My father is a former marine who retired before I was born. Growing up, my father would tell me stories about what it was like to be a marine. I learned about the intense training and bravery it took to be in the Marine Corps. I also learned about the different cultural experiences that come with traveling the world. One of my favorite stories my father told me was about his time in Singapore. He told me that Singapore is extremely clean, and if someone caught you spitting on the ground, they could give you a fine. This made me giggle as a kid because I could only imagine how hard it was for my father to get through his time there. Almost daily, he would spit on the ground like a cowboy in an old Western film. Along with his stories, I also enjoyed going on base. I spent most of my time after elementary school at the Youth Center. There, I made memories that have turned into nostalgic stories to share with my military brat friends. I also loved walking around the commissary with my mom. She used to work in massage therapy, and when I wasn’t at the Youth Center, I spent time at the gym where she worked, playing with the giant exercise balls and massage stones. As our family expanded, we moved further away from the base. However, we always managed to find a neighborhood full of military families. This is how I came to meet my best friend. He and I would bond over our love for art and our military upbringing. It was interesting to see households from two opposite sides of the military spectrum. He and I would be friends starting in 9th grade, and in my sophomore year of college, we proposed to one another. Now that I am approaching my last few semesters in school, I am making post-grad plans. Option A is the plan I have had since middle school; graduate, get a job in the entertainment field focusing on animation production, and move wherever my job takes me. Option B is to graduate, move closer to my fiance and his family, and find a job in tattooing while I continue to hunt for an animation-related position. Option C is to run off into the mountains where they will never find me…just kidding. With my love for art, I want to work in the animation industry with the end goal of having a show of my own. Inspired by my father who loved watching cartoons with me when we were younger, I have always wanted to create something that can both entertain and teach others. My biggest goal is to create a show that sheds light on important and difficult subjects such as sexual abuse in schools. I want this show to help people protect others and support them when they need help; Just like my father helped protect and support others through his service with the Marine Corps.

A child is in danger. She left for school this morning with a packed bag, finished homework, and a lunchbox that is a bit too full of toast she made this morning. When she walks the halls, there are few students she chats with, but she goes out of her way to chat with the faculty. She is here early. Very early. When she arrives at class, the door is locked. She decides to sit against the wall, curled up to be almost the size of her backpack. The smell of toast is leaking out of her lunchbox, and her stomach begs for it. Not yet, though. It is too early. As each minute passes by, more students fill the halls. A few join her, but they do not speak. Finally, the teacher arrives. He unlocks the door, and the students file in. She is the first to enter. While he sets his bag on his desk, she opens her lunchbox and pulls out the toast; one lightly toasted with strawberry jam, and the other heavily toasted with butter. Settled, the two eat breakfast together. The warning bell rings and she leaves for class down the hall. They will see each other later. This was the morning routine of my sophomore year in high school. I was 15. He was 23. Our meetups were recorded by the hallway cameras all year. No one batted an eye. During the summer before junior year began, he was on the news. "Teacher arrested after alleged sexual contact with student." Students began speaking. Teachers started looking. I became the attraction for an audience of quiet but vicious eyes. There was no one to run to, and I became alone in a room filled to capacity. The rest of my time in high school is filled with rumors, harassment, and shame. I am blamed for the actions of my teacher. Friends turn away from me, teachers mumble when I walk by, and I return from school to a disappointed home. I stop showing up to school so early; the less time there, the better. I stop getting home so early; the less time there, the better. I move to college, and I arrive early. When I walk on campus, students and faculty chat with me. I no longer carry a lunchbox that is a bit too full of toast. I rarely eat toast at all. My backpack is full of art supplies. I am preparing to change how things went. I am preparing to be an animator... My experience with student sexual abuse completely changed my life. I learned firsthand what happens to victims in an uneducated town; a place where sexual abuse prevention is the responsibility of the victim, not the perpetrator. The science of communication became my new obsession, as this is what could have altered my and many other students' experience with sexual abuse. I am now 20, and I am an Interdisciplinary Studies major planning to get a B.S. in Animation and a minor in Communication. The goal is to learn the science of communication and use this to create an animated series that teaches people how to prevent sexual abuse, while also supporting victims. During my incident, I did not have the information or support needed to get me through the aftermath. Now that I am on my career path journey, my mission is to educate as many people as possible in a way that is enjoyable and effective. At most, I can prevent more students from becoming victims. At least, I can provide students with the support they need.

One day, I am going to change. Will it be the world? Myself? The flickering lightbulb in my bathroom? I am not sure yet, but I am going to change. I have been doing it my whole life, alongside others who inspire me to do so. My entire life, I have been in love with art; specifically cartoons. I loved waking up early in the morning or rushing to finish my homework in the evenings to catch even five minutes of a show. The stories these cartoons told easily pulled me into a trance, as I wanted to be there with the characters. I wanted to help solve puzzles, fight monsters, and eat unbelievably large portions of food. It did not matter what we were doing, as long as I could be with these fantastical characters. As I got older, my love for cartoons grew stronger. I drew everywhere all the time. However, I could not figure out how to animate efficiently. The technical skills needed for clean and eye-catching animation blew my mind, and the stories that went alongside the art always had me in a puddle of tears. I could only imagine being as skilled as golden-age Disney animators. Inspired, I started searching for small independent animation teachers online. During my search, I found numerous tutorials to get started with animation programs such as Blender and Krita. I even found an artist named Ethan Becker who worked in the animation industry for years. He now is a part of the independent animation school and community, Project City Tv, and I was able to take some of his courses my freshman year in college. It amazed me how much I could learn not only from experts in the field but fellow students. Now, I am in my junior year and working on recreating my major. When I started school, I was a Digital Marketing major. My hope was to learn how to market myself digitally, which in my mind would lead to freelancing until I landed a gig with my dream career. However, after getting burned out on economics courses, I decided to switch to Graphic Design for my sophomore year. Since my school does not offer animation as a major, I figured Graphic Design would be a close second. Unfortunately, the year came and went, and I was not convinced to ignore my passion. When all hope seemed lost, I met a man named Caleb. Caleb is a man whose smile brings you in and his knowledge keeps you there. After introducing ourselves to one another, I asked what he was majoring in, to which he responded with "Interdisciplinary Studies." I had no idea what this man said. Seeing my confusion, he explained that he was working with the school to create a major that does not fit with the majors offered but fits with what he wants to do. This sounded like my gateway to animation, and I felt my heart flutter with excitement. After a summer of communicating with faculty and taking introductory courses, I am now starting this semester with a rekindled flame of passion. I am surrounded by peers who are carving their own educational paths towards their dream careers, and I have never felt more inspired. For the last two years of college, I will be able to research and focus on learning the medium of animation while telling effective and memorable stories. I will be able to create new connections, both with people and my studies, and create something new; create a change.

This is my dorky Chihuahua-Yorkie, Mosu (like "Sumo," but scrambled). In this picture, we were going on a car ride. I can't remember where to, but I do remember that he was happy to get out of the house. He loves standing on his little hind legs and peeking out the window. I love my little speedster, and I hope you do too. Though I don't have an Instagram, I hope you can still enjoy my silly dog's big ol' nose!

Ever since I was in elementary school, I dreamed of becoming an animator. The wacky faces and random slapstick comedy showcased in morning cartoons made me think about how cool it would be to have my own show. As I grew up and moved on to shows with more mature themes, I realized that there was much more to cartoons than just making people laugh—it was about telling a story. When I was fourteen, I started my first art business; Distant Life Art by Yuuki. With this local business, I sell traditional and digital paintings, necklaces, earrings, pins, charms, key chains, and more. I am also open to commissions and doing so has allowed me to paint murals inside of my church and at a health bar outside of my city. Recently, I took up the offer of selling my jewelry inside of a salon in a neighboring city. This has helped me reach out to a wider audience, and I am super excited about this new marketing space. In 2018, I started my second art business; Yuuki G’s Artsy Things. With this online business hosted through Redbubble and Teepublic, I sell my original artwork of a variety of products ranging from apparel to home decor. Since Yuuki G’s Artsy Things is an online business, my products are available all over the globe and I have made sales in the U.S., Australia, Singapore, and France—all places I could never reach by selling locally. With the profit I make off of my art businesses, I have started raising money to help pay for my college tuition. Now that more time has passed and I am a senior in high school, my dream of creating my own show has become my life goal. My plan is to attend Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia, and I want to major in animation and minor in storyboarding. Using my education, I want to create cartoon shows, aimed at both children and adults, that tell fun stories while discussing important topics. These topics would include life lessons such as self-appreciation, diversity acceptance, learning to take responsibility, and many others. My biggest goal is to create a show that teaches people how to spot signs of manipulation, specifically grooming tactics that are present in schools, the workplace, and the family. As someone who knows people who have been sexually abused, as well as being a survivor myself, I know it is my life mission to bring awareness to this situation and help prevent it from happening to more people. Along with spreading the message about sexual abuse, I want to introduce viewers to cultures that are not seen in most American cartoons today, including what I know best—my own culture. In the current age, I am more than grateful that Black and Asian culture is being represented in the media more than ever before. However, there is still a lack of representation for multicultural minorities and Asian cultures other than Chinese and Japanese. With my show, I want to introduce viewers to the Thai culture, as well as the Black, White, and Asian-mixed culture. In the event that I do not make enough money to attend Savannah College of Art and Design or my show is never green-lit, my plan is to open a new business called Yuukiverse. This physical and online store would be a combination of my two current businesses and would provide a space for local artists to sell their work for a small commission fee. A portion of the profit made by Yuukiverse would be given to the local community to help fund music and art programs. Another portion of the profit would be given to help fund sexual abuse awareness, prevention, and support programs for schools. Once a year, a fundraiser would be held the week before Christmas to raise prize money for a national small artist scholarship competition held by Yuukiverse. By doing this, I would not only be able to continue spreading my artwork throughout the world, but I will provide opportunities for fellow artists, safety for abuse survivors, and support for higher education seekers. Winning this scholarship would not simply help support me on my journey of affording higher education. Winning this scholarship will help me create a difference in the world; one that brings healing to those who have been hurt, company for those who have been abandoned, and a voice to those who have been silenced.

Ever since I was in elementary school, I dreamed of becoming an animator. The wacky faces and random slapstick comedy showcased in morning cartoons made me think about how cool it would be to have my own show. As I grew up and moved on to shows with more mature themes, I realized that there was much more to cartoons than just making people laugh—it was about telling a story. Now that more time has passed and I am a senior in high school, my dream of creating my own show has become my life goal. My plan is to attend Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia, and I want to major in animation and minor in storyboarding. Using my education, I want to create cartoon shows, aimed at both children and adults, that tell fun stories while discussing important topics. These topics would include life lessons such as self-appreciation, diversity acceptance, learning to take responsibility, and many others. My biggest goal is to create a show that teaches people how to spot signs of manipulation, specifically grooming tactics that are present in schools, the workplace, and the family. As someone who knows people who have been sexually abused, as well as being a survivor myself, I know it is my life mission to bring awareness to this situation and help prevent it from happening to more people. Along with spreading the message about sexual abuse, I want to introduce viewers to cultures that are not seen in most American cartoons today, including what I know best—my own culture. In the current age, I am more than grateful that Black and Asian culture is being represented in the media more than ever before. However, there is still a lack of representation for multicultural minorities and Asian cultures other than Chinese and Japanese. With my show, I want to introduce viewers to the Thai culture, as well as the Black, White, and Asian-mixed culture. Winning this scholarship would not simply help support me on my journey of affording higher education. Winning this scholarship will help me create a show unlike any other before; one that brings healing to those who have been hurt, company for those who have been abandoned, and a voice to those who have been silenced.

Ever since I was in elementary school, I dreamed of becoming an animator. The wacky faces and random slapstick comedy showcased in morning cartoons made me think about how cool it would be to have my own show. As I grew up and moved on to shows with more mature themes, I realized that there was much more to cartoons than just making people laugh—it was about telling a story. Now that more time has passed and I am a senior in high school, my dream of creating my own show has become my life goal. My plan is to attend Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia, and I want to major in animation and minor in storyboarding. Using my education, I want to create cartoon shows, aimed at both children and adults, that tell fun stories while discussing important topics. These topics would include life lessons such as self-appreciation, diversity acceptance, learning to take responsibility, and many others. My biggest goal is to create a show that teaches people how to spot signs of manipulation, specifically grooming tactics that are present in schools, the workplace, and the family. As someone who knows people who have been sexually abused, as well as being a survivor myself, I know it is my life mission to bring awareness to this situation and help prevent it from happening to more people. Along with spreading the message about sexual abuse, I want to introduce viewers to cultures that are not seen in most American cartoons today, including what I know best—my own culture. In the current age, I am more than grateful that Black and Asian culture is being represented in the media more than ever before. However, there is still a lack of representation for multicultural minorities and Asian cultures other than Chinese and Japanese. With my show, I want to introduce viewers to the Thai culture, as well as the Black, White, and Asian-mixed culture. Winning this scholarship would not simply help support me on my journey of affording higher education. Winning this scholarship will help me create a show unlike any other before; one that brings healing to those who have been hurt, company for those who have been abandoned, and a voice to those who have been silenced.

Ever since I was in elementary school, I dreamed of becoming an animator. The wacky faces and random slapstick comedy showcased in morning cartoons made me think about how cool it would be to have my own show. As I grew up and moved on to shows with more mature themes, I realized that there was much more to cartoons than just making people laugh—it was about telling a story. When I was fourteen, I started my first art business; Distant Life Art by Yuuki. With this local business, I sell traditional and digital paintings, necklaces, earrings, pins, charms, key chains, and more. I am also open to commissions and doing so has allowed me to paint murals inside of my church and at a health bar outside of my city. Recently, I took up the offer of selling my jewelry inside of a salon in a neighboring city. This has helped me reach out to a wider audience, and I am super excited about this new marketing space. In 2018, I started my second art business; Yuuki G’s Artsy Things. With this online business hosted through Redbubble and Teepublic, I sell my original artwork of a variety of products ranging from apparel to home decor. Since Yuuki G’s Artsy Things is an online business, my products are available all over the globe and I have made sales in the U.S., Australia, Singapore, and France—all places I could never reach by selling locally. With the profit I make off of my art businesses, I have started raising money to help pay for my college tuition. Now that more time has passed and I am a senior in high school, my dream of creating my own show has become my life goal. My plan is to attend Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia, and I want to major in animation and minor in storyboarding. Using my education, I want to create cartoon shows, aimed at both children and adults, that tell fun stories while discussing important topics. These topics would include life lessons such as self-appreciation, diversity acceptance, learning to take responsibility, and many others. My biggest goal is to create a show that teaches people how to spot signs of manipulation, specifically grooming tactics that are present in schools, the workplace, and the family. As someone who knows people who have been sexually abused, as well as being a survivor myself, I know it is my life mission to bring awareness to this situation and help prevent it from happening to more people. Along with spreading the message about sexual abuse, I want to introduce viewers to cultures that are not seen in most American cartoons today, including what I know best—my own culture. In the current age, I am more than grateful that Black and Asian culture is being represented in the media more than ever before. However, there is still a lack of representation for multicultural minorities and Asian cultures other than Chinese and Japanese. With my show, I want to introduce viewers to the Thai culture, as well as the Black, White, and Asian-mixed culture. In the event I do not make enough money to attend Savannah College of Art and Design, or my show is never green-lit, my plan is to open a new business called Yuukiverse. This physical and online store would be a combination of my two current businesses and would provide a space for local artists to sell their work for a small commission fee. A portion of the profit made by Yuukiverse would be given to the local community to help fund music and art programs. Another portion of the profit would be given to help fund sexual abuse awareness, prevention, and support programs for schools. Once a year, a fundraiser would be held the week before Christmas to raise prize money for a national small artist scholarship competition held by Yuukiverse. By doing this, I would not only be able to continue spreading my artwork throughout the world, but I will provide opportunities for fellow artists, safety for abuse survivors, and support for higher education seekers. Winning this scholarship would not simply help support me on my journey of affording higher education. Winning this scholarship will help me create a difference in the world; one that brings healing to those who have been hurt, company for those who have been abandoned, and a voice to those who have been silenced.

When I was fourteen, I started my first business; Distant Life Art by Yuuki. With this local business, I sell traditional and digital paintings, jewelry, pins, key chains, and more. I am also open to commissions and doing so has allowed me to paint murals inside of my church and at a health bar outside of my city. Recently, I took up the offer of selling inside a salon in a neighboring city. This has helped me reach a wider audience, and I am stoked about this new marketing space. In 2018, I started my second business; Yuuki G’s Artsy Things. With this online business, I sell my artwork on a variety of products ranging from apparel to home decor. Since Yuuki G’s Artsy Things is an online business, my products are available all over the globe and I have made sales in the U.S., Australia, Singapore, and France—all places I could never reach by selling locally. With the profit I make off of my art businesses, I have started raising money for college tuition. During the COVID-19 lockdowns and stay-at-home orders, I spent my extra free time creating new art, expanding my inventory, and updating my advertising and packaging. I have also started working on creating a website for Distant Life Art by Yuuki. When I am not working on my businesses, I spend my time online looking for ways to learn the basics of animation. My goal is to attend Savannah College of Art and Design, and I want to major in animation and minor in storyboarding. Using my education, I plan to create cartoon shows aimed at children and adults that tell fun stories while discussing important topics and life lessons such as self-appreciation and learning to take responsibility. My biggest goal is to create a show that teaches people how to spot signs of manipulation, specifically grooming tactics present in schools, the workplace, and the family. As a survivor of sexual abuse, I know it is my life mission to bring awareness to this situation and help prevent it from happening to more people. Along with spreading the message about sexual abuse, I want to introduce viewers to cultures that are not seen in most American cartoons today, including what I know best—my own culture. In the current age, I am more than grateful that Black and Asian culture is being represented in the media more than ever before. However, there is still a lack of representation for multicultural minorities and Asian cultures other than Chinese and Japanese. With my show, I want to introduce viewers to the Thai culture, as well as the Black, White, and Asian-mixed culture. If I won this grant, I would use it to help turn my animation dreams into reality. This grant would not only help me with tuition, but it will help me create a show like no other; one that brings healing for the hurt, company for the abandoned, and a voice for the silenced.

All my life, my parents raised me with education being at the forefront. They taught me how to read before I even started school, thus putting me way ahead of my kindergarten class. To keep me out of trouble, the teachers gave me extra busy-work, but I always ran out! Through the rest of my K-12 education, I continued to be one of the top students in my class and grade. I am incredibly grateful that my parents began educating me at such a young age. This early exposure to education gave me a craving for knowledge that cannot be satisfied, and I will keep feeding it. To get my next fix of knowledge, I plan to attend Savannah College of Art and Design, and I want to major in animation and minor in storyboarding. Using my education, I want to create cartoon shows, aimed at both children and adults, that tell fun stories while discussing important topics. These topics would include life lessons such as self-appreciation, diversity acceptance, and learning to take responsibility. My biggest goal is to create a show that teaches people how to spot signs of manipulation, specifically grooming tactics that are present in schools, the workplace, and the family. As a survivor of sexual abuse, I know it is my life mission to bring awareness to this situation and help prevent it from happening to more people. Along with spreading the message about sexual abuse, I want to introduce viewers to cultures that are not seen in most American cartoons today. This would include what I know best—my own culture. In the current age, I am more than grateful that Black and Asian culture is being represented in the media more than ever before. However, there is still a lack of representation for multicultural minorities and Asian cultures other than Chinese and Japanese. With my show, I want to introduce viewers to the Thai culture, as well as the Black, White, and Asian-mixed culture. Winning this scholarship would not only help support me on my journey of affording higher education. Winning this scholarship will help me create a show unlike any other before; one that brings healing for the hurt, company for the abandoned, and a voice for the silenced. Through this show, I will spread the craving for knowledge to my viewers, and I will fuel it with an education that has not been supported before.

Ever since I was in elementary school, I dreamed of becoming an animator. The wacky faces and random slapstick comedy in morning cartoons made me think about how cool it would be to have my own show. As I grew up and moved on to shows with more mature themes, I realized that there was more to cartoons than just making people laugh. One show in particular that stood out to me was Adventure Time, created by Pendleton Ward. Adventure Time taught me valuable lessons about trust, friendship, and how life is not always spectacular. From late elementary school, all the way to the middle of my high school career, Adventure Time was what I watched when I wanted to relax, have a good time, and get into my feelings. Now that more time has passed and I am a senior in high school, my dream of creating my own show has become my life goal. My plan is to attend Savannah College of Art and Design, and I want to major in animation and minor in storyboarding. Using my education, I want to create cartoon shows aimed at children and adults that tell fun stories while discussing important topics and life lessons such as self-appreciation, diversity acceptance, and learning to take responsibility. My biggest goal is to create a show that teaches people how to spot signs of manipulation, specifically grooming tactics present in schools, the workplace, and the family. As someone who knows people who have been sexually abused, as well as being a survivor myself, I know that it is my life mission to bring awareness to this situation and help prevent it from happening to more people. Along with spreading the message about sexual abuse, I want to introduce viewers to cultures that are not seen in most American cartoons today, including what I know best—my own culture. In the current age, I am grateful that Black and Asian culture is being represented in the media more than ever before, however, there is still a lack of representation for multicultural minorities and Asian cultures other than Chinese and Japanese. With my show, I want to introduce viewers to the Thai culture, as well as the Black, White, and Asian-mixed culture. Winning this scholarship would not only help support me on my journey of affording higher education, but with creating a show unlike any other before.

Never in my life did I think I would be able to compare myself to Batman. This past month has made that possible. As Batman has a phobia of bats, I have a phobia of bees, but for my senior photo, I sat in a sunflower field full of them. I was absolutely terrified, but I pushed through it. This is now one of my favorite pictures of myself because it reminds me of the time I decided to "bee" bold.

Living in a small town helps you appreciate small things; the cost of living is less, people know you by name, and the restaurant downtown sells great food at a great price. In the town I live in, there is a restaurant we call the Dawg House. It is a small mom and pop hot dog stand that sells—you guessed it—hot dogs! Along with dogs, they sell burgers, hoop cheese, barbeque sandwiches, and ice cream. I stop by the Dawg House multiple times a month to get a good meal without breaking the bank. At the Dawg House, I can get two hot dogs and a cup of ice cream for less than $10. Along with the food, eating at the Dawg House makes me happy because I know I am helping support a small business, which in return helps support my community. Supporting small businesses also brings me joy because I am a small business owner. In 2017, I started my first art business; Distant Life Art by Yuuki. With this local business, I sell traditional and digital paintings, jewelry, pins, charms, and more. I am also open to commissions and doing so has allowed me to paint murals inside of my church and in a health bar outside of my city. Recently, I took up the offer of selling my jewelry inside of a salon in a neighboring city. This has helped me reach out to a wider audience, and I am super excited about this new marketing space. In 2018, I started my second art business; Yuuki G’s Artsy Things. With this online business hosted through Redbubble and Teepublic, I sell my original artwork of a variety of products ranging from apparel to home decor. Since Yuuki G’s Artsy Things is an online business, my products are available all over the globe and I have made sales in the U.S., Australia, Singapore, and France—all places I could never reach by selling locally. With the profit I make off of my art businesses, I have started raising money to help pay for my college tuition. My goal is to attend Savannah College of Art and Design, and I want to major in animation and minor in storyboarding. Using my education, I want to create cartoon shows aimed at children and adults that tell fun stories while discussing important topics and life lessons such as self-appreciation and learning to take responsibility. My biggest goal is to create a show that teaches people how to spot signs of manipulation, specifically grooming tactics present in schools, the workplace, and the family. As someone who knows people who have been groomed and manipulated as well as being a victim myself, I know that it is my life mission to bring awareness to this situation and help prevent it from happening to more people, for both children and adults. Starting small businesses to raise money for college is my first step to accomplishing this mission—supporting them is yours.

This is my boyfriend, Andy. In this picture, we were celebrating our one-year anniversary at The Melting Pot in Raleigh, NC. I had never been to The Melting Pot, nor had I ever driven in Raleigh, so I was super excited about our date in October. As our anniversary was approaching, we spent multiple days trying to figure out all the little details about our date; what we were going to wear; when we would leave; what we would eat; how much it would cost. After a few nights of planning, we had finally figured out every little detail of our date. The only thing left we had to worry about was the drive—that awful, awful drive. Our anniversary had finally arrived, and it was time to go off to Raleigh. To save time, I had worn my date attire to school that day, so all I had to do was drop off my bags at home, grab the gift cards our mothers got us (thanks mom!), pick up Andy, and go off to Raleigh. We left around three o’clock for our five o’clock reservation, giving us two hours to make it to The Melting Pot that was only one hour away. As someone who has only had their license for a little over a year, I know that there is still a lot more to learn about driving and that these lessons come with time and experience. Well, October 9th was the time and Raleigh’s rush-hour traffic was the experience, and halfway into the trip, we began fearing for our lives. Merging is my least favorite thing to do when driving, but it was mandatory to get onto the bustling highway. Shaking with terror, I looked behind me at the hundreds of speeding cars going by and I prayed that I could merge before I ran out of road. Andy could tell that I was terrified, so he encouraged me by telling me, “You got this.” This simple encouragement combined with my decreasing amount of road helped me merge into the left lane. Successfully weaved into the basket of traffic, we continued on our journey to The Melting Pot. There were many more instances of merging terror that would happen before we reached our destination, but without hesitation, Andy would tell me that I’ve got this and that we would make it safely. This is why I’m thankful for him; No matter the situation, Andy has always been by my side to encourage me, whether it was my fear of merging or the fear of not achieving my career goals. Andy is always supporting and loving me, giving me the confidence to know that I can do anything, and for that, I am infinitely thankful.