There are moments in life when you feel lost, uncertain, and unable to move forward. It was during these times that my faith became my foundation and strength, helping me rise above life's most challenging obstacles. From a young age, I experienced deep personal loss, starting with the death of my international mother when I was just six years old. Because of the limitations my mother faced in the Philippines, she started to believe in Christianity, growing her faith in the Lord which provided her so many beneficial opportunities that God had gifted her with. Since my parents were both Christian, I was born into the religion. I was familiar with the teachings of faith, but I never fully understood the importance of building a personal relationship with God until life forced me to face its hardships head-on. After my mother's passing, my family and I were left to navigate life without the woman who had been our rock. My father, deeply affected by his grief, struggled to support my sisters and me. Although we continued to attend church, his anger and actions often distanced him from God. As a child, I found it difficult to reconcile my faith with the pain I saw in my father and the emotional turmoil in our home. Growing up in this environment made faith feel distant at times, and even resented. During this period, my Godmother Denise, one of my mother s closest friends, became a source of comfort and strength. She had a deep and unwavering relationship with God, something I admired but didn't fully comprehend at the time. Denise had been a constant presence in my mother's life, offering prayers and support throughout her illness. After my mother passed away, Denise, too, struggled with the question of why God allowed such a tragedy to unfold. She wondered why He didn't intervene to keep my mother with us. Despite her own doubts, Denise was steadfast in her faith, and it was her example that helped guide my sisters and me through our darkest days. She often took us into her home, filling the void left by our mother's absence and reminding us of God's love and care. It wasn't until my freshman year of high school that I began to fully grasp the power of faith despite everything my family had endured. I realized that our struggles were part of a larger plan God had set for us. After my father left to marry a woman in the Philippines, my sister and I Faced a new set of challenges, but we also found freedom and strength in each other. We moved into an apartment together, and I found the space to reflect on who I truly was and the life God intended for me. during this time, prayer became a vital part of my daily life. I turned to God in moments of sorrow, sometimes crying tears of gratitude and seeking His guidance. Through prayer, I began to feel God's presence more profoundly in my life, and it gave me the courage to face my fears and uncertainties. Even during times when my relationship with God wavered, I never lost faith that He was guiding me on the right path. I learned that faith doesn't always come easy, but it is the source of strength when you feel weakest. God has been my constant, my source of hope, and the reason I can keep moving forward. Though I've faced many challenges in my life, I know that my faith, my family, and my trust in God will continue to carry me through.

At the age of five, I endured a loss that would not only define my future but also ignite my drive for financial independence and stability, driven by the need to support my family and overcome the challenges we've faced. When I was three, my mother was diagnosed with lymphoma, a tumor that developed in her stomach. At the time, my family lived in Vermont, where local healthcare expertise in lymphoma was limited. My parents sought treatment options wherever they could, even traveling to Canada for more insight. When I turned five, my family relocated to Indiana, a state that was known for their lymphoma research, as said by the previous hospitals they visited. Despite these efforts, my mother's health only worsened. In her final months, my mother remained on bed rest, first in our home with a hospital-provided bed, then went back to the hospital for better hospitality care. I was too young to fully comprehend the severity of her illness, but I vividly remember the quiet tension in our household. Just six months after our move, my mother passed away- three days before Christmas. The loss left an emotional void that my sisters and I struggled to navigate, compounded by my father's grief. Financially, my mother's passing brought significant hardship. My father, who had retired to care for my mother, became our sole caretaker with no steady income, relying on social security to keep us afloat. We frequently depended on food pantries and food stamps, and our financial instability weighed heavily on our daily lives. My father coped poorly, turning to online dating in his loneliness. Unfortunately, he was often scammed by fake profiles, losing what little money we had. His anger and emotional struggles created a tense and, at times, traumatizing environment for my sisters and me. Five years later my father became engaged to a woman from the Philippines and decided to move there permanently. My sisters, who were 18 and 19 at the time had already moved out, leaving me in a house with my father. At just ten years old, faced with a difficult choice: leave everything I knew behind or speak up about my desire to stay in Indiana. Though my father initially resisted, I ultimately convinced him to let me stay here with my sisters. This decision was pivotal- it gave me stability and the chance to grow in a nurturing environment. Academically, my mother's loss and the resulting struggles fueled my determination to excel. I wanted to honor her memory by striving for a brighter future. Financially, it motivated me to pursue a field that offers stability and opportunities for growth. Business, with its versatility and potential, aligns perfectly with my goals. Through these experiences, I've developed resilience, ambition, and a deep appreciation for the importance of family. My personal hardships have shaped my values and inspired me to work hard toward creating a secure and fulfilling life- not just for myself but for those who have supported me along the way.

The career path I chose was deeply influenced by my personal experiences and the challenges I faced growing up. As a child, I grew up in a low-income household. My mother passed away when I was six years old from a tumor in her stomach called lymphoma. During her illness, my father retired to take care of her, leaving our family to rely solely on social security income. These hardships shaped my determination to achieve financial stability and build a better future. I always dreamed of becoming successful- not just for myself but to support my father and sisters, ensuring they would never have to worry about money again. This drive to succeed guided me through high school as I explored potential career paths. Social media often highlights the versatility of business education, describing it as a practical and adaptable option for a secure future. That idea resonated with me. During my sophomore year, I took an accounting elective to fill my schedule, and to my surprise, I found myself fascinated by the subject. By junior year, I realized that a career in business aligned with my aspirations and could provide the opportunities I was seeking. By senior year, I was confident in my decision and immersed myself in courses such as advanced accounting, marketing, and economics. These classes gave me a strong foundation and solidified my passion for the field. Outside the classroom, my part-time job at a boba shop played a crucial role in shaping my understanding of business. I started working there during my junior year and eventually earned a promotion to assistant manager. This role gave me valuable hands-on experience in customer service, problem-solving, and managing inventory. it also provided real-world examples of the challenges and opportunities I might encounter in my future career. These experiences strengthened my decision to pursue business and demonstrated how my education could translate into tangible skills and career growth. Now a college freshman, I am pursuing a double major in Human Resource Management and Marketing, with a minor in Economics. My experience with customer service and my ability to handle both technical and conceptual skills make HR an ideal fit for me. My creative mindset drew me to marketing, while my high school economics classes sparked a lasting interest that inspired my minor. I chose this combination because it equips me with a diverse skill set and aligns with my long-term goals of financial security and personal fulfillment. Earning a degree in this field will have a transformative impact on my life. It will provide me with the tools to succeed in a competitive job market, build a stable career, and contribute to my family's well-being. A business degree not only fosters critical thinking and problem-solving skills but also opens doors to entrepreneurship- a dream I've considered as a way to create opportunities for myself and others. Ultimately, my decision to study business stems from a deep desire to overcome the challenges of my past and create a brighter future. This career path aligns perfectly with my personal goals and values, and I am confident that it will empower me to achieve the success I've always envisioned.

When I was 3 years old, my mom was diagnosed with Lymphoma, a very deadly tumor that was located in her stomach. At this young age, I didn't understand how serious it was for her. At the time, my dad just told me that my mom was very sick. Because of this, we ended up having to move states to go to a hospital that had a better understanding of my mom's cancer. Unfortunately, after a year 1/2 had passed, my mother passed away. This was a very devastating moment for the entire family, considering that my dad had retired so he could take care of my mom. I don't recall anything that happened after my mom's passing. I didn't understand any of it. It wouldn't get through my head that my mom had passed. I just remember feeling so empty. I was only in kindergarten. Nobody could dress me up for the day anymore, no one was there to do my hair each morning to look pretty. I was bullied in kindergarten as well by the other kids. Looking back, I never realized how much I had gone through. That little girl who had so much love for her mom was then gone. I didn't start remembering anything until 2nd grade when I started to feel a little bit happier. My dad, still depressed, was trying to fill his void by finding new girlfriends, though it still didn't help. I was behind all the other kids in school, I got bad grades and it was hard for me to focus. My teachers always tried to help me because they knew what I had gone through. Though they tried to seem like they were there for me, it rather felt like they were just sorry for me. It never helped me feel better. Rather it made me feel hopeless to receive any higher education than what I was retrieving at such a young age. After years had passed, by the time I had gotten to middle school, my education was getting better. I was finally receiving good grades and was getting recognized by my teachers as well. My dad had moved to the Philippines to marry his new wife and take care of his new step-children, while I began to live with my older sister. So much had happened in Elementary School. There was nothing I could do about it. I was just happy that my dad had finally found peace. Though I no longer had any parents taking care of me, I was glad to know that everyone around me was finally seeking happiness and peace after my mother's death. I will always miss my mom so much. There will never be a day where I'm not thinking about her. I am my mom and more. My mom still lives, inside me and my sisters she reigns. All my education and awards I have received throughout all my years of school are in remembrance of her. I will never forget about my mom until my dying days. She was a superstar and my hero. I wish she could've lived longer to see what else the world had in store for her. Because of my mom, I will never stop pursuing my dream career and education goals to reach higher. I hope she is proud of me, that she watches over me with a smile.

Fear has played a huge role in my life. Fear is the number one thing that holds me back from being the person that I want to be. I have a fear of making people upset, or disappointing others. For me, I am a big people-pleaser. Because of this, it's caused me to become shy and to myself. It becomes hard for me to make friendships because I'm not extroverted. I do believe I have what it takes to become friends with many people, but it's my fear that holds me back from talking to people I've never talked to. What if they reject me? What if they think I'm weird? All those questions that make me doubt myself always appear in those situations. At most times, I feel alone. Like I don't have any friends. I've gotten depression over the years because it's hard for me to communicate my feelings to others due to my fear. Loneliness is hard. It makes you feel unworthy. Even though I have worthiness, there are many times when it feels like I don't. I've wanted to see a therapist, or someone professional in that area that can help me with my emotions, but I've never got the chance to. I feel like it wouldn't help me. Even though in that amount of time I'd be with a therapist, I may feel like I've been helped, but after the session was over, the feelings would come right back. I feel helpless like the only person that can help me is myself. Usually, I pray to help me feel better, and it does help. But it doesn't help if I start to let go of prayer. So, at the end of the day, I'm back to round 1. I let fear take over me, I let fear get the best of me. I let fear take away the person that I am. Even though fear plays a huge role in my life, It'll never stop me from aiming higher. You only live one life. So I want to live my life to the fullest. I want to push my limits and receive a higher education, that way I know that nothing can stop me. Not even fear. My teachers have always believed in me, pushing me to go above and beyond with my goals. Their motivation has helped me achieve so much in my years of high school. I know that with a little bit of motivation from someone other than you, you can go as many places as you wish to. Every time I received a low grade in a class I thought I'd been doing well in, I was always disappointed with myself. Frankly, my teachers always tell me that I can do better and that I am better. That helped me push myself to do more than expected. I always plan to study more and to reach out more for help, so I can become the person that I want to be. Though my fear may get in the way sometimes, those days where I feel worthy, is when I'm able to get the most work done. I'll always need the right mindset to lead me on the right path. Without that mindset, it's hard to do anything. When fear is in the way, it seems impossible to achieve anything. Though it gets hard most of the time, I always find that small motivation to keep me going. Fear may hold me back, but it will never hold back my motivation to do better, and to reach for more. To push my limits and go above and beyond.