Despite being made for children, the Thea Stilton series by Elisabetta Maria Dami holds a special place in my heart. Set in a fictional version of Earth dominated by anthropomorphic mice and rats, the series focuses on a tight-knit group of friends who explore the world. Each book brings a different adventure filled with colorful illustrations. It’s because of these books that led me to love art and design, which are important to me as an individual. While my nine-year-old self was only concerned about how colorful the Thea Stilton books were, I later came to realize that they also promoted diversity, exploration, friendship, and some great morals. Characters such as Nicky from Australia, Violet from China, and Paulina from Peru opened my eyes to new cultures and made me love my own. Having a character (Violet) resemble my ethnicity, even if I didn’t realize it at the time, made me appreciate my Chinese-Malaysian heritage even more. The series also explored new countries which piqued my interest in world travel. I read of mice exploring the Secret City of the Incas in Peru, walking down a runway in a Paris fashion show, admiring the beautiful cherry blossoms of Japan, and discovering the mysterious castles of Scotland. The adventures went on and on. The fictional mice characters explored a world far bigger than the small town I lived in. But not only that, they sparked my interest in many things: traveling, mysteries, art, and design. Who knew that mice could make such a big impact on me! The ability of these books to find love in art and design is just simply fabulous. Or should I say, fabumouse.

What makes a good listener? Most people believe it comes down to a few components: not interrupting the speaker and being able to repeat back word for word what the speaker just said. But I disagree. Instead of nodding your head along and absorbing words like a sponge, a great listener should be similar to a trampoline that can bounce back and forth questions, ideas, and constructive feedback with the speaker. As a Writing Consultant at my school, I use this method of active listening when I give students feedback on their writing. Giving feedback is like a two-way conversation: When students talk about what they're writing about, I always ask questions about their style of writing, the purpose of writing, assignment requirements, etc. When I edit papers, I don't just give constructive feedback, but also complement certain aspects of their writing. By engaging with students, I gain a deeper understanding of the student's writing while also encouraging students to speak more and feel comfortable talking to me. This not only assists me as far as giving relevant feedback to students but also helps get writers' ideas flowing. Also, students will feel more heard and understood when someone shows interest in their writing rather than remaining unresponsive. Overall, I believe this type of active listening fosters a more empathetic environment for everyone involved in the consulting process. From a year of experience as a consultant, I found that students are more likely to open up to you if you ask follow-up questions or add your own thoughts and ideas to the conversation. This creates a rich environment where writers can leave with a deeper understanding of their strengths, weaknesses, and ways to build their writing while consultants can reflect on their listening skills.

Every day, I unlock the front door and step outside into the early sunrise. I make my way past the light lamp in my front yard that glows yellow, illuminating a small radius of fresh grass. I turn left onto the sidewalk, carefully making my way around the muddy puddles. My shadow slowly starts to fade back into the gray cement. The lamp no longer reaches the path. The houses on my left and right are silent. No dogs are barking, no clattering of pots and pans, and no murmuring of the morning news on TV. But a house not too far away gets ready for its day: its garage door opens and a car engine comes alive. The car stirs to life— lights turn on, soft music plays— and slowly, as if it too were just waking up, makes its way down to the intersection. As I walk down the street, the path gets more visible as the sun slowly rises. I see pinwheels in garden beds on the left; The spinning colors and gentle whirl greet me as I walk past them. The chalk hopscotch and smiley faces left by the children living on the street bring a smile to my face. Birds above me begin to chirp. The windchime on the next house sings a new melody as if it is excited for a new day to begin. The morning walk to my bus stop is silent yet always filled with life. The street may be quiet and the houses may be dark, but it’s the little things surrounding me— the splashes of color in the sky, the smell of roasted coffee, and the ever-constant chirps of crickets— that bring a sense of joy, calmness, and motivation to start the day.

Born with Chinese-Malaysian parents, I often travel to Malaysia during the summer to see my extended family. Malaysia is a whole different world than my hometown in Novi, Michigan. The diverse array of nationalities, ethnic groups, and religion is eye-opening— as well as the fusion of Chinese, Malay, Singaporean, and Indian food. My culture is what inspired me to create a papercutting* piece titled Skybridge. In the center of the artwork lies the skybridge of the Petronas Twin Towers of Malaysia (world’s tallest twin buildings!). The bridge physically connects the two towers but also metaphorically builds a bridge between two cultures: American and Chinese-Malaysian. The Chinese-Malaysian culture can be seen on the left-half of the border, with the seahorse and hibiscus flowers, and the American culture can be seen on the right-half of the border. I’m proud of this piece because it highlights two parts of me that no one can see. My friends can only see the American side of me while my relatives can only see the Malaysian side of me. This piece brings the two sides together. By experiencing both halves and immersing myself in different cultures, I have grown to appreciate the diverse world around me. With art, I want to portray the beauty different cultures have to offer and inspire viewers to appreciate the world around them. In the future, I want to travel the world to get a glimpse of different cultures and share these moments through art. I hope to inspire viewers to fight for peace, harmony, diversity, and inclusion. *Papercutting is a form of art where you use a knife to cut a single sheet of paper into a design.

Unlocking the front door, I step outside into the early sunrise. I make my way past the light lamp in my front yard that glows yellow, illuminating a small radius of fresh grass. I turn left onto the sidewalk, carefully making my way around the muddy puddles. My shadow slowly starts to fade back into the gray cement. The lamp no longer reaches the path. The houses on my left and right are silent. No dogs are barking, no clattering of pots and pans, and no murmuring of the morning news on TV. But a house not too far away gets ready for their day: its garage door opens and a car engine comes alive. The car stirs to life— lights turn on, soft music plays— and slowly, as if it too were just waking up, makes its way down to the intersection. As I walk down the street, the path gets more visible as the sun slowly rises. I see pinwheels in garden beds on the left; The spinning colors and gentle whirl greet me as I walk past them. The chalk hopscotch and smiley faces left from the children living on the street bring a smile to my face. Birds above me begin to chirp. The windchime on the next house sings a new melody as if it is excited for a new day to begin. The morning walk to my bus stop is silent yet always filled with life. The street may be quiet and the houses may be dark, but it’s the little things surrounding me— the splashes of color in the sky, the smell of roasted coffee, and the ever-constant chirps of crickets— that bring a sense of joy, calmness, and eagerness to start the day as I walk by them.