I was born and raised in the land where our way of life allows us to connect with the land and practice the unconditional extension of compassion, respect, and patience towards ourselves and others; this is Aloha. We recognize how our actions impact others and our surroundings. We follow the phrase, "Ua ola loko i ke aloha." Love gives life within. This Hawaiian proverb recorded by Mary Kawena Pukui reminds us that our passions in life will strengthen others. Furthermore, it also means that the care we invest in ourselves will improve our minds, body, and soul. Utilizing my cultural values on a daily basis has helped me through extreme hardships and will continue to support me through the new challenges that will come forth in the future. In this next journey of my life, I am continuing my college education at the Oregon Institute of Technology to pursue a career in Diagnostic Medical Sonography. Obtaining knowledge in health science, anatomy, and physiology will help me improve my nutrition awareness. Cancer and diabetes run on both sides of my family. A striking number of family members lost their battle against cancer; ten people are too many. My mother was diagnosed with medullary thyroid cancer in 2012, and my father has been managing his diabetes since he was a child which runs a dangerous health risk for my brother and me. This reality check has been my most significant motivator to live a healthier lifestyle. As my mother's caregiver at 12, she had to change her diet drastically. If she had to, so did I. Even though my mother had enough energy to work and raise two kids independently during her treatment, any help I could give her was making sure she took her medication on time and providing emotional and physical support during her most difficult days. We avoided eating red meat, cut down on a lot of processed sugary foods, implemented a lot of vegetarian dishes into our diet, and substituted enriched flour products with whole wheat, quinoa, brown rice, etc. My relationship with food and my physical and mental health improved significantly in five years through her recovery. Since moving to Oregon and living independently, being on an extremely strict budget to provide food for myself has been strenuous. I've been trying my absolute hardest to maintain a balanced diet but was able to save and create several healthy low-budget recipes. In the future, I would love to create a simple cookbook for college students. I took into careful consideration in deciding if working in the medical field was fit for me. After reflecting on my experiences, my intuition told me I had a greater purpose in my life. The medical providers and technologists saved my mother's life. My inspiration to become a medical technologist originated from the realization I thought I was going to lose my mother. Now at 23 years old, I want to give back to my community to provide care for the families back home in Hawaii. With the money I have worked for and saved up since my freshman year of high school, I have enough to make it through at least the first two to three years of college. However, I am concerned that I will not have enough to pay for my entire tuition and be able to graduate debt-free. With the support of the scholarship donors, any funds will alleviate my most significant stress in maintaining financial stability that will contribute to tuition, college materials, food, and rent. With sincere gratitude, thank you for considering me for this scholarship.

Misunderstood by many during his life as an artist, Vincent van Gogh's use of color and striking brushstrokes epitomizes the intense emotions he incorporates in his paintings. I've developed a deeper appreciation for Van Gogh after learning about his life battling with mental illness. As an artist who has struggled with severe depression, I use art as a form of healing and meditation. Van Gogh is my inspiration in ways that he and many other celebrated artists are recognized for their talents and ability to challenge new ideas and aesthetics in the art world.

“Ua ola loko i ke aloha.” Love gives life within. This Hawaiian proverb recorded by Mary Kawena Pukui captivated me in a way that reflects my purpose in life. Growing up on the island of Kaua’i, our community is small but our culture is illimitable. The soul of our culture centers on the concept of aloha. Aloha is the essence of being compassionate, respectful, and peaceful towards yourself and others. However, living on an island opened my eyes to the reality of how mental illness impacts our community, our relationships, and ourselves. I’ve lost so many friends due to addiction and mental illness and even faced my own hardships throughout the years. My journey has helped me become a stronger individual to support others who are still fighting their battles. One of the most challenging and pivotal moments in my life was coping with my parent's divorce. When I was 12 years old, my issues progressed leading to bulimia, suicidal thoughts, self-infliction, and severe depression. I had a very rough relationship with my mother. I needed her in my life, but she was not capable to give me the support I needed. I was angry. At her and at the entire situation. But most of all, I was angry at myself. So I lived with my father throughout my middle and high school years. My father, being the maternal and paternal figure to raise me, deserves all the grace and gratitude the world has to offer. Through years of therapy and taking medication, I owe it to my father who’s the one that led me on the path to recovery. One of the lessons he taught me was how to channel my negative thoughts through positive activities. Hula, music, and art were ways for me to heal and release emotional pain and frustration. Over time, I developed new interests in visual arts, theater, and music. I worked as a hula dancer at Luau Kalamaku, interned at Clayworks Workshop at Kilohana, and volunteered backstage productions in two of Kauai’s community performing arts centers. By learning to focus my energy, I saw the passion and ambition I put into my work. My love for art resulted in my accomplishments as a finalist in Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard’s 2018 Kahaki`i Competition and placing first in the He Inoa O Kaumuali’i Art Competition here on Kaua’i. I was able to graduate my class with a 3.8 G.P.A and participated in numerous leadership events. One event, in particular, was being in charge of a suicide awareness rally at my high school. I am so proud of my accomplishments. However, I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for the people who have helped me along the way. It took me years to reconcile with my mother and to rebuild our relationship again. She has taught me a valuable lesson about forgiveness and unconditional love. Looking back, overcoming multiple mental health disorders has changed my perspective on life more than I expected. I could finally feel the love radiating off of my family. I regained my faith, my self-worth, self-love, and a passion to enjoy my life once again. I no longer live in anger and guilt. I feel that the most powerful thing that any person can do is fight for a purpose to live even when we feel like we are about to give up. I will never forget the emotions and the series of events I’ve experienced. Therefore, I made a personal vow to myself to treat others with kindness and compassion. I would never want anyone to feel the agony I went through. Yet, I know that there are people in the world who are fighting for their lives and are yearning to find peace. The least I can do is to be kind to my peers and approach them with a heart full of grace and love. Because who knows, I believe that I can change a person’s life just by a single act of kindness. Since March of 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic has affected my sole source of income working as a part-time entertainer. I am concerned that I might not be able to afford to continue my college education. As a full-time student during these trying times, it’s been extremely difficult to make ends meet with bills, budgeting, and tending to family matters. As of now, I still live with my dad and my 83-year-old grandmother who needs daily assistance. Receiving the Elevate Mental Health Awareness Scholarship will help me alleviate financial stresses and provide a sense of financial security to help me focus on my education. As I race towards the finish line in graduating with my Associate's degree in Liberal Arts, I believe I deserve this scholarship opportunity because I see the value of reaching for our goals and aspirations no matter what challenges we face. I am accepted into the Oregon Institute of Technology to pursue a potential career in Medical Imaging. In hopes of graduating with a Bachelors in Science and an ARDMS Certificate, I would like to come back to my home to work as an Ultrasound Technician at any of our local hospitals. Reflecting on the past decade of my life, I have never thought I would be here today. My college education has helped me learn new disciplines, find joy in learning, as well as build morale to work towards a better future.

Being an artist is like entering a new dimension of concentration, peace, and imagination. Art allows me to release the stresses from reality and express them through compositions of color, images, and textures. Art is my form of therapy, my meditation. I control the stroke of a paintbrush and the markings from a pencil like a series of movements. I choreograph my thoughts and feelings. I am a dancer gracefully moving across the canvas. Whatever I choose to draw, it is my goal to allow the audience to understand my message. Like a song on repeat, a melody triggers our emotions. I am the composer of my symphony; I want my audience to feel what I feel. An individual interprets music through sound, while art presents itself through sight. When I create a composition, I disregard every single distraction around me. I am in my element, I am focused, I am observant, and I am attentive. My art reflects who I am; it helps me bring out the best qualities that I never knew about myself. Art is a process of self-discovery and healing. As a daughter heavily impacted by the consequences of a broken family, being in the middle of my parent’s divorce was one of the most challenging hardships I faced. I struggled to maintain a positive relationship with my mother, but I was full of anger and sorrow. I was too young to understand why she made the decisions she made. My mental health went downhill while staying with her. I knew that my mother had too much to handle regarding her health and the divorce, so it was time I had to live with my father. Without a doubt, I can openly express that my father saved my life. My first lesson towards recovery was how he taught me how to channel my negative thoughts through positive activities. It was then I turned to art as a way of healing from the pain. I took classes from 6th grade through my senior year in high school. I noticed an extensive progression in my skills, work ethics, and mental state throughout that time. One of the most significant moments was learning the difference between perfectionism and obtaining quality work. As artists, we are our worst critics. But I realized that there is no such thing as perfectionism. We are human; we are imperfect beings. The most outstanding work is attained by staying true to oneself and allowing ourselves to create freely. Although my career path is directed towards healthcare, I seek opportunities to work or volunteer in the fine arts. From my experience as an artist, artistry builds character, skill, and ingenuity. Art will be a part of my life forever. My focus to inspire others is to demonstrate how art shapes our quality of life to other aspiring artists.