Statues Personally, I think love is too broad of a topic… How can one define love? Well to keep it short, Love is defined and experienced with a lot of growth and change while at the same time can be unpredictable which we, in turn, can never declare knowing what it truly is but rather indescribably knowing how it feels. in other words, love is…slightly complicated But truthfully, what love isn’t?? Personally, I think love is dynamic It makes you feel things you never knew you could feel Do things you never thought you had the courage or decency to do Hope for things that you believe disney characters could only feel or dream of… Things like, Let me hold the door open for you Let’s make dinner together Go to a museum Go to the gym Let’s motivate each other Have a picnic Listen to our favorite song Brush our teeth in the morning together but... Make you breakfast in bed first... Saying a simple Good Morning never felt so right. Personally, I think love should have compromise Love is not always just a simple walk in the park Love can be walking with you then abruptly go a different direction than you anticipated Then you think to yourself…”Why did you do that?" Love will talk back with just as much attitude Love will fight back when an argument claws it’s way out of your mouth Love will cry “I can’t believe this!” Love will stutter “I just I…I don’t know..” Love will misunderstand Love will have an ego Love will probably want to sleep on the couch tonight… ... Love will be wrong… Maybe one day, lines will be drawn when feeling like enough is enough, But when that day comes... Love will scribble outside of these lines to show you a bigger picture “I apologize…I’m so sorry… This was stupid You’re right I’m wrong… Come back to bed, I’m cold.” Love will want to share with you and give you personal growth Personally, I think love is liberating It makes you feel free! Free from wonder Free from concern Free from a lot of pain Love has the ability to lift your spirits and give you the determination to keep striving for what you believe in Love is natural It can be both perfect and imperfect. We forever struggle down a path of unknown if we ever decide to look for love. Love should have no shape We input these thoughts in our minds and carve our love into statues Statues that we feel would meet our so called “standards"… Only to realize that the love we come to cherish is…totally different from what we predicted. But in the best way because we know that despite the changes we make to reshape and reform our statues, Love will appreciate the beauty of art that IS our love So how can one define love? You can’t… Love should just be an art you both build together For everyone to see So one day when you grow old together Younger people will walk by and say, “Wow…now THAT is Love"

I would like to make a mark in the Filipino-American community by being a representative role model for individuals who feel they need an emotional outlet and understanding the importance of self-worth. I was born in California but being a military family, we moved when I was very young and were stationed in the middle of Colorado Springs, Colorado. Growing up, I would have been surprised to see someone of the same race or ethnicity as myself. There was no Asian tree to cling to at this point in my life. I grew up only seeing a few people who didn’t fit the Asian stereotypes like watching Dante Basco in Hook or The Fresh Prince. Other than my parents, there was never really any Asian, or let alone any Filipino, role models to represent myself with. I’ve always wished I saw more people that looked like me in movies, commercials, positions or authority or even in school settings. Aside from entertainment, in all honesty, I would personally want to shake things up when it comes to inspiring people. I moved back to California to pursue my passion to just help and inspire people. I’ve gone down many avenues from entertainment to community service to try to help people or inspire them. My ultimate goal is to show people that no matter their race, culture, or religion, what they feel is valid and matters. I want to be given the opportunity to show my roots so that way if individuals from other races or backgrounds want to express their roots or cultures, they would know it’s possible and acceptable. I would like to give opportunities to the quiet people with shy voices to have the most expressive positive opinions or the smallest people to leave the biggest footprint in the work place they want. To not see color but rather normal people would be a goal to strive for of course but baby steps need to be taken before you walk. I believe people in the Filipino-American community should lift people in all avenues whether it be health, art, mental health, entertainment, or law enforcement to name a few. Representation is vital in today’s society so why not have more positive Fil-Am exposure.

One experience that has shaped a part of who I am today would be the death of my cousin. She was a psychology major and her ultimate goal in life is to positively impact a person’s life by being an outlet for people who felt they had no one else to turn to. Sadly at the young age of 20 years old, she committed suicide. Since her passing, her goal has become my own. I want to help those who feel the way she felt before she decided to do what she did. So family members won’t suffer the way I have from losing someone who felt they had no other options, I want to offer individuals a place to let out those thoughts that they think don’t matter. If I can help at least one person understand that their emotions and thoughts matter no matter how big, small or self thought to be insignificant, then I would have fulfilled my purpose. My goal after that would be to fulfill that goal as many times as I possibly can.