“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson Hi, my name is Josephine. The community I serve is my church. As someone born into a Christian family, I have known church life since my earliest memories. I grew up surrounded by leaders and teachers who helped me grow spiritually. Now, as a high schooler, I deeply appreciate the care and time my spiritual leaders invest in me, enabling my growth. I want to do the same for those in my community—I want to serve them. A time I actively contributed to my community, much like Jorge Campos, was when I joined AWANA, challenging myself to a significant commitment during my first year of high school. AWANA is a program where volunteers teach an elementary grade once a week for seven months. For me, that meant preparing lessons each week while managing the demands of high school. It was challenging, requiring patience and energy to engage twelve lively five-year-olds. But I joined because I wanted to make a difference. I want them to remember, years later, a teacher who shared the Word of God and helped brighten their path. So, I showed up every week, prepared lessons ahead of time, and led the class with my co-teacher. Even though my dance class was right before AWANA, I always arrived with a smile—because I knew how much a smile can encourage a child and how a kind tone can impact their lives. Throughout the school year, I worked to unify our classroom atmosphere so that even the quiet and timid students felt safe and welcomed. During this time, I not only bonded with my students but also deepened my partnership with my co-teacher. Though she was already my friend, we grew closer through many online calls and texts, learning how to support each other. Her positivity motivates me, while my teaching experience helped her capture the students’ attention. At first, this felt like a daunting amount of work and pushed my limits. But as the months flew by, it became easier each week. In fact, I began looking forward to meeting my students. They helped calm my stressful weeks and encouraged me without even knowing it. They taught me that small gestures—like a smile or a hug—can make a big impact. They inspired me to continue serving my community with an uplifting spirit, even when it feels tough. In conclusion, I served in a seven-month program for my community. I wasn’t paid, and it was sometimes overwhelming, but I stayed committed. Maintaining a positive attitude was challenging at first, but over time it became second nature. I learned to communicate better with my co-teacher, and by the end, I saw the fruits of my hard work. I witnessed my students grow in their faith and learned that my service can truly change lives. Without realizing it, they inspired me to keep serving my community in the future.

Can I influence others through my faith in Jesus Christ, even though I'm only a high schooler? Yes, I believe so. My name is Josephine, and I was born into a Christian family. My family taught me what Jesus Christ had done for me, and brought me to church every week. Now that I reflect on my childhood, I am extremely grateful for the many hours they spent teaching me each bible story. So, how has my faith influenced my leadership style? My answer is, it helps me shine Jesus. Whether I’m leading a school project or teaching a new concept to children, I believe my faith intersects with my leadership. Instead of merely directing tasks, I aim to guide others toward God. Even if I’m not directly preaching the gospel to them, my actions reflect Jesus. As Matthew 5:16 says, "Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." I am not saying that I am the world’s most perfect and flawless girl who reflects Jesus in every way like a mirror, but I believe the stronger one's faith is, the more they stand out among the crowd. And I hope that the world can see Jesus in me more every day. Today, I want to share a personal story that highlights how my faith inspired others and shaped my vision for the future. During my second year of a short-term mission in Taiwan, our role was to teach English while entwining the Word of God into the curriculum and to ultimately lead them to Jesus. There I met a girl who was a few years younger than me. Although she wasn’t a Christian, she was extremely sweet and even wrote me a thank-you card. I wanted to reach out to her and the rest of the class, but time was ticking since we had less than a week to share the gospel. After much brainstorming and praying, God gave me the courage to share a personal testimony about how God brought me peace during my overwhelming middle school years when I was under a ton of pressure. That day, during the altar call, she raised her hand and accepted Jesus into her heart. She later told me my testimony empowered her and asked more about Christianity. That summer, I left her with a bible and tears in my eyes. How has that experience shaped my vision for the future? This year, as summer starts showing its first hints of warmth, I signed up for another year of short-term mission in Taiwan and hope to continue to do so in the coming years. This experience continually reminded me that everyone on earth has only one life to live and that I want to do everything I can to plant the seeds of the gospel into each one of their hearts. In conclusion, my faith has influenced my leadership style by encouraging me to reflect Jesus in everything I do. Even when I'm not directly sharing the gospel, I hope others can see something in me that clearly says, “I follow Jesus.” Last year, I inspired a girl—and the rest of the class I was teaching—by sharing a personal testimony I hoped would connect with them. The results were meaningful and made all the effort worthwhile. That experience shaped my vision for the future by reminding me that I may only get one chance to share the gospel with someone, and I should never let that opportunity slip through my fingers.

Music is Unfathomable By: Josephine Wang. Music is Unfathomable But what is music to you? Let me tell you what is music to me. Let me tell you that music can create beautiful melodies that not only soothe the animals on earth but also give birth to the budding flowers of a plant full of worth Let me tell you the melodies bring joy, hope, and peace into one's mind Let me tell you that music entwines itself into a developing brain And soothes the strain that had been developing all day. Let me tell you that although you cannot see music The lyrics themselves paint beautiful images in your head Images of you lying on a grass field, soaking in the sunshine Images of you in the city life, picking up a glass of wine Images of you, soaking in the rain, heart full of pain Images of you exploring a cave, hoping that it won’t become your grave Music Is Unfathomable Let me tell you that music connects itself to one's emotions, Shifting and shaping our countless sensations Let me tell you, music can heal the long exhausting day and leave your frustrations at bay. Music is Unfathomable I remember when I started to listen to music as a kid I remember when I listened to worship music every night I remember the melodies bringing me dreams full of delight I remember when I fell in love with Bruno Mars, His songs telling us stories full of obstacles and scars I remember when songs from my childhood bring back bittersweet memories Creating countless histories in my head full of different kinds of stories But Music is Unfathomable Just like nothing is perfect anymore in our corrupted world, music has been twisted Let me tell you, you can sin, through music. Let me tell you that the wrong music can kill once-healthy plants. Let me tell you that toxic messages in music can affect a once-healthy mind and soul Turning our alive and once-beating hearts into nothing but coal Let me tell you that it can cause intolerable pain to a once-developing brain without the person even knowing it. Let me tell you that Wrong lyrics work their way to poison not only the brain but also the emotions. Let me tell you that it especially targets the lives of teens who are still developing, slowly poisoning every cell in their brain, corrupting their emotions, Until he forgets he has emotions Until blasphemy becomes a part of their lives Let me tell you that wrong music can. destroy. Music. Is. Unfathomable. I’m so tired of seeing explicit songs in this world I’m so tired of people who allow those songs into their lives I’m so tired of how they think those songs will help them thrive When really those songs are doing the complete opposite. I’m so tired that Lil Wayne was never taught that he should never use God’s name in vain I’m so tired that Billie Eilish was never taught that blasphemy causes God pain And I’m so tired that Jojo Siwa was never taught that her songs are becoming inhumane Music Is Unfathomable. So what is music to you? Let me tell you what music is to me. It can heal, or destroy.

Hi, my name is Josephine Wang, and a person I really admire is my dad. Even though he was at the top of the class when he was young, he never gave up. He never got an A+ for his math test yet today, he is the boss of his company. He always tells me that I don't have to aim for an A+ to make him satisfied. All he cares about is my health and happiness. So that is why I want to pursue business like him. I want to enter UCI or if possible, UCLA to study economics or more specifically, business management. Then, following his path, I want to first start as a worker and then continue to climb until I start my own company. I would like to tell you why I decided to participate in speech. Honestly, I didn't know I enjoyed speaking to the public so much until I was almost a teenager. But I am from a homeschool community that trains us in public speaking. From just describing my favorite toy to giving off a memorized speech in front of judges, I found not only passion but also joy in public speaking as I continued to participate in a homeschool community and club. Of course, even today, if I am in a speech tournament and standing in front of three expressionless judges, I will be nervous. But do I enjoy it? A ton. Whenever I speak, I can feel a surge of passion running through my blood. As long as I am confident that I have put enough work and effort into my speech, I am satisfied. I believe I grasp onto my left brain more than my right. I like to think logically and plan out my day. I also love giving all sorts of analogies to help those around me understand their world better. That's also why I enjoy mock trials. Though it is stressful, just seeing that approving nod from the judges makes my heart swell. I love reasoning with them, of course, in a respectful way, and giving analogies to help both the judges and my opponent understand the case better, giving them a whole new perspective to dwell on. During a mock trial, not only was I trying to persuade the judges, but I was also interacting with them. I need to find ways to make them laugh, understand, and vote for my team. I need to strategize and prepare before the day of the trial, and I enjoy that. That is why, in conclusion, I enjoy speech and mock trials. It gives me the passion to help one logically understand something more and from a whole new perspective.

I won't say that I am a musical girl. But when I heard that the Wicked movie was coming out, I was excited and after I watched it, I fell in love with it. My first reason is that Wicked had an excellent backstory. Most movies these days are about good guys destroying bad guys. But I realized that through understanding the storyline of Wicked, this movie is going to be different. Because they are talking about the story of a known witch for the Wizard of Oz! Is someone born wicked? Of course not! And Wicked showed us that. My second reason is that the visuals of Wicked is just gorgeous. The director really brought the fantasy world in Wicked to life and that just amazes me. You can tell effort was put into not only the scenery but also every single bead on Glinda's dress. My third reason is that the casting was just perfect! From finding Ariana to be Glinda to adding the original actors in the movie as well was just exhilarating. The actors put so much effort into each scene, you couldn't even tell that they were acting! That is why, in conclusion, through the storyline, visuals, and casting, I became a fan of Wicked after I watched it!