Every morning, I wake to crisp, cool air carrying the scent of ocean waves crashing on the bluff. The soft sound of the Pacific blends with the gentle rustle of fresh linen as I step out of bed, bringing my senses to life. I feel well-rested, having enjoyed a peaceful, uninterrupted night. I look forward to a slow-paced day dedicated to holistic medicine and wellness. I structure my waking hours into eighths, balancing my needs with those of my clients. The first two hours are sacred, focused on my self-care. I rise early, just as the sun begins to light the horizon and I start with breathwork, inhaling deeply, grounding myself in the moment, and setting intentions. Next, I meditate, calming my mind and cultivating gratitude to set a positive tone for the day. I prepare a nourishing breakfast, colorful and full of flavor, made from organic produce picked from my garden—a true celebration of self-sustaining health. The following two hours are dedicated to focused work, where I respond to client requests and emails. I prioritize the most urgent matters, staying sharp and attentive. Answering calls, carving out a curated schedule while solving client problems. Supporting my clients fuels my passion for solutions, and I ensure each message conveys the utmost care, making them feel valued and seen. As I move into the next part of my day, I step into my role as a healer. I travel to clients’ homes or welcome them into my cozy office, filled with soft lighting and calming natural aromatherapy scents. As their primary care doctor of Chinese Medicine and Acupuncturist, I embrace my responsibility for their well-being. I listen closely to their stories, each session laying the groundwork for meaningful connection. The art of acupuncture flows through me, with each needle placed intentionally to foster balance and healing. In the afternoon, as the sun warms the earth, I step outside, the waves crashing below reminding me of life’s ebb and flow. I take a moment to breathe deeply and soak in the beauty around me. My heart feels full as I move into the next phase of my day, each moment reflecting the life I have envisioned—one filled with purpose and joy. I use this time to research and stay abreast on industry best practices and emerging medical breakthroughs. As the sun sets, painting the sky in shades of orange and pink, I find peace in simple pleasures: a walk along the beach, laughter shared with friends over dinner, and the knowledge that I am living authentically. Each day unfolds like a tapestry, woven with intention and care. In this life, I am not just a healer; I am also nurtured, inspired, and profoundly grateful for my journey.

As a teen one of my favorite video games of all time was "The Sims," which is a life simulation game where you can build the life of your dreams. When setting up characters, one gets to choose their Sim's life aspirations. From the choices of family, fortune, popularity, romance and knowledge, I almost always chose knowledge. My character's goal was to discover and understand all the mysteries of the world, and in the game, I was tasked with literally surviving by sleeping, eating and building social connections while also attaining scientific skills and searching for paranormal activity. As I aged, it felt a bit silly to play the video game and it dawned on me I could be studying in my very real life as opposed to in a simulation, although one can argue we *are* in a simulation. This fun experience showed me I was not much different from my Sim, and to this day, I spend a lot of my time eating, asking the big questions, testing hypotheses, and searching for answers via both conventional and unconventional routes such as empiricism and clairvoyance. I am earning my Master's in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture, and considering a Doctorate in Osteopathic Medicine. What I value most about these career paths is the emphasis on holistic medicine and unique approaches to medical treatment, which have been successful for many and for thousands of years. I am drawn to religion, folk medicine and ethnobotany, and enjoy connecting the dots between what ancient physicians meant to what modern doctors mean-- for example exploring why a "ghost" invasion-- the hanzi character 鬼 guǐ translated to "ghost"-- would now be considered an "addiction," or why a "wind-attack" could be interpreted in allopathic terms as a bacterial or viral upper respiratory infection. Acupuncture is both an art and a science, and I spend significant amounts of time reviewing National Institutes of Health (NIH) studies, comparing clinical summaries, comparing etymologies, searching for the truth and an understanding of what medical interventions work for whom and why. I possess a varied educational and professional background that includes Public Health, Business and Law. I am proud that I earned my BA in Rhetoric from the University of California - Berkeley, and a significant portion of my studies was spent on linguistics and hermeneutics. I also studied Public Health and was a Residential Health Worker in my dormitory. I was also an advocate who volunteered with several student organizations, including organizations that sought rental rights for tenants and increased student retention rates. A few years after graduation, I earned an MBA Fellowship from the UCLA Anderson School of Management Riordan Programs. I was awarded the Linda Baldwin Award for Excellence for my community service and program dedication. I spent at least a decade tutoring and mentoring students from under-served backgrounds while promoting higher education attainment and professional careers in law, education and business. Presently, I vend and volunteer at community acupuncture and alternative wellness events. I enjoy educating patients and clients. I am particularly passionate about health equity and advocating for access to care, especially for those from lower-socioeconomic, racial minority, and LGBTQ+ communities. I want to reduce health outcome disparities in the United States and educate many on holistic, affordable and accessible health practices. My ultimate life goal is to turn knowledge into power. I would use scholarship funding to further my medical career and demystify complex issues that have plagued many. The pursuit of knowledge and a life of community service is a noble effort that I have no regrets about dedicating my life to.

Nature is simply the physical world and everything that inhabits it, and I love nature because it provides every single resource that every living organism needs to survive. It sounds preposterous and a daunting task to care for billions of living things in all kingdoms of life, but nature has been doing it for over 4.5 billion years. Life has continued to exist because of either intelligent design, random chaos, or both, but either way it is awe-inspiring to observe the cycles. At its best, nature's systems run smoothly and balanced, and all resources are cleaned, recycled and distributed, such as what we hope with water's hydrologic cycle. It is almost unfathomable, but we are drinking the same water that dinosaurs, wooly mammoths, and ancient hominids have been drinking. Humans can do better to preserve and help nature as much as possible, because the benefits it provides are immeasurable and every single living being relies on it. I am particularly fascinated by plants, soil, and earth's geomagnetic field. I was blown away when I learned about Schumann resonances which are a set of spectrum peaks of the Earth's electromagnetic field that appear at extremely low frequencies (ELF), around 7.83 Hz. Interestingly enough, there are several studies on the inhibition of cancer cells using these same ELF, as well as studies on the benefits of "grounding" in soil and forest bathing for healing. I believe and hope that many of the solutions to our major and minor problems are simply in nature. Ironically as modern humans have evolved and created advanced societies, we have grown further from "Nature" and have created or exacerbated our problems because of it. Most people of the modern world are living highly dependent on technology and screens, eating modified food, and living inaccessibly far from nature.

I honestly do not know who I would be without my friends. Friends are such an essential part of my life and identity that I would go as far as to say they *are* who I am. Any friend I have ever met in my lifetime, whether or not we stayed friends or decided to part, has been crucial to the development and enrichment of my life. Anyone who stands besides me in the name of camaraderie is kin. Friends are more than people who may share the same interests as you, complement your personality, or who enjoy your company; friends are family that you choose. And like family, you receive indispensable traits from each other and set the trajectory of each other’s lives. Think about how your mood can be lifted or depressed from just one interaction with a close friend, and how their words carry such weight. Because of this my friends, my family that I chose, are those who gently hold me accountable, who walk with integrity, love, and compassion. My friends have my back and speak highly of me in rooms where I am not present. My friends unconditionally support my creative and professional endeavors, and bring the best qualities out of me. And likewise, my friends are people who I push towards their best selves, who I support and uplift. You are the company you keep, and if you want to know who you are, look at the five closest people you spend the most time with. Friends reflect to you your love, warmth, and your best qualities; they also reveal areas of yourself that you would like to improve. It is such a delight to find loving mirrors in which you can clearly see and understand the world in which you exist.

Remaining a prized possession for at least 16 years and holding its place through several job changes, residential moves, and following me through major life milestones, a pewter paper weight with 13 engraved words sits on my desk. Unchanging, these bold black words on a 1 pound block of distressed metal has prompted multiple life altering decisions that have forever changed the trajectory of my life and continuously ignited my ambitions. For decades, this paperweight has confronted me with a seemingly simple yet profound question: "what would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?" When asked what I would do, if I could successfully do anything in the world, I feel a fire of excitement and elation that appeals to my desire for productivity, efficacy and impact. Instead of asking why would I do something, I ask myself "why would I not do this?". What is holding you back? When I exclude failure, the list of things I would do is endless! All I need is a sliver of optimism and encouragement just to move forward. If I knew without a doubt, that I could not fail, I would attempt to understand the human mind and body to resolve complex dysfunctions and imbalances that are detrimental to individual and collective function. When I think of the most dispiriting and upsetting challenges I've seen in my life, it is almost always rooted in a failure and dysfunction of a system, on a grand scale and on a personal scale. I simply want "things" to work as they were divinely designed, because when they do, magic happens. The flow of a well working system enables multiple needs to be met, life to continue, and dreams to come true. Within our bodies are complex systems working interdependently, and it is fascinating how there are several ways to assess and optimize for specific goals. I have an overwhelming and ambitious goal indeed as I see hundreds and even thousands of others striving to do the same, each with their personal biases and perspectives on what is "right" or ideal for these systems. Wanting balance and flow in our micro and macro systems is why we have conservationists, environmentalists, psychologists, doctors, engineers, therapists and more, who see what is happening and what can be done in the name of efficacy and efficiency. What would I attempt to do if I could not fail? I would ensure no one dies from carelessness, neglect, greed, blatant abuse and mistreatment. I would strive to create a world where precious resources are not being hoarded and held captive in the hands of few while millions are starving and fighting for basic necessities. If I could not fail, I would eliminate unnecessary gatekeepers and tedious bureaucracy that impedes people getting basic needs met. Every day I am reminded to keep my dreams alive with this paperweight and I look forward to see what I can do, with just an attempt.