My life has been puzzling, but I love puzzles. I am a mosaic of scattered pieces, but I am whole when I do what I love with the people I love. I find satisfaction in putting the pieces together to form the bigger picture. It’s a challenge that requires patience, creativity, and problem-solving skills. My interests lie in jigsaw, sudoku, or the daily wordle from the New York Times. Or when I want to jot down my daily musings of everyday life, I gravitate towards storytelling. Whether through spoken slam poetry or rhythmic rap music, I relish the opportunity to transpose my soul to mp3 files or notebook logs that can be chopped and re-arranged, expressing various outlooks from the same sample. Some days I wrap my brain around the complex sequences of Rubik’s cube algorithms and others, I wrap my brain around the brain itself – expanding my knowledge to uncover the mysteries of biology, at the neural level. Even as a puzzle solver, I swallow the fact that life can’t always be picture perfect, as mine has consisted of both wins and losses, but I believe we are worth the picture still. Hence, I aspire to become a Physician-Scientist, studying the mechanisms of cell communication and general cell biology, and advancing science in a way that incorporates the realities of the patients and the communities that surround it. The body's most essential organs necessitate essential workers, and I aim to be among those workers. There will be many hurdles, but I’m certain with support, I will have the complete “boldness” to piece together the bigger picture of a brighter future.

• Peer Tutor

  Education · Long Beach Unified School District

  Jan 2021 – Jan 2022

• Social Compass Writer

  Writing and Editing · Jayzoq Media

  Jan 2020 – Present

• Advocacy
• Volunteering
• Philanthropy
• Entrepreneurship

• Track & Field

  Club

  2021 – Present

• Soccer

  Club

  2016 – 2017

• Biomedical Research Intern

  Children's Hospital Los Angeles · Neurobiology and Neurosciences

  2022 – 2023

  Research topic:

  The Impact of Early Life High-Fat Diet on Satiety Signaling

• Volunteer

  Volunteering · Red Cross

  2020 – Present

  Mission:

  The American Red Cross prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors.​

• Director of Membership

  Advocacy · Students in Medicine

  2020 – Present

  Mission:

  Our mission is to provide a free and unique learning opportunity for students interested in the medical field.

• Volunteer

  Volunteering · Gardena Willows Wetland Preserve

  2020 – Present

  Mission:

  The primary objectives and purposes of this corporation shall be: (a) To restore, maintain, and enhance the Gardena Willows Wetland Preserve’s unique natural habitat and native flora and fauna for the enjoyment, enrichment, and education of present and future generations of all ages. (b) To conduct restoration and enhancement programs including water conservation, the reintroduction of native species, and the removal of non-native species. (c) To design and implement educational programs for the community, including school tours, regarding the natural history of the South Bay and the Gardena Willows Wetland Preserve. (d) To provide environmental, scientific, and educational opportunities to the community and establish a Nature Center to assist in the fulfillment of these objectives, as well as foster respect for and interest in the environment. (e) To conduct fundraising to provide financial support for the Gardena Willows Wetland Preserve, proposed Nature Center, and the programs of Friends of Gardena Willows Wetland Preserve, Inc. (f) To establish and maintain a volunteer program, including training docents for tours, and exposing participants to the process of restoration in the preserve. (g) To partner with the City of Gardena in its management and maintenance of the Gardena Willows Wetland Preserve.