As a non-U.S. citizen, I have been lucky thus far to receive an education similar to my peers. It wasn't until I started to apply for internships and research opportunities, colleges, and financial aid that I felt as though I was at a disadvantage compared to those around me. In my sophomore and junior year of high school, I started to look for internship and research opportunities to take my interests in economics and business outside of the classroom and apply them to more real-world scenarios. However, because of my citizenship, I was unable to apply to most internship and research opportunities that I had found. Since I wasn't able to get hands-on experience through internships I decided to focus more on volunteer opportunities. In my sophomore year of high school, my 3 friends and I organized the “Go Green” campaign, which combated single-use plastic in my community through the sale of reusable “Green Bags” and educational outreach events in the Detroit area. My co-chairs and I utilized digital marketing techniques and held webinars to educate community members about the disastrous effects of plastic waste. We also collaborated with businesses to hold fundraisers, as well as elementary schools and girl scout troops, to promote our cause and host a recycling drive that attracted over 100 households. Community buy-in allowed us to sell over 500 bags and have around 200 fundraiser participants. As a high school student, I wasn’t aware of the extent to which my work could make a difference. Although I had always had a general interest in business, my experience with this initiative showed me how business practices could be leveraged to positively impact my community. I am drawn to the University of Michigan’s (U-M) Ross School of Business’s focus on the impact economy, which will help me learn ethical business practices to create positive change in society. At Ross, I am looking forward to “Strategies for Sustainable Development” to learn how strategic business practices can also align with environmentally sustainable business choices. I am also looking forward to global opportunities, such as the Ross Undergraduate Global Exchange Program, through which I hope to travel to Copenhagen Business School in Denmark. By taking classes such as “Green Transition and Business Innovation,” I can further enrich myself with knowledge of how the green transition affects business practices. I also look forward to gaining new viewpoints about international business methods, which I can utilize to promote environmentally ethical business practices in this ever-changing world. Aside from classroom learning, I am also excited to take advantage of the numerous organizations offered at U-M, such as the Entrepreneurs Leadership Program (ELP). ELP will allow me to have one-on-one mentorship with an entrepreneurial leader to continue building skills that will help me become an impactful entrepreneur in the future. Furthermore, I can expand my networking circle by creating meaningful connections with my mentor that last beyond my four years at U-M. At the Ross School of Business, I will have the opportunity to learn from experts while striving to be my best through courses that will support my interest in the intersection of business and ethics. Through these opportunities, I will utilize my education to ensure that businesses are operated with an ethical sensibility instead of just being solely profit-driven to drive societal change. I hope to refine and apply this philosophy through my time at U-M and beyond.