For a long time, I have been passionate about business. I love math and how it builds the foundations and decisions of a business. During a summer camp, college professors taught me the business basics, including marketing, business law, human resources, accounting, business strategy, and information technology. I used what I learned to work with a group of like-minded teenagers to find solutions to improve the business we were helping. Some activities that go into making a functioning business appealed to me, especially marketing and accounting. Thus, I decided to take those classes during high school. A lot of planning and strategies go into great marketing. The 4Ps of marketing are still instilled in my brain: product, promotion, price, and place. As I completed a marketing project that focused on branding, packaging, and promoting a product, I enjoyed developing a plan to promote a product to the desired target market. I researched the competition using the SWOT and PEST analysis to determine the price and advertising plan. I am interested in pursuing a career in marketing analytics because it brings together my interest in marketing and analytics. I enjoy figuring out the story that connects the data on graphs. It also involves some coding that I enjoy doing. It is a fundamental part of marketing; therefore, the promotion plan is tailored to the right market. I love the creativity that delves into marketing a product, but I also like the analytical side, where I can thrive. I enjoy researching as it allows me to learn more about anything. Much research is involved in marketing analysis, such as understanding market trends to obtain information about consumers, competitors, and market opportunities. Big data is also involved in the research aspect. I am fascinated by big data and the benefits that come with it. Moreover, I want others to have a comprehensible report to obtain information relevant to the product they are trying to promote, thus creating more revenue for the company. I can also use my basic graphic design skills to create engaging and comprehensible presentations to display my research. Presentations is another essential skill involved in marketing analytics. I hope that in any industry or company I enter, I can have a reasonable work-life balance. I want life to dictate work, not vice versa. There are many routes I can take when I pursue a career in marketing analytics, such as going into the web, social media, and sales analytics, so I can have flexibility on what to specialize in when the time comes. Presently, I am most interested in marketing research analytics, but I am up for exploring other career paths that the future throws at me.

On a chilly November evening, I sat down across from a judge. The internal clock in my head began counting down from 10 minutes. 10 minutes is plenty of time to check off the necessary points. I took a deep breath and began reciting what I had written down just minutes ago. Not even 3 minutes had passed, and I felt I went through all the indicators. I smiled and exited the room before I began beating myself up. I had just completed my first-ever regional competition of DECA, and I did awful. I am an introvert who struggles with public speaking and prefers sticking to my comfort zone. I dislike change, but when I experience it, it becomes beneficial to me. By going to college, I know I can overcome and get out of the shell I made. College is all about trying new things to figure out where to go in life. Therefore, I can push myself to interact with others before entering the workforce. Additionally, I hope to attain internships in my career field to get hands-on training and the proper certifications during college. College is expensive, and I want to avoid being in deep debt to obtain a degree that can influence the trajectory of my life. I have a simple dream: get the desired job in the business industry and enjoy my life without money constantly dictating. Even though I did not progress to the next round of competitions, competing in DECA was a learning experience that highlighted my strengths and weaknesses. I suck at improvising and doing something on the fly. I have to prepare and plan for things to overcome my nervousness with public speaking. I must be confident in what I say so the anxiousness could fade. I may have struggled with my nerves during the interaction, but I could use this experience to improve my confidence and public speaking skills. When I face a similar situation next time, I will improve. When I start something, I tend to stick with it. With DECA, I could have dropped out because I had no obligation to compete in the first place, but I decided to use the club as a learning opportunity, no matter how good or bad I did. I want to go out into the world and learn about anything. Getting a bachelor's degree in business will allow me to become a data analyst. Currently, artificial intelligence and machine learning are all hype, so I want to learn and understand how they work. This also includes big data, which is a huge factor in why I want to pursue a career in data science or a similar field. The world is becoming more digitized by the day, so if I could understand and use the data gathered, I can make informed decisions and develop long-term solutions.

As I stood at the front door, I realized I was saying goodbye to the only home I knew. Moving to a new state was complicated yet fulfilling. During my freshman year amid COVID, I disliked the isolation from my friends and classmates, so I was so happy when school opened up and I could be with my friends again. Then, I learned my family was moving. I felt overwhelmed when I first walked into my new school. It was completely outside my safe, secure comfort zone. I no longer had my lifelong friends that I could talk to in the halls or during class. I felt uneasy and disconnected from the school community as I never knew what was happening. It did not help since most students knew everyone as they all attended the same elementary and middle school. Throughout my sophomore year at the new school, I slowly made new friends in class and even at the track. Being in a familiar environment like track, I felt more comfortable making friends. Through participation in relays and traveling to meets around the state, I bonded more with my teammates as I slowly began fostering friendships. It also helped that I was active in my school's National Honor Society. Volunteering allowed me to get involved with the community and the school. I did not know what I wanted to do with my life after I graduated. I knew I was going to college, yet I did not know what to pursue. By moving and attending a different school with a different curriculum, I figured out what I wanted to do in the future. I had the opportunity to take Advanced Placement courses during my sophomore year instead of waiting until my final two years of high school. It was a rigorous process taking AP Human Geography, but it ultimately became worthwhile. I knew I had the work ethic to thrive in a challenging environment. Additionally, there were career and technical classes offered at my school, which allowed me to determine my future goals. I learned from marketing and accounting classes that I wanted to commence a business career. Moving became a learning experience for me. It pushed me out of my comfort zone into an unfamiliar territory where I had to endure some obstacles. I began to evolve into a strong courageous woman, ready to take on anything that came my way. Furthermore, it helped me embrace the world around me regardless of my preparation. This move and being the new kid also taught me that I am adaptable and open to positive possibilities via change.