As a first-generation college student majoring in Global Hospitality Leadership and minoring in Law, Values, and Policies, Disney is an existence that I have both a deep personal and professional connection with. When an individual thinks of hospitality, they typically think of a few things: restaurants, hotels, and Disney! Growing up as an only child under a single-mother, immigrant household hasn't always been easy. There have been moments in my life when we weren't sure if there was going to be food on the table; when we didn't know where we would be sleeping that night; when we had no idea who would be the one to take care of me while my mother was out at work from 7 am to 5 pm. During my early academic journey, I was often left in the hands of others after school ended such as at daycares, afterschool programs, and babysitters. The one thread that connected those experiences was the very existence of Disney. Whether it was the Disney Channel on television that played iconic shows such as Hannah Montana and The Suite Life of Zack and Cody or renting out CDs of amazing Disney movies such as The Little Mermaid and Dumbo, it was something that raised me in terms of values, dreams, and overall, helped me become who I am now as an individual. To me, there were so many unique yet valuable lessons that I took away from each piece of Disney that I've had the pleasure of witnessing growing up. For instance, with The Little Mermaid! I always felt a little different in my youth as an Asian-American girl with a single mother. In primary school, I was often bullied for a variety of reasons such as not having a parent present in my life and just for being different in general. I related to Ariel as throughout the movie, I found that I had so much in common with her. For example, we both do not have 2 parents present in our lives, we love collecting trinkets and exploring new areas, and we have big dreams that are seemingly beyond us. Even the movie sequel, The Little Mermaid II: Return to The Sea, left such a deep impact on me years after the first movie as just like Melody, the main character and Ariel's daughter, I was told to stay inside my little bubble because it was what people thought was best for me. I find both Ariel and Melody to be incredibly inspiring, independent women who are not afraid to chase after their dreams and to unashamedly embrace their uniqueness. The Little Mermaid series made me realize that being different isn't so bad and that it was what made me, me! I've even had the honor of transitioning the movie with me from my childhood, with the animated version, to my adulthood, with the live-action version. I find that the 2023 version is even more inspiring and relatable as the actress, Halle Bailey, is a woman of color, just like me! Overall, it is an iconic movie series that allowed me to believe in dreaming big, even if it seemed out of reach in the beginning. I find that Disney is an amazing company and its very existence has brought so many hopes and dreams to life through its amazing work. I urge anyone reading this to explore anything Disney whether it is their movies, TV shows, theme parks, and more. You'll surely be surprised to see what you take away from your experiences and how much you've changed inside out after, just like I have!

Creativity and art are versatile vessels of one's mind; art can be painting, drawing, dancing, photography, and more. However, an overlooked art category is creative writing, particularly poetry. There have been an innumerable number of talented poets who have reached stardom over the past few decades ranging from Maya Angelou with her most famous piece, "And Still I Rise", to Rupi Kaur with her bestselling book, "milk and honey". A poet that I personally resonate with in particular is Ocean Vuong, who reached success early on in his career with his debut novel, "On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous", which happens to be my favorite poetry novel. As a female queer, Asian-American daughter under a low-income, single-mother, immigrant household, I relate more than ever to Vuong's jaw-dropping, award-winning novel. "On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous" consists of beautiful, painful self-expression and self-discovery as a queer Vietnamese-American and how addiction, violence, and trauma play a role in Vuong's relationship with their mother and the way he grew up. It is undeniable that the experiences growing up in America as a child of immigrants compromises the simultaneous battle of identity crises as it is shown through the pages. Growing up, I've faced the intricacies as a person of color not being "ethnic" and "cultural" enough for my immigrant side yet too "foreign" and "different" for my American side. There are countless memorable quotes from Vuong's novel that leave me speechless in undeniable connection and empathy, but one in particular pertains to the complexity of past, present, and future. This is shown through the following famous quote: "Some people say history moves in a spiral, not the line we have come to expect. We travel through time in a circular trajectory, our distance increasing from an epicenter only to return again, one circle removed".

I have always been a proud Texan as the culture in the city I live in, Houston, is extremely diverse; however, I have not been proud of the system and stigmas in Texas, particularly around Mental Health. Throughout my life, I watched the people around me be affected negatively by Mental Health and mental illnesses. According to MHA's The State of Mental Health in America 2020 report, 3,309,000 adults in Texas are living with a mental illness and 61% of adults in Texas who needed mental health treatment in the last year, did not receive any. The first thought I had when I came across this information was 'why'? Why is this happening in America, particularly in Texas? As I dug deeper, I found that there was a lack of affordable, accessible, and known Mental Health resources and treatments in Texas. When the pandemic hit in 2020, I decided to make the move to confront the mental health decline and start change within my community. The following are answered questions motivated me during the process: If not now, then when? If not me, then who? I planned for months and months on end and by 2021, I was finally ready to show the world; in May 2021, I founded a Giup, a non-profit Mental Health advocacy organization based in Houston, Texas. Giup's aim is to help students access and learn more about mental health awareness, resources, treatments, and more. Within the last few months with Covid-19 in mind, I have spread awareness, helped others learn more about and gain access to affordable resources such as free online apps and websites for friendships, a variety of online Mental Health resources such as Psychology Today, Betterhelp, etc. and helped destigmatize Mental Health overall within my local community and beyond.