To me, music is my ‘everything’. Since I was little, music has always been on my mind and I was named Melody because of my love for music. Music has been a part of me for so long, I don’t think what I would do without it. For other people, music is just a form of entertainment, but for me, it is so much more. Music makes me feel happy and makes me forget my troubles. It brightens my day no matter what whenever I listen to them. I especially enjoy playing music. I picked up the flute and played in the school band for a while. Immediately after, I fell in love with the piano and begged my dad to get me one. When I did, I would play it nonstop and still play it to this day. Whenever I play the piano, I experience an out-of-the-body experience. When I found out that my school offered a guitar class in high school, I asked my dad if I could buy a guitar to take the class. I love country music and playing the guitar seemed appealing to me. Although the class was only a semester-long, I continued to play it. I taught myself to play different songs and used videos as references. Not only do I love listening to and playing music, but I also like to write music. Music lets my creativity out. Since I am not a very open person, music allows me to express myself in a way I could never do otherwise. It allows me to say things that I didn’t have the courage to say in person. With each song I write, I put my heart and soul into them. In a way, the songs I write are pieces of me. These songs are from my experiences and dreams. Music defines me and makes me whole. The very first song I wrote was dedicated to my future boyfriend/husband. Having seen how both girl’s and boy’s hearts get broken, I didn’t want mine to end the same way. I am asking for him to be careful with my heart because by laying it in his hands, I am at the mercy of his actions. Knowing that the first person I choose will hopefully be my one and only, I know that I would love him more than anyone I have ever loved. Then disregarding my parents’ warnings about being careless with my heart, I begin to trust him with my life but still ask him to be careful. Music is so powerful that it brings people together by portraying an individual's ideas and style. People share interests in music and cause the divide between people to close. In addition to music’s ability to bring people together, it also has the ability to bring a smile to a person’s face regardless of their situation. The idea of something so simple capable of doing this is nothing short of extraordinary.

Having to learn English as my second language after getting adopted from Taiwan was not easy, but with dedication, I managed to learn it in one year. I was adopted when my mother passed away from cancer when I was 9. Through this loss, I learned to have hope and to persevere. After getting adopted, I had to have patience when communicating with others due to the language barrier. By learning the English language, I was able to be introduced to the American culture, which was really different than in Taiwan. Kids were able to choose their career fields while in Taiwan, the choice was made by parents. With this opportunity, I have dedicated myself to pursue the medical field because I thought I was responsible for my mother’s death since I couldn't do anything to help her. By pursuing the medical field, I hope to help those that are suffering in any way and prevent the guilt I had grown up within the relatives of patients. I would like to be the reason that people smile because they are able to spend more time with their sick relatives. Learning English has allowed me to ask questions during class, another US culture different from Taiwan. Students in Taiwan are expected to learn materials straight away and were not allowed to ask questions in class. If there was confusion, you are to work through the problem on your own. Learning the English language gave me the opportunity to learn to the best of my potential with the help of teachers. This has also helped me get closer to my goal of going into the medical field. The English language is important to me, but what I consider the most important is music. Music makes me feel very empowered. Ever since I was little, I was always singing and dancing. I was named Melody for my love for music after getting adopted. To some, music is just a form of entertainment. To others, music is a stress reliever. However, for me, music is everything. Everywhere I go, I have songs stuck in my head. I am always thinking about music. There has never been a time where music has not been on my mind. Listening to music makes me feel lightweight and very happy. I don’t know what I’d be if I didn’t have music. I have picked up several instruments and it gives me the opportunity to be creative. I play the flute, guitar, ukulele, harmonica, and piano. The one thing that I love most about music is that everyone around me smiles no matter what situation they are in. For the reason that music is such a powerful element to be able to make one smile in all circumstances, I believe that music is capable of bringing people together. Through music, people can portray and share their interests/views which results in connections and an increase of closeness in people. Music brightens everyones’ day. That is what makes it so powerful.