There is a concept called "shifting". This is an act where people concentrate on their consciousness—separate from their body, just themself—and transport into another version of themself in another universe. Many people mock "shifters" and call it ludicrous—just fancy lucid dreaming. Whether real or not, it ties into the idea of quantum physics, the consciousness of self, and the idea that the universe is bigger than itself—and maybe even the idea that if you can understand yourself enough, you can transcend the universe’s boundaries. The universe is full of so much matter, so full of life, so full of things bigger than any of us can truly comprehend. All sorts of scientists work on trying to understand it—and spiritual individuals and beings work on it, as well. To understand the universe entirely is impossible, but working to do so brings enlightenment about not just how things work, but also brings to light so many things about yourself you might not have known. I believe trying to learn both the scientific aspects alongside the more spiritual aspects will help me to learn about myself and the universe. Physicists, biologists, chemists, engineers, and more scientists work on understanding how our world works. Many try to take the formulas and concepts found to apply them to how the universe works overall. Sometimes, it works. However, there are times when the vast information and workings of the universe are too much to be explained or understood through our human theories and calculations. Still, learning concepts such as how things move under certain conditions, the workings of living cells in any organism, how different forms of matter and elements come together, and all of the other concepts are important. They give us insight into how certain processes could possibly turn out. We are just one small planet in one galaxy amongst countless other galaxies within our universe---and this might not even be the only universe, based on theories in quantum physics. I love learning these sciences, even if I struggle to understand the concepts or how to decipher ways to solve them. It's beautiful to try and make an understanding of the world we live in conceptual and mathematical ways, something that we can try and prove to be right---or correct and further experiment if it is proven to be wrong. The beauty of science is how much we can learn, grow, adapt, and apply all of our knowledge towards discovering more about the universe. As a biology major (while I don't plan on specializing in research), I have to be well-rounded in all of the hard sciences---and while I struggle, I enjoy being able to learn so much. I can apply things to my daily life, like what would happen if I eat certain things, how different cleaning chemicals will react if I combine them, what will happen if I try to swerve too fast on the road---and all of these, I can try to apply to our universe with its galaxies and moons and planets to try to make an understanding of their physics of motion, their life organisms, and more. However, there is more to our world and universe than just the scientific explanations. Sometimes, not everything can be understood solely with our minds---resulting in occurrences unexplainable through science or human processing. Growing up both Catholic and Vietnamese, I’m not a stranger to the ideas of the afterlife, paranormal, and unscientific ideas. There are so many cultural beliefs that—while hard to understand scientifically—explain so many processes in our universe and typically turn out true. In brujería, there are natural and supernatural connections and healing methods done, brought forth to our physical world through brujas (or witches). In Vietnamese culture (as well as many other Asian cultures), we are heavily influenced by Buddhist beliefs—alongside many other Asian religions influencing; the idea of spirits and demons, good luck or bad luck charms, and more are common and play a heavy role in our actions. Even when calling a baby cute, it is common to say (in direct translation, but just means “cute”) they are so “easy to hate” over “easy to love” to ward demons from trying to steal or possess the adorable child! In astrology, believers take the stars as messengers of the universe, interpreting them to predict the behaviors of people, outcomes of events or the day, compatibility, and more. In Catholicism, people are believed to have souls that transcend just your physical human body—along with the existence of demons and angels and an all-knowing God. In many Indigenous American cultures, there are shape-shifting creatures called Skinwalkers (and other details vary between different cultures) that are unkillable—and also unexplainable by science. In Japanese culture, there are fox-spirits called “kitsunes'' that have the power to shapeshift and “bewitch” humans. There are many ancient Chinese medicinal herbs that have worked for centuries effectively, yet many believe they are invalid due to just being plants—and also the xenophobic side of it (however, there IS a Chinese scientist that is working on proving they work, and there have been many successful experiments proving they are). There is so much evidence within a multitude of cultures, traditions, religions, and beliefs that can be unexplained by science (and unbelieved by many, due to that) yet often, people swear they have experienced such things, swear what they believe is true or have worked—and many times, it is true, despite lacking the scientific explanation. There are so many ways to understand the universe and what resides in it—and sometimes, it transcends the physical realm that us humans are used to. In biology, we learn about genetics, organelles, mechanisms, and all sorts of topics that tie together everything alive through neuroscience, biochemistry, and more. I struggle with it a lot, but it’s one of the most versatile and interesting subjects there is. In religion, many people have set beliefs on the workings of our world through God and dismiss science. For me, a combination of science, religion, cultural beliefs, and astrology can all be used to explain—and that everything is tied together in ways one may not be able to comprehend because it transcends human view and understanding. Many can call many non-scientific beliefs to be hoaxes or just crazy. Still, trying to find an understanding in the universe and how everything works can be comforting—and taking signs from the sky, nature, spirits, and space. Sometimes, understanding the universe requires more than just trying to understand it. Sometimes, you have to watch and listen to what it’s actually telling you. Maybe, one day I’ll understand and listen to the universe enough (and also my consciousness) and be able to shift to the beautiful world of Avatar: The Last Airbender.

I will admit, I’m a bit of a quitter at times. I’m a perfectionist, and I’m on the opposite of the spectrum of perfectionists that most people see. Some others overwork themselves to the point of breaking in order to achieve something as close to perfect as possible; on the other hand, others (LIKE ME!) are so afraid of not being perfect that we put it off as long as possible because no amount of work will make it perfect—to the point of not doing it at all. This has been a lifelong problem of mine, affecting every aspect of my life from academics, career plans, hobbies, and even my social life. This especially became a problem once I entered university. My first two years of university were the most vigorous mental years I’ve ever had—a combination of physical health, mental health, school, platonic and romantic relationships, and life events. All of this compounded onto my already failing mental mindset and lack of discipline. I had contemplated dropping out of school, cutting off every friendship I had, and quitting all of my jobs; however much I wanted to, I persevered through it all and have survived for familial and societal pressures. Did I succeed in all of my efforts? Not at all! Have I learned from them? More than I ever thought I would. As I am now entering my third year of undergrad, I have now developed skills and improvements within myself that will help ensure I not only survive but succeed in my academic and career years—and finally try to succeed for myself. There are many things I’ve had to work on, especially my mindset and discipline. I’ve worked especially hard on developing a growth mindset (rather than fixed) and realizing something is always better than nothing. Doing my best in something (after studying hard or not) will give me a higher score than not doing it at all—even if that score is only 2% more. I’ve also had to learn that, well, I can learn at all. I grew up as a “gifted” kid and rarely struggled in school, so now that I don’t understand things off the bat, I think to myself as if I can never learn it—which isn’t true! Especially after the pandemic lockdown, it has been a lot harder for me to not only remember content but also comprehend it. Starting university, I lost my discipline due to my lack of structure in life. While I attended classes regularly during my first quarter while still working, it was hard to balance. I was always tired, procrastinating, and napping. Even while making an effort, I didn’t succeed much (barely getting passing grades). Once my second quarter began, I stopped showing up to classes—especially if they were not mandatory (and we were back on lockdown again, so it made it even easier)! With no effort, I got the same results as when I did—further demotivating me and causing me to lose discipline. If I wasn’t going to get results anyway, why should I do anything to get better? I only attended mandatory classes, didn’t watch lectures, and only left my room for work. I’ve had to force myself through some months of torture (AKA sleepiness) to fix my sleep schedule, commit properly to classes and work, and study sessions. This has not been my hardest struggle, but it is the longest-lasting one I’ve had and persevered through. While I’m still improving and learning, I have made a lot of progress and hope to reap my efforts as I’m nearing my graduation.

I’ve never had a dream car (unless you count my 4-year-old dream of having a red convertible). I’m not a car girl nor do I even know anything about cars minus how to get gas and to drive. But now, all I want is a Pui Pui Molcar. What is a Pui Pui Molcar, you ask? Well, you see, you can find out by searching that up exactly on Netflix—or I can just tell you right now! My favorite comfort show of all time is this precious Japanese stop-motion anime about the cutest (needle-felted) guinea pig cars and their adventures! “Molmot” is the Japanese word for guinea pig (hence “mol” car) and “pui pui” is onomatopoeia for guinea pig sounds, resulting in the show name being “Pui Pui Molcar”! In the series, we are in a world where guinea pigs are our mode of transportation and function normally as and similarly to cars—even having doors and humans being able to go in them to drive! However, they are living creatures, so their energy source is different and they have minds of their own! You have not only your mode of transportation but also a cute, giant, fuzzy friend! Oh, what a dream it would be to have a real molcar of my own. The show series is a children’s series, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it any less! Each episode (on Netflix, at least) is only 8 minutes long and actually contains 3 episodes in them! They’re bite-sized episodes that make them easy as a quick pick-up if you’re feeling down, stressed, or burnt out and feel you don’t have much time to relax (which is me often). While they’re short, each episode goes through a storyline or adventure of a Molcar—and you can see each one’s personality and how they react to things! The only dialogue is guinea pig sounds and occasional phrases from the pet/car owners! You may not be able to watch it in the background (unless you want guinea pig sounds and cute music in the background), but each episode is short enough to not have to worry about it. This is also good if you have a short attention span, too! Many others have developed a love for this show, resulting in many different Pui Pui Molcar merchandise available for purchase. There are figurines, mystery boxes, candies, keychains, and even plushies! I truly don’t know what else to say about this show other than that it is the cutest little silly show I ever accidentally found—something that helped pull me out of depressive episodes sometimes—and I hope that you can also find love for its adorableness, as well. Of course, now with my love of Pui Pui Molcars, I want many things related to it—figurines (with wheels!), plushies, and even an actual car! Just to let you in on a secret, I currently think the most Molcar-looking car in real life is a Mini Fiat, but we’ll see if my “research” can find an even more Molcar-y car! Even if you might not want a car to look like a Molcar, this show is still one to definitely check out—and enjoyable for all ages!

My first exposure to checking on breast health was when I was around 10 years old and Lea Michelle was the face of doing routine breast exams on yourself in the shower to check for breast cancer. Of course, as a Gleek, this was perfect and got me to do it! Yay, young tweens learning about breast health! However, with my already lacking knowledge of my breasts, I thought that the milk ducts and blood vessels I was feeling meant I had cancer—similar to many girls at the time, too, apparently. I was freaking out, thinking I was going to be one of the “rare youngest girls to develop breast cancer”, but I was thankfully not. As people growing up in a society that lacks basic sex education due to sexual and bodily stigma, it is easy to not know how to look for signs of disease as well as know how to properly take care of ourselves. As people with breasts, we have important body parts that are also easily overlooked when it comes to pain—especially as many are female-identifying and medical conditions of women are easily overlooked. Being able to have proper breast health education (as well as overall sex health education) is important for ourselves as well as those we love. As a person growing up in society as a girl, it is also important to me personally to be able to bring awareness to our body parts (that are important to have checked!) without sexualization. Women’s health overall is already something undermined within healthcare, such as with menstruation. Breasts are not exempt from this—and it doesn’t help that they are seen as sexual organs. Anything related to breasts—breastfeeding, bras, cancer, etcetera—is deemed as sexual or stigmatized. I was lucky that my cultural community (or, at least in my family) never stigmatized breastfeeding, periods, or any other regular bodily occurrences so many things have been normalized for me—but not many get this experience. Many people feel ashamed of talking about such topics even when they believe there is something serious happening. Nowadays, it may be easier to find support—especially with the existence of the internet—but there still is not much awareness and education out there unless you specifically find it. Breast health awareness is something that should be a common topic within sex education in order to de-stigmatize, un-sexualize, and commonize the topic. With more people aware and unashamed, anyone can realize symptoms early on, know how to care for themselves correctly (such as finding the right bras and when to wear them), and just be able to talk about the topic at all. As someone lucky enough to not have to feel embarrassed about this topic (and some others), I want others to feel the same way so they can seek guidance properly when they need it—or just already know what to do! Breast health education is another topic that should be normalized within sexual education, and an important knowledge to have as half of the population has prominent breasts that require such knowledge to have.

I’m currently working to get into dental school—but I feel really behind. I have basically zero hands-on experience. Most other people have shadowing hours or even hands-on experience. I don’t really have that—but I have some, and it came through a service event! M.E.M.O. (Medical, Educational Missions and Outreach) is a student-run humanitarian organization I am a part of. One of our largest services is our annual Orange County Health Fair where we provide free medical services and resources to those in the area who may need it—such as the elderly and low-income. I was part of the dental group where I learned to dental assist, scribe, and disinfect dental instruments. One patient I met was a Vietnamese woman around my mother’s age. She was scared, as the procedure she needed was an extraction! My friend and I spoke to her (and offered to hold her hand!)—both in English and Vietnamese—to make her feel comfortable, and it’s the only moment I actually remember from the whole 15 hours I spent there. She had told us to find someone around us to marry rich (we were surrounded by dentists!) and then told us she was kidding; we are “lovely women” who deserve to be with someone who loves us and would treat us well—regardless of wealth or status. It was such a “silly” conversation, but moments like that make doing service all the more memorable! Even though I didn’t help with the procedure, knowing I was able to ease her nerves made me happy—and our conversation alone would have given me that joy! The Mustard Seed’s motto is that we are giving a “hand up, not hand out”. This is a philosophy I believe in deeply and have tried following—and the reason why I am currently trying to become active in this organization. I’ve been volunteering since middle school, and have been participating in mutual aid when I could periodically in university. Whether through school clubs, my cultural and religious communities, or local city events, I have done my best to be active and aid those around me. Through all the events and experiences I have had, I always had a positive takeaway thanks to the people I worked with, the people I met, and the things I have learned. All my mentors had a love for helping others and were patient when it came to me learning whatever I needed for that occasion—something that helped me foster my love for helping others even more along with wanting to foster my skills in order to do so. There are so many good memories I have made alongside other volunteering friends, my mentors, and the people I have helped—which fuels my aspirations more! Being able to help ease any burden in someone’s life—whether through food, money, time, or services—is something that can help spread joy in the world. Helping others may be one way someone makes them feel better about themself, but what is most important is that you are making a positive impact on someone else—something that can be so meaningful as the world we live in is so full of stress, problems, and hate. There can be even more you can do than just “volunteering” to help others. From a smile, compliment, or hello, I hope to be able to give someone just a cheer-up, you can bring kindness into someone’s day! Everyone can have fears, stresses, and struggles strangers—and even friends—don’t know about. Being able to be kind through any means can help bring joy to someone—even if just momentarily.

“Nothing is impossible, but nothing is probable”. This is a quote from “Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life’ by Wendy Mass, and reading this in the 6th grade helped me learn what “probable” meant. Reading this book also just made me want to appreciate life in itself and find my own meaning to it. While I admittedly don’t remember what the book ended up saying the meaning of life is, the impact it had on me is one that helped shape it forever—even as I am constantly growing, learning, and adapting to this day. Jeremy Fink begins a journey with his best friend that his late father has sent him to embark on—to find the meaning of life. Nearing his 13th birthday, he receives a box containing the almighty meaning of life sent by the late older Fink, sending Jeremy to find all of the keys to open the box. Do I remember what he discovered? No. Do I remember what was in the box? Also, no. However, some things I do remember from reading this book 9 years ago are some silly little quotes, my love for Wendy Mass, and my own meaning in life. “Life is short; always eat dessert first” is another quote that I just happen to remember. While I don’t actually believe it (glucose spikes are bad for you!), it is just another demonstration of what I determined to be the meaning of life—and continue rediscovering and reshaping as I have left my teen years behind and begun the long journey of my 20s. Nothing matters—both in a bad and good way. There is truly no point in anything being done in the world, continuously running as people live a life of repetitiveness and/or misery. And yet, despite nothing mattering, there is so much beauty and happiness in life. Nothing matters, and that means you can be happy with anything you choose, love all the things and people you want to, and make all the decisions (both good and bad) for yourself that you can! I have a love for my friends, the smell of food, helping someone, complimenting another person, and even the water I have in my cute little emotional-support-water bottle. Nothing matters, yet everything matters if you choose to let it. All the small things, all the people around you, all of the lightness and darkness in the world—you can find the beauty in it and find the meaning of life in the beauty of life itself. There is so much to cherish in a world full of so many things, so many people to love and learn from, so much food to enjoy, so many songs to hear and sing, and so much more. To me, this book helped me feel sentiment towards all of the things and people—small or big—in life. These beliefs I developed have helped me overcome many mental disorders and episodes, helped me become more of a lover, and make me want to make the most out of my life as well as others’ lives. After opening the box, Jeremy Fink finds a pile of rocks (totally didn’t google this…)—which is meant to represent all of the important events that had occurred in his life. There is no one true meaning to life—and even if there was, the world is too vast and diverse for it to fit a person’s mindset and ideals. Life is what you make of it, and it is also the experiences you have. While I didn’t remember this exactly, reading this has shaped my actions and mindsets.

I LOVE puzzles—evident by the 37 I own. They’re a fun brain exercise with a rewarding satisfaction after completion. My love of puzzles reflects my mental health, thinking process, and things to improve. The way I have to do a puzzle is specific. Side pieces, “things”, and exact shades are to be organized together before solving. If not yet organized, it’s too overwhelming and I feel it’s undoable. If someone else works on the puzzle and does a section I hadn’t worked on yet (due to the pieces not yet organized), I’m overwhelmed as it’s different from how I wanted—even though it actually helps me. If I get stuck then I give up, return for a bit until I’m stumped again, and then become paralyzed. Suddenly, I haven’t progressed with the puzzle in 2 weeks, but too much progress was made to clean up; now my room is cluttered, leaving me feeling like I can’t even do anything else. Every task I attempt is similarly stunted or procrastinated due to my mindset; I forget that progress isn’t linear, easy, or has to be done alone. I am a lover—or what I like saying in contrast to friends calling me a pushover and/or people-pleaser. Being a child of Vietnamese immigrants—and the eldest daughter of an eldest daughter—has birthed certain mindsets. I was taught to be frugal with money (especially if not my own), always help others, not be a burden, and that you can only rely on yourself and your own work. While these are important, it’s even more important to find a balance. I don’t reach out for emotional support due to physical abuse or emotional disdain from expressing feelings to my parents as a child; I have exhausted my physical and mental health working 2 jobs alongside studying in fear of burdening my parents financially; I refuse to ask friends for academic help to not waste their time or sound stupid; I constantly wanted to be there for my friends any time—and now am so burnt out I can’t be there for anyone. Struggling alone to not burden those around me out of “love” ultimately caused me to “burden” them in the end as I sought help too late. Maybe I just need more time to put things together, maybe I just need more money to solve my problems, maybe I need more support than I realize. Maybe I am just losing myself faster than I can put myself together. $10,000 would change my life for “2 months”—$5,000 going towards medical bills, $3,000 to pay some debt, and $2,000 for rent. Even half would help me. Without these bills worrying me anymore, I could worry less about working and focus more on my studies. Not having to worry about working more—which sacrificed study time and further worsened my below-par grades—for my debts and rent (even for at least 2 months AKA 5 paychecks) is something that will improve my mental and physical health. I can finally let my mind stress about ONLY academics, and recuperate my body physically. I know money can’t fix everything, but to survive in such an economy and society affected by capitalism and non-stop workaholics, it is something I desperately need—and it can solve at least 6 problems for me right now. This would change my life for more than 2 months, actually affecting it long-term; given a chance to continue building the foundations for improving my mindsets (on more than just puzzles), academics, and health will set me up for my life—whether this healing is linear or not.

It is 2010, and a 7-year-old girl just stole her dad’s smartphone out of boredom. She opens up YouTube, racking her brain for what to watch. With nothing coming to mind, she searches up the word “oh”. A video pops up that piques her interest immediately! There is a thumbnail displaying an Asian woman with bangs. Being a Vietnamese-American girl growing up in the Midwest, anything “Asian” made her interested—with this not being an exception. She clicks on and watches the first K-Pop music video of her life—"Oh” by Girls’ Generation (and it really became a girls’ generation). Not to be “quirky”, but you can see I didn’t join the hype train in America after BTS rose to fame (this is not entirely true as the Hallyu Wave began in the 1990s and this is a joke and I am an ARMY (please don’t doxx me)). Though, I didn’t even know what a stan was until I was 12. My introduction to K-pop as a child was my first time experiencing Asian representation in pop music visually and auditorily on par with the English pop music I consumed, contrasting all Asian music representation I witnessed prior—which was either a singing Vietnamese baby or Vietnamese music my parents liked. My re-introduction happened in the summer of 2015 when my best friend and I realized we both liked a similar artist as kids—Girls’ Generation (AKA SNSD). We ended up listening to them again and even making Instagram fan accounts for the group! This was the first time I experienced the culture of social media, as well. Getting into K-pop growing up helped me find the first Asian representation in pop media for myself; it helped me to learn more about the world through not just music, but also by pushing me to interact with so many other fans all over the world. Some of my most treasured friendships are from befriending other K-Pop stans online. I made friends ranging from my neighboring city to across the country---even to other countries. Though I don’t keep up much with the 16-year-old group and its members anymore, Girls’ Generation will always be my number one group, and I’ll always be a SONE. They were the first people to help me feel like I wasn’t an “outsider” when listening to pop music, and my interest in them helped me cultivate experiences and friendships that have made me who I am today—though some experiences may be a little too much, as being online so young changed me both for the better and worse. I am now a casual listener of many artists, including NCT, Dreamcatcher, and many more (especially girl groups)! The personal impact SNSD had on me transcended music; it impacted my friendships, media representation, and ultimately how I view the world and myself. Globally, the impact is on par with how it impacted me—if not more. They were the first (girl group) to win many awards (domestically and globally), achieve such big hits in Japan and other Asian countries, win Video of the Year (2013), and much more. A common phrase with K-Pop stans is “they paved the way”; while many fight over it, I know it’s correct when I say Girls’ Generation helped pave a way (which doesn’t mean others cannot also help pave it as well) for both K-Pop groups overall and also just girl groups. While other groups have become even larger globally, such as BTS and Blackpink, I know that the breakthroughs SNSD had domestically and globally were good first steps for both the Korean and Western media.

I’m honestly just Team Belly. I have seen many debates for each side and think they’re all valid; however, they just further make me believe they all just need a break from each other romantically. And also therapy. Neither boy deserves her regardless of how bad it got, and she also needs some self-healing and reflection of her own. However, if you were to painfully make me choose, I would be Team Jeremiah—but it is not for the reason you think it is! I am Team Jeremiah—but ONLY because I don’t think Belly and Conrad should be together. If based solely on true romantic feelings and desires, I would be ALL for Team Conrad. She doesn’t even like Jeremiah like that—and if she does, it will always be overshadowed by Conrad. However, the way Belly has been treated is not something she deserves. The circumstances and his mental health made me root for him—especially in Season 1. He didn’t know how to cope or communicate very well on top of lacking a support system. However, after their conversation at the funeral in Season 2, no amount of suffering and grieving justifies what Conrad said what he did to Belly. Many have called her selfish for reacting in such a way at HIS mother’s funeral, which I get but I would say his choice of words is what caused the outburst to grow how it did. Maybe I’m being harsh on him; not many (including myself) can develop healthy communication and coping methods in just a year—on top of now having to grieve a death. Still, they were ALL grieving and in pain, and the escalation showed they shouldn’t be together. Another example is their breakup. Belly should have tried listening to or reassuring Conrad and not act irrationally—especially since she knows how his mental health affects him. However, it was an important night, and they were BOTH going through it; just because she loves him doesn’t mean she should ignore her own feelings of pain for his sake to that degree. Their love, care, and understanding of each other are deeper than the ocean, but whatever hurt they have both gone through just shows it isn’t something that should happen. If they were to get back together, I would just hope they are a “right person, right time” trope; they both need to learn and grow on their own before they can come back together in any sort of partnership and resolve past issues. While being “Team Jeremiah”, I’m not really. I’m basically just no Team Conrad (and nothing personal against him). Jeremiah is immature; on top of that, while he DOES truly love and care for Belly, he is more out to get “something” his brother can’t. However, there is one moment that made me not just anti-Jeremiah but also a bit more of a rooter for Jeremiah over Conrad after the funeral scene. The scene in early Season 2 where the tire goes flat is one most use to attack Jeremiah’s character and the “Jelly” ship—understandably so! However, while childish and slightly uncalled for, his anger stems from a place of hurt and he is merely expressing that hurt to Belly; on the other hand, Conrad expresses his pain by weaponizing it to HURT Belly—rather than just express it. This contrast is what made me realize Belly and Conrad shouldn’t be together, and if her feelings develop truly, Jeremiah and Belly wouldn’t be too bad (the book series proves this to be wrong).

The first time I ever heard of global warming was in the third grade—and since, I have been an avid hater of it and its factors. I am still someone who picks up random trash when I see it and keeps it in my pocket if there are no trashcans around. The current state of our world worries me, so I was ecstatic to find out some fantastic Israeli scientists (Prof. Ron Milo, Shmuel Gleizer, and more) have engineered and evolved an E. Coli strain to consume CO2 and turn it into safe, reusable biomass. While some may not see this as a discovery as it was developed and researched, I believe the research itself was a discovery. The process had 3 general phases/“steps”; first, they took 3 genes encoding 2 enzymes in central carbon metabolism and replaced them with genes found in plants that encode for a pair of enzymes that allows for carbon fixation; second, they heterologously expressed Rubisco, Prk, carbonic anhydrase, and FDH (which helps to derive energy from a formate); third, they grew bacteria xyclose-limited (type of sugar) chemostats with an excess amount of formate, which maintained cells to remain in constant starvation from organic sugar. They gradually decreased the sugar amount fed to bacteria while feeding them formate and CO2. On top of developing a new way to help our atmosphere's carbon levels, they discovered how to make bacteria use CO2 as a reactant for carbon fixation (a process in Calvin Cycle). As someone who cares about climate change and pollution, this discovery makes me have hope for the world. As someone who grew up intrigued by science and now majoring in biology, this discovery fuels my desire to learn more about how every living thing works and how we can improve it.

When quarantine started, our school’s drumline and our 2020 show was “In the Blink of an Eye”. With our season and our school year cut off short, the show really showed how time truly goes by in just a blink of an eye. Though I lost the rest of my high school experience along with brain/developmental skills, I don’t think I would want a different year. Though we were forced into a year of solitude, this was the first year I didn’t feel alone. I’m always just a call or text away from any of my favorite people. I was also able to develop lifelong friendships--whether through remaining ones or just memories--that never would’ve happened without quarantine. I was even able to find college friends before even starting college (thanks, Discord). They all make me grateful to be alive. I found comfort and newfound gratefulness for a numerous amount of things. My family, my home, and basic necessities are things I’m even more grateful for. I was also able to dedicate more time towards activism and educating myself. I was able to focus on what matters most. I was and am even more driven to work towards helping others.

The first and only time I have gone back to my homeland Vietnam, I was 16 years old. Though ecstatic about getting to see where I “came from”, the distance I felt between my family in Vietnam and me was even larger than the distance between Vietnam and America. With a single sentence spoken, people could tell immediately that my family was American--either because of our accent when speaking Vietnamese or because we only spoke in English amongst us children. Unlike my cousins who have lived in Vietnam their whole lives, I grew up in America; we were never viewed as fully Vietnamese by them. Yet, when back in America, we are never seen as “American”, always having to add the “Asian-” or “Vietnamese-” before. As a first-generation American, we will never be considered 100% of either our ethnic or national culture. My parents’ families decided to come to America for a multitude of beneficial reasons, but the most important one was the chance of securing a better future for their offspring. Growing up in a war, they were tired of the jailing of their fathers and grandfathers, tired of the “Việt Cộng”--the Southern Vietnamese communists--stealing any luxury item they found when scouring in family homes, tired of no religious freedom. All they wanted was to survive and live freely with their families. They traded being respected as people for just a chance of financial and future stability for their children. While they were able to obtain jobs and live quite well, they live in the danger of racism, microaggressions, and hate crimes--and constantly have to deal with the former 2; of course, my parents were not naive and always knew this, continuing to inform us of what to expect while living in “white America”. While the “model minority” may seem like a positive thing, it has only stunted the general Asian-American--and Asian--population in a majority of ways. If you are successful, the achievements are brushed off with something like “You only got good grades because you’re Asian”; if you are failing--or even not being perfect--then people will say you’re a “fake Asian”. This has all happened to me and all of my other Asian friends--most of these comments being made by our own (non-Asian) friends. These, of course, are just microaggressions and a small portion of what we can experience. We have to also take into account all the other microaggressions (such as dog and eye jokes), fetishization, the lack of POC unity, and more. I have grown tired of the inappropriate and overused jokes, and I am tired of only being lusted and desired over solely because I am a short and shy Asian girl--exactly what fits into the typical “loli” and “Asianboo” fetishizing. I may not worry about lack of food and water, worry about my country being too poor, struggled from the unhealthy intensive school curriculum, or any other struggles I may have faced if I were to grow up in Vietnam; however, I will always have to worry about the racial issues in American and problems caused by America’s greed. Seeing the greed of America and white supremacy--along with the past greed of colonialism--make me want to work harder as a Person of Color living in America to work towards bettering the corruption in our country; eventually, I will also want to help other countries recover from the greeds of America’s--or at least help someone else make it occur. While the race-related issues of living in America are always causing distraught, I don’t think they could ever compare to the cultural division and internal conflict I have experienced growing up as a First-Gen Asian-American. I fear that the cultural division will only continue to grow as the generations go on--something I have already witnessed happen to Second- and Third-Gen families and friends. We grew up in a society far different from our home country’s--many of us even lacking the ability to speak and understand our mother tongue. I was always quite embarrassed about not being fluent in my language, but I am still more fortunate than others my age as I can read, write, and speak Vietnamese semi-fluently. Still, it doesn’t save me from the gap between my immigrant relatives and relatives back in the homeland. It haunts me how no matter how much I love my culture, listen to Vietnamese music, speak Vietnamese, or just exist as a Vietnamese person, I will never just be a Vietnamese person. I will always be “American”. The generational and “conservative” culture gap between the adults and us kids is quite large. Our mindsets and raising differ drastically, resulting in a plethora of disagreements. I was raised by a woman who was both the first-born and first-born female; she was raised to be the model eldest sister and the second mom of 7 other kids. I, also being the first-born and the first-born female, I too was held to such standards--especially the misogynist ones. The trauma my parents went through left them stuck in the society they were living in when they moved to the USA--resulting in conservative mindsets. On top of that, I will never be able to perfectly communicate with them--both parties not being fluent in the other language. It caused me to feel a personal distance between my parents--even if they don’t feel it. Still, I don’t want their efforts made for us to be done in vain. I want to help repay them back for all that they’ve done for me--despite the differences. I am currently working towards a career in the dental field--something that will keep me financially stable and will provide opportunities to help my community. While we may never be seen as 100% of just one thing, I guess it is for the better; we are all 200% of people--something far greater than anything else. I will always be trying to put 200% into repaying my parents back for all they’ve done for me.

Being raised by Vietnamese immigrants, I was taught to work hard on my education to get a good job and make life easier for myself; growing up as Catholic, I was taught to love God--and to love others the same way I love Him; growing up as an Asian-American, I have been able to see the vast range of careers and opportunities I have access to--but the many struggles of discrimination and poverty as well. Being raised with many of these influences throughout my life, I was able to develop a love for helping others, a passion to help our society, and a desire to give back all that my parents have given to me. Thanks to these dreams and passions, I currently am aspiring for a career in the dental field. Along with that, I want to continue being an active community member who participates in community service and mutual aid. Nothing makes me happier than knowing my work and effort are helping make someone’s day--and perhaps even their life. I aspire to dedicate my career and time towards helping aid marginalized groups gain more accessible resources as well as ease their burdens. I grew up in Lincoln, NE until I was age 10; after that, I moved to Escondido, CA, and have been a “California girl”--as my relatives back in Nebraska call me and my sisters--since then. The two cities and states are quite drastically different, though it has definitely given me a lot more perspective and helped me grow more as a person in positive ways. Still, I have always been wanting to help others growing up. My Catholic school--Cathedral of the Risen Christ--back in Lincoln was full of loving teachers, Fathers, and Sisters who helped teach me how to love my friends and my community; the Vietnamese church community in Lincoln was like a family who was always trying our hardest to support each other and those less fortunate back in our homeland Vietnam; the Vietnamese church community my family found in California was nothing but welcoming, and I am grateful to call it one of my second families; while not a group that participated in community service, my school’s marching band was the most loving and accepting, helping me finally break out of my shell in high school. Through these communities--along with the community service clubs I participated in throughout high school--helped nurture my love for others, for helping my community, and my ability to find resources to continuing aiding others. Thanks to my church experience, I have always been able to help my community out with cantoring, special holiday performances, community donations, hospitality, youth ministering, and much more. Thanks to the clubs I have been active in, I have been able to help out the homeless, families with low income, students, preschoolers, organizations in my city and across the USA, and many others. Even as I am going into college, I will continue with my community service. I am now a member of UCSD’s Pre-Dental Society and plan on volunteering in the club’s free dental clinics; I will be planning community service and mutual aid opportunities as a Co-Chapter Lead of the Dear Asian Youth San Diego Chapter. I hope to find more opportunities to help others as much as I can. Of course, while my passions are to help others, I do have a multitude of things I love and care about daily that aren’t exactly related to that--though they can be at times. I spend a lot of my spare time calling and messaging friends, sleeping, listening to music, reading stories online, or simply doing nothing. Knowing I can help make someone’s day is one of the best things, but nothing beats me getting to just lay down, turn on some music, and either call my friends or read; truly, doing nothing is almost always the simplest yet the best thing. Though, staying true to my nature, I am the mom friend who dotes and cares for my friends, always trying my best to try to make their days as well. Any time I can spare my time, my comfort, my “creative juices”, or one of my many “essential items” in my “mom bag”, I’m happy; being able to help or make my friend’s day makes me feel content. I guess in the end, nothing makes me happier than being able to share my love and care with people--whether they’re a friend, a stranger, or a soon-to-be friend.

In a world where countries cannot escape the effects of white colonialism, a multitude of minority groups are disadvantaged and discriminated against in all aspects of life. The racism rooted in society affects our country’s healthcare, education, and every other aspect of life, further heightening the disparities present in modern-day issues. I aspire to dedicate my career and time towards helping aid marginalized groups gain more accessible resources as well as ease their burdens. “This is why we need a Vietnamese doctor,” says every Vietnamese adult when discussing healthcare. As a child of immigrants, many relatives know English as a second language or can’t speak it at all. Even with a translator or the ability to speak English at appointments, their health issues aren’t properly tested nor taken seriously. Our community always advises 1. find a Vietnamese doctor and 2. especially avoid white doctors--something I’m certain other POC have similar experiences of. I’ve witnessed the loss of many elders due to late diagnosis of diseases or health issues--a side effect of living in white America as a non-white person. Fortunately, my family had access to Vietnamese health professionals and fluent English-speaking Vietnamese-American adults. However, I still hear the stories of people dying or being hospitalized for these reasons. Our country’s healthcare system is one of the fields most corrupted by racism and capitalism--affecting more than just us Vietnamese. Poverty and low income prevent access to proper healthcare, making people sacrifice health and medicine for no debt; fatphobia causes misdiagnosis dismissed with “you’re too fat”; people of color similarly aren’t taken seriously. These issues, amongst others not listed, drive my passions and actions. Though pursuing a career like a doctor or a nurse may be more beneficial to my passions, a job in the dental field will be acceptable. Oral health is important for a multitude of reasons including both health and image--something many unsheltered and/or low-income families can struggle with. I plan to combine dentistry with volunteering and mutual aid--something I enjoy doing when given the opportunity. With the discovery of the UCSD Pre-Dental Society’s Student-Run Free Dental Clinics, I have the opportunity to provide free dental services to people both as a student and a professional--being able to volunteer in low-income clinics as well. When given the chance, I can help open more free dental clinics. While these actions can feel minuscule, I believe any help is good. Though I’ve only discussed issues in healthcare, I plan on continuing participation in volunteering and mutual aid as well as making mutual aid opportunities more accessible in San Diego county. As a Co-Chapter Lead of Dear Asian Youth’s San Diego Chapter, I plan to work with my leadership team to organize such opportunities throughout San Diego county. While this isn’t everything I desire to do, these are the most prominent ideas. It’s hard to combat capitalism and racism’s effects in our society, but I hope my and my peers’ efforts can help ease them.