People often talk about how empowered they felt when they go to college straight after high school. For many, this journey is all about making their family proud. However, no one talks about the immense pressure of being in a situation where going to college isn’t just an option—it’s an expectation. College wasn't a choice for someone like me, a second-generation immigrant; it was always part of the plan. All my efforts from before I was conscious were focused on earning a degree and landing a “good” job. So, when I went to college, I rushed to choose a major I thought would meet my parents’ expectations. But, after a few classes, I realized I hated it. But I had to make my parents happy. The pressure began mounting and I quickly became burnt out. So, I dropped out. No one talks about the overwhelming shame of dropping out, especially when your parents have high expectations. Maybe it makes me selfish to have thought about my desires, but I had reached a point where I was mentally destroying myself for others. The guilt became so intense that I pushed everyone away. I disconnected from my friends and parents, and withdrew from anyone who had known me. I spent the next three years in isolation, wallowing from the depression that I did not know I had been carrying for so long until I was finally alone. I worked a string of entry-level jobs, living paycheck to paycheck. I now regretted dropping out. What had it really achieved? Instead of pursuing an education, I grasped at every penny to survive another day. I questioned whether I should have stuck with school, racking up debt. Did I just let my mental health gaslight me into thinking that school wasn't worth it? Or was it the correct option? It was all so confusing. Over time, I worked my way up to a decent job. I wasn’t making bank, but I had enough to start saving money. I felt like I could finally breathe. I could focus on something beyond the next paycheck for the first time in years. But after so long of being stuck in the endless loop of working, going home to do nothing, and waking up to just rinse and repeat, trying to better myself hadn't been someting on the forefront of my mind. I truly believed that I didn't amount to anything, especially when I dropped out. I had such a low view on myself and I let that impact everything. I had no friends, no support system, and no career. So I did what I do best, and that was to think. As I reflected, I thought about my mother. She worked tirelessly to provide a different life for me. I thought about her resilience when we lost our home and became nomads and couch surfers. I remembered how she struggled with finances and how her fear of money kept her from managing her own. I also had conversations with others who shared their dreams of financial success. But I kept hearing that more money meant more taxes. "It’s all rigged," they said. "There’s no point in trying to make more money." Now this really didn't help my beliefs but at this point, I was tired of always giving up. I wanted something better. Surely everyone wants better to?! So why do they seem so bitter about trying to improve their financial situations? Why didn’t they share the same work ethic I had seen in my mother, who never stopped trying to build a better life? Eventually, I came to a decision. I realized that I wanted to pursue accounting as a career and a way to educate and empower those around me. So, despite my fear and uncertainty, I enrolled back in school. I'm sure my parents felt the same when they first came to the U.S.A.—fearful and unsure but hopeful that it would lead to something better. In that aspect, they had much more mental resilience than I did. With this tiny change in the way I thought about my situation, I was able to regain a little bit of confidence. So, I reached back out to my parents after 5 long years of radio silence. They welcomed me back with open arms, and we were able to have an open and honest conversation about the pressure they put on me. Now that I had my parents back, I felt even more confident in reaching out to those that I cut off for no reason other than my own mental health. Now, I’m working toward a future that excites me, one that I feel passionate about. And while I am still fulfilling my parents’ wishes, I am doing it on my own terms, for my future, and not for anyone else. I still struggle somedays with getting out of bed and thinking about the future. I can't believe I let my brain dictate my life for 5 years that I could have been working towards my goal. I feel so far behind my peers. But now with the support system I built, I think I can get through it.

People often talk about how empowered they felt when they go to college straight after high school. For many, this journey is all about making their family proud. However, no one talks about the immense pressure of being in a situation where going to college isn’t just an option—it’s an expectation. College wasn't a choice for someone like me, a second-generation immigrant; it was always part of the plan. All my efforts from before I was conscious were focused on earning a degree and landing a “good” job. So, when I went to college, I rushed to choose a major I thought would meet my parents’ expectations. But, after a few classes, I realized I hated it. But I had to make my parents happy. The pressure began mounting and I quickly became burnt out. So, I dropped out. No one talks about the overwhelming shame of dropping out, especially when your parents have high expectations. Maybe it makes me selfish to have thought about my desires, but I had reached a point where I was mentally destroying myself for others. The guilt became so intense that I pushed everyone away. I disconnected from my friends and parents, and withdrew from anyone who had known me. I spent the next three years in isolation, trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life—something I had never considered. I worked a string of entry-level jobs, living paycheck to paycheck. I now regretted dropping out. What had it achieved? Instead of pursuing an education, I grasped at every penny to survive another day. I questioned whether I should have stuck with school, racking up debt. But then, why would I pursue a degree I didn’t enjoy? Over time, I worked my way up to a decent job. I wasn’t making bank, but I had enough to start saving money. I felt like I could focus on something beyond the next paycheck for the first time in years. Now, what did I want out of life? As I reflected, I thought about my mother. She worked tirelessly to provide a differnt life for me. I thought about her resilience when we lost our home and became nomads and couch surfers. I remembered how she struggled with finances and how her fear of money kept her from managing her money. I also had conversations with others who shared their dreams of financial success. But I kept hearing that more money meant more taxes. "It’s all rigged," they said. "There’s no point in trying to make more money." Now, wait, that can’t be right! Why do they seem so bitter about trying to improve their financial situations? Why didn’t they share the same work ethic I had seen in my mother, who never stopped trying to build a better life? Eventually, I came to a decision. I realized that I wanted to pursue accounting as a career and a way to educate and empower those around me. So, despite my fear and uncertainty, I enrolled back in school. I'm sure my parents felt the same when they first came to the U.S.A.—fearful and unsure but hopeful that it would lead to something better. I felt so empowered that I reached out to my parents after five years. They welcomed me back with open arms, and we were able to have an honest conversation. Now, I’m working toward a future that excites me, and I feel passionate about. And while I am still fulfilling my parents’ wishes, I am doing it on my own terms, for my future, and not for anyone else.

If only it were possible to be unafraid. We would improve drastically as a species, and secure the future of generations to come. Still, that kind of global determination is hard to establish, especially when we all have different mindsets and things that hold us back. But overcoming fear and believing in your determination, is braver than never feeling fear at all. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho was a hard read, and at first, it was not at the top of my list due to how much I had to stop and think. After presenting the book to my English class, I appreciated the wise messages that Santiago– the main character– had learned throughout his journey, much more than I anticipated. Sure, the book has its “follow your dreams” cliches such as traveling and finding mentors to learn from; but he also journeys spiritually, not to mention mentally and emotionally. The journey that Santiago embarks on, however, is more than just a “find yourself” story. He experiences great betrayal and extreme depression after being robbed of all his coins, calling it quits early into his adventure. He finds a mentor, a crystal merchant, and stays with him for almost a year before he decides to move on once again. Many people in our society would have remained with the crystal merchant after being mugged. They might have even settled down in the area no doubt. But not Santiago. He overcame his fear of failure and crossed a desert. The rough terrain and harsh temperatures made it hard for Santiago’s caravan to remain positive, especially that of an Englishman who would constantly complain about the crappy situation. Santiago, opposite of the Englishman, saw the beauty of the nature around him. And, things get pretty spiritual here, but the main point of this scene, in my opinion, is to set aside your fears and go with the flow. The caravan just had to travel day by day against wind and sand, until they reached an oasis. Every second can feel tortuous with a terrible attitude, but with a different perspective, the world doesn’t seem so bad. Santiago learned a lot about letting fear go, and I believe that everyone can learn a thing or two from Santiago. Just set out on your journey and go with the flow. You’ll get there regardless.

I’m still figuring out what this thing called “life” is to be honest. I experienced a lot with my mom at a young age; homelessness, traveling, being afraid for the next day… but looking back on it now, I can say that I am very grateful to have learned the hard lessons early on. They have honed my raw ability to survive in a capitalistic society, even if they weren’t under the best circumstances. I can say for a fact, however, that I was not alone. Most everyone who was in the same socioeconomic background as me struggled just the same. You’d think someone would teach us about finances in school. Or at the very least talk about any financial goals that are part of the societal norm. But instead, when the US economic financial crisis happened in 2008, many families who were “well off”, ended up losing a significant portion of their wealth. Imagine how it must have been for people like my mom. Even now that I am more informed about wealth-building resources, my mom still lives in fear for the future, even though she is better off now. I want to help these people who live in fear and show them that breaking through the poverty line is possible. This very hope is currently developing my ability to persevere. It’s called discipline, direction, and motivation. But all of this is hopeless without an added factor called determination… which I lacked about a year ago. I ended up glossing over the news and read an article about the FTX financial fraud case. To explain briefly, FTX was a cryptocurrency exchange application, and they had been embezzling and misusing customer funds. The CEO, Sam Bankman-Fried, knew it was wrong and despite the ethics, he still did it. According to a quick Google search, 54% of US citizens make less than 50k a year. Forbes tells us that Bankman-Fried was ranked the 41st richest man in the US, putting him well above the 54%. Due to his actions, the people who invested in FTX by simply buying crypto or buying FTX stock, lost a cumulative $10 billion. I’m positive that not every investor was a multi-millionaire, but rather part of the 54%. Thanks to the forensic accountants who worked on the case, we were all able to see the full extent of the white-collar crime. But these money moves by the rich, affect a large portion of our society. And this is where my determination came to stay. We cannot let them get away with this. I want to join the fight and become a forensic accountant. I no longer want just to teach, I want to be on the front lines and create equal opportunity for everyone financially. We shouldn’t have to worry about our money once it’s in the bank or about being part of a pyramid scheme. Unfortunately, this is the world we live in. And people like my mom are still living in fear instead of seizing the moment and enjoying life because that is all we have. We only have the current moment, not the past or the future. I'll gladly push through the pain of the current moment to make it easier for others. Giving up hurts worse anyway.

Ice-breakers were never my thing... so here goes nothing. I’m sure everyone had their struggles growing up, but I experienced a tough upbringing with my mom. She was a single, young, immigrant mother trying to find her “American Dream.” Following a domestic abuse incident, my mom became a US Resident. “It’s the worst way to become one”, she says every time she retells the story,” but I am here now.” After the incident, we were just barely surviving, and my mom knew next to nothing about how to properly manage finances. Credit cards racked up, loans were taken out, and our mental health deteriorated. I remember sleeping in different places until my mom was able to afford a small apartment. Once she had a consistent job, I saw her very rarely. The neighbor down the street became my babysitter while my mother was at work. I became independent at a young age trying to further my education, something I adopted from my mom’s dreams. I do not want to let my mom down, not after every sacrifice she offered me. But what career should I choose? How do I help other people who were like Mom and I? We all stress about money, and even I still have anxiety about my finances every time I swipe my card. So why not follow the money? And that’s how I landed on becoming an accountant. But I didn’t want to be a regular tax preparer or bookkeeper. I wanted to go further and become a forensic accountant. They specialize in auditing activities, usually going hand in hand with sniffing out white-collar fraud. But why is forensic accounting interesting to me? Imagine this: One day, you gloss over the news, and see an article about the FTX financial fraud case. You remember you invested quite a bit of money into it and open the court case documents. To explain briefly, FTX was a cryptocurrency exchange application, and they had been embezzling and misusing customer funds. The CEO, Sam Bankman-Fried, knew it was wrong and despite the ethics, he still did it. According to a quick Google search, 54% of US citizens make less than 50k a year. Forbes tells us that Bankman-Fried was ranked the 41st richest man in the US, putting him well above the 54%. Due to his actions, the people who invested (you hypothetically) in FTX by simply buying crypto or buying FTX stock, lost a cumulatively $10 billion. I’m positive that not every investor was a multi-millionaire, but rather part of the 54%. Thanks to the forensic accountants who worked on the case, we were all able to see the full extent of the white-collar crime. But these money moves by the rich, affect a large portion of our society, people much like my mom and I. I believe that the public’s attention should come together and be focused on those who are uber-wealthy. Not each other as many of us have had similar experiences and can relate to one another over our financial hardships. I plan to break into the field and help fight against the rich who take advantage of the hardworking people of our nation. With a large number of young people showing no interest in the accounting field, a large majority of accountants are approaching retirement age. But it is not happening just in America, but all over the world. Unfortunately, the first step is a bachelor’s degree, and maybe this time, money won’t be a barrier to my dream.

I’m sure everyone had their struggles while growing up. I experienced it first-hand with my mami, a single, young, immigrant mother trying to find a better life. Following a domestic abuse incident, my mom became a US Resident. "It's the worst way to become one", she says every time she retells the story. After that incident, we were just barely surviving. I remember sleeping in different places and becoming independent at a young age. I know for a fact that everyone else in my socioeconomic background, struggled just the same. No one teaches us finances or gets into the fine print of how to make money with your current money; nor were there ever any kind of financial talks in the school systems. When the US economic financial crisis happened in 2008, many families who were “well off”, ended up losing a significant portion of their wealth. Imagine how it must have been for people like my mom. Even now that I am more informed about wealth-building resources, my mom is so stuck in her ways that she doesn't enjoy the idea of moving her money anywhere. Not even a high-yield savings account versus the Wells Fargo savings account. I plan on becoming an accountant, so in a way I am trying to make myself no longer fear money. But I am not just going to be an accountant, I am going to be a forensic accountant! These specialized accountants perform many auditing activities, sniffing out white-collar fraud while they’re at it. I believe that the public’s attention should come together and be focused on those who are uber-wealthy. Not each other as many of us have had similar experiences and can relate to one another over our financial hardships. The big dogs control society’s cash flow, and a fraudulent money move could wreck the future of millions of Americans, much like the 2008 crisis did. I know how it feels to have nothing, and how hard it is to attempt to step on the financial ladder. But I am not much one for crowds, so my solution will be to work from the inside and join the forensic accountants already out on the front lines. With a large number of young people showing no interest in the field, a lot of accountants are approaching retirement age. Not to mention that this is not only happening in the US but all over the world. There must be a solution to this and I must do my part. Hopefully, along the way, I can show people like me, how to achieve financial knowledge.

Graduating high school was nerve-wracking. For most, it was a joyous occasion with hope for the future. For me, it was a moment of sheer anxiety, because it meant that now I had to go to college. There was no question about it. My mom grabbed my face and said, “Honey, you MUST go to university and make something of yourself. Don’t end up like me.” The pressure was on. However, at 17, I did not know what I wanted to do. I was just a kid. I chose something I thought would be interesting and a good money-maker to ease my mother’s fears, but honestly, I hated my major. I fell into an even deeper depression, stopped talking to everyone, and made the worst decision of my life. I dropped out. I lost my scholarships, my pride, and my confidence. Now, I had to start paying bills like a real adult. I got a job and managed to survive despite how difficult it was. I regret dropping out and even hated myself for the years to come. Did I make the right choice? Should I have stuck to a degree I hated? How different would my life be now? Presently, I have the confidence to return to school and finally earn a degree in something I enjoy. But I am looking at a scary number for the potential future student loans. Even now, my financial situation makes me question whether I should postpone my dream to graduate in accounting or take the debt. In the years that I spent working, I thought long and hard about what I would have loved to do instead. I tried studying multiple subjects on my own and even tried to wrap my head around starting my own business. But none of these ideas pulled at my heartstrings. I didn’t want to make the same fatal mistake again. One day, as I was glossing over the news, I saw an article about the FTX financial fraud case. To explain briefly, FTX was a cryptocurrency exchange application, and they had been embezzling and misusing customer funds. The CEO, Sam Bankman-Fried, knew it was wrong and despite the ethics, he still did it. According to a quick Google search, 54% of US citizens make less than 50k a year. Forbes tells us that Bankman-Fried was ranked the 41st richest man in the US, putting him well above the 54%. Due to his actions, the people who invested in FTX by simply buying crypto or buying FTX stock lost a cumulatively $10 billion. I’m positive that not every investor was a multi-millionaire, but rather part of the 54%. Thanks to the forensic accountants who worked on the case, we were all able to see the full extent of the white-collar crime. But these money moves by the rich, affect a large portion of our society. We cannot let them get away with this. I want to join the fight and become a forensic accountant. I want to create equal opportunity for everyone financially. We shouldn’t have to worry about our money once it’s in the bank or about being part of a pyramid scheme. Unfortunately, this is the world we live in. I just need to earn my degree. And for a degree, I need to pay tuition. With my current financial position, I worry about my future greatly. Any amount of help towards my schooling would ease my anxiety and immediate financial burden. I want to help people like me and leave my mark on the world for the years to come.

When the days seem to blur together after the daily 9 to 5 grind, it is sometimes a little hard to break out of the monotony. But we all have that something that is able to break the mold, despite the ungodly amount of times we come back running. If it was not blatantly apparent, my crutch in life would be anime. I do enjoy other mediums for my viewing pleasures, but anime shaped the way I was in childhood. Specifically around the time that puberty came knocking on the door. And on that fateful day, humanity saw the birth of a new anime enthusiast. Nowadays, anime takes up about 99% of my free time. I also fit exercise and studying into my schedule, so I do not watch anime as religiously as I used to; however, some would have called it an addiction. I say they should be happy it was not drugs. Over the years, I have accumulated a lot of anime titles under my belt. I have noticed that I do not tend to stick to a certain type of show, my tastes expanding more and more with every day that passes. The slice of life genre never fails to add some calming moods into my life, with romance giving me hope for a relationship that would have me giggling and kicking my feet. Action and drama series always help me push to improve myself, affecting my motivation and moods greatly. Furthermore, I know comedy anime will always be there when I need a good pick-me-up. But the only genre of anime that has ever pushed me to work out, was the sports one. Now that I am an adult, I have adopted fitness into my daily routine. All in hopes that one day, I can join a volleyball team, just like in my all-time favorite show named Haikyuu. This anime is about a boy named Hinata, who falls in love with volleyball. With his one track mind, he spends years trying to learn the game, and score an actual match. His determination completely enthralls me, and when he finally gets to play on a real court, I too wish I could experience the fruits of my labor like he does. As I watch the show, I feel the rush of excitement, the need to try my own luck and work hard. I love the rollercoaster of emotions this show can make me feel, and the fact that a simple show about volleyball compels me to go outside and run no matter how many times I have watched the same episodes, is noteworthy of being a reoccuring event in my life. Not only that, I have also had an improvement in both my energy and confidence. I feel like I can stop caring about what others think, and be whatever I want to be. I can even imagine myself going back to college debt-free, or one day becoming the first person in my family to hold a college degree! All thanks to a small anime called Haikyuu.