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Sydney Smanpongse

2x

Finalist

1x

Winner

General information

Hobbies & Interests

  • Community Service And Volunteering
  • Advocacy And Activism
  • Reading
  • Japanese
  • American Sign Language (ASL)
  • Social Justice
  • Social Sciences
  • Social Media
  • Exercise And Fitness

Reading

  • Academic
  • Adult Fiction
  • Contemporary
  • Cultural
  • Folklore
  • Horror
  • Fantasy
  • Women's Fiction
  • Sociology
  • Social Issues
  • Short Stories
  • Social Science

I read books multiple times a month.

Bio

As a growing policy practitioner, I am passionate about the opportunity to improve the quality of life for people and their communities through social policy. I bring skills in collaboration and analysis to my work with nonprofit organizations that address disparities that disproportionately affect individuals from various minority backgrounds. Currently, I am a Master of Public Policy candidate at the University of California, Los Angeles. Being an advocate for social change means being loud, disruptive, and unafraid to challenge the status quo. An advocate must understand that change will not be easy to achieve and that regardless of the barriers we face, we must continue to fight. Intersectionality permeates all areas of social inequality; we cannot isolate the issues from one another. Racial minorities and economically disadvantaged populations are almost always disproportionately affected in all issue areas. Social justice cannot be achieved without acknowledging the flaws of a "colorblind" perspective. I believe that social change cannot happen without unity and mobilization. I hope to use my education and influence to work with other impassioned individuals to challenge systems of power that threaten our democracy through policy and advocacy.

Education

University of California-Los Angeles

Master's degree program

2022 – 2024

Majors:
  • Public Policy Analysis

Mt San Antonio College

Associate's degree program

2021 – 2022

Majors:
  • American Sign Language

University of California-Irvine

Bachelor's degree program

2017 – 2020

Majors:
  • Political Science and Government
  • Sociology

Miscellaneous

Desired degree level:
Master's degree program
Graduate schools of interest:
University of California-Los Angeles, University of California-Berkeley, University of Southern California, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, University of Chicago, University of Washington-Tacoma Campus
Majors of interest:
Public Policy Analysis
Medical school interest:
No

Career

  • Research Assistant

    Research · UC Irvine

    Jan 2019 – Jan 2020

  • Peer Advisor

    Education · UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs

    Jan 2022 – Present

  • Instructional Support

    Education · Mt. San Antonio College

    Jan 2021 – Jan 2022

  • Behavioral Therapist

    Health, Wellness, and Fitness · Advanced Behavioral Health

    Jan 2019 – Jan 2021

Miscellaneous

Dream career field:
Public Policy
Dream career goals:
Non-profit Leader
Has nursing license:
No

Future Interests

  • Advocacy
  • Politics
  • Volunteering
  • Philanthropy
Bold Career Goals Scholarship
After receiving my Master in Public Policy degree from the University of California, Berkeley, I aspire to work for a nonprofit organization as a policy analyst so that I may improve public policy for minority communities by improving current policies or creating new ones. My concentration will be on social policy, specifically policy for low-income individuals. However, since many of the public policy issues are often tied intersectionally, I plan to address issues relating to the intersection between class inequality and racial injustice. I believe in the importance of addressing the problems in our democracy that has not served all communities fairly, namely for people of color who have been excluded from political, economic, and social systems that disproportionately benefit those in power. Through a career in public policy, I believe that I can work with others who hold the same passion for justice and equality to achieve a society in which everyone has an equal opportunity to reach the height of our potential. I hope to improve the lives of not only the marginalized communities of our current society but of future generations who will reap the benefits of our collective efforts in the realm of public policy.
Bold Optimist Scholarship
Ironically, the tough times I experienced in my past are what keep me optimistic when I face challenges in the present. Throughout my childhood and early adolescence, I endured growing up in a broken home, poverty, sexual assault, and serious health issues, to name a few. To this day, I still face mental health issues resulting from my past that threaten my ability to stay optimistic every day-- In the world we live in with extreme racial, political, class, and gender inequality, how could one's optimism not be threatened? But what keeps me optimistic is knowing that no matter how bad things were in the past, I always got through them. I refused to allow my traumatic experiences to take control of my life. By channeling any negative energy I had into productivity, I ended up graduating magna cum laude with a double major and a 3.9 GPA in sociology and political science, the two fields that would allow me to address the inequality that affected me so growing up. After becoming epileptic following graduation, I struggled to recover from the toll that the seizures had on my brain. During this time, I faced some of the greatest challenges in staying optimistic. I had worked so hard on my dual bachelor's degrees, and I was angry that I was experiencing this severe health issue right when I was ready to start my post-graduate career. I could have easily given up at any point, but my pride in how far I've come despite all of the challenges I faced is what kept me optimistic. The knowledge that the only thing standing in the way of success is myself motivates me to continue to make myself the best version of myself that I can be.
Bold Impact Matters Scholarship
Every week, I volunteer to provide support to young individuals in the LGBTQ+ community who are experiencing crises and suicidal thoughts. In my work, I meet so many beautiful souls whose absence in the world would make our world that much dimmer. These individuals are caring, funny, sweet, and most importantly, worthy. I strive to make a positive impact by guiding young individuals to uncover something inside of them that is already there. Every single life is worthy of love and attention but unfortunately, many of these individuals do not recognize that. In a world where they are underrepresented and marginalized, it is easy for those in the community to feel like they do not deserve a place in the world. This can be especially harmful through their adolescent years, during which people are most impressionable. I am motivated to make a positive impact because I was once in their very same position; I also grew up being bullied for my sexual orientation and gender identity. By using my own experience, I am able to empathize and connect with my contact and help them realize that they deserve love and respect just as anyone else does. I hope to strengthen the community and advocate for a better world in which all LGBTQ+ individuals have pride in themselves and their identity.
Bold Mentor Scholarship
My role as a mentor can make the difference between life and death. I am a volunteer at The Trevor Project, an organization that supports suicidal queer LGBTQIA+ youth by providing 24/7 crisis counseling through phone, text, or chat. I began volunteering here because I, too, was once a suicidal queer teenager myself who was shunned in my community for my identity. Growing up, I tried to kill myself twice because I felt that I could no longer handle the pain of feeling alone and isolated. I never want LGBTQIA+ youth to feel the way I did. I understand personally how bad things can get, and this is why I committed myself to becoming a mentor for others who are in similar positions. Through my mentorship, I hope to offer support and empathy for those who are in pain and feeling vulnerable. The feeling that I get when a contact comes to me, fully prepared to end their lives, and leaving with hope and a promise that they will make it through one more day is a feeling unmatched by any other. I cannot solve the problems that my contacts bring to me, but what I can do is listen and identify support systems and/or coping mechanisms that can ease even a little bit of their pain and make them understand that their lives are valuable and that they are not alone in how they are feeling. As a mentor to these precious individuals, I hope to destigmatize what it means to be young and queer by opening their eyes to a community of support that is available to them.
Bold Driven Scholarship
Today, there is great division in our nation. We live in a time when minority communities are significantly disadvantaged and discriminated against. It is difficult and scary to live in a divided society; I know that very well as a queer disabled woman of color and a daughter of immigrants who grew up in a low-income community. I hope to leave an impact on the world by making a difference for people like me--minorities who have spent their lives being looked down upon. Over the past several years, I have watched the downfall of the country I grew up in and loved with all my heart as it became something that I did not recognize. This is why I am inspired to use my privilege and education to fight for a future that I can be proud of. In policy, I see a versatile opportunity to improve the quality of life for people and their communities. I aspire to obtain a Master of Public Policy degree to learn how to foster a multidisciplinary understanding of policy analysis. With this degree, I hope to pursue a career as a policy analyst for a nonprofit organization to address issues that have the greatest impact on low-income communities such as racism, healthcare disparity, and lack of protections for LGBTQIA+ communities. I aim to apply my skills to a nonprofit setting because I want to work with organizations to develop successful methods in policy implementation. I have always dreamed of working in the nonprofit sector because it focuses on a more community-based method of enacting change. Through policy, I hope to change the system that currently disadvantages minority groups on a daily basis.
Bold Make Your Mark Scholarship
Today, there is great division in our nation. We live in a time when minority communities are significantly disadvantaged and discriminated against. It is difficult and scary to live in a divided society; I know that very well as a queer disabled woman of color and a daughter of immigrants who grew up in a low-income community. I hope to leave an impact on the world by making a difference for people like me--minorities who have spent their lives being looked down upon. Over the past several years, I have watched the downfall of the country I grew up in and loved with all my heart as it became something that I did not recognize. This is why I am inspired to use my privilege and education to fight for a future that I can be proud of. In policy, I see a versatile opportunity to improve the quality of life for people and their communities. I aspire to obtain a Master of Public Policy degree to learn how to foster a multidisciplinary understanding of policy analysis. With this degree, I hope to pursue a career as a policy analyst for a nonprofit organization to address issues that have the greatest impact on low-income communities such as racism, healthcare disparity, and lack of protections for LGBTQIA+ communities. I aim to apply my skills to a nonprofit setting because I want to work with organizations to develop successful methods in policy implementation. I have always dreamed of working in the nonprofit sector because it focuses on a more community-based method of enacting change. Through policy, I hope to change the system that currently disadvantages minority groups on a daily basis.
Bold Music Scholarship
Song title: Alright by Anthony Ramos "Headlines got us feeling uneasy People all wrapped up in what their neighbors believe in Everybody's talking 'bout leaving Well I'm gon stay right here And pledge my allegiance" I haven't always known what I wanted to do with my life, but I was sure of one thing: whatever career path I decided on, it would be one that was dedicated to helping those in need. This song, and specifically this lyric, illustrates this. Anthony Ramos wrote this song during Donald Trump's presidency, a time when there was great division in our nation--a time when minority communities were significantly disadvantaged and discriminated against. It is difficult and scary to live in a divided society; I know that very well as a queer disabled woman of color and a daughter of immigrants who grew up in a low-income community. This was one of the songs that made me realize that I wanted to commit to making a difference for people like me--minorities who have spent their lives being looked down upon. I hated watching the country I grew up in and loved with all my heart become something that I did not recognize. This is why I am inspired to use my privilege and education to fight for a future that I can be proud of.
Bold Selfless Acts Scholarship
As a person who grew up being bullied for my sexual orientation, I know how isolating it can be for queer youth when they do not receive the love that they deserve. In the past year, I became involved with advocacy in the LGBTQIA+ community. I began volunteering at The Trevor Project, a nonprofit organization, as a Crisis Counselor to help offer suicidal queer youth a space to feel supported and heard. I work to make them feel loved by using my experiences to validate their emotions and guide them through a very difficult time during their lives. By doing so, I allow them to feel heard and encourage their personal growth as a proud queer individual. I love my queer community so much, and it pains me to know that there are so many young people out there who have faced so much hate to the point where they feel that they need to end their lives to stop the pain. I know personally how damaging it is to their perception of self-worth, and this is why I am committed to being selfless and giving my time to help those who have been denied it for so long.
Bold Gratitude Scholarship
Last year, I experienced one of the scariest moments of my life that disrupted my somewhat stable life. After graduating from UC Irvine, I planned to pursue law school, but while studying for the LSATs I became epileptic. I was unable to receive treatment for months, delaying my recovery exponentially. This experience reshaped how I viewed life and made me realize that I took many things for granted. The situation could have been much worse: I could have suffered permanent brain damage or even death. It opened my eyes to the fact that I never really knew what could happen to me at any moment and that I needed to be gracious of everything I had. The seizures took an enormous physical and emotional toll on me that I wasn’t sure I could ever recover from. I almost gave up, thinking I could never go back to being the person I was. But then I realized that I didn’t need to be the person I was. This challenge allowed me to stop and reflect on the career path that would best allow me to use my talents in influencing lasting positive change for underrepresented communities. I cannot say that I am thankful that I became epileptic, but I do appreciate the life lessons that I learned from it.
Bold Career Goals Scholarship
In policy, I see a versatile opportunity to improve the quality of life for people and their communities. As a disabled person of color who was raised in a low-income neighborhood, I have spent my life experiencing the impact of poor policy in my community. A career in public policy gives me an opportunity to address the issues that low-income minorities face and make a lasting impact on their standard of living. I aspire to obtain a Master of Public Policy degree to learn how to foster a multidisciplinary understanding of policy analysis. With this degree, I hope to pursue a career as a policy analyst for a nonprofit organization to address issues that have the greatest impact on low-income communities such as racism, healthcare disparity, and lack of protections for LGBTQIA+ communities. I aim to apply my skills to a nonprofit setting by working with organizations to develop successful methods in policy implementation. I have always dreamed of working in the nonprofit sector because it focuses on a more community-based method of enacting change; I currently work for The Trevor Project as a Crisis Counselor, providing one-on-one support for suicidal queer youth. The organization is important to me because beyond providing free counseling, its members work with legislations and other institutions to influence policy and make positive changes for the marginalized LGBTQIA+ community. I hope to someday extend my involvement with the organization and become a policy director to address issues such as queer homelessness and conversion therapy. Another organization that I am very interested in working for is PolicyLink, an organization that works to support low-income communities of color and fight for social equity. Since my policy interests are centered around the intersection of social and economic inequity, I am confident that I would thrive in these organizations.
Bold Loving Others Scholarship
My propensity to spread love goes beyond expressing it to my friends and family. Most people excel in expressing love to the people they are close to, and it is something I do naturally. However, I also offer a large portion of my love to the people who have been denied it and need it the most. As a person who grew up being bullied for my sexual orientation, I know how isolating it can be for queer youth when they do not receive the love that they deserve. In the past year, I became involved with advocacy in the LGBTQIA+ community. I began volunteering at The Trevor Project, a nonprofit organization, as a Crisis Counselor to help offer suicidal queer youth a space to feel supported and heard. I work to make them feel loved by using my experiences to validate their emotions and guide them through a very difficult time during their lives. By doing so, I allow them to feel heard and encourage their personal growth as a proud queer individual. I love my queer community so much, and it pains me to know that there are so many young people out there who have faced so much hate to the point where they feel that they need to end their lives to stop the pain. I know personally how damaging it is to their perception of self-worth, and this is why I give so much of my love to these individuals.
Pettable Pet Lovers Scholarship
This is Agent Galahad! He has a lot of health problems, so he has to wear a cone pretty often. He doesn't like the hard plastic, cone so we decided to get him a donut! It's so cute, but judging by his facial expression I don't think he likes this one either...
Bold Happiness Scholarship
"Thank you for being here. I promise I won't kill myself tonight." This is a message I received during a conversation I had as a Crisis Counselor for suicidal LGBTQIA+ youth. It was the first conversation I had where the contact thanked me for my support. I have this message screenshotted, printed out, and taped to my desk because it reminds me why I do what I do. At the organization I volunteer for, The Trevor Project, queer suicidal youth often reach out when they are thinking of killing themselves. As counselors, there is only so much we can do aside from providing support and exploring other options they can pursue as an alternative to suicide. Most of the time the contacts feel better after being supported, but not very many make dedicated promises because of the conversation. As a person who grew up as a suicidal queer person, I understood was it was like to feel hopeless and alone. Volunteering my time at Trevor and listening to these individuals' stories makes me indescribably happy. There is nothing that matches the amount of joy I feel when a contact cheers up because they feel safe and supported during our conversation. Knowing that someone came to you, fully prepared to end their lives, and leaving that conversation no longer deciding to kill themselves or even just delaying their plans inspires me to keep going. It is tough at times, listening to some of these terrible experiences that the contacts have endured. But to know that I am doing important work in supporting these individuals and making even one of them feel better makes me never want to give up.
Bold Helping Others Scholarship
The best way to help others is to put yourself in their shoes and approach them with empathy and love. I grew up as a queer person in a Christian household, where I was unable to come out for many years because I had a traumatizing experience the first time I tried to come out to someone. I was subjected to ruthless bullying by a community I had grown close to and thought would never judge me. This made me extremely depressed, to the point where I tried to kill myself multiple times. My favorite way to help others is through volunteering as a one-on-one Crisis Counselor for suicidal LGBTQIA+ youth with The Trevor Project. I volunteer my time to this organization because I want to be a part of ensuring that no other queer youth goes through the same experience that I did. The unfortunate reality is that there are so many individuals who are going through the same complicated emotions of confusion, self-hate, and rejection. I understand firsthand how scary it is to be queer in a heteronormative world, and as a counselor, I use what I've learned to help those who are feeling alone and suicidal. I use my personal experience to create an empathetic and loving environment where the contacts may feel free to be themselves. It fills my heart with joy every time a contact thanks me or tells me that they will not kill themselves. It makes me realize that everything I went through when I was younger was not for nothing and that I can channel all the pain and anger I experienced to save a life and make a difference, one youth at a time.
Bold Wisdom Scholarship
"Just because you can't see them, or don't view them as legitimate, doesn't mean they're not there; look harder." -Devon Price I want the world to read this and understand this, because it outlines one of the biggest issues that plague our society: income inequality. The income disparity in the United States is something that desperately needs to be addressed. There is a popular idea that those who are poor are in that situation because they didn't work hard enough. The lower class is ignored and ostracized by those who hold power and wealth. I know what it is like to be looked down upon for not having enough money. We do not want or need pity, but we do want empathy and a decent amount of respect. In this age, people are dehumanized by wealth, and this is making them invisible. Humanity has a responsibility to look out for those who need support, but the sad reality is that we are not fulfilling this responsibility. Instead, the rich look away so they do not have to see how bad things are on the other side. I share this quote because the world needs to realize that all humans deserve basic decency and love.
Bold Legacy Scholarship
Winner
The world that we live in is extremely flawed. My generation did not ask for this life. A life where workers wearing down their bodies performing minimum wage jobs still do not know if they will have food on the table for their children the next day. A life where ice caps are melting and a deadly pandemic is blazing uncontrolled, disproportionately affecting poor people of color. A life where you could be shot and killed for being black by the very people who were meant to serve and protect the public. A life where you are afraid to hold your same-sex partner’s hand in public because you might be physically and verbally attacked. A life where you are unprotected by the institutions that are supposed to provide “liberty and justice for all.” The legacy that I will leave will be one that uses policy to improve the lives of the public so that we, and our children, will have a better future and begin to fix the one that was handed to us against our will. As a policy director of non-profit organization, I will address the issues and barriers that plague marginalized groups: low-income communities, the LGBTQIA+ community, communities of color, and the disabled. I will force these issues to be addressed by raising awareness and mobilizing to influence social policy. My legacy will be advocacy and by the time I am gone, I will have opened society's eyes to the importance of equality.
Bold Motivation Scholarship
Growing up, I watched my uneducated immigrant single mother wear down her body every day, working multiple minimum wage jobs just to keep us alive. My mother, my sister, and I were on our own since I was 11 years old. Now, over a decade later, I am aspiring to become a non-profit policy director to work on improving policy for low-income communities. Growing up, my family and I were disadvantaged by these policies, and I want to change that for the public in the future. I have spent my life experiencing the impact of poor social policy on my quality of life. Even today, I still struggle to overcome these barriers because of the system that works directly against the lower class. I am motivated by all of my memories of my mother wearing herself down physically and emotionally because the government failed to protect families like us. My mother has given everything for my sister and I, and I plan to repay her using the education and future she fought so hard for me to have by immigrating to America. In policy, I see a versatile opportunity to improve the quality of life for people and their communities, and what I love most is the ability to display a love for mankind through policy analysis. Though current policies for the public are very flawed, I still have hope for the system, and this is another source of motivation for me. I believe in change, and I will not give up until I achieve it.
Bold Self-Care Scholarship
The last few years have been very stressful for me. I graduated from UC Irvine in less than three years with a double major and a 3.9 GPA. I was awarded manga cum laude honors upon graduation, and I wrote a 30-page senior honors thesis. Without my self-care skills, I do not think I would have been so successful during my undergraduate studies. During midterms and finals, I would stay inside all day studying, which this was very bad for my mental health. To deal with this, I took periodic breaks by going to the university's tennis courts and practicing hitting. This was really helpful in letting out my frustrations because I could hit the balls as hard as I could and let out some stress. I worked on self-care after graduation as well. Last year, I was hospitalized because I had a seizure, and the ER doctor said it was most likely stress-induced. I was studying for law school admissions at the time, and I was studying about 8 hours a day. After my seizure, I worried that it might happen again so I began practicing self-care in the form of yoga. Every morning at 7, my mom and I do an hour of yoga and since then, my stress levels have improved marginally. I am not the kind of person who exercises, but this form of exercise combines meditation and it is not too rigorous, so it is perfect for me. It helps me relax and redirect my thoughts away from the stress of graduate school admissions.
Bold Turnaround Story Scholarship
Last year, I experienced one of the scariest moments of my life that flipped my life upside down. I graduated from UC Irvine in less than three years, so I had decided to apply to graduate school after taking a gap year. Originally, I’d planned on pursuing law school, but while I was studying for the LSATs I began having seizures for the first time in my life. I was unable to receive treatment for quite some time, delaying my recovery exponentially, because I was receiving government-funded health insurance for low-income Americans. All my life, I have been negatively impacted by inadequate policies for low-income individuals, but to come face-to-face with it on something as significant as healthcare opened my eyes to how minority communities are neglected in a “progressive” country that boasts “liberty and justice for all.” I learned firsthand the system’s flaws and the importance of policy made by people who were directly impacted and understood it personally. Thus, I came to an important realization that I was better suited for public policy over law, because public policy encompasses both lawmaking and how those laws are implemented in society, which would allow me to make a more direct impact. The seizures took an astronomical physical and emotional toll on me that I wasn’t sure I could ever recover from. I almost gave up, thinking I could never go back to being the person I was. But then I realized: I didn’t need to be the person I was. This experience allowed me to stop and reflect on how I could best use my talents in creating lasting positive change. I always knew that I wanted to serve disadvantaged communities, but I now finally realized what exactly I needed to do to achieve that.
Bold Dream Big Scholarship
The first time I experienced what it was like to be evicted, I was 11 years old. My mother, sister, and I were forced to move out and I grew up watching my uneducated, immigrant mother work multiple minimum wage jobs just so we could stay alive. There were many days that I can remember where we were not sure if we would have something to eat the next night. We moved from place to place in bad neighborhoods when rent got too high. However, I was lucky enough to find my way out of that situation and pursue higher education. I will forever be grateful, and I will spend the rest of my life working towards helping disadvantaged individuals who are experiencing the same barriers that my family and I have faced in the past. In my dream life, I am working as a non-profit policy leader at an organization that works with the government to create and analyze policies that improve life for low-income families. I want to use my experience to fuel my passion for creating a better life for others who grew up in similar situations. The poverty rate and income disparity are so high in California, and I aim to be the person who addresses that. I dream to work with others who hold the same interests as me whose focus is improving the quality of life for underrepresented communities, namely low-income individuals and people of color. In my dream life, I am not working for private or corporate organizations; for me, it is not about the money. My goal is clear: to respond to the issues that impact the daily lives of the public and make a lasting impact on their standard of living.
Sydney Smanpongse Student Profile | Bold.org