From the day you are born, you don't choose a thing for yourself. You don't choose what kind of family you're born into, how you're raised, what you're fed as a baby, or the times you wake up and sleep. Your family is one of the biggest factors of your life's success, and yet, none of it can simply be chosen. So many bright, capable children are born in countries or to families who cannot support their child's growth, often due to factors beyond their power; including war, famine, societal pressure, and natural disasters. But despite the unpredictability, we don't fold to destruction. Our lives are a cycle of good and bad, forever traveling up and down, making momentous hills out of our lives. It's here where I must ask, why shouldn't a disadvantaged child be given the same opportunities as a privileged child? Why should the family or country they had absolutely no choice in being born in make them face negative outcomes? I firmly believe that we must continue to support each other, out of empathy and humanity's sake, and not hold back those who are less fortunate. For many children, a good education can seem miles away, but it is something you must actively choose. As much as our lives are up to sheer chance, so many of the in-between decisions are made solely by us, our individual futures in mind. Education is one of the most straightforward paths to a brighter future. For less fortunate students, scholarships and grants are held up to the sun, a light that's like a lottery ticket to more affordable higher education. Since the moment we turn thirteen, our teachers and relatives all ask what we want to do in life. Everyone can say a multitude of answers, from mechanic to ballerina to doctor to even a stay-at-home parent. It's the possibility of choice that keeps us going, even when things seem uncertain. But a future built upon choice can often seem unattainable for many children who come from families with lower-incomes, or without any family at all. Gracious scholarships and grants open up a doorway of possibilities for them, aiding in building a future where their choices are definite. In my own life, I come from low-income, immigrant parents who work extensive hours to support our family's livelihood. Encouraged by their dedication, I excelled in several high school AP classes, passing all of the exams I took with 4s. Beyond academics, I sang in an advanced choir and was on the leadership board of the Asian Student Union. With my years of success, CSULB accepted my dedication, where I've devoted myself to earning a master's degree in social psychology. I aspire to have the privilege my parents never had; working in a field I'm genuinely passionate about. I'd be able to give back to my parents, giving them the retirement they have long deserved, and live wholesomely, helping others find the bravery and opportunity to make their own individual choices.

I will be pursuing psychology as my college major, and plan to use that as my primary field of study for a professional career. I aim to complete a master’s degree and becoming a licensed marriage and family therapist. My goal is to work part-time while studying, apply for scholarships, rely on federal aid, and avoid taking out student loans as much as possible. I aim to put priority to my formal education, and want to graduate with a master’s at a timely pace within 5-7 years maximum. Outside of psychology, I want to experiment in my creative side, while still making profit alongside having a passion outside of formal academics. Currently, I have already been working on a realistic historical fiction novel I plan on finishing by next year around the month of March. Then, I will spend the next several months editing it and sending it off to various publishers to hopefully secure a publishing deal by the summer of 2027. By age 20, I would also like to try my luck in auditioning to be a commercial model, specifically with Muse the Agency, as their company culture and care and support for their models is sweet and reassuring to have in the competitive modeling world. I’ve always had a keen eye and passion for fashion and aesthetics, which I would love to be apart of professionally and inspire others to get more in touch with their creative sides through self-expression and the confidence and sense of discovery that comes with fashion. I aim to accomplish this dream by submitting an application online, where I will follow their listed instructions. For ease of transportation, I would also first secure my driver’s license before heading off to college, in which I am starting my driving lessons just next Monday, June 1st. With a car, anything I wish to do immediately opens up to a clearer path as I no longer have to rely on others for transportation to work or school, and just with errands and hobbies in general. In general, I realize that my goals are very varied and will take time, patience, and diligence to achieve. Potentially, I may never even land a modeling contract with any company, regardless of how small they are. However, with routines of discipline and my established habit of prioritizing getting done the most important tasks first, I assure myself that I can and will work my way towards my master’s degree in psychology, publishing a book, and creating a side-job in a more creative field as well. I don’t believe I can just be tied down to one career or field of study, and believe my passion, discipline, and careful planning of the next four years of my adult life will enable me to take action and achieve my goals in the span of four years maximum.

I'm often scared to ask my parents to buy me anything over twenty dollars, because I know we don't have much money. I remember so often growing up, waiting days before a deadline came up to ask my parents for precious money just to pay for some little things for school. Even with money shortages and careful spending, my parents would always be more than willing to drop money on my education and experiences throughout my adolescence and teen-hood. Even if they paid it off with an easy tone and smile, it still hurt both their wallets and my heart to know I was using up money that could instead be used to buy groceries, gas, pay the bills, or be saved towards a much-needed vacation. Even as a little girl, I was always subtly conscious of the flow of money around me, as it flew from pockets to cash registers to banks and to the hands of others. It's why I was keen to learn about financial literary and ways to make my money work for me as a teenager. Adulthood crept upon me year by year, and I fully intended to not be in debt and not waste my family's hard-earned money. In high school, I took a computer, careers, and finance class, along with an AP Macroeconomics course that helped me expand my knowledge of money and the ins and outs of the markets. It's thanks to quality education that I even know what a credit card is! I can imagine me now, looking down at little, younger me with a fluffy toy in her gentle, small arms, looking up at grown me with admiration. All of money's power comes from knowing how it works. My parents are immigrants, without a college education or even quality formal education. But their resilience and cleverness have allowed them to survive this increasingly expensive world. My father even continued working at laborious factories after his shoulder injury, which greatly hinders his chances of getting better, lighter-weight jobs. My mother wakes up at ungodly hours just to get ready for work, adapting to the American way of life. Always busy. With my college years ahead of me, I honestly don't want to be stuck working shifts at a job that undervalues me and gets me nowhere in the long run. With my experience in finance, I want to manipulate my earned income to benefit me and fund my dreams of publishing a novel and helping to pay my student debts. The good thing about money is that it's an opening door to other dreams and goals. Financial education through high school has made me more aware of the opportunities around me to invest more money and be financially responsible and knowledgeable, being such valuable life skills. The money I warm from this scholarship will help me change the trajectory of my family's future, from low-income immigrants to well-earning citizens driven with passion for the arts and fire in my heart to defy the expected, and push the boundaries of both wealth and race as I take the first big step forward towards a brighter, more prosperous future for my whole family.