The song that has touched my heart countless times is a piece from a Chinese historical drama. The song is named A Chu Gu Niang. The song starts off describing the singer's state of mind and how sorrowful it is to be away from a loved one. The longing and repeated sorrow are apparent in the song's melody and slow tempo. The use of piano and string instruments furthers its message to the listener. The singer longs for the one they cannot meet because of certain circumstances so I believe this song can touch the souls of others because of its deep usage of emotion and little explanation of what kind of situation allows people to relate to it. Despite the main character being miles away and in a place where they cannot see and touch their beloved, they still hold on to the thought of being united once again. The shared longing goes past the world's relentless obstacles to become even more peaceful. At the end of the song, the lyrics illustrate the beautiful place where they first met so that people can see the hidden beauty in times of grief. I absolutely adore this song, from the splendid arrangement to the delicate-sounding performance is just so lovely. In my life, I have experienced grieving moments where I thought I couldn't bounce back but this song made me notice all the little things. In finding beauty and happiness in places that didn't always bring back good memories. I found myself appreciating every small aspect and that without the obstacles that the world puts forth I wouldn't be the same person I am today. Music has truly changed me for the better and has allowed me to embrace things I couldn't before.

My family wasn’t always a 4 person household, it was once 3.5. After immigrating to the U.S, they settled in a small duplex that was surrounded by people of similar status. Coming from an extremely strict country that exerts harsh standards on their children to succeed, my parents were no exception. I wasn’t able to make friends they didn’t approve of even when I already had so little. My brother, almost two decades older than me, was my only true friend, the one I could truly call home. We lived in peaceful solitude until he found comfort in substances. It was a drastic change, seeing him become someone so frightening. I didn’t dare call him my brother, let alone a functioning human being. He became half the person he was. Words cannot describe the pain of being ripped away from the only person I poured my life into. My parents were kept in the dark for a long while before finding out the reason for his profound switch in behavior. Then they made the ultimate decision to essentially disown him, sending him back to China. From there on out, I lived as an only child. All my parent’s expectations fell to me and I had no one to go to anymore. I knew I didn’t want to have the same future and devoted my time and efforts to better myself. Since then I’ve developed diligence. It was difficult growing out of my parents’ grasp, challenging their authority by seeking my own interests in and outside of school. I used this hardship to flourish in my school and social life. I no longer perfected my grades for my parents but rather for myself. I knew that I had the capability to succeed so I took advantage of that. I studied hard every weekend on topics I didn’t understand and frequently visited my teachers in hopes of enhancing understanding. With time I was able to move on from the loss and learned to embrace that without it I wouldn’t be where I am now apart of top ten.

Mental health is something that can either push you to your limits to succeed or simply break you. It can be described in many different words. May it be positive or negative, we cannot escape it. Mental health is something that shapes a person and makes them unique in the things that they do. It determines your working ability and the gift of emotions. Personally, I have dealt with many occasions where I felt unnecessary due to my mental health status. Of course, for all teens may feel like this not because we are weak but because we are growing and adapting to the world. It may seem scary at first but with a few simple practices, controlling your mental health status will be easier. I've suffered through many times where I've felt useless and alone but with these small daily practices, I've learned to overcome my fears and essentially become happier. Every day I wake up I make sure to say positive affirmations in the mirror as I'm brushing my teeth to remind myself that I'm lucky to see another day. I'm lucky to have another meal, to have clothes, clean drinking water, and a roof over my head. Another practice I do to maintain my mental health is to talk to other people I trust about problems I'm dealing with. It's ok to stop talking to people who don't support you. It's completely fine to end a relationship based on how they're treating you. After all, the most important being if yourself and your wellness. Being around people who are nothing but your worst demise is simply not good. So, if it ever comes down to that decision, make it. You will feel much better having the weight off your shoulders. It will also make your mental health better by not being around people who put you down. Talking your problems out or just conversing, in general, will make you feel much better. Since conversations regulate the mind and soul with current events that are progressing for the good. Additionally, taking a breather here and there during activities is key to maintaining a good mindset. While meditating or doing some sort of exercise, take a minute for yourself and breathe in slowly and out through your mouth. This will not only calm your mind but will lower your heart rate in becoming more relaxed. With all of these practices, I make sure to have a glass of water on the side to hydrate myself for my body's wellbeing and to feel more refreshed afterward.

I believe as a woman I am not taken seriously nor am I looked at the same. Feminism is power. No matter what anyone says the right and ideology that every person can be equal is power. In my school, I am a part of a few associations that participate in community service and volunteer work. During these volunteer events, I do my best to prove to myself as a woman that I am capable of doing things everyone can. I am the first to raise my hand when asked to carry heavy loads, registration, catering, redirecting, and distributing. I don't wait until the spots are filled, I take any open opportunity as fast as I can. Since good things don't just fall out of the sky my mother once told me. I've always looked up to her because she's always been a hard worker in a misogynistic world. Despite our country growing up in its ignorant and biased ways, the embedded impact will always be there. I thought she was the strongest woman I had ever seen. With callouses on her hands from working all day just to provide for a better life in a less misogynistic country. To be belittled by the same type of men she tried to get away from in her home country was devastating. This truly affected my views on the social norms we decide to live by. From that moment on I started believing that women should stick together to make an unbreakable bond for we are power. I believe that putting myself out there and taking opportunities as I see fit is not only becoming a positive force in society but is encouraging others to do the same. Feminism is not only important because it provides women the hope and support we need to survive in a world that doesn't look out for us but is important in the aspect of persuasion. With the growing force of feminism, we as women can thrive and influence the choices of legal action with protests. The large ideology that women will never be as good as a man is truly the social norm that engulfs my way of life. I know I will not be looked at as an equal to others but I strive to be different. I strive to be greater than those who try to put me down. That is why I will never stop advocating for my rights as a human being disregarding race and gender.

I believe as a woman I am not taken seriously nor am I looked at the same. Whether it be the simple degradation from other students or simply not being heard, I feel I have demonstrated my will for this to change. In my school, I am a part of a few associations that participate in community service and volunteer work. During these volunteer events, I do my best to prove to myself as a woman that I am capable of doing things everyone can. I am the first to raise my hand when asked to carry heavy loads, registration, catering, redirecting, and distributing. I don't wait until the spots are filled, I take any open opportunity as fast as I can. Since good things don't just fall out of the sky my mother once told me. I've always looked up to her because she's always been a hard worker in a misogynistic world. Despite our country growing up in its ignorant and biased ways, the embedded impact will always be there. Additionally, my academic achievements are also on par with the top students as I rank in the top ten in my class of four hundred. I believe that putting myself out there and taking opportunities as I see fit is not only becoming a positive force in society but is encouraging others to do the same. The large ideology that women will never be as good as a man is truly the social norm that engulfs my way of life. I know I will not be looked at as an equal to others but I strive to be different. I strive to be greater than those who try to put me down. That is why I will never stop advocating for my rights as a human being disregarding race and gender.

To think my greatest fear would turn out to be my motivation in academics and extracurriculars. I had always been terrified of falling behind and not being able to come back from that. So, this constructed fear of mine pushed me to do all my assignments early and on time. In the moment it was extremely stressful in receiving assignments because I would be urged to do them all in one day but I realized that I could only take so much before becoming burnt out. Eventually, this terror would turn into my will and engagement with school. Using an agenda which helped me in time management allowed me to unwind. I became more relaxed and steady with my school assignments but still kept myself accountable for the work I put in. Despite creating an agenda to level my workload I made sure to put in equal effort in all of my subjects to become a well-rounded student. So, that I wouldn’t ever become what I feared the most, a disappointment to the other students of the top ten. I made sure that my performance as a student was nothing less than exemplary. No longer obstructed by the vision of fear but rather pushed to do more incredible things with my time such as joining clubs and taking up leadership positions within these associations. From playing an instrument in band to volunteering at community events for key club. I took the opportunity to become more interested in my topics by taking up said leadership positions. I was voted to become the treasurer of the national honors society and the woodwinds captain for band. With the community service events I’ve gone to, I’ve met a lot of people from different backgrounds. I used this to my advantage by taking note of the people to develop my network further. I used my greatest skill of straightening my priorities and getting work done so that I would have more time for myself to be able to do all of these things. This fear of mine manifested into a great desire to earn more, do more, to be the best I can ever become. I will use this skill and further develop it to not only spread my passion into the world but to make the people I hold dear proud. This characteristic of mine will aid me in finding my true desire to become great by allowing me to not be afraid when asking for help. To some people, it may be difficult to ask for help even during their toughest times because they don't want to show their vulnerability but I know my limits and boundaries and I am not scared to ask for help.