Michelle Rosaldo was an American Anthropologist, who co-founded the Feminist Studies program at Stanford University. In the Philipines, she studied the Ilongot people with her husband, Renato Rosaldo. As cultural practices were dying out for this society, Rosaldo sought to understand the people's sense of self. She accomplished this by using recollections of the Ilongot, history, collective identity, and biographical cohort analysis.  She is someone who I admire because she pioneered the Anthropology of Gender. When looking into identity, she considered aspects that impact worldview in a new manner. Viewing social processes in the understanding that they come about in a world where members of both sexes make decisions that count. This concept helped shape anthropological practices used today. I subscribe to looking at sex and gender in relationship to corresponding identities. I don't believe that looking at one identity in isolation can give an accurate description and observation of life in a society. This has guided my feminism and navigation of advocacy.  It has set my notion to my desire to keep learning about the world and people. I don't believe that anyone stops learning and discovering. I don't think that anyone ever should. There is more knowledge to figure out, either for our personal selves or to contribute to group understanding. Learning is how someone grows and expands, so to me, it's important to live. Rosaldo was a lifelong learner, who shared her knowledge and discoveries to guide future Anthropologists to extend their worldview while avoiding ethnocentrism. She is a staple in history for her groundwork in feminism and understanding of gender. Her contributions and work are exactly why I admire her. 

Independence is a vital step to growth. During moments in life that test endurance and resilience of ourselves, we discover who we are. Independent growth happens whenever we reflect and come to interpersonal conclusions or understanding, of a situation or our own person. For myself, I have come to understand what I value, want, and need. While experiencing financial insecurity and childhood homelessness, I remember trying to cling to everything I could. With my step-dad out of my life and my mom struggling with addiction, I recall feeling lost and trying to copy what I saw others doing. In the fifth grade, I couldn't imagine myself in high school; The idea felt alien. It wasn't until the eighth grade that I changed my outlook on life. Realizing myself as an individual, I started seriously considering my wants. I came to the conclusion the major one was something different for me in the future. After middle school, the search for independence pointed me towards attending a separate high school than my siblings. Which turned into breaking my comfort zones and a passion for advocacy. I joined FCCLA, a Hip-hop club, and a feminism club. I grew tremendously within that one year, and finding trust in myself encouraged me to keep going. The following year, I tried to do AP classes, and later got to do IB. I needed independence to answer 'Who is Sakura?' It turned out that she's someone I really like. I value empathy and learning, admire passion and dedication, and crave adventure. That impact is exactly why I am adamant about independence being a necessity for growth. Growth can come in many forms, but finding the personal understanding that independence can give you is a gift. Being independent can change perspectives and give meaningful insights.