It's crazy, because I just had a dream last night of the oil in the earth destroying our planet and the issues of earthquakes and other natural disasters destroying our planet. But this earth is precious and has so much to give. I love the natural elements. As I walk the terrain, I try to feel every piece rock and tree branch. I love stopping to smell the flowers every day after work and listening to the birds chirp and singing their songs. The birds chirp in the morning because they are excited that they made it another day, and that teaches me the important lesson about gratitude. I am thankful for the four seasons and I love the fact that we get to experience the beauty and bliss that nature has for us. I am not an athlete, I don't go rock climbing, I don't know how to swim, but I love taking a stroll in my neighborhood everyday and breathe in the fresh scent of the earth (especially after it rains).

I had to fight for my life in order to be an advocate for myself. I was raised in Alpine, CA, in the foster care system most of my life. Although I was under my foster parents strong and terrifying grip, I escaped and I aged out of the system. I graduated from UC San Diego with an Ethnic Studies degree in 2017. I have come full circle and have advocated for foster youth locally, statewide, nationally, and internationally. I have also worked at a law firm, social service agency, and a educational service all dedicated to helping the lives of foster youth. I am an avid book reader and have enjoyed reading a good amount of books on creativity. One of the books I have enjoyed is War of Art by Steven Pressfield. There is a reference about this thing called "Resistance" and how it can have a strong, negative influence for those who strive to finish their creative works. I have learned that we are all creative, because we are all producing work in the form of our own occupational artwork. I am actively seeking to finish the works that I aspire to create, whether it's the hobby of songwriting, writing books, or blogging, I am excited to be making some upward momentum on those personal goals. I have a huge passion for social justice and those on the margins. The biggest artwork I have yet to create is a socially innovative way to change the foster care system, with intersecting groups of people on the margins. I want to be a consultant to non-profits that work with foster youth to help change system. I am applying to the University of San Diego and their Master of Arts in Social Innovation program in order help reach my goal. There are many issues of racial and social equity in the foster care system. Many of the families of origin struggle with the reunification process. Families with children of color are disproportionately affected by this, where they are more likely to enter into the foster care system, stay there, and age out of the system. The issue I want to address is the lack of support and mentorship for foster and biological parents (as well as for foster children). As a former foster youth who works in the foster care field, I have heard it said from many parents and guardians that there just isn’t enough adequate support for the reunification process to successfully take place. Socioeconomic disparities amongst foster parents of color play a huge role in not having the resources, community support, and connections to transform the lives of the foster parents for the safety and well being of the child. The better the improvement of the reunification process and support of the biological and foster parents, the better the reunification outcomes and wellness of the child. This is the specific issue I would want to change through being a consultant to the non-profits and government agencies that influence the foster care system to help those parents and youth. My hope is that the youth will gain ownership and say in the way their lives are impacted. That way, they don't have to fight as hard as I did to be heard.