One morning, my dad came back from his annual health checkup saying that his doctor noticed twitching in his arms. Back then, I had no idea how life-changing this would be until roughly a year later in 2018, when after countless tests and appointments, my dad was officially diagnosed with ALS. At the time of my dad's diagnosis, I was in my last year of middle school and transitioning to an accelerated high school program. Extremely busy, I would learn to juggle my academics, full-time caregiving alongside my mom and 9-year-old brother, and the COVID-19 pandemic all at once. With my dad's ALS being limb-onset, we assisted in all his needs and transportation from transferring him from wheelchair to bed, administering medicines, using his feeding tube, and daily needs such as getting dressed or brushing his teeth.He soon also lost his ability to speak and breathe well, and was only able to talk to us through an eye-gaze computer while being strapped to a breathing machine. It was extremely difficult to watch my beloved father deteriorate every day and slowly die a brutal death. Despite this, my dad's positive attitude, strong faith, and ability to face death without fear helped to motivate me by doing well in school and diligently taking care of my dad until he passed away. As I'm sure is common among all ALS families, ALS also greatly affected our financial situation. My dad was our family's primary income source. When he was diagnosed, he tried to keep working to the best of his abilities for as long as he could but it hurt me and my family to see him trying to provide for us when his body was deteriorating quickly. He soon retired and my mom, brother, and I all became his primary caregivers. Due to this, no one in my family worked for the years my dad was sick. Shouldering the countless medical costs, house renovations, and daily necessities was extremely difficult but, as usual, my dad's encouragement and faith helped us feel better. I hope to continue my education at Colorado State University to receive my bachelor's in international studies. My dad was the biggest inspiration and motivation to pursue my desired career field. He was an ESL teacher at an elementary school and would always tell me about his diverse students. He cultivated in me a love for cultures, diversity, and people, and always taught me how to be respectful and kind towards everyone. Even with ALS, he showed compassion and love towards everyone he met and always told me to have respect. I hope to follow in his footsteps by helping people all over the world through advocacy and respect, just like my dad did. All in all, with my dad's undying support I was blessed to maintain above a 4.0 GPA all throughout my high school years and graduate with highest honors, diploma, sixty college credits, and an associates degree of liberal arts in 2023. My dad passed away on March 21, 2021, but his constant support never disappeared and will motivate me to continue working hard at college for my family, and this scholarship would be monumental in helping me accomplish this. Since my family is still recovering from financial strains, my biggest concern of attending college has been becoming a financial burden to my mom and brother. Overall, I can confidently say that despite the terribleness of ALS, my dad and his journey with this disease has helped me learn and grow as a person and that my dad would have been extremely proud of my accomplishments.

My name is Liana Martin, and I thank you for this scholarship opportunity. My story starts off in 2018, when my beloved dad was diagnosed with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), a neurodegenerative disease that has no cure and typically has a 2-4 year life expectancy post diagnosis. This was during my last year of middle school and transition to high school. I watched as my dad, who was my role-model and inspiration, lost the ability to move, eat, and talk. He grew extremely skinny and was limited to an electric wheelchair, had a feeding tube, and used a computer to talk to me. I helped administer his medications, feed him, brush his teeth, shave him, take him to the bathroom, dress him, and countless other things that an able-bodied person did themselves. My mom, younger brother, and I became primary caregivers for my dad during this time. Physically, we were constantly tired. Mentally, I was exhausted. I battled with severe anxiety, trauma, and depression during this time. I remember waking up in the middle of the night to help my dad choking on his saliva and later crying myself to sleep from anxiety and stress, I felt anger towards myself and even my dad and family when they did nothing wrong. I would snap at my dad when he was the one suffering and couldn't help asking for help and feel horrible afterwards, hating myself even more. My dad was so patient and gracious, always forgiving me and saying it wasn't my fault when I would make mistakes over and over again and feel crushing regret. After a long, difficult journey with ALS, my dad passed away in 2021 during my junior year of high school. As the months after his death passed, I thought of how he lived his life. My dad was never angry or bitter and he always treated me, my family, and everyone else with kindness and respect. He apologized for being a burden in the family when he wasn't and would always thank us for our caregiving despite the fact that he was dying a slow, painful death. He was always forgiving and gentle when I would be short-tempered or make a mistake in his care. Most importantly, he inspired me and taught me how to be a good person and live life. He taught me respect, patience, and kindness. I realized that I wanted to be exactly like him when I grew up. My dad was always a kind and intelligent person since I could remember. Being an ESL teacher, he would teach English to diverse students. He taught me how to be respectful and kind to people of all backgrounds. He cultivated in me a love for cultures, languages, and people. I grew up to be just like him with an intense love of cultural diversity and people, and wanting to make a difference and help those who had no voice for themselves. Truly, my dad was the biggest motivator and mentor in my life. After my dad passed, I struggled once again mentally and emotionally. That was when my mom stepped in, encouraging me and reminding me that my dad was proud of me. That was when I also realized the resilience and fighting my mom did, how she tirelessly took care of her dying husband without leaving his side. I couldn't imagine how she felt watching her own beloved spouse die slowly. With inspiration from both my parents, I was able to get over my depression and anxiety that threatened to limit my life. Alongside my mom and dad, I fought to take control of my life and strive for a better future. My life did matter, and I learned that all of my life experiences had strengthened my character and mentality rather than weakened it. When people hear my story, they often tell me how traumatized I must be, how hard my life was and is, and if I'm doing alright. In reality, I think this experience has strengthened me and made me a better person. My dad inspired me to fight and persevere with life rather than be defeated and give in. Like he did, I now live to achieve my life goals with confidence and motivation, to work hard in making a difference in the world. This led me to work hard in graduating high school with my associate's degree as well, and furthering my educational journey by attending Colorado State University to earn my bachelor's degree in international studies. I hope to follow in my dad's footsteps by working with diverse people and helping them just like he did. I will help others fight for their lives just like me and my family did in ours.

We all come from somewhere. Everyone has their own unique identity and cultural background, let it be seemingly complex or not. Being adopted into a bicultural household with a Japanese mom and an American dad, I was exposed to two extremely different cultures at a young age. What might seem acceptable in the US was rude in Japan or vice versa and I often struggled with what seemed like my two identities. Taught to speak both English and Japanese, I also visited Japan and my family almost annually. I remember having a major cultural identity crisis where I felt like I wasn't quite fully American or Japanese, and not Chinese but should be. Despite these struggles, it also cultivated in me a love of learning about other cultures while also teaching me how to have an open, respectful mind at a young age. The study of cultures and nations can tell us a lot about ourselves, by cultivating in us an open mind and natural respect towards others different from ourselves. It teaches us about our backgrounds and history, and how to interact with each culture with respect. While it can be challenging, it shows as an excellent method of growth through character while expanding one's knowledge. A lack of understanding of cultures and nations could lead to negative thoughts such as stereotyping, prejudice, and ignorance toward groups of people. My grandparents would make hostile remarks while watching the news about refugees from Mexico. I was shocked at how ignorant some people could be, even my own family, and how little they knew about the outside world or even their own country's history. It reminded me of the importance of being educated on these topics, both nationally and internationally. I always receive confused looks when I say I am majoring in international studies. The typical question is what job I would do after I earn that degree. Global exploration holds extreme value to the United States. I always liked the metaphor of the US being a salad bowl rather than a melting pot which tends to be more common. Similar to how a salad is created with a variety of different ingredients to make one flavorful dish, the US is full of many diverse cultures and ideas that all work together which makes it so successful. While it can benefit the US economically, scientifically, and socially, global exploration can also help establish a better life for US citizens. Similarly, global exploration gives students chances to be immersed in other cultures and gain exposure to other cultures. Students can continue to bring this knowledge to their future workplaces and communities and help fix the numerous social issues in the US present to this day. Ultimately, it is to work towards a better future for America.

I had never heard of ALS until one morning when my dad came back from his annual health checkup saying his doctor noticed twitching in his arms. After numerous tests and appointments over several months, he was officially diagnosed with limb-onset ALS in 2018. He lived with ALS for three more years until passing away in early 2021, during COVID-19. I watched my dad as he gradually lost the ability to walk, speak, and breathe and become less and less himself. I would watch him in his wheelchair using his eye-gaze computer all day, wishing he could just get better and go back to the active, goofy dad I always knew. Yet, he maintained a good attitude and did his best to participate in any clinical trial he could, while also accepting the fact that he would most likely die and had peace with himself. My dad was the primary source of income in our family and worked diligently as an ESL teacher at a public elementary school. After his diagnosis, he was forced to retire immediately and my mom, brother, and I became primary caregivers as we took care of him at home. Due to this, no one in my household was working for the three years my dad was sick. We faced the costs of renovating our home to make it wheelchair accessible, countless medications, supplies, and appointments and simply providing for our everyday needs with no income. Hiring a caregiver was not in our budget. We took care of our dad twenty-four-seven with no breaks, and I remember trying not to cry at night trying to finish my mounds of homework while listening to make sure my dad wouldn't start choking while sleeping. I couldn't even imagine how my brother who was 8 years old at the time felt, or my mom who had to watch her husband die a slow death. This scholarship would affect my career plan greatly. Cultivating in me a love of other people and cultures, my dad was the biggest inspiration for my career aspirations. I also wanted to participate in international studies and help make a difference in the world just like he did while teaching English to kids. This scholarship would be essential in helping me afford my tuition, without having to burden my family's financial status and taking away any opportunities for my mom and brother due to my own expenses. Scholarships are currently the main thing I am relying on to help me pay for college. This scholarship would help me make my dad proud so I may pursue a career to help change the world for the better in his memory. Lastly, the question of how ALS has affected my life remains. ALS took away my beloved dad, who was the biggest mentor and inspiration in my life. He loved me, taught me, and supported me every step of the way but ALS took him from me early. However, ALS did not affect my family's resilience and integrity. In fact, it made me even stronger while also cultivating in me compassion and kindness. I did not allow ALS to take away my perseverance and instead allowed me to learn to advocate for other ALS patients, spread awareness, and support other people who suffer from this horrendous disease. ALS has made me grow as a person.

My name is Liana Martin! I was adopted from China when I was a year old to a bicultural household with a Japanese mom and an American dad. I currently live in a low-income household with my mom and younger brother. I can speak Japanese and English fluently and have developed a love of community service, linguistics, and a variety of other hobbies. In my sophomore year of 2021, my dad passed away due to ALS, a terminal illness he had been diagnosed with and struggling with since 2018. He was the biggest mentor in my life and worked as an ESL teacher who taught English to students from all over the world. He would often come home and tell me about his students: their backgrounds, cultures, and native languages. He would also express how he wished he could help them more. He inspired me to develop a love of cultures and thus my education goal. What I wanted to study changed several times but attending college was always set in stone for me. I always wanted to attend a specific college, Colorado State University. My love of people and cultures never changed. I now know I want to study international studies and make a positive difference in the world by helping those in need and spreading awareness of these issues. This scholarship would help me in several ways to be able to achieve this goal. When my dad was diagnosed, he has forced to retire from his job suddenly and early. He was the primary income of our household. House remodeling, medical expenses, and needing to purchase an electric wheelchair all caused anxiety on the topic of money. On top of that, it was during the COVID-19 pandemic making medical supplies and resources even harder to obtain. Even after my dad's passing, my family continues to be lower in income than ideal. My dad always encouraged me and wanted me to be able to study what I wanted just like he did. This scholarship would be extremely beneficial in helping pay for my higher education, and to not affect my mom and brother negatively due to my own financial needs. I'm sure my dad would have supported me every step of the way if he was still here, and would love to be able to make him proud at achieving my goals. I would also have a sound mind that I am not putting my mom and brother at a disadvantage with my education expenses.

I was sure I was going to be a doctor when I grew up. Since I was young, my dream had been to become a doctor and be able to save lives. Taking pride in my dreams and ambitions, I was a very career-driven individual and valued my academics and accomplishments. I had lived a pretty good childhood life, being adopted from China into a loving bicultural household with a mom, dad, younger brother, and a fairly stable financial situation. That all changed when my dad was diagnosed with a terminal illness, ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) or Lou Gehrig's disease in 2018, my final year of middle school. This meant my dad would have to retire suddenly and our family had to become full-time caretakers since hiring one was far too expensive. My formerly carefree life was completely changed and I was forced to juggle my first year of high school while taking care of my dad whom I watched become slowly paralyzed and lose the ability to speak, eat, and breathe. I reminded and helped my dad take 9 different medications throughout the day, issued medical infusions, helped with his range-of-motion exercises, and cleaned and fed him through his feeding tube. At the age of 14, I was able to do about the same amount of medical tasks as the occasional hospice nurse that came once a week to check on us. After watching my dad choking on the water he tried to drink or now being unable to say more than five words, I realized I didn't want to become a doctor anymore. I didn't want anything to do with the medical field now since it ignited too much trauma for me. My original life plans were now gone, and I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with my life next. My grandparents and aunt who were always encouraging my medical aspirations suddenly didn't seem supportive and I felt pressured. I didn't want to just become the pitied low-income girl who lost her dad suddenly, gained a lot of trauma, and now didn't know what to do with her life. Instead, I thought of my passions and interests and thus discovered liberal arts: specifically anthropology and international studies. My dad used to be an ESL teacher, helping educate students of different races and backgrounds and greatly influenced my love of cultures. I decided I wanted to pursue this as my career instead in 2020, and when I told my dad he was fully supportive of my decision. He was truly an inspiration to me. My dad passed away in March 2021 in my sophomore year of high school. Though he isn't here with me now, I hope to go to a four-year university to earn my degree and study liberal arts so I could also make a difference in the world and pursue my newfound dreams. I'm sure my father who always supported me would also be proud and cheer me on to do so.

Community is when we all have something in common and live together while supporting one another. At least, this was what I saw when my father was diagnosed with a terminal illness when I was in middle school. My father was diagnosed suddenly with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, where the expected lifespan was three to five years. During these hard years, the amount of support me and my family received from our community was overwhelming. From giving us food, or helping mow our lawns, to just coming and praying for us, countless people gave us support when my father was sick. My father passed away in 2021 when I was a junior in high school. I was inspired, after this, to also get involved in my community. I also wanted to help someone feel welcomed and supported if they were going through a hard time like my family was. My father was a very compassionate person and I knew he would be proud of me if I helped the community, so he was also a source of inspiration for me. I then volunteered to serve at my church to work in the cafeteria and also joined my school's National Honor Society (NHS) chapter to be involved in community service. My church is a very diverse place with people from countless backgrounds and we value inclusion and respect. Serving at the cafe has helped me meet and talk with new people while also creating in me a sense of responsibility like working at any job does. I also learned practical things such as working a cash register, creating numerous different drinks, pulling espresso shots, and steaming milk. Meanwhile, with my NHS, I was able to take part in tree replenishment projects, SECOR food packing, and Ukraine fundraising for a fellow student. NHS was a community in itself, and I was glad to be able to do projects with my peers. While they may seem small, I was happy to be able to make a difference in both my church and school community. My favorite was helping create awareness and support for students at our school directly affected by the Russian-Ukraine war. Since our school is very small, it is a tightly-knit community and everyone knows each other. By supporting one another, I was able to help make changes in my school community, as well as a more large-scale difference in my church community.

"But you're a girl. You can't be a police officer because you're not strong enough. Why don't you say you'll become a bakery owner just like the other girls?" This statement made by my teacher was what crushed my initial childhood dream when I was in kindergarten after we shared our dream careers. I always wondered why the boys were treated differently from us girls, and instilled a sense of insecurity in me. Women have been discriminated against, silenced, and stereotyped historically for many years despite their importance to society. Countless times we have had to fight unfair treatment and 'prove' ourselves in society to show our capability. To me, feminism is advocating for these women and fighting for rights so that we can live justly in society without having our voices diminished. I have faced discriminatory remarks regarding my female identity, typically assumptions of me being weak, emotional, and shy. On the contrary, I like being strong and capable, am barely emotional, and like being outspoken. Despite this, I have felt like I needed to act a certain way to fit social standards and appeal to men. Now, I understand the importance of advocating for women like this and pushing forward for our continued rights and freedom. This way, I can help young women like me to not feel insecure in themselves and be confident; something I wish I had when I was younger. My mother is the most inspirational person to me, and she is truly a strong woman who defines feminism. We are like best friends and she calls us both "girl-bosses" jokingly. She was born in Japan and lived there until she met my father, who was American. There, she moved to the US where she barely knew and learned English. After adopting me from China and biologically giving birth to my brother, she homeschooled us both. Later, my father who was our household's primary income was diagnosed with a fatal terminal illness called ALS and she was his primary caregiver until he passed. She would do all of the physical work while also maintaining her mental health while watching her husband deteriorate and slowly die. Despite this, she has been looked down on by outsiders and even my father's own family. They would comment seemingly concerned remarks that my mom was trying too hard and should hire a caregiver, while not even taking into account how expensive caregivers were. All financial decisions became the responsibility of my mother. She would make countless phone calls while English wasn't her first language. All in all, my mother made me realize how strong women can be and how important it is to advocate for us. Being Japanese and a minority woman, my mother wasn't able to find a well-paying job either despite having a college degree. My mother helped me realize how important feminism is, and I appreciate her for it. I hope to spread feminism as I continue my college and career life. Being a part of my high school's National Honors Society which is eighty percent female has helped me show how capable women are. We can organize community service projects and fundraisers. Similarly, I can help spread awareness in my church community. I have also had chances to individually educate people on feminism and how to respect and treat women. I hope to be able to cultivate my ability to educate and spread awareness in my upcoming college years.

Your father is going to die. Those words changed my life when I was thirteen and just navigating middle school while preparing my transition into high school. He was diagnosed suddenly with a terminal illness known as ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) or Lou Gehrig's disease. The expected lifespan after diagnosis was three to five years. I then set a goal for myself: I would help my father until he passed and be as helpful, kind, and patient as possible. That way I would have no regrets when he passed away. Unfortunately, that was much harder than I expected. It's surprising, as being frustrated at an ill patient seems heartless and unreasonable. However, when you're faced with the reality of hardship I found that everything was easier said than done. I remember waking up in the middle of the night to help my father because he had fallen off the bed. I was tired, and indeed not as helpful, kind, and patient as I wanted myself to be. My mother and brother diligently took care of my father with me, but for whatever reason, I kept wanting to take my anger out on my father. My goal of loving my father until he passed was not turning out as I had ideally planned it to. I spoke with my mother to try and figure out why I was experiencing such feelings. This was after realizing it was harmful to me to continue harboring these internal feelings and beating myself up afterward for failing again. After some discussion, I reminded myself I was NOT angry at my father at all. I loved him very dearly and was depressed to see him slowly deteriorating and moving closer to death. Instead, my anger towards ALS, the illness itself, plus my heavy schoolwork and the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, was being transferred unfairly to my father. I realized that during the years my father was diagnosed and leading up to his death, my feelings of sadness mixed with grief had turned into unreasonable anger. It was hard for me to overcome these feelings. Still, it was extremely helpful to finally realize why I kept acting this way and do my best to fix it. The first step I did was to apologize to my father. I was more than relieved when he assured me he hadn't noticed and still felt extremely loved and taken good care of by me and my family. I still asked for forgiveness from my father and took diligent care of him. About two weeks before he passed, my father texted me. The text read, "thank you for all your help in taking care of me!" I have this text saved on my phone to look back at when I feel like a failure to remind me. My father passed away in my junior year of high school in March. While I did fall short of my expectations many times, I was able to take good care of my beloved father until the end. I would call this a success and was able to eliminate any regrets I would have had.

"Hi! My name is Chisa. It's pronounced like Lisa, but with a 'ch'." That is how my mother always introduces herself when meeting someone new in the United States. Having married my father, who was American in 1999, she moved from Japan to the US and has been living here ever since. She and my father were devout Christians and I was blessed to be adopted by them in China when I was a year old in 2005. Here, they raised and disciplined me. My mother has been instrumental in my life, both in raising me, teaching me, and being my spiritual mentor. She homeschooled me until I reached high school and still homeschools my younger brother. Since then, I looked up to my mother and admired her character and knowledge. She taught me Japanese and connected me with her culture so I wouldn't feel disconnected or different in the US as an adopted Asian girl. However, it wasn't until our family was hit with a trial that I realized her great impact on my life. When I was thirteen and my brother six, my father was diagnosed with a terminal illness called ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) or Lou Gehrig's disease. Essentially, my father would lose his motor neurons. This would lead to the paralyzation of the body and losing the ability to speak or breathe. Hiring a caregiver was extremely expensive, so my mother, brother, and I became the primary caregivers. English was not my mother's first language but I watched as she made countless phone calls to insurance and hospitals in my father's place. I watched as my father gradually became immobile and how my mother would lift him to get into bed or in the shower. My mother wouldn't sleep well for the next three years my father was alive. It was truly amazing to me how strong she was, both mentally and physically. Other people would judge and say she was doing too much or comment on how she needed to hire a caregiver without knowing the cost of it. By watching her, I learned compassion, patience, resilience, and integrity which were critical in shaping who I am today. My mother was one of the most spiritually mature people I knew. I would hear my mother crying at night after she had put my father to sleep while reading her Bible and praying for strength. During this trial, I truly realized my mother's resilience and faith but also her selflessness. Watched her husband slowly die a horrendous death in a country she was not familiar with, while raising her two children, being the primary caregiver while also doing housework a normal mother would do. She remained true to her faith, trusted God for everything, and comforted my brother and me while she was hurting herself. Even today, she is the first person I consult for questions regarding the Bible, faith, and just any advice for life. My mother did her utmost best to keep my father comfortable and happy in the last years of his life and he would call her an angel and the best caregiver in the world; I would agree. My father passed away in March of 2021. Even though the process of grief, my mother remained strong, having peace that she would see my father again. She leads the Griefshare ministry at our church and still homeschools my brother. My mother continues to be the most intelligent, kind, and spiritual leader to me and will be for the rest of my life.

In my entire life, I never wanted to hear that my father was terminally ill and had less than five years to live. Unfortunately, that happened when I was in my final year of middle school when he was diagnosed with ALS or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. When this happened, we received a lot of community service help in our lives. People brought us meals, helped do our yard work, played with my younger brother, or simply donated something. Others took my father on a walk by pushing his wheelchair because he loved nature. No matter what they did, these people meant so much to me and my family, helping us stay motivated in taking care of my father and remaining positive. Our community ranged from neighbors and close friends to church or school organizations. Regardless of who it was or what their organizations were, their acts of service had a large impact on our family and made us feel loved, seen, and taken care of. After my father passed away in 2021, I gained much more empathy for community service and giving back to people in my community. I also wanted to be a part of helping others and making a difference. During my elementary and middle school years, I did some community service projects with my school such as writing letters to veterans, cleaning the outside of the local senior center, or giving out coats and playing with refugee children at their apartments. However, this time service was much more meaningful to me and I wanted to voluntarily take part in community service. I joined my school's National Honor Society that year where we took part in tree replenishment projects, SECOR food packing, and raising money for classmates affected by the recent Ukrainian war. I also volunteered to serve at my church and work there weekly and during major events, either cleaning, working in the cafeteria or helping at the youth ministries. My future career mainly revolves around liberal arts and international studies. The study of liberal arts largely regards social issues and intercultural communication. People's rights are worth defending and helping those who have no voice or cannot speak up for themselves is extremely valuable. Others need help but are unable to attain it. This includes people within the United States, but also outside of it. I see discrimination happen to many people, me and my family included, and hope that my career can help educate others and lessen conflict, which in turn will be giving back to my community. I like to think of my community as a broad term, which can include my small-scale community but also encompass the United States as a whole including international people as well. I hope that my future career can give back to have a large impact on the community of people around me who need help just as the people who helped my father did.