I strongly believe that mental health is a matter where it is up to the person whether or not it impacts their life. I have always been one to think about solving problems and rooting out potential issues before they become problems. But not everyone can do that, so I always try to be a sympathetic individual who understands that his brain is wired differently from all his peers' brains. With that being said, I have become enamored with today's technology just like everybody else, but for some, technology and social media have become the center of life. In fact, I contend that the most important issue facing young people today is the impact of social media. Social media is relatively new compared to other concepts in our lives, but it is also highly polarizing. Many of my classmates use social media for various purposes. While social media is an effective way to communicate with friends and get a good laugh out of funny, short clips, it is often also the exclusive source of their news, and the sources that share the news they obtain are often tied to misinformation. Now and then, I ask my peers where they get their news, and I often become concerned when I hear sites like "Facebook", "Twitter", and "Instagram" being dubbed primary sources. In an era where news and information (especially misinformation) can spread quickly, it is alarming to see that people only trust news if they can get it quickly and conveniently, because, in my opinion, it shows people choose not to take the time to properly educate themselves on big-ticket issues. Large tech corporations and social media platforms enable our population to remain uneducated, meaning they can spread fake news and create worldwide systemic problems that can exacerbate mental health issues. Algorithms on platforms have allowed people who don’t know better to brainwash themselves into instantly believing what they see on their home page, driving people away from journalism and accurate reporting. Many major websites and mainstream media publications are also taking advantage of that, allowing harmful and dangerous conspiracy theories, embellished headlines, and falsehoods to spread like wildfire. As someone who watches the news frequently and gets his information from multiple sources, I believe in journalism. I strongly believe that the purpose of reporting news is to raise awareness of different perspectives and not to breed hatred and distrust. In politics, especially, misinformation can drive up distrust and disgust towards one another. Though misinformation continues to be persistent, I am glad to see that some states such as California (a state that now mandates schools to teach students how to find reputable sources) are taking steps to curb the impact of inaccurate news. However, it is down to media executives (including the owners of social media apps) to push money aside for just a second to ensure they are not blindly allowing hate groups and conspiracy theorists to spread lies with the intent to harm vulnerable populations, including those with mental health issues that often get dehumanized by select figures in power. I have seen both the positive and negative impacts of social media on our student body; social media has allowed me to make new friends and meet new people, but some of those same friends have been impacted in some way by body shaming and cyberbullying that takes place there—especially members of the band who have been at times subject to homophobia over social media. Having gone through the Global Studies program at Freehold Township High School, I have developed an interest in policy-making, and I want to be in a position to push ideas and ensure I do my part to advocate for positive change, especially regarding the way people spread their ideas, which I continue to believe is a fundamental right that makes America unique. I want the best for society, and society is always best when it is strongly educated on perspectives, differences in people, and how to exercise inclusivity. By making changes in how things are presented wth technology, we can take small steps towards changing our world for the better.

Despite four AP classes, I was coasting through my junior year. Until I started digging a ditch and got stuck in it. To be an Eagle Scout, one must be physically strong, morally straight, trustworthy, helpful, and friendly, et cetera. Every Wednesday night, I swore to abide by these expectations before working on merit badges, requirements, and plans for outings. Everything was put to the test once I began planning my Eagle Scout project. I met a representative from the Freehold Heritage Society at a local museum. The on-site woodshed had a drainage problem, and the adjacent garden had a crooked walkway. I was to dig a drainage ditch and re-lay the walkway, which required a lot of materials. Luckily, the representative gave me a paper that I believed had everything for the walkway on it. All materials and tools were on-site already, according to the beneficiary. So I bought landscape fabric and leveling sand and went forward, not knowing how chaotic it would be. After a day, the ditch was done, but the walkway, which I had delegated to other volunteers and Scouts, had been laid unevenly. Still, the beneficiary stepped on the walkway and said, "All good!" I went home on cloud nine. But... The beneficiary told me there were problems—indirectly! She called a Troop leader, who then called another Troop leader, who then emailed me! Why couldn't she tell me in person? I was baffled. Over the next two weeks, the beneficiary sent several aggressive emails. One asked for eight inches of gravel. One asked for tools that cost thousands of dollars. The string of demands she dealt me was overwhelming; I couldn't possibly do everything she wanted. I felt bitter, thinking I had let others down. It was a tough pill to swallow. I felt like I was deep in a ditch, with no way out. But I remembered everything I had done in Scouting—the bouldering, the rock climbing, the uphill hiking—and realized I couldn't just walk away. I had been humbled by my obvious shortcomings. But, I needed to humble her back because I was not going to get bullied into obedience. I needed to climb out of my ditch. I called for help from my Troop. Their response was instant. While some adults went to the beneficiary and told her to slow her roll, one Troop leader sat me down, held me accountable, coached me on my communication skills, and helped me conjure up a new plan. After long negotiations, we made a deal that alleviated my concerns over budgeting and resources, but also had the pieces for the durable, safe, and stable walkway the beneficiary wanted. The project was eventually completed on May 31st, 2024. The beneficiary and I said goodbye to each other, this time having mutual knowledge that the walkway was finished. I was preached the importance of communication, humility, and self-advocacy, which was feedback that I strongly appreciated. Having the guidance of other leaders helped, but I will always treasure the fact that I was able to lead those negotiations. Being humble and kind despite the burdens helped bring peace to a conflict that had threatened to escalate. The beneficiary not only has kept positive relations with me but has also welcomed fellow Troop members, a development that I am elated to have witnessed. My journey to completing my project truly reflects the journey to the Eagle Scout rank itself: one will face hardships and challenges along the way, but pulling yourself together and fighting for yourself to overcome those obstacles is what sets you apart from others.

Despite four AP classes, I was coasting through my junior year. Until I started digging a ditch and got stuck in it. To be an Eagle Scout, one must be physically strong, morally straight, trustworthy, helpful, and friendly. Every Wednesday night, I swore to abide by these expectations before working on merit badges, requirements, and plans for my troop’s outings. Everything was put to the test once I began planning my Eagle Scout project in January 2024. I met a representative from the Freehold Heritage Society at a local museum. The on-site woodshed had a structural drainage problem, and the adjacent garden had a crooked walkway. I was to dig a drainage ditch and re-lay the walkway, which required a lot of materials. The representative gave me a paper that I believed had everything for the walkway on it; there were specifications on what materials should be used—landscape fabric and leveling sand. All other materials and tools were on-site already, according to the beneficiary. So I bought the fabric and sand and went forward, not knowing how chaotic it would be. After days of work, the ditch was done, but the walkway, which I had delegated to other volunteers and Scouts, had been laid unevenly. Still, the beneficiary stepped on the walkway and said, "All good!" I went home believing I had achieved everything I wanted. But... The beneficiary checked the walkway the following Wednesday, and she told me there were problems—indirectly! She called a Troop leader, who called another Troop leader, who then emailed me! Why couldn't she tell me to my face? I was baffled. Over the next two weeks, the beneficiary sent several aggressive emails. One asked for eight inches of gravel. One asked for tools that cost thousands of dollars. The string of demands she dealt me was overwhelming; I couldn't possibly do everything she wanted. I felt bitter, thinking I had let others down. I felt like I was deep in a ditch, with no way out. But I remembered everything I had done in Scouting—the bouldering, the rock climbing, the uphill hiking—and realized I couldn't just walk away. I had been knocked down. But I needed to get up again. I needed to climb out of my ditch. I called for help from my Troop. Their response was instant. While some adults went to the beneficiary and told her to slow her roll, one Troop leader sat me down, held me accountable, coached me on my communication skills, and helped me come up with a new plan. After long negotiations, we made a deal that alleviated my concerns over budgeting and resources, but also had the pieces to achieve the durable, safe, and stable walkway the beneficiary wanted. The project was eventually completed on May 31st, 2024, and the beneficiary and I said goodbye to each other, this time having mutual knowledge that the walkway was genuinely finished. I was preached the importance of communication, humility, and self-advocacy, feedback that I strongly appreciated. But more importantly, I learned that I could not always succeed without a network, a group of peers who could step in and stand up for me when I was vulnerable, like my Troop did. Without them, I would not be an Eagle Scout. My journey to completing my project truly reflects the journey to the Eagle Scout rank itself: one will face hardships and challenges along the way, but pulling yourself together, utilizing your resources, and fighting for yourself to overcome those obstacles is what sets you apart from others.

I remember the day I first entered Scouting as a Cub Scout. I was a shy second grader with no one he considered a close friend and knew little about community service. Fast forward ten years, and I am a much changed man. I may have learned how to pitch a tent, tie a variety of knots, navigate with a compass, and various other skills, but the most important thing in Scouting was how to be a good man who also led others. Being a Boy Scout has taught me critical life lessons, made me a strong leader, and most importantly, instilled in me life principles that will stay with me forever. There is a lot that I want to accomplish during my time in college. My first major goal is to finish with a high GPA. Secondly, I would like to gain early work experience in college. I hope to land internships or jobs with powerful political figures who will help me develop my communication and leadership skills further, especially in the fields of law, politics, and international affairs. After I get out of college, I hope to have a JD and a career in law, but I have yet to decide exactly what concentration to go into. Lastly and most importantly, I would like to continue giving back to the community through service. I aim to apply what I learned as a Boy Scout, as a volunteer for Monmouth Fidelity Chinese School and Manalapan’s Teen CERT, and as a four-year member of several school clubs, to make the world a better place. I have had many opportunities to give my time to the community, and I plan to take more of those opportunities in the future. I can achieve these goals if I manage my time effectively, and I can do that by creating a daily schedule for myself, planning ahead, and allocating time evenly between my daily tasks. Most importantly, I need to enjoy myself. My specific goals as I get older and enter adulthood are bound to change to some degree, especially as the world around me changes. However, one constant life vision I have is to be the person who makes someone’s day. As someone who grew up with few close friends, I always appreciated any peers who went out of their way and talked to me. Those peers set an example that I will look to set myself. I plan on preaching the values I learned from Scouting, especially loyalty, trustworthiness, bravery, kindness, and service. To earn the Dr Tien Vo scholarship would be an honor. It would be crucial to helping me pursue the higher education I need to become the high-impact policymaker and public servant that I strive to be and I know that I am capable of making waves in the world. I always aim to be better than yesterday, and that growth mindset will ensure that the money in this scholarship will be put to the best use possible.

I remember the day I first entered Scouting as a Cub Scout. I was a shy second grader with no one he considered a close friend and knew little about community service. Fast forward ten years and I am a much changed man. I may have learned how to pitch a tent, tie a variety of knots, navigate with a compass, and various other skills, but the most important thing in Scouting was how to be a good man who also led others. Being a Boy Scout has taught me critical life lessons, made me a strong leader, and most importantly instilled in me life principles that will stay with me forever. There is a lot that I want to accomplish during my time in college. My first major goal is to finish with a high GPA. Secondly, I would like to gain early work experience in college. Lastly, I would like to continue giving back to the community through service. Overall, I aim to apply what I learned as a Boy Scout and make the community better. As a volunteer for Monmouth Fidelity Chinese School and Manalapan’s Teen CERT, I have had many opportunities to give my time to the community, and I plan to take more of those opportunities in the future. I can achieve these goals if I manage my time well, and I can do that by making a daily schedule for myself, planning things weeks ahead of time, and splitting time evenly between my daily tasks. Most importantly, I need to enjoy myself. While in college I hope to land internships or jobs with powerful political figures who will help me develop my communication and leadership skills further, especially in the field of law, politics, and international affairs. After I get out of college, I hope to have a JD and a career in law, but I have yet to decide exactly what concentration to go into. My specific goals as I get older and enter adulthood are bound to change to some degree, especially as the world around me changes. However, one constant life vision I have is to be the person that makes someone’s day. As someone who grew up with few close friends, I always appreciated any peers who went out of their way and talked to me. Those peers set an example that I will look to set myself. I plan on preaching the values I learned from Scouting, especially loyalty, trustworthiness, bravery, kindness, and service.

Throughout my childhood, I have understood that getting a strong education is both a privilege and a responsibility. My parents take pride in our education and their careers, but time and time again, they have emphasized that family always comes first. To set an example for me and my brother, they showed constant support for our grandparents, especially recently. After my grandfather was forced into retirement by medical issues, they were left with no source of income. My mother and father decided to purchase a new home for them and fully cover the costs—we are not receiving any rental income from their home. I believe we did the morally right thing and showed how strong respect for the elderly (which is a big part of our cultural identity as a Hong Kong Chinese-American family), but it ultimately put our family in more financial constraints that limit our ability to pay for a college education for my brother and me. My younger brother and I share similar ambitions. He is aiming for medical school, and I am striving for law school, both of which will further stretch our family’s financial capacity. Throughout the college application process, we have been made conscious of the sacrifices our parents and grandparents make daily to help us. Thus, we understand the importance of securing financial aid and opportunities that will allow us to achieve our educational goals without placing additional strain on our family. And being that I will be going to college first, securing that financial freedom starts with me making the right decision. While our family does not make much money, we know for certain that critical financial aid from federal and state governments is out of our reach. This means scholarships like these can make a huge difference. I have made it my goal to leave college with no debt and multiple degrees so I can secure the best future for my family as well as myself. By earning the Julius Quentin Jackson scholarship, I, a person of color, can secure that future and carve a pathway for both me and my brother to inspire others and change the world.

To be a good citizen, one must understand the ways he or she can get involved and help improve his or her community and country. This means understanding our greatest challenges and finding ways to overcome them as a nation. The greatest challenge that faces my community and others across America is political division. I have grown up in a society rife with political division. Not only that, the discussion of politics is sensitive, so many people wind up being blind followers, lacking adequate education on big-ticket social issues. They only say things because others say them, and they ostracize people who disagree with them. For example, during sophomore year band camp, I knew a freshman who loved politics just like me. However, once I heard stories about him bullying a gay classmate using homophobic slurs, I was jarred. This behavior reminded me of several instances of anti-LGBTQ rhetoric I saw online and in the news. This is avoidable, and I will set a good example by speaking openly about my political views while still being open to others' perspectives and respecting their opinions. I hope to one day be in a position to advocate for the protection of marginalized groups so that these groups can be free to express themselves. But for now, the best thing to do to push for the change I want is to go to the polls and vote for my local, state, and federal representatives. In a free nation, every citizen must have a way to voice their opinions, even if it means criticizing the government or exposing simple flaws. Not all people in this world get this right, but in America, it is given to all citizens. Voting is integral so that our nation's leaders have a mandate from the general public to do what is right for their constituency and not just themselves. In other countries, some leaders choose to do prioritize personal benefit over the good of their people because they can: it was not like the people chose them to be in positions of power. Thanks to our Constitution and the basic freedoms it gifts to all Americans, my fellow community members and I can voice our displeasure and desire for change whenever we want. The general public, when united, is powerful, and when they are free to assemble and speak their mind, that is ultimately what drives the most change in our country and the world. I have overheard concerns from certain people that the current state of our government and democracy is weakening, but I still believe our leaders will abide by the Constitution and the promises they gave to their people, and the foundational ideals of America will prevail as they always do.

I remember the day I first entered Scouting as a Cub Scout. I was a shy second grader with no one he considered a close friend and knew little about community service. Fast forward ten years and I am a much changed man. I may have learned how to pitch a tent, tie a variety of knots, navigate with a compass, and various other skills, but the most important thing in Scouting was how to be a good man who also led others. Being a Boy Scout has taught me critical life lessons, made me a strong leader, and most importantly instilled in me life principles that will stay with me forever. There is a lot that I want to accomplish during my time in college. My first major goal is to finish with a high GPA. Secondly, I would like to gain early work experience in college. Lastly, I would like to continue giving back to the community through service. Overall, I aim to apply what I learned as a Boy Scout and make the community better. As a volunteer for Monmouth Fidelity Chinese School and Manalapan’s Teen CERT, I have had many opportunities to give my time to the community, and I plan to take more of those opportunities in the future. I can achieve these goals if I manage my time well, and I can do that by making a daily schedule for myself, planning things weeks ahead of time, and splitting time evenly between my daily tasks. Most importantly, I need to enjoy myself. While in college I hope to land internships or jobs with powerful political figures who will help me develop my communication and leadership skills further, especially in the field of law, politics, and international affairs. After I get out of college, I hope to have a JD and a career in law, but I have yet to decide exactly what concentration to go into. My specific goals as I get older and enter adulthood are bound to change to some degree, especially as the world around me changes. However, one constant life vision I have is to be the person that makes someone’s day. As someone who grew up with few close friends, I always appreciated any peers who went out of their way and talked to me. Those peers set an example that I will look to set myself. I plan on preaching the values I learned from Scouting, especially loyalty, trustworthiness, bravery, kindness, and service.

To be an Eagle Scout, one is expected to be trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent. At all times, they are expected to be mentally and physically strong and morally straight. Every Wednesday night from 6th-11th grade, I would swear to abide by these expectations before heading to work on merit badges, basic requirements, and from time to time, plans for my troop’s outings at weekly meetings. Everything was put to the test when I began planning my Eagle Scout project in January of 2024. I met with a representative from the Freehold Heritage Society at a local farm museum. There was a woodshed on site that had a structural drainage problem, and behind lay a garden with a walkway that needed to be redone. The representative gave me a handout that I believed had everything on it; there was some specification on what materials should be used, especially in the walkway phase, where the handout asked for landscape fabric and leveling sand to be used. So I bought the fabric and sand, and believing that was it, I did not purchase gravel or edging for the walkway, nor did I do adequate research before the project, nor did I ask the beneficiary if my plan was what she was looking for. I thought it would be easily done in a day, but after a day of work, the lack of communication reared its ugly head. It turned out the beneficiary wanted more than just fabric and sand; the walkway needed some sort of base—it couldn’t be just leveling sand on top of the fabric. Not only that, the walkway had been laid in a rushed manner and the ground wasn’t even. So I had to redo all the plans for the walkway and negotiate a compromise with the beneficiary, who was understandably disappointed with the initial outcome. Worse, it all happened in the middle of AP Exam season, where I had to take four AP tests in 10 days, one of which was AP US History. It was the first time I had gone through such a level of stress in my life. I became worried that if the project dragged beyond Memorial Day, I would not be able to get the help needed and I wouldn’t be able to finish the project in time. Thankfully, my Troop leaders—particularly one who was close with the beneficiary and had worked on many of these projects before—helped me out greatly. The guidance of the leaders helped me learn the true importance of communication and accountability. After weeks of negotiating, the beneficiary and I made a deal that alleviated my concerns over budgeting and resources but also had all the essential pieces to achieve the most durable, safe, and stable walkway. The project was eventually completed on May 31st, 2024, and while I’m proud of it, I also remember that had I been a stronger communicator the project could have gotten done much earlier. Today, the walkway looks more beautiful than ever, and more importantly, I am a better leader. I was preached the importance of communication and asking questions and I plan to apply this valuable lesson when I lead projects down the road. If anything, my journey to completing my Eagle Scout Project reflects the journey to the Eagle Scout rank itself: one will face hardships and challenges along the way, but overcoming those obstacles is what sets you apart from others and makes you deserving of Scouting’s highest individual honor.

To be an Eagle Scout, one is expected to be trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent. At all times, they are expected to be mentally and physically strong and morally straight. Every Wednesday night from 6th-11th grade, I would swear to abide by these expectations before heading to work on merit badges, basic requirements, and from time to time, plans for my troop’s outings at weekly meetings. Everything was put to the test when I began planning my Eagle Scout project in January of 2024. I met with a representative from the Freehold Heritage Society at a local farm museum. There was a woodshed on site that had a structural drainage problem, and behind lay a garden with a walkway that needed to be redone. The representative gave me a handout that I believed had everything on it; there was some specification on what materials should be used, especially in the walkway phase, where the handout asked for landscape fabric and leveling sand to be used. So I bought the fabric and sand, and believing that was it, I did not purchase gravel or edging for the walkway, nor did I do adequate research before the project, nor did I ask the beneficiary if my plan was what she was looking for. I thought it would be easily done in a day, but after a day of work, the lack of communication reared its ugly head. It turned out the beneficiary wanted more than just fabric and sand; the walkway needed some sort of base—it couldn’t be just leveling sand on top of the fabric. Not only that, the walkway had been laid in a rushed manner and the ground wasn’t even. So I had to redo all the plans for the walkway and negotiate a compromise with the beneficiary, who was understandably disappointed with the initial outcome. Worse, it all happened in the middle of AP Exam season, where I had to take four AP tests in 10 days, one of which was AP US History. It was the first time I had gone through such a level of stress in my life. I became worried that if the project dragged beyond Memorial Day, I would not be able to get the help needed and I wouldn’t be able to finish the project in time. Thankfully, my Troop leaders—particularly one who was close with the beneficiary and had worked on many of these projects before—helped me out greatly. The guidance of the leaders helped me learn the true importance of communication and accountability. After weeks of negotiating, the beneficiary and I made a deal that alleviated my concerns over budgeting and resources but also had all the essential pieces to achieve the most durable, safe, and stable walkway. The project was eventually completed on May 31st, 2024, and while I’m proud of it, I also remember that had I been a stronger communicator the project could have gotten done much earlier. Today, the walkway looks more beautiful than ever, and more importantly, I am a better leader. I was preached the importance of communication and asking questions and I plan to apply this valuable lesson when I lead projects down the road. If anything, my journey to completing my Eagle Scout Project reflects the journey to the Eagle Scout rank itself: one will face hardships and challenges along the way, but overcoming those obstacles is what sets you apart from others and makes you deserving of Scouting’s highest individual honor.

I live in a gated community. I am one of only a small handful of minority families who live there; the rest are white. It has been this way my whole life and it is unlikely to change. However, when I go out to serve the community, helping others embrace their identity and their contributions to diversity is always one of my number one goals. Dedication is one of my strongest qualities, and it shines through when I volunteer at my Chinese school, Monmouth Fidelity Chinese School (MFCS) in Marlboro, New Jersey. Every Saturday I give back to the community by dedicating each Saturday morning during the school year to this non-profit organization which intends to preserve the Chinese language and culture and engage the next generation in learning about the world’s most spoken language. The school is operated entirely by volunteers, some of whom, like me, graduated as students from the school after ten years of dedication to learning Chinese. Since becoming a volunteer, I, joined by others, digitalized the curriculum for kindergarten classes to engage the students in learning introductory phrases and numbers. Additionally, I and other young volunteers have introduced technological advancements, including Google Classroom, that have improved communication between students and teachers and efficiency of instruction. These transformations have contributed heavily to greater diversity and inclusion in Monmouth Fidelity Chinese School: enrollment has gone up 20% and non-Chinese enrollment has skyrocketed. The student body and volunteer faculty consist of people from many different ethnicities who have a shared sense of pride in their backgrounds and all want to learn Chinese themselves while bringing awareness to its importance in the world. MFCS is on local diversity committees in Marlboro and nearby Manalapan, thanks partly to my contributions towards setting the standard for diversity in the local community. As I go through college and eventually start my career, I intend to continue expanding diversity in the local community. It will not just be about having more kinds of people in a community but making sure everyone respects one another yet is still proud to be who they are.