There are 4 siblings in my family and I am the second child. I have an older brother and 2 younger sisters. In between my younger sisters, there is another birthday. There is always a hole in our family. My sister died right after her birth. Everything was fine in my mother's pregnancy and 2 days before her birth we saw an ultrasound and she was perfect. We named her Niana Joy. We were so excited about her arrival. My mom came home from the hospital empty-handed. None of us understood why. The doctor said that sometimes these things happen and there was no explanation. It has left a hole in our family. We still say we are a family of 7, not 6 of us that are here. We had a hard time for a while but then decided that we needed to live our lives and hers also. We remember her birthday every year and talk about how old she would have been and what she would be like. It has now changed to a positive. I have been passionate about helping children, and though I am not sure which area of pediatrics I intend to pursue, it is part of my goal to help all children, no matter what the circumstance is. I hope that I can one day help a mother going through something similar and come from a place of knowing personally just how hard it is to deal with a child that either has not lived but also is sick. Personal experience in such a traumatic time is so hard, but I hope to use my experience to support others and become as passionate as I can be.

I was born and raised in Japan. My mom is American and my dad is Japanese. My dad doesn't know English so we spoke Japanese everywhere. I went to school with all Japanese students and teachers. I was always called a "gaijin" which means outsider. We moved to the U.S. when I was 13. I did not speak, read or write English. I could understand some. I was considered Japanese, and once again an outsider. It took a lot of time for me to feel comfortable in English. I talked to my mom in Japanese and she would speak to me in English. She got excited when I started responding and speaking in English. She also was thrilled when I started reading English books in my free time. Making friends was really hard. I had some super teachers and I made friends who were O.K. with my English not being perfect. We have lived here for 5 years now and I think in English now. I have some really close friends who love me just as I am. We are in sports and extracurriculars together. I am happy and have made my place in this English world. My name is Naomi and most Americans cannot pronounce my name. My friends are very protective and they correct teachers and other people when they do not try to pronounce my name correctly. I feel loved and cared for. They have taught me how to love people even when they are very different from them. I try to do the same for others. I try to love the Japanese parts of me as well as the American parts of me. In Japan, they call people like me, "half". I am half Japanese and half American. I have decided that I don't really like that term. I am, "double". I am the best of both cultures. I know that there are others that also struggling with their identities. It is not only being bilingual, bicultural, or biracial but also other struggles. I try to see people as they are, but not put them in categories that may make them feel on the outside as I felt. I want to love people for who they are. I want to be someone who is inclusive. What a wonderful world it would be to have everyone be accepted and valued for who they are and not put people into groups by their age, skin color, language, or differences.The richness that we can bring to all our lives by including others. I am a member of several extracurricular activities at school that support volunteering in the community at Food Banks, Special Olympics, and other places where serving others is a goal. When Covid hit our area, my family served the elderly in our community and made meals for them. We have continued to do this even today. Other than getting a little extra time on standardized testing, I take the same tests as my peers. I want to lead by example and show what work and dedication can do in school, and how serving others is important. I am not the same as everyone else in my school, but that is OK. I am Naomi, and I am proud to be different. I plan to go into nursing and then become an NP in pediatrics. I am in the nursing program at SIUE. I hope to continue learning and growing to make this world a better place for all. Our differences can be the thing that brings us together.

The Covid19 pandemic hit the world recently. Our high school went to e-learning suddenly in the spring of 2020. My mom had to go to work every day, and that was unsettling. If it was too dangerous for me to be at school, why was it safe for my mom to be at work? I found that it didn’t take long to complete assignments online and homework. I talked to my mom about this. After some discussion, we made a plan to figure out something I could spend my extra time on safely during the pandemic. My mom suggested that I make a list of things that I enjoy doing. The top of my list was cooking. We then discussed what I could do with that. I thought about it for a while and came up with a plan. We live in a community with many elderly people. The nearest grocery store is 25 minutes away. It was a very uncertain time for everyone, with the worries of getting Covid19, the empty stores, and all the unknowns. The elderly were very worried about the virus. Several people had already died from complications from Covid19. After brainstorming, we decided what to do. I love baking and cooking. I decided to make meals for people around our lake. My mom would shop on her way home, and we made meals and baked goods from the few things that she was able to purchase. The supermarkets were quite bare, and there were limits on almost everything People were excited about our surprise deliveries. It was not only the food that was important. Many were lonely and afraid. When I delivered, I was masked and kept a social distance. Many were craving social interaction. I listened and talked longer than it took to deliver a meal. It became apparent quickly that they felt special and that they were remembered. Our family started this service because of the pandemic but has continued to deliver meals and treats. I am happy that I can make people smile. Before Covid19, these people were acquaintances, now they have become friends!