Hello, I’m Kyle Shrader, a current Senior at Hinsdale Central High School in Hinsdale, Illinois. For the past few years, I have been focused on improving the quality and availability of reliable health care for minorities and immigrants in my local community. Accomplishing this goal has been demanding – and surely has had its challenging moments – but I’ve been able to pursue my dream by interning and volunteering at organizations across Illinois. These interactions with minority and immigrant communities have taught me considerably about the importance of civic engagement, and have cemented my decision towards centering my life and career around social policy. My inspiration developed when my grandparents immigrated to the United States several years ago. They moved here in order to take care of me while my parents went off to work, and I can still remember clearly some of their troubles. Coming from China, they faced many difficulties early on. Aside from cultural barriers and financial hardship, my grandparents – like many other immigrants in this nation – were challenged with finding insurance and health care that could keep them well. By observing the struggles of my grandparents, I have realized that there are extreme disparities between the health care minority immigrants and native-born citizens receive. As a consequence of this, immigrant populations are becoming less willing to interact with our government and increasingly disengaged from politics. Mental and physical health, too, is an incredibly serious issue in this country — and abroad — that needs to be addressed. Health care professionals are too worried amount improving emergency healthcare, which is undeniably important, but too much to the point that preventative care has become deplorable. As a result, every step I have taken has been with a purpose: to build a strong educational foundation in pursuit of resolving these issues. Thus, I have spent a great deal of time and effort towards studying diligently, as well as building and maintaining a strong footing and support system; my proudest achievements that manifest these efforts include being elected Chairman of the Youth Advisory Board for the Midwest Asian Health Association, founding my own nonprofit, the China-US Youth Leadership Development Foundation, and being elected President of the National Honors Society at Hinsdale Central High School. Simply put, this is my story. I dream of becoming a policymaker who can solve the troubles of my grandparents as well as minorities and immigrants just like them. I am applying for scholarships through Bold.org because I wish to support my hardworking and loving parents. Throughout my life, my parents have been working incredibly hard to support my family. These scholarships will be extremely beneficial towards financing my college tuition because it will provide them with some fiscal relief. This holds especially true because I will be attending New York University this upcoming fall, where my estimated annual fees sum up to more than $78,000. Without scholarships, much of the funding will come from my own savings and likely half from student loans. Thus, I am relying on scholarships to help pay for a decisive portion of my college tuition. In 2014, my parents divorced. Ever since they have been living amiable, but separate lives. Since then, my father has remarried and my mother has remained single. My father works diligently to help support his new family. His income is paying for himself, his wife (who is not employed), my little sister (who’s college tuition he must also save up for), and myself. Aside from his immediate family, he is also supporting my stepmother’s father, who has recently been diagnosed with cancer. On top of supporting an entire family of his own, he must save up for future debt. Once my great grandmother passes away, much of her property and liabilities will have to be paid off by him, including the entirety of rights and land of my father’s recreational vehicle business. My mother’s income, too, must support an entire family. She now not only responsible for me, but also lends a hand to my aunt and cousin, who recently immigrated to the United States. Her sister, who is unemployed, and nephew, who is also unemployed and attending college the same year as me, are relying on her assistance. My mother is also taking care of her retired parents, who have been living with her for the past seventeen years. My parents have been working incredibly hard to support my family, and I just want to help them out. Recently, I have found a part-time job during school weeks at a local Culver’s in order to help pay for my college tuition. Through my efforts, I have already earned over a thousand dollars, but I know that this will not be enough. I hold my family very dear to my heart and I love them so much. I hope to support them in any way I can, and I know that the financial assistance provided by scholarships on Bold.org will help tremendously.