1.) At 15, I lost my left leg. Or at least, that's what it seemed like to me. Growing up, I always felt indestructible. That youth meant little to no injury, as I thought our bones and muscles were made of iron and steel. Therefore, I played volleyball recklessly, jumping with poor form and running with no caution. My life then changed by a single leap and the sound, "POP!" My ACL was gone. When I discovered I tore an ACL, I thought my life was over. Walking became impossible without my crutches, and bending my knee felt like turning an iron bar. As a straight-A student, managing school became difficult as I had to miss a month of school after my ACL reconstruction surgery. More so, I could no longer study comfortably or walk to classes without backaches and sore arms from my crutches.  As I felt my life coming apart at the seams, a voice told me to keep moving forward. Therefore, I dealt with the pain of icing my knee for 20 minutes every few hours. I hobbled my way to classes despite my aching arms and back. I refused to let my injury define me, and eventually, all my hard work paid off as I once again regained my strength and mobility with the help of Physical Therapy.  Before my full recovery, I saw my injury as a curse, but I realized that it was a blessing in disguise. Since then, I restarted my school's Filipino club and became a co-president of my school's choir program. Without my injury, I would never have discovered how strong I can be and how capable I am of being a leader with the perseverance and determination I sharpened from my recovery.  2.) When I moved to Hawaii from the Philippines at eight, I was unaware of the change I was about to experience. As I attended school in Maui, I learned that many of my Filipino friends did not know how to speak any Filipino languages. I have also discovered that they have little knowledge of the beauty of Filipino culture. As I became accustomed to life in Hawaii, I soon started to lose my connection with Filipino culture and language.  In my Junior year of high school, I wanted things to change. As the years went by, I met more people who knew little of our culture, and by then, I knew I wanted to take action. With my friends' help, we restarted my school's Filipino Cultural Club to spread awareness about our culture.  After many months of work and dedication, our club was able to grow with over 100 members in the span of two years. Through meetings, games, activities, and community service projects with Filipino organizations, we all started to regain or build our connection with our culture. More so, after leading the club for two years, I have grown a passion for learning and spreading awareness about Filipino culture. As an individual raised in the Philippines and Hawaii, I could see the different and similar lifestyles of each place. Having a Filipino-American identity influenced my purpose to bridge the gap between Filipino American's and their Filipino culture. More so, my identity sparked a drive to spread cultural awareness about Filipino culture in my school. I plan to continue my passion by working with programs to host more artistic events and workshops that teach students about the values and traditions we uphold as Filipinos.

My family has been separated for five years until we reunited in 2014. Being a part of a family of seven, my parents struggled to provide meals and educational needs, especially with five children. After struggling to make ends meet in the Philippines, my father took my two oldest siblings to the island of Maui, with hopes of earning more money for our family. He has worked multiple jobs ranging from a security guard to working as a determined housekeeper for 14 years in luxurious hotel called Grand Wailea. It wasn’t until five years later, when he was finally able to save enough money to reunite his family in Hawaii. When my mother and I, along with my two other siblings arrived at the Kahului Airport, I expected our lives to become easier. With easier access to technology and better educational settings, I had thought my life would be smooth-sailing. However, as I grew up, I was proven wrong. With the expenses of living in Maui and the constant rate of inflation, my family could not afford to purchase a home of our own. When we arrived at Maui, we lived with 7 of my relatives for five years. To this day, my family and I live in rental homes, barely making ends meet despite the double jobs my parents took on. Seeing both my parents work tremendously to provide for my family, fueled my determination to reciprocate the same drive and hard-work into my education. By going into the path of being a Registered Nurse, I am able to make the world a brighter place by treating and aiding patients who are in-need of help. By going into the medical field, I am able to create an environment where families and patients feel safe and taken care of. As someone who has suffered a severe injury and had to undergo surgery for an ACL reconstruction, I have seen the great impact the nurses had on me and other patients. Despite their busy shifts, they always assisted me with kindness and a smile, a gesture that made my recovery smoother. With that said, I hope to shed the same light and positivity to help children recover from illnesses and injuries. With this scholarship, I am able to expand my knowledge about medicine and treatment, as well as achieving my goals of becoming a Pediatrician Nurse. As a student coming from a low-income family, this scholarship will open new doors and opportunities for me to take. The funds will enable me to purchase essential materials for my education as well as financing the classes I need for my career. While I understand the difficulty and stiff competition I will have to endure, I have learned to use my challenges to get stronger. As someone who grew up seeing their parents push through their obstacles, I learned to make do with the cards that I was dealt and as a result, I have transformed into a stronger and more confident person.