Happiness is something heavily sought over, but not easily gained; in life I deeply value happiness. For me, though, this means a financially stable life with the people I love. In a more pragmatic aspect, I find that I can gain said contentment in my life utilizing my education as a means of attaining stability and happiness in the future. Through a higher education, namely college, I can gain a stable career that I enjoy, connect with family and friends that matter the most to me. Overall, a higher education in a college or university can help me achieve this specific goal in my life. The first goal of mine is a stable career that I enjoy. Starting off, I aim to gain this through a political science bachelors’, and going into a law school track from there. I hope that I can do something related to politics, since I am more humanities oriented rather than sciences oriented. The next goal within my life, as outlined previously, is the inclusion of family and community in my life. I want to spend my life with the people I love the most - my family and friends. As the oldest cousin of my large mixed and Filipino family on my close side of the family, I always emphasized the importance of family in my life. Within my life, I hope that I can live my life filled with family and friends; generally spend my life with the people I love the most. Through the stability I yearn for, I can support my family and community and hopefully reach a general happiness within my life. In my life, happiness - stability and family -- is most important to me.

Happiness is something heavily sought over, but not easily gained; in life I deeply value happiness. For me, though, this means a financially stable life with the people I love. In a more pragmatic aspect, I find that I can gain said contentment in my life utilizing my education as a means of attaining stability and happiness in the future. Through a higher education, namely college, I can gain a stable career that I enjoy, connect with family and friends that matter the most to me. Overall, a higher education in a college or university can help me achieve this specific goal in my life. The first goal of mine is a stable career that I enjoy. Starting off, I aim to gain this through a political science bachelors’, and going into a law school track from there. I believe that I can reach the proper stability in my salary to do the other two things in my life that I love, which leads me into my family and community. The next goal within my life, as outlined previously, is the inclusion of family and community in my life. I want to spend my life with the people I love the most - my family and friends. As the oldest cousin of my large mixed and Filipino family on my close side of the family, I always emphasized the importance of family in my life. Within my life, I hope that I can live my life filled with family and friends; generally spend my life with the people I love the most. Through the stability I yearn for, I can support my family and community and hopefully reach a general happiness within my life.

I am passionate about politics in relation to social issues. I believe that the struggle against class, gender, and race inequality is still ongoing, and that it is downright wrong to claim that it doesn't exist. Those three, intersecting, create a vicious cycle in which those on top financially, generally white and male, stay on top with their large sum of money. If I had to inspect the richest people, 86.5% of millionaires are male in the United States, with only 13.5% being female; the gap is even huger if you examine it on a global scale, with only 11.9% of the world's billionaires being women in the world (balancingeverything.com). To add, 76% of US millionaires were white, and black and Asian American millionaires are total 8% of the millionaires in the US. Now that the statistics are given, what conclusions may we gain? Generally, with more money means more access to both a better standard of living and a higher political influence onto the government. Through lobbying, the upper classes are able to influence laws and regulations at a higher expense of the general public, thus perpetuating this cycle of inequity within politics. In addition to this, it may even be arguable that upper class people are less vulnerable to law enforcement, being able to pay charges against or being able to get through having a criminal record, in comparison to a person living in poverty not being able to find a job. The combination of the wealthiest people choosing the laws and also being generally more privileged in response to breaking laws maintains and sustains these disadvantageous systems.

Studying is a hard but necessary thing for highschoolers. Going into the pre-IB program in my first year of highschool with little to no studying habits forced me into developing pretty good studying strategies by now, my junior year, coming from someone who has always had horrible focus and a lot of other things to be doing besides homework. Essentially, studying, for me, can be divided into three parts – organization, active memorization, and wrapping up. For every subject, I basically run through those three. I organize, which can be either grabbing all of my notes or making a condensed study guide, where I can review the bigger picture and understand before examining the details. After that comes active memorization, where I usually use active memorization like flashcards or a game. It is key to incentivize it while trying to memorize it, this is the hardest part for me due to my short attention span. I usually set a timer for thirty minutes, and if I don’t pause studying for that time, I get a five minute break. If I get to one hour, I allow myself a fifteen minute break, where I’ll probably get a snack. Lastly, I finish by wrapping it up; I just look back at my study guide or my notes in this step. I can reinforce it by highlighting it. Through this process, I look at the bigger picture, then go into detailed memorization, and then look at the bigger picture once more. Using the strategy above, studying can be an achievable thing, and a slightly less painful process. It can be applicable to most study methods – my favorites are using technology to study or collaborating with friends to study. Studying is a hard, but achievable thing once the habits are nailed down.

It is a fallacy to say that we have achieved equality. Although we have reached some equality, from a lawmaking point of view, we haven’t truly reached equality for people on a larger scale. I believe that inclusion and listening to the voices of minorities can help us as a society progress towards better equality. I try to attain this in my life by joining clubs and by talking to my friends and classmates about issues. Junior Statesmen of America is a club in which we discuss political conflicts, frequently in the human rights department. We have discussed several topics, such as immigration, the definition of racism, BLM, and such other things, and we try our best to include and amplify the voices of people who are affected by some of these topics. I try my best to be vocal on my opinion on some of these topics, such as immigration, since I come from second generation immigrant Filipino parents. This is the club that I actively speak on these things. I joined a few other student-run clubs to discuss other similar issues such as the Muslim Student Association, which tackle Islamophobia and teach about misconceptions in religion, and Jewish Internattional Teachings, which combat antisemitism respectively. Personally, I felt disconnected to my Asian heritage – I joined the Asian American Student Association – until I joined highschool , due to me growing up in a predominantly white area of Florida. I believe that the more people that join clubs like these, the more open minded people will be to listening towards other voices that don’t often get heard.

In the hierarchical social aspect, highschool is one big confidence contest. People with little to no positive redeemable traits can become popular or well-liked simply by their ability to socialize confidently in a sea of insecure teenagers. I think that self-assurance that you're not alone as an awkward, insecure teen, is very helpful to alleviate discomfort with teens. If I simply back up a little from our emotions and think rationally from an outside point of view, I can realize how it isn't the end of the world. When someone says to fake it until they make it, what they mean is to present yourself the best that you can to allow yourself to get the best opportunities that you can. This is often a phrase that gets demonized in a self-deprecating way, but believing in oneself while being competent can be beneficial to someone. Confidence can get you a long way, and it is knowing your value and presenting yourself in a way that represents that. One thing I think to myself whenever I feel insecure about physical appearance or something I said wrong, I remember that people are more concerned about their insecurities than mine, and my insecurities seem insignificant to others. Another tip that I have gained is to know that life is a marathon; it is quite bad to peak in highschool - you have a whole life in front of you that isn't entirely circled around the teenage years. Within highschool, popularity is based on a false sense of social confidence where everyone is an internally insecure teen.

Your friend starts talking to you, and you space out for a quick minute. They ask you "Are you listening to what I'm saying?", waving their hand in your face, visibly frustrated. Listening can be defined as an understanding and comprehension of what a person is saying and the meaning behind it. One can be in the act of physically hearing the words come out of a person without actually listening, which can be the instance described above. It's frustrating when people don't fully hear out, dismiss, or discredit what you are saying without fully listening or putting in effort. Everyone wants their voice to be heard and represented, especially in a country with one of its major founding principles being free speech. Listening, with an open mind, can help you see a point of view that you wouldn't otherwise be able to see. One way of listening to others can be related towards school. For teachers, I try to listen to them when they critique me in something that I turned in, whether it be homework or a test that could have been made better. For students, it can be a little more two-way than most teachers. In group projects, if I feel like someone is too shy or timid to actively participate in the planning of a project, I ask them what they specifically think on a part of the project to include them, and to get their input. As for my friends, I try to help them by giving them advice on issues they may have - emotionally, physically, or mentally - through listening. Ultimately, the golden rule takes precedence; if you listen to others, then you are more likely to get the same response for others listening to you.

Often times, humans get stuck thinking about perfecting a bigger picture without enjoying the journey to achieve it. Life can be often very overstimulating and overwhelming, which is why the smaller joys in life should be appreciated. I believe that you should, to some extent, romanticize the smaller things so you are able to enjoy the marathon of what is your life. It's easy to get wrapped into the bigger stressors, such as ideas of college, future career, love life, but when you break it down into segments to enjoy, it becomes very much bearable. Smaller things in life should be appreciated, starting small. Early on in my day, with appreciating a cup of coffee. I often take a little under half an hour out of my day to sit outside in the morning to drink a warm cup of coffee with caramel or vanilla creamer, and hopefully appreciate the weather. I think of it as a remedy for sleeping less than six hours out of necessity to finish schoolwork. Moving on a little bit bigger, I would include smaller hobbies I have acquired for fun outside of school. This may include art, piano, or reading. The feeling of letting out some steam through a creative outlet, with all of my bedroom blinds open to my three windows, is immeasurable. Being thankful for simple pleasures in life can help you keep going sometimes when you are the most stressed you have ever been in your life. Right now, I am in the middle of my first year of full IB classes in my junior year, and the stress dumptruck that loaded onto me has started to crush me a little. By staying in the moment and appreciative of small things, I can alleviate some of the stressed induced by it.

Imagine this: it's exam week, you're running off of two hours of sleep, excessive amounts of caffeine, and extreme stress of IB midterms; how do you cope? For me personally, staying optimistic is finding things to look forward to, working towards a goal, and looking on the bright side of things. Life, especially school, can be stressful but it is the stress that builds our character and work ethics. Finding things to look forward to can be seen in the smaller joys in life, rather than a huge goal. This can be short-term activities in the near future. If you ask me, I say that it is meeting up with friends outside of school, seeing family on holiday, or even doing the things I like on my own free time once my responsibilities are taken care of. I find joy in my hobbies, such as soccer, art, and music. If you're not able to look at the smaller scale, working towards a more long-term future goal can be beneficial as well while going through a tough time. I look forward to moving out of the house and having a good college experience, so I try my best academically to get into the school I want to get into. I also look forward to travelling once I get a stable job in the far future, and I see it as a goal for myself. To look on the bright side of things is a habit that you build over time along with the other two tips. Finding the best in any horrible situation is finding things you want to do and to look forward to doing. From my perspective, good experiences are only good when you can look at the harder times and appreciate the better ones.

Growing up, I have always had many interests and hobbies. I naturally pick up and learn things that intrigue me in the slightest and try my best to learn and enjoy the process. I've acquired many interests such as piano, soccer, guitar, tennis, art, video editing, linguistics, comics reading, books, politics, history, and a few more. It is truly an amazing feeling when you find someone with a similar interest that you are passionate about, and, even better, it allows me to create deeper friendships and connections with those that are around me. I hope I continue to have a growing curiosity as I move on throughout my life.

Often times, humans get stuck thinking about perfecting a bigger picture without enjoying the journey to achieve it. Life can be often very overstimulating and overwhelming, which is why the smaller joys in life should be appreciated. I believe that you should, to some extent, romanticize the smaller things so you are able to enjoy the marathon of what is your life. It's easy to get wrapped into the bigger stressors, such as ideas of college, future career, love life, but when you break it down into segments to enjoy, it becomes very much bearable. Smaller things in life should be appreciated, starting small. Early on in my day, with appreciating a cup of coffee. I often take a little under half an hour out of my day to sit outside in the morning to drink a warm cup of coffee with caramel or vanilla creamer, and hopefully appreciate the weather. I think of it as a remedy for sleeping less than six hours out of necessity to finish schoolwork. Moving on a little bit bigger, I would include smaller hobbies I have acquired for fun outside of school. This may include art, piano, or reading. The feeling of letting out some steam through a creative outlet, with all of my bedroom blinds open to my three windows, is immeasurable. Being thankful for simple pleasures in life can help you keep going sometimes when you are the most stressed you have ever been in your life. Right now, I am in the middle of my first year of full IB classes in my junior year, and the stress dumptruck that loaded onto me has started to crush me a little. By staying in the moment and appreciative of small things, I can alleviate some of the stressed induced by it.

Your friend starts talking to you, and you space out for a quick minute. They ask you "Are you listening to what I'm saying?", waving their hand in your face, visibly frustrated. Listening can be defined as an understanding and comprehension of what a person is saying and the meaning behind it. One can be in the act of physically hearing the words come out of a person without actually listening, which can be the instance described above. It's frustrating when people don't fully hear out, dismiss, or discredit what you are saying without fully listening or putting in effort. Everyone wants their voice to be heard and represented, especially in a country with one of its major founding principles being free speech. Listening, with an open mind, can help you see a point of view that you wouldn't otherwise be able to see. One way of listening to others can be related towards school. For teachers, I try to listen to them when they critique me in something that I turned in, whether it be homework or a test that could have been made better. For students, it can be a little more two-way than most teachers. In group projects, if I feel like someone is too shy or timid to actively participate in the planning of a project, I ask them what they specifically think on a part of the project to include them, and to get their input. As for my friends, I try to help them by giving them advice on issues they may have - emotionally, physically, or mentally - through listening. Ultimately, the golden rule takes precedence; if you listen to others, then you are more likely to get the same response for others listening to you.

In the hierarchical social aspect, highschool is one big confidence contest. People with little to no positive redeemable traits can become popular or well-liked simply by their ability to socialize confidently in a sea of insecure teenagers. I think that self-assurance that you're not alone as an awkward, insecure teen, is very helpful to alleviate discomfort with teens. If I simply back up a little from our emotions and think rationally from an outside point of view, I can realize how it isn't the end of the world. When someone says to fake it until they make it, what they mean is to present yourself the best that you can to allow yourself to get the best opportunities that you can. This is often a phrase that gets demonized in a self-deprecating way, but believing in oneself while being competent can be beneficial to someone. Confidence can get you a long way, and it is knowing your value and presenting yourself in a way that represents that. One thing I think to myself whenever I feel insecure about physical appearance or something I said wrong, I remember that people are more concerned about their insecurities than mine, and my insecurities seem insignificant to others. Another tip that I have gained is to know that life is a marathon; it is quite bad to peak in highschool - you have a whole life in front of you that isn't entirely circled around the teenage years. Within highschool, popularity is based on a false sense of social confidence where everyone is an internally insecure teen.

My dog figaro, figgy for short, loves car rides more than me. I let her sit in the front with me and tell my sister to sit in the back.

Studying is a hard but necessary thing for highschoolers. Going into the pre-IB program in my first year of highschool with little to no studying habits forced me into developing pretty good studying strategies by now, my junior year, coming from someone who has always had horrible focus and a lot of other things to be doing besides homework. Essentially, studying, for me, can be divided into three parts – organization, active memorization, and wrapping up. For every subject, I basically run through those three. I organize, which can be either grabbing all of my notes or making a condensed study guide, where I can review the bigger picture and understand before examining the details. After that comes active memorization, where I usually use active memorization like flashcards or a game. It is key to incentivize it while trying to memorize it, this is the hardest part for me due to my short attention span. I usually set a timer for thirty minutes, and if I don’t pause studying for that time, I get a five minute break. If I get to one hour, I allow myself a fifteen minute break, where I’ll probably get a snack. Lastly, I finish by wrapping it up; I just look back at my study guide or my notes in this step. I can reinforce it by highlighting it. Through this process, I look at the bigger picture, then go into detailed memorization, and then look at the bigger picture once more. Using the strategy above, studying can be an achievable thing, and a slightly less painful process. It can be applicable to most study methods – my favorites are using technology to study or collaborating with friends to study. Studying is a hard, but achievable thing once the habits are nailed down.

It is an immense fallacy to claim that we have achieved true equality. Although we have reached some landmarks of equality in the U.S., from a lawmaking point of view, we haven’t truly reached equality for people on a larger scale. I believe that inclusion and listening to the voices of minorities can help us as a society progress towards better equality. I try to attain this in my life by joining clubs and by talking to my friends and classmates about issues. Junior Statesmen of America is a club in which we discuss political conflicts, frequently in the human rights department. We have discussed several topics, such as immigration, the definition of racism, BLM, and such other things, and we try our best to include and amplify the voices of people who are affected by some of these topics. I try my best to be vocal on my opinion on some of these topics, such as immigration, since I come from second generation immigrant Filipino parents. This is the club that I actively speak on these things. I joined a few other student-run clubs to discuss other similar issues such as the Muslim Student Association, which tackle Islamophobia and teach about misconceptions in religion, and Jewish Internattional Teachings, which combat antisemitism respectively. Personally, I felt disconnected to my Asian heritage – I joined the Asian American Student Association – until I joined highschool , due to me growing up in a predominantly white area of Florida. I believe that the more people that join clubs like these, the more open minded people will be to listening towards other voices that don’t often get heard.