My name is Kaylie DeLeon and I am a second year at the University of California, Davis. Being at Davis has been an adventure and a journey for me. For one, it is such a big campus and there is just so much to do; from clubs to events to resources, Davis has it all. However, my biggest challenge was how to navigate Davis. Being a first generation student, I did not know HOW to navigate my college life. I did not know where to start when I needed help and didn’t even know how to ask for help because in high school my studies came so naturally to me. I wouldn’t have to study and would end up with all A’s. College was so different and quickly humbled me when I did not receive an A. A year later, I still continue to try and navigate the resources that are available to me but it is slowly getting easier because I try to overcome my fear of getting out of my comfort zone and networking with people. Aside from the challenges that I have faced, it has always been my dream school; it is the number one school for veterinary and I plan to attend their vet school after undergraduate. I want to be a veterinarian that specializes in exotics and for the past summer, I have been interning/volunteering at the Wildlife Care Association and at the Sacramento Zoo to gain experience. At the Wildlife Care Association, I assisted wildlife technicians with prepping meals, giving medication, cleaning cages, feeding birds and squirrels, and learning proper techniques of PPE. At the zoo, I would assist zookeepers with their daily routine by cleaning exhibits, prepping meals, doing dishes, and attending morning meetings. I was in two sections which were Carnivores and Primates, both fairly different but have two common goals: to make sure the animals are all good for the day and dishes; so many dishes, especially in the Primate section. Overall, I really enjoyed these opportunities and felt like I have expanded on my communication and patience skills. Aside from my school life and my love for animals (which I can talk about all day) I am a person who loves to be with friends/family, watch movies, dance, and read. In high school, I was on the track/cross country team and fell in love with running. I stopped once COVID hit and it was hard to stay motivated after. Eventually though, I fell back into dancing, specifically hip hop. I have danced ever since I was about 2-3 years old. I have done ballet, jazz, tap, and hip hop. However, out of those categories, hip hop always had my heart. Not only was it the music, but the rhythm of the movements being learned. When I was on stage, I was on such a high that no matter how tired I was I could not stop. My friends and family mean so much to me because they are my biggest supporters in everything that I do. Although I appreciate them having my back always, the person who has been with me through the good, the bad, and the ugly is my mom. That being said, this scholarship would help my mom pay for my tuition. She is a single mom who has worked hard to get me where I need to be and has made sacrifices so that I can be successful. She is hard on me because she knows what I am capable of and wants me to be the best for myself and my future.

If I had to choose something to take with me on a stranded island it would be books. I love books and the characters within them always hold a special place in my heart. If someone mentions something about books, I can talk to them for hours. I can feel my eyes light up and my smile stretching so big across my face; it brings me so much comfort knowing that I can talk about my favorite things. Like movies, I love that there is always a message within them that the main characters learn. For example, the first book that always comes to mind whenever I talk about books is The Tattooist of Auschwitz. This book has captivated me that no other book has because with all the pain that the main character goes through as a prisoner during the Holocaust, he still continues to be hopeful for humanity and all the good that could come as soon as he is free. With this book, I have learned to remain positive and hopeful when things are taking a turn for the worst and to be brave. I took these lessons and used them to help shape my goals; one of my goals is to be a veterinarian and the only way that I can gain experience in that field is to volunteer and shadow. Although I have been shut down by many vet hospitals, I learned to not give up and instead volunteered at my local animal shelter and zoo. One way or another I will get my dream job and remain positive in this competitive field. Another example is the book Normal People. In short, it follows two main characters who started out as friends to which developed into a secret romance; however, the two main characters have different backgrounds and struggles that they each go through. In a way, this reminded me of my friendship that I had with my guy best friend because we started out as friends, but then once it started to become something more it turned out to be complicated. There was miscommunication and I was just trying to figure out myself all at the same time. It was hard because at the end of this endeavor, I had lost my friendship with him. I took this book to heart because it resonated so much with my life at the time; I in fact did not like the book – despite me reading it in a couple of days. It was hard at first, but then I came to the realization that when it comes to developing any type of relationship, communication will always be important. If there is no communication, then a lot of things can be misinterpreted. With this lesson in mind, it has helped me shape my goals overall to speak up, whether that is with someone I am working with, something that I do not agree with, or to just simply say how I feel about something. Communication comes a long way because not everyone is going to know how you feel, so it is important to speak up when the time is right because it can help in the long run; whether that is for relationships or for your future. I can go on and on talking about books and what I have learned from each book. Taking a deeper dive into another universe and getting lost not only helps me enjoy it, but it helps calm the storms that I endure in my life; it is my escape and I enjoy every second of it.

My name is Kaylie DeLeon and I am a first generation student who will be a second year at the University of California, Davis. Ever since I was little I have always wanted to go to Davis because of their veterinary school; I want to be a veterinarian for exotics and it is the number one school in the world. Before attending Davis, it was a challenge to try and be close to my dream school. I had lived in southern California my whole life until the middle of my sophomore year of high school; my mom told me we were going to move to Sacramento to not only be closer to my dream school but because she had gotten a promotion to make more money. It was hard at first - trying to adjust to a new school, new environment, and new friends; however towards the end of my sophomore year, things had started to look up for me again. I had created lasting friendships that I am beyond grateful for and have learned how to overcome obstacles; being okay to be alone and to get out of my comfort zone when possible. Now fast forward to my first year at UC Davis, it was pretty challenging; trying to adjust to the college life, figuring out how to utilize the resources that were there for me, trying new study methods, and even balancing the home/college/friend life. I will say I was a bit discouraged at first when I noticed that I was not doing the best compared to when I was in high school; in high school I would always get straight A's with no sweat. However, now I was just praying that I at least pass the classes. Obviously I want to hopefully get back into my A streak again, but if not, all I know is that I gave it my all and doing the best that I can with the help that is there for me. Towards the end of my first year at college, I started to get the hang of what will work best for me. Looking back now, I am surprised that my first year came and left; it feels like I just started. However, I am excited to see what my second year will hold for me...definitely a lot of chemistry but at least I am done with math (my worst enemy to ever exist). I just have to stay positive and keep in mind that this is all for my career. I had managed to get into two internships for the summer; one at the Sacramento Zoo and the other at the Wildlife Care Association. Both are nonprofit organizations that I enjoy so much because it gives me a chance to gain some animal experience to see if this is really what I want to do. I know that the steps to be a veterinarian is a lot but I am confident that if this is really my future, I will do whatever it takes for me to get there. My upcoming goals are to finish college and plan to take a gap year after undergraduate because I will be swamped with debt and student loans (while also trying to save the lives of my furry friends) after that. I do plan on getting a job as a zookeeper to help me gain extra money. By receiving this scholarship, I will not only help my mom pay for school, but I will also be achieving my dream that the little girl inside of me has always hoped for.

When I was nine years old, I knew that I was going to college to earn a doctorate in veterinary medicine. I have always pushed myself to get straight A's and have made it my mission to achieve getting into my dream college: the University of California, Davis. Although getting straight A's came naturally, it wouldn't have been as strong without the influence of my mom. My mom has always been there for me. She saw potential in me, even when I doubted myself. However, when junior year of high school came around, my relationship with my mom got intense. My mom would get on top of me to stay organized, disciplined, and to not fall behind. Beyond academics, she would make sure that I do scholarships because college was not cheap. Leading up to college day decisions, there was constant fighting; she would yell at me and didn't believe that I was doing the best that I could. I felt overwhelmed and hurt because there was so much pressure on me as a first-generation. Now, as I finish up my first year at UC Davis, I came to the realization that college is much harder than high school was. I struggled with the course work, but I didn't want to ask for help because I wanted to do it all on my own; I couldn't seem weak because my whole life school was easy, but I soon realized it was my ego talking. I didn't know what resources were out there for me because as a first-generation, I didn't know what to expect. I didn't know what resources were free or what cost. I finally had the courage to reach out to an advisor, to which she gave me a list of resources that could help me navigate throughout college; one of them being tutoring because I knew that the only way that I could understand the material was to ask for help. I still continue to navigate the obstacles that I face in college, but this time, I am confident that I will seek guidance so that I am successful in my academics. I not only want to feel proud about my accomplishments, but I want to make my mom proud for all the sacrifices that she has made. My mom’s journey was filled with sacrifices; she did a little bit of college but stopped when she had me. As a single parent, she’s always been my main provider and supporter. We moved to Sacramento in the middle of my sophomore year of high school after she was promoted to a higher position in her job. Even though she does not express how she is, I can see it from the exhaustion and stress on her face; it gets to the point where she takes it out on me. I have learned that it has not been easy, so I do my best to apply for jobs and scholarships to help pay for college because every little bit helps. My future goals are clear: graduate from UC Davis, work toward securing a job/internship that has to do with gaining animal experience, and to get accepted into UC Davis’s vet school–it is number one in the world. It’s important for me to attend college because I want to deepen my education and become the best version of myself. I want to fulfill this dream because I would not only make my mom proud, but my nine year old self proud; I had faced so many obstacles but I had managed to do the impossible and not give up.

I had lived in Palmdale my whole life. However, my sophomore year comes around and my mom tells me that we are moving. My challenge that I had faced was that I had moved in the middle of my sophomore year, away from my big support system. My mom had talked about moving from Palmdale to Sacramento. She had told me that she wanted to get a promotion and make more money. However, the real reason behind her determination to move was because she wanted me to be closer to my dream college: UC Davis. I have always wanted to be a veterinarian and UC Davis is the number one school just for that. My mom and I have always been close and even though she was really tough on me, she wanted nothing but the best for me. I knew I had to work harder than ever. So, when she told me that we were going to move, I knew that it was for the best. When the second semester of sophomore year came, I was finally enrolled in my new school. Comparing my old high school and my new high school, they were completely different. For example, my old high school had the classes outside, whereas my new high school had all the classes inside. I knew that I wouldn’t have a hard time with the classes because I was pretty good at staying on top of my work. I had to stay on top of my work because getting straight A’s would mean getting into UC Davis. I am so hard on myself that I will not let myself eat or use the bathroom until I am done with all of my homework/studying. Luckily, my grades weren’t the problem, but rather my social life. I didn’t know anybody whenever I would go to my classes. I tried to talk to my peers about school work or make small talk but they wouldn't be interested in talking to me. I felt very out of place and scared. I was a ghost. Once lunchtime came around, I felt lost on where to go. I would call my aunt during my lunch so that I would have someone to talk to. However, that wasn't always the case because she would be working. If that was the case, I would go to the bathrooms and eat my lunch in a stall. I felt so alone because I didn’t have anybody to talk to. I would cry myself to sleep every night. I just did not fit in. Although I was on my own for the rest of my sophomore year, I had gathered the courage to make a friend that I will always be grateful for. My challenge of moving to Sacramento in the middle of my sophomore year was rough. My mental health was really low and I would dread going to school everyday. If it wasn’t for my grades that kept me motivated, I felt like I would have been lost. It helped me stay distracted. This personal experience has influenced my development to where I am today because I feel comfortable knowing that if I am alone again, I can be confident to go up to someone and talk to them. The advice that I would give someone who is facing the same circumstances would be to just put yourself out there. It may be scary and uncomfortable at first, but who knows what would happen if you don’t end up going after something that you want. Life is too short so enjoy it to the fullest.

Both of my parents have been in the military before I was even a thought. Once my mom and dad found out that they were going to have a baby, they had finished their time in the Navy and left. Once I was born, my mom did not go back to the Navy. However, my dad decided to go back. After a few months he had returned back to the Navy. My dad would be gone for about 3-4 months and return for 2-3 months. From that point on it was always my mom and I. My mom practically raised me by herself since my dad would always be away. I was always with her and had a closer bond with her. I would facetime my dad almost every weekend, but it wasn’t the same. He wasn’t there with me. When he was with me, it felt like my time spent with him would always fly by. We would watch cartoons really early in the morning, go swimming, or go out and eat after a long, fun day at the arcade. As I got older, it was hard to have a close relationship with my dad. He was practically gone for almost my whole childhood. It also didn’t help that my parents divorced when I was in sixth grade. As I got older, my dad finally stopped going out of the country. Even though it was too late to make up for lost time, we tried to find other ways to spend time together. I still love my dad, even if he wasn’t always by my side. I am proud to have parents that have served in the military. When it was near the time to apply for college, my mom would tell me that she has always wanted me to do better than she has. She knows that I am capable of so much more and that I will do great things. That being said, my educational goals are to finish college and eventually get my doctorate. I would be the first to attend and finish college. My mom’s dream is to see me finish college because she couldn’t. Her main focus was to take care of her two younger siblings, make sure that the house was clean, that dinner was finished, and on top of that, to make sure that she had time to do her homework. She also couldn’t afford to go to college so that is why she joined the military instead. After graduation, I am hoping to attend vet school to become a veterinarian.

My name is Kaylie DeLeon and I will be an undergraduate at the University of California Davis in September of 2024. I will also be a first gen student. I enjoy reading, watching TV shows/movies, listening to music and spending time with my family/friends. I had moved highschools in the middle of my sophomore year because my mom had gotten a higher paying job. We moved from southern California to northern California. However, it was a blessing in disguise because I would have been closer to my dream college. I knew that my grades would be on the line because everything that I do in high school would eventually lead up to me getting accepted from colleges. I knew that my grades wouldn’t be the problem; they were my motivation to do better than ever. It was my social life. I didn’t know anybody and whenever I would try and start a conversation, my peers would ignore me or not be interested. I was alone and would end up calling my aunt in a bathroom stall. Eventually though, I managed to make one friend towards the end of my sophomore year. From then on out, I had become myself again and had met amazing people that made the rest of my high school years worth it. I put myself out there and had joined a few clubs that interested me; book club, actions for animals, key club, and mock trial are just a few that I was in. I also got back into dancing to mainly focus on hip hop. It eventually led to me starting my own club my senior year. It was a dance club because I wanted to share with others the power of dance and what it does to our mind and body. I also volunteered at an animal shelter because I knew it would be a small step into my future career. Therefore, I want to attend college because I want to be able to have my dream career of being a veterinarian. I see how my mom pushes me and encourages me to do better than she ever did. I have had pressure from her because she knows what I am capable of. She wants me to be the very best and succeed well in life. She never attended college and went into the Navy instead. I want to make her proud and have her see me graduate college. She has sacrificed so much for me that I am beyond grateful for her. She has been my number one support system from the very beginning. My career goal is that I will graduate college and hopefully attend vet school. Hopefully, I am able to get in and achieve my goal to take care of animals. I think later down the line I would want to travel the world and take care of animals from different places. However, in the next few years that are coming up I am hoping to get a job, maybe something that has to do with animals, and just finish college. My life goal that I hope to achieve some day is that I will be with someone and would want to buy an apartment for the both of us to start off with. Along with that, I am hoping that with the money that I will have saved from my job, I can take my mom to Europe.

When Taylor Swift came out with 1989, it became the pop album of that year. Now with 1989 (Taylor’s Version) out, it became a very anticipated album that many Swifties were excited for. It’s very hard to choose one specific song from this album. The year that I had so far that would be my soundtrack would be Wildest Dreams (Taylor’s Version), I Know Places (Taylor’s Version), Now That We Don’t Talk (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault), Is It Over Now? (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault), and Say Don’t Go (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault). All of these songs resonate with me because they describe a situationship that I had with a guy towards the end of my junior year to the beginning of my senior year in high school. Wildest Dreams (Taylor’s Version) talks about a person describing a memory that they want to keep alive from their past relationship. I had something going on with a guy that I really liked and it felt like a dream. He had become my best friend when I moved in the middle of my sophomore year and I had started to develop feelings for him. He was a really good guy. The song I Know Places (Taylor’s Version) then talks about how two people are trying to hide their relationship from paparazzi. I can relate to this song in a way because I was trying to figure out my feelings for the guy that I liked. He has never been in a relationship, so he was also trying to figure out what we were. At that time, our friend group was huge, so we were trying to keep it lowkey so nobody would know until we knew officially. It was definitely hard because our friends would always see that we were always together. Now That We Don’t Talk (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault) says it all within the title. It talks about how two people don’t talk anymore like they once did before. I can 100% relate to this song, especially the lyrics of “I call my mom, she said that it was for the best” and “I called my mom, she said to get it off my chest” because my mom knows how much I wear my heart on my sleeve; I had really liked this guy but it felt like he definitely led me on. That being said, the songs Is It Over Now? (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault) and Say Don’t Go (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault) felt like I had reached a denial stage. The song Is It Over Now? talks about an on-and-off relationship where the person doesn’t know where they stand anymore with their partner. I had a similar feeling to this because at times with this guy, it felt as if I didn’t know where we stood or what we were. As soon as I realized that what we had was coming to an end, the song Say Don’t Go was a song that I would listen to repeatedly. I was very sad and did not want to see my relationship with him end, even as a friend. The lyrics “Why’d you have to lead me on?,” “Why’d you have to twist the knife?,” and “Walk away and leave me bleeding?” perfectly described how I was feeling because I felt very blindsided by him and his actions. Even the lyrics of repeatedly saying “Say don’t go” shows that the person doesn’t want their partner to leave; they are in denial that they are really leaving. It felt as if it was talking about me.

I was looking for something to watch on Netflix because I wanted to get hooked and addicted to another show. I came across Love Island and it looked entertaining. At that time, Netflix started with season 3 and ever since then I wanted to watch the prior seasons. I found out that it was on Peacock and have been loving the show ever since. However, I noticed that most, if not all of the challenges are the same. I feel like at times it could be boring to watch the same challenges over and over; especially if the islanders rarely go outside of the villa. Therefore, I feel like a brand new challenge that Love Island can do is Adventure Racing. Now, I know that production may not want the islanders to go out in public due to it being a show and that fans can go crazy when they see them. However, production can create a specific route that is still secluded to the islanders yet open enough for them to go out and explore. All of the challenges that I have seen are always within the villa or close by. With Adventure Racing, the islanders can go out and explore a bit. The objective of the challenge would be how well a couple can communicate well with each other. Through the good, bad, and the ugly. It would put them to a test to see how well they are willing to work together through obstacles that they could potentially face in life. Usually an adventure race consists of hiking, navigating through trails, paddle boarding and/or maybe even rock climbing. The rules would be no usage of technology whatsoever. The islanders would need to use a map and mark their checkpoints that they need to find. They are allowed to bring snacks and water and rest for however long they need to. Seeing as adventure racing can range from hours to days, a comfortable yet challenging race could potentially be 3 hours for the islanders. This new challenge would add excitement for viewers because we would see how well the couples would strategically work together to overcome obstacles that they would be facing together. This challenge would require communication skills, working together, and even having fun. We would be able to see how each couple are with each other outside of the villa as they overcome this fun adventure together.

I had lived in Palmdale my whole life. However, my sophomore year comes around and my mom tells me that we are moving. My challenge was that I had gone from a big support system to just being my mom and I. I had moved in the middle of my sophomore year. My mom has talked about moving from Palmdale to Sacramento. She had told me that she wanted to get a better job and make more money. However, the real reason behind her drive to move was because she wanted to be closer to my dream college: UC Davis. I have always wanted to be a veterinarian and UC Davis is the number one school just for that. Ever since my mom and my dad divorced when I was in 6th grade, we have always been close. I knew that from that moment on that she would always have my back no matter what. When she told me that we were going to move, I knew that it was for the best. She wanted nothing but the best for me and I knew that I had to work harder than ever. When the second semester of sophomore year came, I was finally enrolled in the school. Comparing my old high school and my new high school, they were completely different. For example, my old high school had our classes outside, whereas my new high school had all my classes inside. I knew that I wouldn’t have a hard time with the classes because I was pretty good at staying on top of my work. I had to stay on top of my work because getting straight A’s would mean getting into UC Davis. I am so hard on myself that I will not let myself eat or use the bathroom until I am done with all of my homework/studying. My grades weren’t the problem, but rather my social life. Whenever I would go to my classes, I didn’t know anybody. I tried to talk to my peers about school work but they wouldn't be interested in talking to me. I felt very out of place and scared. I was a ghost. Once lunchtime came around, I felt lost on where to go. I would call my aunt during my lunch so that I would have someone to talk to. However, it wasn't always the case because she would be working. So, I would go to the bathrooms and eat my lunch in a stall. I felt so alone because I didn’t have anybody to talk to. I would cry myself to sleep every night. I just did not fit in. Although I was on my own for the rest of my sophomore year, I had gathered the courage to make a friend that I will always be grateful for. My challenge of moving to Sacramento in the middle of my sophomore year was rough. My mental health was really low and if it wasn’t for my grades that kept me motivated, I felt like I would have been lost. It helped me stay distracted. Almost two years later, I finally have friends that I can be myself around. I finally feel comfortable knowing that if I am alone again, I can be confident to go up to someone and talk to them. I finally am brave enough to be myself again. I know that there are going to be many bumps and pit stops along my life, but I know that I can overcome those challenges. I can make those obstacles come out into something good.

My name is Kaylie DeLeon and I am a senior at Inderkum High School. I moved to Sacramento in the middle of my sophomore year. My mom had gotten a better job offer that would help her make more money. However, the real reason for me moving up there is because I would be closer to my dream school: UC Davis. It was a struggle for me to get accommodated to the new school because it was completely different. For one, classes were held inside rather than outside from my old high school. However, mentally it was also a struggle because while I maintained my straight A’s with a breeze, I had a hard time being social. I was alone and did not know anybody. I would try and talk to my peers but they didn’t seem interested in having a conversation with me. Even though I was alone pretty much my whole sophomore year, I had managed to make a friend on the last day of school. On a lighter note, I enjoy reading, writing poetry, listening to music, dancing (specifically hip hop), anything Disney related and spending time with my friends. When junior year rolled around, I became more involved in many activities. I joined key club, actions for animals club (which is to promote awareness for animals in shelters), and book club. My senior year I created a dance club because I am so passionate about dancing that I wanted to try and get people out of their comfort zones. I have been dancing since I was 2 years old. I would dance ballet and tap. When I was about 4-5 years old, I danced hip hop. Ever since then, I have been passionate about solely dancing hip hop. I even dance after school at a studio that is across from my school. On top of my passion for dancing, I am also passionate about animals. I want to be a veterinarian. I had dipped my toe and started volunteering at the animal shelter. It not only gave me an opportunity to complete my 30 hours of community service, but it had opened the door of starting somewhere with being involved with animals. Therefore, I want to continue to get involved with animals as much as possible. My goal after high school is to hopefully attend UC Davis and then make my way to vet school to become a veterinarian. That being the case, I would want to start a charity that would help sheltered animals find a home. Animal shelters are always filling up quickly everyday, sometimes even overflowing. It can be overwhelming for workers because they want to make sure that every animal is comfortable and is getting the attention that they deserve. I would serve at my local animal shelter called Front Street Animal Shelter because I have volunteered there before. Volunteers would be giving an extra hand at the shelter, others can go door to door in their local neighborhood to ask for a donation, or a special event where the shelter hosts one day out of the year where the community can meet and play with the animals of their choice; of course, hopefully, with enough volunteers to overlook the animals to make sure no one gets hurt.

I have always wanted to volunteer at an animal shelter because that would get my feet wet to lead me to a path of becoming a veterinarian. Luckily, the opportunity was perfect when I had to volunteer for my senior project. I had volunteered at my local animal shelter and will continue to volunteer, if not locate somewhere else closer to the college of my dreams. Volunteering at the animal shelter had given me skills that I had strengthened and even gained. I have had experience of helping and cleaning after dogs, so it made things easier whenever I was asked to clean their kennels. Not only that, but it helped me get out of my comfort zone to not be afraid to ask for assistance. I did not like talking on the walkie talkie because I felt like I was making a fool of myself. However, I had the courage to talk on the walkie talkie because I needed clarification about a task that I was told to do. As I had continued to volunteer, it has shaped my life of communicating better and being more confident in myself; if I needed to get something done I needed to go after it. Life is too short to wait. Over time, I would volunteer almost every weekend to the point where my mentors knew what I was doing. They would even ask me to show new volunteers the ropes on what they can do to help around. They would ask questions and I would try to be as thorough as possible, clarifying to them so that it is easier for them to get. I am a very shy person, but I am not as scared as I was before; I am more confident to talk to people and help them in any way that I can. This has helped me develop my leadership skills. Animal shelters are always seeking help due to the overflow that they get from many animals that they take in. As I had continued to volunteer, it gave me insight on the struggles and stress that workers go through. They will try to take full responsibility all at once. Animal shelters help take care of the lost and abandoned animals. They also treat the injured and the sick. By helping as much as I can, it has made me realize that I could be the voice for animals and make them feel loved and comfortable as possible. Whether that is taking care of the animals, washing the dishes/doing laundry, or just advocating for the care that these animals deserve. There is a shortage of veterinarians especially at the shelter. This has increased my awareness that animal shelters will always need help. Therefore, it drives me to the path in wanting to help get as much experience as I can. My goal is to major in Animal Science and get more experiences with animals. We all start somewhere and eventually, I hope that I am able to go to vet school to get my doctorate. I want to take care of these animals just as much as there are doctors who are determined to take care of people.

My mom has talked about moving from Palmdale to Sacramento. She has told me that she wanted to get a better job and make more money. However, the real reason to move was because she wanted to help me get into the university of my choice. I have always wanted to be a veterinarian and UC Davis is the number one school just for that. Therefore, she wanted to move to Sacramento. I was then enrolled for the second semester of my sophomore year. My old high school and my new high school were completely different because classes were held inside rather than outside. It gave me the vibe from the show Saved by the Bell. I knew I had to stay on top of my work because getting straight A’s would mean getting into the university of my choice. The pressure was definitely on because my mom has always pushed me to go to college and have a high paying job to help me succeed. After all, I am an only child who is going to be the first to go to college within my family. For that reason, I have always put pressure on myself to get straight A’s. I was so hard on myself that I will not let myself eat or use the bathroom until I am done with all of my homework/studying. I knew that I could not afford to fail because that would mean I couldn’t get into the college that I wanted. The grades weren't the problem that I had when I moved. It was my social life. I would try to talk to my peers in my classes about school work or have small talk, but they wouldn’t be interested in talking to me. I didn't know anybody. Everyone knew each other because they had grown up together from elementary school. Once lunchtime came around, I would call my aunt in a bathroom stall so that I would have someone to talk to. However, it wasn't always the case because she would be working. I felt very out of place and would end up crying myself to sleep because I knew that I couldn’t talk about past memories that I had with others at my new high school. I just did not fit in. Even though I was on my own for the rest of my sophomore year, I had gathered the courage to make a friend by asking for his Instagram on the last day of school. Our friendship began to develop when he had offered me a concha and once I had texted him thank you, we had begun to talk more. I understand that there are going to be many bumps and pit stops throughout my life, but I know that I can overcome those challenges by adapting to a new environment and adjusting to setbacks. If someone was in a similar situation, I would not hesitate to be friends with them. I would let them know that they are stronger than they think and that they have come a long way to get where they need to be now. Life is a roller coaster; you won't know where you end up but you will eventually be where you are meant to be in your life. There are many obstacles in life that we overcome, but it helps shape us to the people that we are meant to be and challenge us on how much we can take.

While growing up I would have Disney movies out on DVD before Disney+, have a princess-themed room and princess-themed birthday parties, as well as going to Disneyland once a year. Even now as a young woman, I am still obsessed with everything that Disney has. From the movies to Disney trips to collecting souvenirs, I feel like I can be a kid again. It has brought me so much joy to the point where I will start crying whenever I see the original movies or hear their sing-alongs. However, if there is one thing that I love about Disney, it would be their movies and how we could connect and relate with the characters so easily. I love everything about Disney movies because of the sing-alongs. The sing-alongs are so catchy that I will randomly catch myself singing them. Not only that but the movies have such a meaningful lesson that will carry out into the rest of our lives. For example, in the movie The Lion King, Rafiki tells Simba that he can run away from his past or learn from it. It is easier said than done because throughout our lives there will always be something that will remind us of the past. However, we need to learn how to move from the past for us to live in the now. The past should not define us because it happened in the past for a reason. Another example of life lessons that Disney has shown is in the movie Beauty and the Beast. The lesson being shown throughout the whole movie is to not judge a person by their looks. It all depends on the personality of that person and how they are. A person can be very good-looking but be mean. However, if you have a nice personality then you can attract other nice people. That is why my favorite Disney movie is Beauty and the Beast. My mom has always told me that I remind her of Belle because of how similar we are. I love reading books, I am kind, and I am intelligent. Not to mention that we look very similar with dark brown hair and dark brown eyes. Ever since then, it has been implemented in my brain that whenever I see Belle, I get excited. She is like my twin and I love her. Even the movie, Beauty and the Beast gets me emotional because Belle sees the good in people no matter how they look. I am the same way because I am very optimistic and will not judge you based on your looks unless you have an ugly, mean personality. To me, she is like the older sister that I never had, so I look up to her character a lot. Once you connect with a movie that you enjoy, people tend to want to connect with a certain character that best replicates themselves. People will see their personality characteristics being reflected and will want to form a relationship just like we do with family and friends. People then tend to fill in any gaps that could have potentially been from their past. These lessons being presented in movies then give people an outer perspective of reality. Disney has touched hearts with the fun and crazy characters, the entertaining storylines, the nostalgic feeling of being a kid again, and many recollections of memories that generations have grown up with. The catchy sing-alongs within the movies keep the audience entertained and drawn in. It has brought many people close together because of that comforting feeling from our childhood.