stay in the hospital, I immediately found my love of artwork, ballet, and classical music. It inspired me to continue doing what I enjoy. I began to creatively convey my sentiments and challenges in a beautiful way that everyone could see. I find art intriguing since it may take any shape without any expectations. Art with a hidden message or a backstory will always exist. To me, art is like a medium of expression, and should not always be appealing; rather, it should represent the creator's concept, provide a stimulus for thought, or disclose the creator's inventiveness and new point of view in life. My family, love of art, and desire to help people around me, influenced me to persevere and grow as an individual. During my cancer treatment, I felt as if I had lost my voice, was unclear of who I was, and my only essence was having a fatal disease, but discovering art inspired me in a diverse range of ways. I'm determined to let my perspective and ideals be heard now that I'm more optimistic in who I am. Once I recovered from my cancer, I continued my passion for drawing, performing in ballet, and even in choirs and theater. I am enthusiastic about expressing myself in numerous ways, such as through the concept of art. I recently volunteered with EPACenter, a non-profit that helps children explore their passion for art, music, photography, and creative thinking abilities for the future. I developed digital art to support and promote their organization. Based on what I've learned, I want to utilize design and creativity to assist the youth to find and determine their potential. Nothing should get in the way of enthusiasm, excitement, and pure passion for art. I aim to do more to effect change for the coming generations and am excited to tell my own story of how art transformed my life. Art matters a lot to me since it reshaped who I am, and I want to inspire those who are passionate about creation to embrace its genuine significance of it. I ought to courageously investigate other individuals' struggles, remain alongside them, and truly start to uncover solutions to ameliorate their suffering through the universalities of human consciousness. If we can embrace our diversity and passion for creativity, while focusing on what unites us, I strongly feel there will be greater peace and fewer possibilities for pain and misery. Kindness and empathy, when combined with art, research and innovation, can completely transform our well-being.