Maybe it's because I grew up in an environment where I was told I couldn't help, or perhaps it was because of my father that led me to pursue a forensic science degree. Maybe it's just how college works. I knew that when I chose my degree in forensic science, it was probably influenced by my father, a police officer in New York. While he approved, my mother did not. She didn't want her only daughter, her youngest child, to put herself in some form of danger. Then it was the type of degree I was pursuing. I was the only person in my family who was pursuing what was considered a science and law degree, it was unheard of. In a Chinese household, the daughter was to pursue something considered safe and prosperous, like a business degree or medical degree. Something stereotypical. I didn’t want to be stereotypical. I wanted to help in my way. There I was, in a college across the United States, pushing myself to prove them wrong, away from my family. The pressure was on me to prove to myself that I could do this. But I was struggling. I had two science classes, two labs for said science classes, a math class, an English class, and so much more stacked on top of me. Tests, quizzes, textbook readings, and homework, were thrown at me all at once. I did what I could to stay afloat, but it was hard to keep up. My family was watching me, wondering if I could do it, while my mother was waiting for me to fall, waiting to tell me, “I told you so.” But I couldn’t quit. My friends wouldn’t allow me to do so. My friends helped me keep my chin up, cheering each other on, lending a shoulder to cry on, or celebrating each other’s accomplishments. If one of us was down, then the other could cheer each other up. One problem could easily be fixed with the help of a friend, something that I’m forever thankful for. I’m in my second year now, still pushing myself, if not pushing myself harder to be better. I learned that the adversity we all faced made us so unique and individual, and it allows us to think for ourselves, and think differently. It gives us perspectives that another person wouldn’t have, or even think about. What drives people is other people, which is why diversity is so important in a working environment. People approach problems in different ways, presenting solutions to outcomes that are even better than expected. Thoughts and ideas can flow from one person to another, creating something new, innovative, and exciting. Not just that, but the push that others can give each other, the will to work and be determined can be influenced by the people around us, just like in my first year of college. If it weren’t for them, I might not have gotten this far, using each other to create new ideas for us to learn better, and think smarter. That is why diversity is so important to me; it allows and creates something better and new.