The impact of being a Filipina-American on my life is shown by my ambition, caring nature, and resourcefulness. My mother had me while still in college, only four years after moving to the United States from the Luzon region. She never let being a mother stop her from pursuing further education and securing an outstanding life for her family. This was the greatest nonverbal lesson my mother ever taught me: I can make any life I want possible, because education and life are corresponding, not interchangeable Although she never talked about her struggle moving to the United States, I knew she was strong from watching her work so hard to provide for me. I always strive to be as amazing as her, driving my ambition in my academics and extracurriculars. While she balanced multiple upper level jobs and college education, I was attending practices for multiple sports, lessons for various instruments, and maintaining straight A’s in school. These ambitious patterns and values stay with me from when I was three years old, trying to make my mom proud. As I got to high school, I began to realize that not everyone had a extended family of non-related titas and titos. This community and family we built from camping with filipinos and attending Philippine Association of North Eastern Michigan (PANEM) dances gave me a resource for learning Tagalog, having home-cooked meals between practices, a place to stay while my mom worked, or simply genuine caring and love. As my family began to stop attending PANEM dances and my friends started leaving the titas and titos I would visit, I sought other networks for me to be supported by and to bring my caring nature to. I found this in volunteering for local hospitals, nonprofits, and youth networks like Midland County Youth Leadership or PeerLIFT. I don’t think I would have the passion and drive I do to take initiative in these networks if my Filipino family didn’t foster social and caring values in me throughout my life. I witnessed great struggles, successes, and resourcefulness, as the first child born in the U.S. on my mother’s side of the family. My mother, her two younger siblings, and her mother all entered the United States and went into medical school at the same time. As they rotated who was responsible for watching me and who was attending class, I was a toddler surrounded by hard-working students. They taught me to rely on my family and find reliable friends, because your network is the greatest resource you will ever have. This led me to build strong relationships with people from all sorts of backgrounds, from karate to professional music. They have supported me through my personal development, ranging from college applications to career advancement. My Filipina-American identity has strengthened my deep rooted values of ambition, compassion, and ingenuity. My Filipina mother the most inspiring immigrant I know, just like Alexander de Guia, she used her education as a foundation to build a fulfilling career and family life. She empowers me to strive for excellence and take initiative in everyday of my life, just as she works hard everyday of hers. While I dream big of how I can continue contributing to my community, I know that educating myself is essential to creating powerful impact. This scholarship will allow me to dedicate more time and energy to academic excellence and developing initiatives that uplift my community.

I have worked to challenge myself academically while also investing in my school and community throughout high school. I intend to pursue a degree in music education with coursework in business areas like entrepreneurship or communications after my 2026 graduation. I have always been an ambitious student. I balance honors classes, athletics, leadership roles, school activities, private lessons, ensembles, and more. I have used these commitments as opportunities to grow my network, teaching me the value of relationships and having a diverse set of connections for personal and professional growth. I intend to continue this ambition throughout my post-secondary education and invest the most I can in my time at university by staying heavily invested in my coursework and in student organizations/additional activities. By participating in ensembles, student organizations, and professional development opportunities, I hope to build meaningful connections with my peers, professors, and other mentors who share my passion for music education, social entrepreneurship, and personal growth. I plan to pursue Music Education so I can turn my passion for music as a tool for leadership, accessibility, and building my community by creating spaces to share musical art. Further education in music will prepare me to become a band director who fosters confidence, discipline, and belonging through performance. I have been known to thrive under pressure, as I advanced most quickly when thrown in professional and demanding ensembles, honor bands, and difficult solos. I plan to use the skills I learn from my ensemble participation and professor relationships to build an inclusive, student centered curriculum that makes excellence attainable for all of my students and connects to opportunities beyond school walls. Beyond traditional classroom teaching, I wish to make social impact with my music degree and business coursework by building a self-sustaining music organization. My overall goal is to increase access to music within the community, particularly for those limited by cost, space, or prior experience. I intend to open a community-centered music hub that offers affordable lessons, instrument rentals, open practice/performance spaces, and ensemble opportunities serving musicians of all ages, skill levels, and backgrounds. This will be not only a creative outlet, but a social gathering place to welcome people from all walks of life to pursue music in some aspect by removing financial and social barriers. I have already began to build my career with experiences like observing middle school bands and volunteering as a student teacher for Young Suzuki Violinist Classes. Seeing the diverse ranges of teaching methods and musical areas helped me shape my vision as an educator and social entrepreneur. Further education will allow me to build a network of fellow educators, peers and mentors, to influence my teaching and act as a resource for my programs. I hope that my education will allow me to serve students and adults to pursuing music as a personal outlet, while inspiring my own students to carry music with them outside the classroom and throughout their lives. Ultimately, I will use my education to show that music is not an exclusive art, but a shared experience. Whether it is in a classroom, directing a band, or creating a space for musicians and audiences to connect, my goal is to strengthen the bond of my community through music. I hope to create a future where music is not only taught for skill and technique, but lived, shared, and accessible to everyone. My music education, entrepreneurship, and service values will help me to truly make a difference in the community.