Being a fan of Sabrina Carpenter has been more than just following an artist’s music—it has been a journey of inspiration, growth, and self-discovery. I first came across her on Girl Meets World years ago, and while I enjoyed her character, what drew me in most was her voice and the way she carried herself. It didn’t feel like she was just playing a role; she had this natural charisma that made you curious about who she was beyond the screen. When she transitioned into music, I started listening casually, but soon her songs became part of the soundtrack to my own life. What I love most about Sabrina Carpenter is the way she blends honesty with playfulness. Her music has layers: it can be fun and lighthearted one moment, then deeply emotional and vulnerable the next. Songs like “Because I Liked a Boy” show her ability to turn personal hardship into art, and they made me realize that vulnerability is not weakness—it’s a form of strength. Hearing her talk openly about being misunderstood and judged resonated with me because I’ve experienced similar feelings. She made me feel less alone in navigating situations where people make assumptions without knowing the full story. Her career has also impacted the way I view growth and perseverance. Sabrina has been in the industry for a long time, starting young, but instead of peaking early or fading into the background, she’s consistently reinvented herself. She’s gone from Disney actress to respected pop star, but not overnight. It’s been a steady climb filled with risks, setbacks, and breakthroughs. Watching her evolution reminds me that success isn’t about immediate recognition but about persistence, patience, and staying true to your voice even when others doubt you. Another reason I admire her is her confidence and wit. Sabrina has this ability to laugh at herself, make light of awkward situations, and still command a room. Her humor, whether in interviews or in her lyrics, makes her relatable. It has encouraged me to embrace my quirks instead of trying to smooth them out. In a world where people are pressured to appear perfect, her authenticity is refreshing. She shows that being yourself, fully and unapologetically, is not only enough but also powerful. Her career has impacted me personally by shaping the way I approach my own challenges. When I feel stuck or hesitant, I think about how she continued to create, experiment, and push forward even when her work wasn’t always universally praised. It motivates me to keep going with my goals, even if recognition doesn’t come right away. On a smaller scale, her music has been there for me in everyday life—on long walks, during stressful nights, or moments of celebration. It has been a constant reminder that art connects us, lifts us, and sometimes even heals us. Being a fan of Sabrina Carpenter isn’t just about admiration from afar. It’s about carrying pieces of her resilience, humor, and authenticity into my own life. She has impacted me by showing that growth is messy, but it’s worth embracing—and that music can make the journey a little brighter.

Having spent the first 20 years of my life in Vietnam, I have witnessed a widespread fear of investing among everyday citizens. Whether in stocks, real estate, or even gold, building wealth through investment is often viewed as risky and reserved for the elite. This pattern stems from not only systemic issues like weak regulations and market volatility, but more critically, from financial illiteracy. Through my international education in the United States, I aim to gain the expertise and perspective necessary to change this mindset and contribute to a financially confident Vietnam. Financial literacy is not just about being free; it is also about protecting our money from market dangers. Most people with one income source or limited cash flows from savings do not realize that as time passes, more of their money is being taken away by means of inflation, recessions, and economic shocks. Therefore, being knowledgeable about finance gives people a tool to hedge market risks and retain more money earned by principles in assessing risk aversion, diversifying portfolios, and choosing investment options tailored to one’s risk tolerance. While the benefits of financial education to the common folks are explicit, many countries still show reluctance in implementing it into their official public education curriculum. This is likely due to teachers being ill-prepared themselves in terms of finance, which makes training existing teachers or even hiring experts to teach unfeasible. However, while investing should be reserved for higher education, money management as a fundamental principle in finance can still be taught in elementary schools. Realizing this severe lack of financial education in my home country, I decided to pursue my international education in the United States, a country known for its robust financial systems and academic excellence. With a 70% merit scholarship from DePauw University, I am currently working toward a Bachelor’s degree in Econometrics and Quantitative Economics. This STEM program allows me to develop strong data analysis and economic modeling skills, which are essential for making sound investment decisions. After graduation, I plan to earn the coveted Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation to deepen my expertise and professional credibility. Therefore, I will have been qualified by the time I work in a mutual fund or investment bank in the US as a chartered institutional investor. Utilizing my expertise and experience as an investor, I then wish to continue my career in Vietnam, where I expect to establish an investment educational center to provide the common folks with fundamental principles in constructing investment portfolios, asset allocation, and risk management. My mission is to give Vietnamese people new insights into investing, so that investment may no longer be viewed with skepticism but rather as a channel to effectively build wealth, hedge inflation, and protect assets independently and decisively. In today’s volatile and increasingly interconnected global economy, early financial literacy is more essential than ever. Yet in many parts of the world, it is still viewed as optional or even elitist. This must change. Teaching financial basics, especially from a young age, can empower individuals to escape the cycle of financial dependence, navigate risk, and take ownership of their futures. My next journey to construct my future as an aspiring investor has taken me to the United States, where I hope to benefit from a truly international and liberal education system. Education is a tool for empowerment, and I envision a world where financial education will equip future generations with great financial literacy and confidence. Through my international STEM education, I hope to contribute to that world.

Why do we fall? This line, taken from the masterpiece Batman Begins by Christopher Nolan, is the perfect summary of my teenage years. I have stumbled several times. Some of those failures are minor bruises or mere nuisances, except for one. This one traumatized me. However, after having overcome it, I am more than prepared to embrace every difficulty that lies ahead as I embark on my college journey. Through my injury, I wish to send my message of faith to those who are disadvantaged by injuries and failures. I have always been genetically a weak child. I was born 2 months prematurely and was hospitalized for another 2 months before being discharged. To this day, I still cannot thank my parents enough for being devoted to raising me despite my weakness. I have probably understood that since I was in kindergarten, which was why I always tried to play sports and become a positive student. I especially enjoyed badminton and would play every weekend with my best friends. My childhood passed in such an idyllic way that I still could not believe what came after. It was my junior year of high school in 2022. I was selected to be in the school’s junior badminton team to engage in a city contest. In the evening before the official match, our coach had us play in one last round. Half an hour into the game, suddenly, my teammate stepped violently on my left foot. I lost control, fell right onto the ground, and passed out. After waking up in a hospital room, I saw my right arm cast. The doctor, along with my coach, came in and broke the bad news. Although my foot only suffered from a minor bruise, my left shoulder was dislocated so severely that my arm had to be cast for over 4 months. That alone was enough to make me collapse. The game was starting tomorrow! My coach, sitting next to me, gave me a DVD and told me to rest at home. I continued this pathetic state for 3 months straight. One evening, after coming back from school, I saw something round falling out of my backpack. It was the DVD from my former coach, which was for a film called “Batman Begins” in 2005. Intrigued, I sat through the movie in a single night. The film told the story of how Bruce Wayne, a billionaire, started his crime-fighting journey after suffering from the deaths of his parents and the destruction of his house. This was the breaking point for me. The movie experience taught me a lesson about failures and faith. To fail meant to know, and to know meant to believe. We fell to know something about ourselves, and to trust in our abilities afterwards. This is exactly what I want to convey to those who are currently facing hardships like I used to. Why do we fall? So we could learn to stand up. I did exactly that after that night. I switched to reading novels and quickly discovered my love for writing and public speaking. In 2025, thanks to the assistance of my coach, who kindly wrote me a recommendation letter, I was successfully awarded a 70% tuition scholarship by DePauw University. Having faith in myself, I was fully prepared for the next wonderful years of my life, knowing what I love and what I am destined to become in the future: An author. Through my journey of hardship and outcome, I wish my fellows would learn the value of faith and unlock their potential through that.