こんいちわ！Hello, My name is Rachael Imes, and I am a third-generation Japanese-Okinawan-American student, studying the Japanese language at a community college in Orange County, while working as an Activities Leader for AAPI elderly senior citizens at a Skilled Nursing Facility in Los Angeles. As a mixed Asian-American, I have always been extremely close to my grandparents, and cherished their diverse backgrounds. I remember growing up and asking my grandparents to tell me stories about their childhoods in Japan and Hawaii. I grew up dreaming about walking the same steps that my grandma walked in Kyoto, or eating spam musubi on the beaches of Maui like my Okinawan grandparents did in their youth.♡ My dream is to share my own childhood stories, cultural tales, and beloved elderly voices through illustrated books and writing.♡ At work, I love being with my grandma, leading exercise and karaoke with the cute nursing home residents, and comforting the seniors who remind me of my grandparents. Working at a non-profit and going to school at the same time has its challenges, but learning from and sharing the stories of the AAPI elderly is a childhood dream of mine.♡ Any financial support would would be a huge relief of weight and burden that I cannot express, and I would be extremely grateful for any help in making these dreams come true! Thank you so much, and I hope that you continue to meet beautiful people wherever you go, share more of your stories, and to take bold steps to follow your dreams!　がんばって！