Waking up in a new reality 1. Frank Ocean - Nights 2. Tyler, The Creator - See You Again 3. Dimple - BTS 4. Dean - instagram 5. Miso - Alone 6. Young B - Polo

I moved to America when I was only five years old with my mom in hopes of a better life after my dad had committed suicide. At this moment I am trying to pursue a career as a genetic counselor but I am also interested in public policy because of the way I grew up. Since it was mostly my mom and I, we did not have a lot of money so it was always a topic of struggle. My mom had tried her best to make do with only one income but working too many hours meant no healthcare and working too little hours meant not enough money. I am extremely interested in healthcare and how it works in the US. Unlike other countries, we do not have healthcare for all and one medical can determine the fate of your life. When I was in pre-K, I had hit my head on a slide and my mom had to call an ambulance in order to rush me to the hospital. After I had gotten stitches and went home, my mom was hit with a $3k medical bill. We had only recently immigrated to the US when this had happened so there was not steady income and it was very hard to pay off. It saddens to think that if my mom had not had the help of her family, their could've been a turn for worst and no recovery. This experience has made me a true believer in healthcare for all. It is not a privilege, it should be a right. Someone shouldn't have to die because they can't afford healthcare and had to ignore symptoms. Everyone deserves care regardless of status, gender, sexuality, race and income. I also believe in equity for all rather than equality because what may seem equal is often times not the case. I want to close that gap between gender, race and income. Everyone deserves to live a fulfilling life regardless of how different we might view that. Everyone deserves basic human rights, a living wage, a steady income, healthcare and respect. Sadly this is not what a majority of Americans face. Currently there is a fight for a higher minimum wage because the current minimum wage is $7.25 an hour which is not a livable wage. People should not have to struggle to make ends met or have to work multiple jobs in order to live because it is not living at that point but rather trying to just survive. We deserve more than just scrapping by and surviving. We deserve to live a life where we can look back and feel like we accomplished sometime which is not achievable by a lot of people with the increase in cost of living with stagnant wages.

The pandemic has given me more time to reflect and understand myself. I have come to realize that I truly love and appreciate those who are around me. I have always had a hard time making friend in real life but I had made some friends online. Those friends have been stuck with me through this whole pandemic and have always been there for me. While they can't be physically here for me, it still means a lot to me that they can be there online for me. They always give me advice and reassure me when I had my doubts. The pandemic was very hard but they made it a lot easier to live through. We shared many laughs and a few cries and they are still here for me regardless of whether or not there is a pandemic. During the pandemic, I have gotten really into politics and social justice. I have learned so much about what can be fixed to create a better environment for everybody and what we can get rid of. I had previous knowledge on these issues but media consumption along with classes in college have further the horizon. Politics seems very scary but at the same time, as a person of color, it is impossible to not participate in. At first it was very frustrating because there was so much that I learned that needed to be changed but the people in power were against those values. With the current administration, I have more hope that the change I want to see will come to fruition. I hope to actively participate in politics more and get others to be involved or at least try to learn more about the topics and the issues at hand.

I am nineteen year old girl born in China and moved to the United States when I was only five. years old. It has been only my mom and I since I was three because my dad had committed suicide. Thankfully my mom and I were taken in my aunt and her family when we moved here. Many of my previous work experiences have been with children so I know how to deal with difficult circumstances. I have taken care of kids and taught kids. It is pretty difficult to have to work with kids because often times they are very unpredictable and can change up really quickly. I have had to learn how to be flexible and try to match my mood to theirs and be understanding to how they are feeling. It took awhile to adjust to working with kids due to how they behave but now I really enjoy it and it is very fun when they are enthusiastic about learning. My current goal is just to do well in school, enjoy what I am learning and to contribute to paying my college tuition. It has been a bit hard to pay my tuition due to my mom's recent job lost and my own job lost but I was brought back to work for the summer. My future goal in the short term is to graduate with honors, to study aboard and to get into graduate school. I also just want to enjoy the present and my current interests. At this moment I am trying to pursue a career as a genetic counselor but I am also interested in public policy because of the way I grew up. Since it was mostly my mom and I, we did not have a lot of money so it was always a topic of struggle. My mom had tried her best to make do with only one income but working too many hours meant no healthcare and working too little hours meant not enough money. I am extremely interested in healthcare and how it works in the US. Unlike other countries, we do not have healthcare for all and one medical can determine the fate of your life. When I was in pre-K, I had hit my head on a slide and my mom had to call an ambulance in order to rush me to the hospital. After I had gotten stitches and went home, my mom was hit with a $3k medical bill. We had only recently immigrated to the US when this had happened so there was not steady income and it was very hard to pay off. It saddens to think that if my mom had not had the help of her family, their could've been a turn for worst and no recovery. This experience has made me a true believer in healthcare for all. It is not a privilege, it should be a right. Someone shouldn't have to die because they can't afford healthcare and had to ignore symptoms. Everyone deserves care regardless of status, gender, sexuality, race and income.