To help the elderly in my community, I sing. Since the summer of 2019, I had sung and played the ukulele for the Kensington Club, a day group for those in the early stages of memory loss. During the pandemic, I was saddened by the fact that singing together was impossible, and the seniors who needed more socialization than ever could not do so. In response, I started Time Machine Tunes- a club for high school musicians to volunteer for senior centers. I reached out to centers in my community and sang songs of their generation to them. For my AP Psychology class, I decided to interview recreational, music, and art therapists on their work with seniors in the early stages of dementia, and these have been posted on the Interages YouTube channel. Lastly, I created an essay reflection on my time working with seniors. To my surprise, the Jewish Council of the Aging used by write up in their annual reports, and sent my writing to potential donors. A quote that I wrote, saying, "silver hair should be seen as sparkle and wrinkles should be seen as signs of a life well lived" was even printed on bookmarks to give out! And just recently, I was given the Jacqueline Unger Community Service Award as volunteer of the year- the only one under 18! Now, I have a one-hour program with JCA where my club members and I sing songs for members via zoom. I am honored to have helped fund essential programs like Interages and the Kensington Club, and also to have simply made them smile so many times. It has been the highlight of my life to be able to bring seniors joy and to have witnessed their kindness and graciousness, their patience and strength.

Having moved eleven times in seventeen years, I'd always tried to leave a positive impact wherever I went. Whether it was the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, or Texas, I always brought music with me. My ukulele was always by my side, or a mic was always in my hand, and I would encourage friends and family to sing along with me. What seems like such a simple action is actually incredibly impactful, especially for people who are feeling lost and confused like how I usually felt when I moved around the world. Singing with others gives people a sense of uniformity, familiarity, and connection- something that no one can live without. In my freshman year of high school, I started volunteering for the Jewish Council for the Aging and sang old songs for their seniors in the early stages of dementia. These seniors were suddenly alive and joyful when listening to the music, and I believe that the act of singing together gave them momentary relief from the confusion they must experience every day. On top of that, since the eighth grade, I volunteered to cantor Sunday Mass at Mother Seton Parish. Such a prominent display of my faith, singing in the church, is one of the most important things to me as I'd grown up in Saudi Arabia, where I was forbidden to be outwardly Catholic. Sharing music with people has been my positive impact on the world, as music connects and inspires people. It creates a community out of strangers, and fosters compassion and understanding. Being able to be a facilitator for this type of healing has been one of the highlights of my life, and I am so proud that my music has touched so many people around the world.

Having being born in the Philippines and growing up in Saudi Arabia, I was completely dumbfounded when I entered the United States for the first time. The only knowledge I had of the country was from movies and TV shows that I had watched as a kid. What I encountered, however, was something no TV show or movie could ever prepare me for. Life in the States was so different compared to life in Saudi Arabia. There was such freedom here, and in my head, it was freedom that I had to earn. As the eldest of three and having two working parents, I often had to take charge. I knew that my parents worked extremely hard to get to this country, and I found it to be my job to earn all that is given to me. I worked extremely hard in school- I found myself to be disappointed when any grade I had was under a 95%. I took advantage of every volunteer or leadership opportunity presented to me, and I made it count. I was constantly consumed with negative thoughts, thinking, "these opportunities aren't for the likes of me. I don't belong here. Who do I think I am, dreaming this big, working this hard?" To battle these thoughts, I worked even harder. But no matter what award I'd been given or goals I'd achieved, anxious thoughts always brought me down and told me I wasn't good enough. Told me that I didn't deserve to be in this country. I thought about all my friends I'd left in Saudi Arabia and the Philippines, how they would have longed to have the opportunities I'd been given. It didn't matter that I had straight A's. I was ashamed. Now, as a junior in high school, I am still battling those same thoughts. With support from friends and family, as well as my faith, I have learned that what have been given to me are gifts not to be repaid, but to be shared. With living in this country, I plan to take full advantage of all the opportunities presented to me and aspire to become a medical doctor. I don’t want to forget where I came from, so I plan to also work with Doctors Without Borders and use my language skills (I speak three languages) and my education to help those less fortunate than I. I plan to use my voice as a healthcare professional to speak out for accessible and quality healthcare for all, and never stop striving to share the gifts I've been given. To be able to do this, however, I will need to learn to forgive and be kinder to myself. Positive self-talk will be the key to a happy and prosperous life, and the fruits I will reap from such a life, once shared, will be able to benefit so many people.