My name is Yangli Esther Peng, and I am currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. Throughout my academic journey, I have developed a deep passion for both technology and business. I believe that technology can solve some of the most pressing problems in the world, and business is the driving force behind bringing these technological solutions to the masses. My long-term goal is to combine my technical expertise with a strong understanding of business to pursue a career in product management or consulting within the tech industry. I hope to work on projects that not only innovate but also create tangible, positive impacts on people's lives. This scholarship will make a significant difference by helping me further my education, pursue internships, and continue learning the skills I need to achieve my goals. Growing up, I was always interested in how things worked—both on a technical and human level. My love for technology led me to pursue Electrical and Computer Engineering, but my experience working on projects like the real-time IoT gym tracker with TX Convergent and collaborating with teams in product development also sparked my interest in how technology could be used to solve business problems. I realized that I wanted to blend both fields, leveraging my engineering background while learning more about how business strategy, customer needs, and market trends shape successful products. One of the main reasons this scholarship is crucial for me is that it will help me gain the tools and resources needed to bridge the gap between my technical background and business acumen. I’ve had opportunities to work with startup teams and participate in extracurricular activities where I applied my engineering skills, but I know there’s more I need to learn in business and entrepreneurship to truly excel. This scholarship would provide the financial support necessary for me to pursue additional coursework, attend industry conferences, and gain real-world experience that will help me grow into a strong leader in the tech industry. Throughout my life, I’ve encountered both physical and emotional challenges. One particularly difficult period occurred during my sophomore year of college when I struggled to find an internship. It was disheartening, as many of my peers were securing positions in their chosen fields, while I found myself rejected time and time again. This period of self-doubt and uncertainty was emotionally draining, but it also taught me the importance of resilience and persistence. Instead of giving up, I doubled down on my efforts, applying to over 2,000 internship positions in software engineering, knowing that every "no" was just one step closer to a "yes." My persistence paid off when I landed an internship at USAA as a Software Engineering Intern for Summer 2025. This journey taught me that emotional resilience is key to personal and professional growth. It also reinforced my belief that success is often built on failure, and that setbacks provide valuable learning opportunities. As I continue to pursue my goals in the tech industry, I will always carry these lessons with me: persistence, self-belief, and the importance of staying focused even when things seem uncertain. In conclusion, the Jorian Kuran Harris (Shugg) Helping Heart Foundation Scholarship would allow me to further my education in business and entrepreneurship while helping me continue my journey toward a successful career in the tech industry. By merging my engineering background with a strong understanding of business strategy, I aim to innovate and create solutions that have a lasting, positive impact on the world.

I was 12 when my brother and I picked apart our first PC console. My dad had gotten a new computer, so we went to town with screwdrivers and ripped its electronic guts out. I understood none of what was happening but found it extremely rewarding. We picked apart the keyboard and I fiddled with transparent contact layers. I did not always want to be an engineer, but I realized then that I was part of something bigger than myself. Engineering is for the builders, the dreamers, always looking into the future and crafting the essentials and the ideas. In my career, I look forward to a future where I can lead projects and use my creative mind and exploratory nature to design smarter, stronger, and more efficient systems to realize the goals of a carbon-neutral world. Throughout my academic journey in Electrical and Computer Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin, I've consistently embraced challenges with enthusiasm and dedication. My pursuit of knowledge has led me to various technical accomplishments and personal growth. From my role as an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant, I've learned the importance of mentorship and communication. Guiding fellow students through the complexities of the ECE curriculum has reinforced my belief in the power of collaboration and knowledge-sharing. My internship experience at BayWa-re in Barcelona was an eye-opening opportunity to delve into the renewable energy sector. By mapping processes of solar and wind plants, I grasped the global significance of sustainable engineering solutions and cross-cultural teamwork. The heart of my academic journey lies in my projects. Crafting an IoT device and interactive app for real-time gym occupancy tracking showcased my ability to bridge hardware and software realms effectively. Similarly, creating a microcontroller-based game console highlighted my skills in embedded systems design and programming. Developing an interpreted programming language demonstrated my commitment to tackling intricate challenges and my strong grasp of coding principles. As I look ahead, I envision myself as a catalyst for positive change in the technology landscape. My passion for software engineering and data science drives me to keep exploring new domains and tools. My goal is to lead innovative projects that push the boundaries of technology, benefiting both society and industry. Furthermore, my personal background fuels my drive. My parents' immigration story instilled in me the value of resilience and hard work. I understand the financial strains of education, and this scholarship would immensely aid me in focusing on my studies and professional growth. By investing in my education, you are not just supporting an individual, but also contributing to the development of a forward-thinking engineer who is determined to make a difference.

From my role as an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant, I've learned the importance of mentorship and communication. Guiding fellow students through the complexities of the ECE curriculum has reinforced my belief in the power of collaboration and knowledge-sharing. My internship experience at BayWa-re in Barcelona was an eye-opening opportunity to delve into the renewable energy sector. By mapping processes of solar and wind plants, I grasped the global significance of sustainable engineering solutions and cross-cultural teamwork. The heart of my academic journey lies in my projects. Crafting an IoT device and interactive app for real-time gym occupancy tracking showcased my ability to bridge hardware and software realms effectively. Similarly, creating a microcontroller-based game console highlighted my skills in embedded systems design and programming. Developing an interpreted programming language demonstrated my commitment to tackling intricate challenges and my strong grasp of coding principles. As I look ahead, I envision myself as a catalyst for positive change in the technology landscape. My passion for software engineering and data science drives me to keep exploring new domains and tools. My goal is to lead innovative projects that push the boundaries of technology, benefiting both society and industry. I have consistently demonstrated leadership through my active involvement in various academic, extracurricular, and community initiatives. These experiences have allowed me to refine my leadership skills and have given me a platform to create positive change. As an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant, I have showcased leadership by guiding and supporting my peers through the complexities of our ECE curriculum. Tailoring my approach to cater to diverse learning styles, I have facilitated study groups, organized review sessions, and fostered an environment of collaborative learning. This has not only enhanced my communication and mentorship skills but has also empowered me to lead by example and inspire others to excel academically. I've also assumed leadership roles in student organizations. By taking the initiative to drive projects and initiatives, I've cultivated teamwork, effective communication, and project management skills. As a result, I've contributed to the growth and success of these organizations while fostering a sense of community and shared purpose among members. Looking ahead, I aspire to leverage my leadership skills to drive meaningful change in the technology landscape. I envision leading cross-functional teams that develop innovative solutions addressing pressing societal issues. My goal is to create technologies that empower marginalized communities, enhance accessibility, and promote sustainability. By infusing my leadership approach with empathy, adaptability, and inclusivity, I hope to foster environments where diverse perspectives are valued, collaboration thrives, and innovation flourishes. Furthermore, I am committed to using my leadership position to champion diversity and inclusivity within the tech industry. I aim to create spaces where underrepresented voices are heard and celebrated. Through mentorship, workshops, and community outreach, I plan to inspire the next generation of diverse leaders and change-makers. In essence, my leadership journey has been characterized by a proactive approach to problem-solving, effective communication, and a strong commitment to collective success. By leveraging these skills, I intend to lead initiatives that drive innovation, promote inclusivity, and make a positive impact on individuals, communities, and industries alike. Through my leadership, I hope to contribute to a more equitable and empowered future, where technology serves as a force for positive change.

Throughout my academic journey in Electrical and Computer Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin, I've persistently met challenges head-on with a unique blend of enthusiasm and unwavering dedication. As a woman, a first-generation Chinese immigrant, and someone who has grappled with impostor syndrome, I've discovered a reservoir of strength within me that propels me towards technical accomplishments and profound personal growth. Navigating a field often dominated by gender norms, I've faced the nuanced struggle of impostor syndrome. However, rather than succumbing to doubt, I've harnessed it as a catalyst for growth. I've learned to recognize that my diverse perspective and tenacity are invaluable assets that I bring to the table. Through my role as an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant, I've cultivated mentorship and communication skills that uplift fellow students and dispel the notion that success is reserved for a specific mold. My internship with BayWa-re in Barcelona was a transformative cross-cultural experience that resonated deeply with my identity as a first-generation immigrant. This opportunity to map the processes of solar and wind plants exposed me to the global significance of sustainable engineering solutions and demonstrated the importance of adapting to varying communication styles within an international team. Undoubtedly, my projects serve as a testament to my technical prowess and creative problem-solving abilities. The development of an IoT device and interactive app for real-time gym occupancy tracking underscored my capacity to bridge the realms of hardware and software. Similarly, crafting a microcontroller-based game console highlighted my skills in embedded systems design and programming. Designing an interpreted programming language showcased my unwavering commitment to tackling intricate challenges, bolstering my mastery of coding principles. Looking forward, I envision myself as a trailblazer in the technology landscape. My passion for software engineering and data science fuels my continuous exploration of new tools and domains. I aspire to lead pioneering projects that shatter technological boundaries, bringing benefit to society and industry alike. Embedded within my journey is the story of my parents' courageous immigration to the US in search of a brighter future. Their sacrifice underscores my perseverance and drive. As a woman, a first-generation immigrant, and someone who has battled impostor syndrome, I am aware of the unique challenges I've overcome. The financial hurdles of education have only strengthened my resolve. This scholarship would be a beacon of support, allowing me to focus on my studies and professional development while carving a path for future generations to follow. Investing in my education transcends individual empowerment; it cultivates a forward-thinking engineer who is poised to enact meaningful change. By choosing to support me, you are contributing not only to my growth but also to the diversification and advancement of the engineering field.

I was 12 when my brother and I picked apart our first PC console. My dad had gotten a new computer, so we went to town with screwdrivers and ripped its electronic guts out. I understood none of what was happening but found it extremely rewarding. We picked apart the keyboard and I fiddled with transparent contact layers. I did not always want to be an engineer, but I realized then that I was part of something bigger than myself. Engineering is for the builders, the dreamers, always looking into the future and crafting the essentials and the ideas. In my career, I look forward to a future where I can lead projects and use my creative mind and exploratory nature to design smarter, stronger, and more efficient systems to realize the goals of a carbon-neutral world. Throughout my academic journey in Electrical and Computer Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin, I've consistently embraced challenges with enthusiasm and dedication. My pursuit of knowledge has led me to various technical accomplishments and personal growth. From my role as an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant, I've learned the importance of mentorship and communication. Guiding fellow students through the complexities of the ECE curriculum has reinforced my belief in the power of collaboration and knowledge-sharing. My internship experience at BayWa-re in Barcelona was an eye-opening opportunity to delve into the renewable energy sector. By mapping processes of solar and wind plants, I grasped the global significance of sustainable engineering solutions and cross-cultural teamwork. The heart of my academic journey lies in my projects. Crafting an IoT device and interactive app for real-time gym occupancy tracking showcased my ability to bridge hardware and software realms effectively. Similarly, creating a microcontroller-based game console highlighted my skills in embedded systems design and programming. Developing an interpreted programming language demonstrated my commitment to tackling intricate challenges and my strong grasp of coding principles. As I look ahead, I envision myself as a catalyst for positive change in the technology landscape. My passion for software engineering and data science drives me to keep exploring new domains and tools. My goal is to lead innovative projects that push the boundaries of technology, benefiting both society and industry. Furthermore, my personal background fuels my drive. My parents' immigration story instilled in me the value of resilience and hard work. I understand the financial strains of education, and this scholarship would immensely aid me in focusing on my studies and professional growth. By investing in my education, you are not just supporting an individual, but also contributing to the development of a forward-thinking engineer who is determined to make a difference.

Growing up, my family's story served as a guiding light, illuminating the path toward my beliefs and shaping my career aspirations. As first-generation Chinese immigrants, my parents embarked on a journey that required unwavering determination, resilience, and sacrifice. Their experiences have not only deeply impacted my perspective on the world but have also fueled my ambition to contribute meaningfully to society through my chosen career path. My parents' immigration story is a testament to their courage and their dream for a better life. Leaving behind their home, family, and comfort, they navigated unfamiliar landscapes in pursuit of opportunities. Witnessing their sacrifices firsthand, I was taught the values of hard work, perseverance, and the profound impact of unwavering determination. Their story instilled in me a deep appreciation for the power of resilience in the face of adversity. This legacy of resilience has been a driving force in shaping my beliefs. It has cultivated within me a strong belief in the potential for change and progress even in the face of challenges. I've learned that challenges are not insurmountable obstacles but rather opportunities for growth and transformation. Furthermore, my family's story has played a pivotal role in shaping my career aspirations. The sacrifices my parents made underscored the importance of education as a catalyst for advancement. Their experiences ignited my desire to contribute to a field that can positively impact lives and drive progress. This led me to pursue a career in Electrical and Computer Engineering, where innovation and technology have the potential to shape a better future. My family's journey has also inspired my commitment to supporting underrepresented voices. I understand the significance of providing opportunities to those who may face obstacles similar to those my family overcame. I am determined to work towards greater diversity and inclusivity in the tech industry, ensuring that everyone has the chance to succeed, regardless of their background. In conclusion, my family's story of resilience, sacrifice, and determination has indelibly shaped my beliefs about the world and my career aspirations. Their experiences have instilled in me the values of hard work, compassion, and the potential for positive change. As I embark on my own journey, I am driven by the desire to honor their legacy by making a meaningful impact in the field of Electrical and Computer Engineering and beyond. I am committed to using my skills and opportunities to create a brighter future for individuals and communities, just as my family's story has done for me.

Throughout my academic journey in Electrical and Computer Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin, I've approached challenges with enthusiasm and dedication fueled by my identity as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. As a bisexual woman and a first-generation Chinese immigrant, I have navigated various aspects of my identity while pursuing technical excellence and personal growth. My choice to major in Electrical and Computer Engineering is a testament to my commitment to creating positive change. Being part of the LGBTQ+ community has instilled in me a drive to break down barriers and amplify underrepresented voices. Through my technical pursuits, I am striving to contribute to a field that values diversity, inclusivity, and innovation. In my role as an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant, I've learned the profound impact of mentorship and representation on students who might also identify as LGBTQ+. By providing guidance and fostering an environment of collaboration, I am demonstrating that diversity of thought is a cornerstone of success in any endeavor. Furthermore, my involvement in LGBTQ+ advocacy and support groups has shown me the transformative power of unity and visibility. These experiences have deepened my understanding of the importance of representation in all fields, including STEM. As a bisexual individual, I am committed to paving the way for increased acceptance and understanding within the engineering community. My projects within the field, such as developing an IoT device for gym occupancy tracking and crafting a microcontroller-based game console, reflect my passion for innovation. Beyond technology, my aim is to leverage my skills to empower marginalized communities, including the LGBTQ+ community, through accessible and inclusive engineering solutions. Choosing a career in Electrical and Computer Engineering is my way of actively participating in shaping the technological landscape to be more equitable and diverse. I am determined to lead initiatives that bridge gaps and empower individuals from all walks of life. In summary, my journey as a bisexual woman and a first-generation Chinese immigrant in the LGBTQ+ community has imbued my academic pursuits with a unique sense of purpose. My major choice reflects my commitment to positive change, and I'm dedicated to using my skills to uplift underrepresented voices in the engineering realm. With each project, each interaction, and each endeavor, I aim to foster inclusivity and create a brighter future for all. I am excited to embrace my identity and make an impact as I progress in my career and beyond. This scholarship would not only alleviate financial challenges but also serve as a reminder that representation and diversity matter deeply. Your support would enable me to focus on my studies, advocate for inclusivity, and contribute to a more equitable future for the LGBTQ+ community and beyond.

Throughout my academic journey in Electrical and Computer Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin, I've approached challenges with enthusiasm and a dedication fueled by my identity as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. As a bisexual woman and a first-generation Chinese immigrant, I have navigated various aspects of my identity while pursuing technical excellence and personal growth. My choice to major in Electrical and Computer Engineering is a testament to my commitment to creating positive change. Being part of the LGBTQ+ community has instilled in me a drive to break down barriers and amplify underrepresented voices. Through my technical pursuits, I am striving to contribute to a field that values diversity, inclusivity, and innovation. In my role as an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant, I've learned the profound impact of mentorship and representation on students who might also identify as LGBTQ+. By providing guidance and fostering an environment of collaboration, I am demonstrating that diversity of thought is a cornerstone of success in any endeavor. Furthermore, my involvement in LGBTQ+ advocacy and support groups has shown me the transformative power of unity and visibility. These experiences have deepened my understanding of the importance of representation in all fields, including STEM. As a bisexual individual, I am committed to paving the way for increased acceptance and understanding within the engineering community. My projects within the field, such as developing an IoT device for gym occupancy tracking and crafting a microcontroller-based game console, reflect my passion for innovation. Beyond technology, my aim is to leverage my skills to empower marginalized communities, including the LGBTQ+ community, through accessible and inclusive engineering solutions. Choosing a career in Electrical and Computer Engineering is my way of actively participating in shaping the technological landscape to be more equitable and diverse. I am determined to lead initiatives that bridge gaps and empower individuals from all walks of life. In summary, my journey as a bisexual woman and a first-generation Chinese immigrant in the LGBTQ+ community has imbued my academic pursuits with a unique sense of purpose. My major choice reflects my commitment to positive change, and I'm dedicated to using my skills to uplift underrepresented voices in the engineering realm. With each project, each interaction, and each endeavor, I aim to foster inclusivity and create a brighter future for all. I am excited to embrace my identity and make an impact as I progress in my career and beyond. This scholarship would not only alleviate financial challenges but also serve as a reminder that representation and diversity matter deeply. Your support would enable me to focus on my studies, advocate for inclusivity, and contribute to a more equitable future for the LGBTQ+ community and beyond.

Throughout my academic journey in Electrical and Computer Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin, I've approached challenges with enthusiasm and a dedication fueled by my identity as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. As a bisexual woman and a first-generation Chinese immigrant, I have navigated various aspects of my identity while pursuing technical excellence and personal growth. My choice to major in Electrical and Computer Engineering is a testament to my commitment to creating positive change. Being part of the LGBTQ+ community has instilled in me a drive to break down barriers and amplify underrepresented voices. Through my technical pursuits, I am striving to contribute to a field that values diversity, inclusivity, and innovation. In my role as an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant, I've learned the profound impact of mentorship and representation on students who might also identify as LGBTQ+. By providing guidance and fostering an environment of collaboration, I am demonstrating that diversity of thought is a cornerstone of success in any endeavor. Furthermore, my involvement in LGBTQ+ advocacy and support groups has shown me the transformative power of unity and visibility. These experiences have deepened my understanding of the importance of representation in all fields, including STEM. As a bisexual individual, I am committed to paving the way for increased acceptance and understanding within the engineering community. My projects within the field, such as developing an IoT device for gym occupancy tracking and crafting a microcontroller-based game console, reflect my passion for innovation. Beyond technology, my aim is to leverage my skills to empower marginalized communities, including the LGBTQ+ community, through accessible and inclusive engineering solutions. Choosing a career in Electrical and Computer Engineering is my way of actively participating in shaping the technological landscape to be more equitable and diverse. I am determined to lead initiatives that bridge gaps and empower individuals from all walks of life. In summary, my journey as a bisexual woman and a first-generation Chinese immigrant in the LGBTQ+ community has imbued my academic pursuits with a unique sense of purpose. My major choice reflects my commitment to positive change, and I'm dedicated to using my skills to uplift underrepresented voices in the engineering realm. With each project, each interaction, and each endeavor, I aim to foster inclusivity and create a brighter future for all. I am excited to embrace my identity and make an impact as I progress in my career and beyond. This scholarship would not only alleviate financial challenges but also serve as a reminder that representation and diversity matter deeply. Your support would enable me to focus on my studies, advocate for inclusivity, and contribute to a more equitable future for the LGBTQ+ community and beyond.

Throughout my academic journey in Electrical and Computer Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin, I've persistently met challenges head-on with a unique blend of enthusiasm and unwavering dedication. As a woman, a first-generation Chinese immigrant, and someone who has grappled with impostor syndrome, I've discovered a reservoir of strength within me that propels me towards technical accomplishments and profound personal growth. Navigating a field often dominated by gender norms, I've faced the nuanced struggle of impostor syndrome. However, rather than succumbing to doubt, I've harnessed it as a catalyst for growth. I've learned to recognize that my diverse perspective and tenacity are invaluable assets that I bring to the table. Through my role as an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant, I've cultivated mentorship and communication skills that uplift fellow students and dispel the notion that success is reserved for a specific mold. My internship with BayWa-re in Barcelona was a transformative cross-cultural experience that resonated deeply with my identity as a first-generation immigrant. This opportunity to map the processes of solar and wind plants exposed me to the global significance of sustainable engineering solutions and demonstrated the importance of adapting to varying communication styles within an international team. Undoubtedly, my projects serve as a testament to my technical prowess and creative problem-solving abilities. The development of an IoT device and interactive app for real-time gym occupancy tracking underscored my capacity to bridge the realms of hardware and software. Similarly, crafting a microcontroller-based game console highlighted my skills in embedded systems design and programming. Designing an interpreted programming language showcased my unwavering commitment to tackling intricate challenges, bolstering my mastery of coding principles. Looking forward, I envision myself as a trailblazer in the technology landscape. My passion for software engineering and data science fuels my continuous exploration of new tools and domains. I aspire to lead pioneering projects that shatter technological boundaries, bringing benefit to society and industry alike. Embedded within my journey is the story of my parents' courageous immigration to the US in search of a brighter future. Their sacrifice underscores my perseverance and drive. As a woman, a first-generation immigrant, and someone who has battled impostor syndrome, I am aware of the unique challenges I've overcome. The financial hurdles of education have only strengthened my resolve. This scholarship would be a beacon of support, allowing me to focus on my studies and professional development while carving a path for future generations to follow. Investing in my education transcends individual empowerment; it cultivates a forward-thinking engineer who is poised to enact meaningful change. By choosing to support me, you are contributing not only to my growth but also to the diversification and advancement of the engineering field.

Throughout my academic journey in Electrical and Computer Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin, I've consistently embraced challenges with enthusiasm and dedication. My pursuit of knowledge has led me to various technical accomplishments and personal growth. From my role as an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant, I've learned the importance of mentorship and communication. Guiding fellow students through the complexities of the ECE curriculum has reinforced my belief in the power of collaboration and knowledge-sharing. My internship experience at BayWa-re in Barcelona was an eye-opening opportunity to delve into the renewable energy sector. By mapping processes of solar and wind plants, I grasped the global significance of sustainable engineering solutions and cross-cultural teamwork. The heart of my academic journey lies in my projects. Crafting an IoT device and interactive app for real-time gym occupancy tracking showcased my ability to bridge hardware and software realms effectively. Similarly, creating a microcontroller-based game console highlighted my skills in embedded systems design and programming. Developing an interpreted programming language demonstrated my commitment to tackling intricate challenges and my strong grasp of coding principles. As I look ahead, I envision myself as a catalyst for positive change in the technology landscape. My passion for software engineering and data science drives me to keep exploring new domains and tools. My goal is to lead innovative projects that push the boundaries of technology, benefiting both society and industry. Furthermore, my personal background fuels my drive. My parents' immigration story instilled in me the value of resilience and hard work. I understand the financial strains of education, and this scholarship would immensely aid me in focusing on my studies and professional growth. By investing in my education, you are not just supporting an individual, but also contributing to the development of a forward-thinking engineer who is determined to make a difference.

I was 12 when my brother and I picked apart our first PC console. My dad had gotten a new computer, so we went to town with screwdrivers and ripped its electronic guts out. I understood none of what was happening but found it extremely rewarding. We picked apart the keyboard and I fiddled with transparent contact layers. I did not always want to be an engineer, but I realized then that I was part of something bigger than myself. Engineering is for the builders, the dreamers, always looking into the future and crafting the essentials and the ideas. In my career, I look forward to a future where I can lead projects and use my creative mind and exploratory nature to design smarter, stronger, and more efficient systems to realize the goals of a carbon-neutral world. Throughout my academic journey in Electrical and Computer Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin, I've consistently embraced challenges with enthusiasm and dedication. My pursuit of knowledge has led me to various technical accomplishments and personal growth. From my role as an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant, I've learned the importance of mentorship and communication. Guiding fellow students through the complexities of the ECE curriculum has reinforced my belief in the power of collaboration and knowledge-sharing. My internship experience at BayWa-re in Barcelona was an eye-opening opportunity to delve into the renewable energy sector. By mapping processes of solar and wind plants, I grasped the global significance of sustainable engineering solutions and cross-cultural teamwork. The heart of my academic journey lies in my projects. Crafting an IoT device and interactive app for real-time gym occupancy tracking showcased my ability to bridge hardware and software realms effectively. Similarly, creating a microcontroller-based game console highlighted my skills in embedded systems design and programming. Developing an interpreted programming language demonstrated my commitment to tackling intricate challenges and my strong grasp of coding principles. As I look ahead, I envision myself as a catalyst for positive change in the technology landscape. My passion for software engineering and data science drives me to keep exploring new domains and tools. My goal is to lead innovative projects that push the boundaries of technology, benefiting both society and industry. Furthermore, my personal background fuels my drive. My parents' immigration story instilled in me the value of resilience and hard work. I understand the financial strains of education, and this scholarship would immensely aid me in focusing on my studies and professional growth. By investing in my education, you are not just supporting an individual, but also contributing to the development of a forward-thinking engineer who is determined to make a difference.

I was 12 when my brother and I picked apart our first PC console. My dad had gotten a new computer, so we went to town with screwdrivers and ripped its electronic guts out. I understood none of what was happening but found it extremely rewarding. We picked apart the keyboard and I fiddled with transparent contact layers. I did not always want to be an engineer, but I realized then that I was part of something bigger than myself. Engineering is for the builders, the dreamers, always looking into the future and crafting the essentials and the ideas. In my career, I look forward to a future where I can lead projects and use my creative mind and exploratory nature to design smarter, stronger, and more efficient systems to realize the goals of a carbon-neutral world. Throughout my academic journey in Electrical and Computer Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin, I've consistently embraced challenges with enthusiasm and dedication. My pursuit of knowledge has led me to various technical accomplishments and personal growth. From my role as an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant, I've learned the importance of mentorship and communication. Guiding fellow students through the complexities of the ECE curriculum has reinforced my belief in the power of collaboration and knowledge-sharing. My internship experience at BayWa-re in Barcelona was an eye-opening opportunity to delve into the renewable energy sector. By mapping the processes of solar and wind plants, I grasped the global significance of sustainable engineering solutions and cross-cultural teamwork. The heart of my academic journey lies in my projects. Crafting an IoT device and interactive app for real-time gym occupancy tracking showcased my ability to bridge hardware and software realms effectively. Similarly, creating a microcontroller-based game console highlighted my skills in embedded systems design and programming. Developing an interpreted programming language demonstrated my commitment to tackling intricate challenges and my strong grasp of coding principles. As I look ahead, I envision myself as a catalyst for positive change in the technology landscape. My passion for software engineering and data science drives me to keep exploring new domains and tools. My goal is to lead innovative projects that push the boundaries of technology, benefiting both society and industry. My family's immigration journey to the US was driven by the desire to create better opportunities for our extended family in China. This background underscores the financial challenges of financing my education, thus heightening the significance of this scholarship. Its support would enable me to channel my resources towards essential academic needs—books, tuition, and dedicated study time—empowering me to excel in my educational pursuits and craft a brighter future.

In my academic journey, my unyielding work ethic and insatiable thirst for knowledge serve as cornerstones that drive me forward. I actively seek opportunities to challenge myself with rigorous coursework, constantly aiming to delve deeper into subjects that ignite my curiosity. This intrinsic dedication has consistently translated into high academic performance, positioning me at the forefront of recognition among my peers and esteemed professors alike. Yet, my commitment goes beyond the pursuit of grades; it manifests in the leadership roles I embrace within student organizations. Within these organizations, I not only participate but lead initiatives that foster a culture of learning and collaboration. Through dynamic leadership, I aim to cultivate an environment where ideas are exchanged freely and constructive discourse thrives. This multifaceted engagement nurtures my belief that fostering growth and knowledge-sharing among peers can be as impactful as personal accomplishments. True excellence, however, extends beyond personal attainment; it encompasses the elevation of those around us. Guided by this principle, I hold a deep-seated commitment to giving back to my community in profound ways. As an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant, I go beyond the confines of conventional instruction, tailoring guidance to individual needs and ensuring the success of fellow students. Recognizing the pivotal role of a supportive environment, I ardently strive to foster a sense of belonging and nourish academic growth within my academic community. Moreover, my dedication to collective progress and shared achievements is evident in my collaborations with peers on innovative endeavors. By facilitating open sharing of knowledge and ideas, I contribute to the collective advancement of the technology community. I firmly believe that collaboration is the catalyst that amplifies excellence, allowing us to refine our skills and expand our horizons by learning from one another. In sum, my embodiment of a spirit of excellence in my daily life stems from my unwavering commitment to personal growth, scholastic accomplishments, and the cultivation of positive change. My devotion to enriching my community is demonstrated through mentoring, volunteering, and collaborative efforts. By prioritizing these actions, my aspiration is to not only shine as an individual but to illuminate the paths of those around me, thus catalyzing a ripple effect of positive transformation within my community and far beyond. My family's immigration journey to the US was driven by the desire to create better opportunities for our extended family in China. This background underscores the financial challenges of financing my education, thus heightening the significance of this scholarship. Its support would enable me to channel my resources towards essential academic needs—books, tuition, and dedicated study time—empowering me to excel in my educational pursuits and craft a brighter future.

In my academic journey, my unyielding work ethic and insatiable thirst for knowledge serve as cornerstones that drive me forward. I actively seek opportunities to challenge myself with rigorous coursework, constantly aiming to delve deeper into subjects that ignite my curiosity. This intrinsic dedication has consistently translated into high academic performance, positioning me at the forefront of recognition among my peers and esteemed professors alike. Yet, my commitment goes beyond the pursuit of grades; it manifests in the leadership roles I embrace within student organizations. Within these organizations, I not only participate but lead initiatives that foster a culture of learning and collaboration. Through dynamic leadership, I aim to cultivate an environment where ideas are exchanged freely and constructive discourse thrives. This multifaceted engagement nurtures my belief that fostering growth and knowledge-sharing among peers can be as impactful as personal accomplishments. True excellence, however, extends beyond personal attainment; it encompasses the elevation of those around us. Guided by this principle, I hold a deep-seated commitment to giving back to my community in profound ways. As an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant, I go beyond the confines of conventional instruction, tailoring guidance to individual needs and ensuring the success of fellow students. Recognizing the pivotal role of a supportive environment, I ardently strive to foster a sense of belonging and nourish academic growth within my academic community. Moreover, my dedication to collective progress and shared achievements is evident in my collaborations with peers on innovative endeavors. By facilitating open sharing of knowledge and ideas, I contribute to the collective advancement of the technology community. I firmly believe that collaboration is the catalyst that amplifies excellence, allowing us to refine our skills and expand our horizons by learning from one another. In sum, my embodiment of a spirit of excellence in my daily life stems from my unwavering commitment to personal growth, scholastic accomplishments, and the cultivation of positive change. My devotion to enriching my community is demonstrated through mentoring, volunteering, and collaborative efforts. By prioritizing these actions, my aspiration is to not only shine as an individual but to illuminate the paths of those around me, thus catalyzing a ripple effect of positive transformation within my community and far beyond. My family's immigration journey to the US was driven by the desire to create better opportunities for our extended family in China. This background underscores the financial challenges of financing my education, thus heightening the significance of this scholarship. Its support would enable me to channel my resources towards essential academic needs—books, tuition, and dedicated study time—empowering me to excel in my educational pursuits and craft a brighter future.

I'm a rising sophomore studying Electrical and Computer Engineering, likely on the software or data science track. I had no experience with tech whatsoever before coming to UT, and I'm in a very exploratory phase regarding what I'd like to do in tech. I'm interested in the workings of the open-source community, technology and its role in industry and the global economy, AI development, and general software engineering. I'm currently a TA for Dr. Nina Telang's Academic Success class, which promotes healthy habits and goal setting among other things to help its students keep track of and improve their well-being and academic performance. As an ECE major, I’ve had the opportunity to work on a project through Texas Convergent. It was an extracurricular organization that combined the technology and business side of things to produce the most viable product that solved a real-world problem, which we then pitched at Demo Day. My subteam on the Internet of Things build team decided to go with an app called Swole Control, which won Best Business for Demo Day of Spring 2023. The solution arose from the all-too-common experience of going to the gym, only to leave upon seeing how busy it was. It was an interactive app that allowed users to see how busy a gym was at any given time. The difference between this and its competitors is that it would create a map of the gym and its machines and identify which specific machines were taken at any given moment. We used Arduino ESP32 Wroom boards and hooked them up to HC-SR04 ultrasonic distance sensors, and fed the information in real-time over wifi to a Firestore database, from which a React Native app would draw its data from. The idea was to sell this to gyms which would then install sensors on their machines and allow gym goers to see which ones were taken. I was a tech member for this build team, configuring the sensor hardware, connecting it to wifi, and helping figure out how to get real-time data to a database. Working on this project was a rewarding experience that allowed me to apply what I learned in class to the actual development of a product. I gained even more experience in circuit design and programming and also learned some new skills relating to Arduino and databases. There was a period when we couldn’t figure out why the sensors were so faulty at too close a distance, and then we happened upon the chapter on non-monotonic transducers in my Embedded Systems class, which allowed us to pivot our future projected sensor configurations to something else. What was most rewarding, though, was being able to build something that interacted with the physical world and reflected it in software. In addition to gaining technical skills, I also had the opportunity to work with other ECE and CS majors at UT Austin, and it was inspiring to see how passionate we all were about the project. Working on this not only let me see the impact I could personally make but also that the people in tech are as independent and creative as ever. In a world where it seemed like software engineers only did what they were told to collect a paycheck, it felt amazing to be part of something that innovated as well. I am excited to continue exploring the endless possibilities open to me and the potential for impact in my future projects.

I was 12 when my brother and I picked apart our first PC console. My dad had gotten a new computer, so we went to town with screwdrivers and ripped its electronic guts out. I understood none of what was happening but found it extremely rewarding. We picked apart the keyboard and I fiddled with transparent contact layers. I did not always want to be an engineer, but I realized then that I was part of something bigger than myself. Engineering is for the builders, the dreamers, always looking into the future and crafting the essentials and the ideas. In my career, I look forward to a future where I can lead projects and use my creative mind and exploratory nature to design smarter, stronger, and more efficient systems to realize the goals of a carbon-neutral world. I currently plan on completing my Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering at UT Austin, to which I was accepted in December. After undergraduate school, I plan to get my Master’s in the same field at MIT or the University of Michigan as I start my career through rotational programs and eventually go on to work for a large company such as Google or IBM. My parents immigrated to the US to make more money, helping support three generations of my extended family back home in China. Because of this, paying for college for me and my brother will be a struggle. This scholarship will enable me to afford books and tuition and focus on my studies.

I had been jumping from idea to idea for weeks: should I make a LoFi version of Gymnopedies? A parody cover of Boho Days from Tick, Tick… Boom? A new Chinese folk song or an impossible minimalist sonata? I finally landed on composing a Rhapsody that accompanies an animation about Japanese work culture for my IB Music Theory class. In a fever dream of a Thanksgiving break, what should have been a week dedicated to relaxing and resetting before finals turned into a frenzied whirlwind of sitting at the piano, scribbling melodic ideas on scratch paper, transposing and transcribing, frustratingly clicking and composing Noteflight one note at a time, and painstakingly timing the score to the animation down to the last second. I went through thirteen drafts of a condensed score, originally having been intended for a full orchestra, and twenty-four takes of syncing the visuals and the audio. The piece starts with a low trill, then a Mixolydian chromatic scale to a flashy business theme, heavily inspired by Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue”. High trills come in to signify the world nagging at the protagonist to succeed as she displays annoyance on-screen. A descending thirds pattern shows her falling into a hustle lifestyle and signifies her transformation into a job-hunter. Ascending triplets accompany her as she climbs the stairs and it ends on a low B-flat during a black screen showing the title to end on a dark note. While it serves as enhancement to the animation, it also holds its own as a musical piece. For me, this rhapsody was a realization of my identity as a musician. I’ve been a performer, particularly on violin. This particular rhapsody is the hope for a future where we can break from the more toxic standards of this work ethic.

I was 12 when my brother and I picked apart our first PC console. My dad had gotten a new computer, so we went to town with the screwdrivers and ripped its electronic guts out. I understood none of what was happening but nevertheless found it extremely rewarding. We picked apart the keyboard and I fiddled with the transparent contact layers. I did not always want to be an engineer, but I realized then that I was part of something bigger than myself. As my generation inherits a world that increasingly realizes both progress and falls behind on sustainability, I realized I want to be part of a future made possible by making electronic systems more efficient and resilient. Living in Texas and visiting my hometown in China opened my eyes to the climate injustice that occurred; I still remember as a child the heavy pollution of the crowded streets, even as public transportation was more developed than what we have in the US and not being able to trust the water that came out of the tap, while here in suburban Texas I could live my life relatively free of pollution and water contamination. But not even suburban Texas is immune to heat waves that make Christmas feel like summer or a week-long power outage as the state is completely covered in snow for the first time in history. Engineering is for the builders, the dreamers, always looking into the future and crafting the essentials and the ideas. In my career, I want to lead projects that will significantly change our lives for the better through technology, primarily by innovating in the fields of signal processing, nanotechnology, and machine learning. I look forward to a future where I can use my creative mind and exploratory nature to design smarter, stronger, and more efficient systems to realize the goals of a carbon-neutral world. I currently plan on completing my Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, to which I was accepted in December. After undergraduate school, I plan to get my Masters or a Ph.D. in the same field at MIT or the University of Michigan as I start my career through rotational programs and eventually go on to work for a large company such as Google or IBM. My parents immigrated to the US to make more money so that they can send it home to the entire rest of the family in China. Not all of the money they make goes to our family; overseas, they are helping support three generations, as is customary in Chinese culture that the burden of elderly care always falls on the youngest. Because of this, paying for college for me and my brother will be a struggle. This scholarship will enable me to afford books and tuition, and while I still plan on working during college, it would greatly reduce stress and enable me to focus on my studies.

I began violin in 6th grade, progressing faster than the rest of my classmates. Freshman year, I had only been playing for three years while my competition had played for ten. As of senior year, I’m the only person from my school to have made it all four years, climbing to #25 in Texas by Junior year. Naturally, being the most advanced player in my school landed me in the concertmaster position year after year. At first, I couldn’t step up to the role since I felt a bit of impostor syndrome. However, I was often the only one around able to take on that leadership role as the section leader or concertmaster, so I did. During audition season, I wrote fingerings I had for the region excerpts and distributed them to classmates in the hopes of helping them conquer something they viewed as impossible and encouraging more people who were scared to audition. I led sectionals and dictated the musical style my section was to follow and communicated with them. Being section leader means I of all people needed to know what I was doing. I couldn’t fake something or mess up, because the others depended on me for them to follow during concerts if they got lost. Soon, I found myself applying that perfectionist standard to the rest of my peers. When it became clear they couldn’t live up to expectations due to different priorities, I began the habit of playing louder than the rest of my peers in order to carry the section. I was happy to do it, feeling as if this was what gave me value, and they were happy to let me. Now, I've learned to adopt a more collaborative leadership style that brings everyone else's ideas and contributions to the surface.

Confidence is giving yourself a voice, especially when it's intimidating, because it shows that you believe in yourself enough for that. It was my first Socratic Seminar, 8th grade. My teacher had opted for a more freestyle method of passing the floor, in which students can jump in without raising their hands and be respectful of each other while someone is speaking. Of course, a large part of the seminar's grade depended on participation, so whoever spoke more probably got more points. As you can imagine, the competition was fierce. I had been excited to be able to engage in a conversation about the novel we were reading. Finally, a chance to show them what I could do, and see what my classmates could do as well! I prepared a page of notes and was on the edge of my seat the entire class period. However, as the same few people kept dominating the conversation with the same few points, and as I looked time and time again at the clock, my throat tightened. 12 minutes left. Alright, we can do this. 7 minutes. How long is he gonna take? 5 minutes. Maybe I can be the last person to speak. By the very end of the class, the teacher asked to hear some reflections from some who didn't speak. She called on me first, and by then I was already on the verge of crying. My voice warbled a little, and I absolutely died inside. I didn't have enough confidence in myself to speak my mind and was too afraid to speak up. I now realize confidence is the act of believing in yourself enough to do what's best for you, even when the situation is intimidating. I'm working on not devaluing my own input on anymore.

Being a Texan often means that I have to explain to my friends around the country that being a competitive student is actually really difficult here, contrary to their beliefs about what we're like. It means that as a student in the second-biggest state, there are more students and more diverse students to compete with for things like scholarships and national merit. It means getting to try a variety of food from Tex-Mex to Japanese ramen. It means that while we're a historically red state in elections, the cities and rural areas have a wide range on the political scale (and we were actually quite purple in the last election too). It means we're on our own energy system that gives out every once in a while when a rare snow week occurs (when Texas froze over, it was like the saying "When Hell freezes over" literally came true). It means being subject to unpredictable weather in the most disappointingly predictable sense. But most of all, it means taking pride in our state and supporting each other. It means striving for excellence and bringing the best we have to everything because when we do something, we go all in.

I had been jumping from idea to idea for weeks: should I make a LoFi version of Gymnopedies? A parody cover of Boho Days from Tick, Tick… Boom? A new Chinese folk song or an impossible minimalist sonata? I finally landed on composing a Rhapsody accompanying an animation about Japanese work culture for my IB Music Theory class. Gershwin has long been one of my favorite composers, and here finally was a chance to emulate his style and compose about something that's been prevalent in my life. In a fever dream of a Thanksgiving break, what should have been a week dedicated to relaxing and resetting before finals turned into a frenzied whirlwind of sitting at the piano, scribbling melodic ideas on scratch paper, transposing and transcribing, frustratingly clicking and composing Noteflight one note at a time, and painstakingly timing the score to the animation down to the last second. I went through thirteen drafts of a condensed score and twenty-four takes of syncing the visuals and the audio. The piece starts with a low trill, then a mixolydian chromatic scale to a flashy business theme, heavily inspired by Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue”. High trills come in to signify the world nagging at the protagonist to succeed as she displays annoyance on-screen. A descending thirds pattern shows her falling into a hustle lifestyle and signifies her transformation into a job-hunter. Ascending triplets accompany her as she climbs the stairs and it ends on a low B-flat during a black screen showing the title to end on a dark note. For me, this rhapsody was a realization of my identity as a musician. I’ve been a performer. However, in the back of my mind, I’ve always had melodies and harmonic ideas floating around and nowhere to let them out.

It was my first Socratic Seminar, 8th grade. My teacher had opted for a more freestyle method of passing the floor, in which students can jump in without raising their hands and be respectful of each other while someone is speaking. Of course, a large part of the seminar's grade depended on participation, so whoever spoke more probably got more points. As you can imagine, the competition was fierce. I had been excited to be able to engage in a conversation about the novel we were reading. Finally, a chance to show them what I could do, and see what my classmates could do as well! I prepared a page of notes and was on the edge of my seat the entire class period. However, as the same few people kept dominating the conversation with the same few points, and as I looked time and time again at the clock, my throat tightened. 12 minutes left. Alright, we can do this. 7 minutes. How long is he gonna take? 5 minutes. Maybe I can be the last person to speak. By the very end of the class, the teacher asked to hear some reflections from some who didn't speak. She called on me first, and by then I was already on the verge of crying. My voice warbled a little, and I absolutely died inside. The event had been no one's fault but my own. I didn't have enough confidence in myself to speak my mind and was too afraid to butt in on the assumption that they wouldn't like me anymore. I now realize confidence is the act of believing in yourself enough to do what's best for you, even when the situation is intimidating. I'm working on speaking out more and not devaluing my own input on projects.

Among my hobbies, some of my favorites are reading, riding my bike, sewing, composing, and playing around with DAW programs to create music using my own voice or parody lyrics. However, the one I dedicate the most time to and the one I identify most strongly with is playing the violin. Although I loved playing in the school orchestra, I still felt isolated from my classmates who weren't as interested in classical music. I decided in 8th grade that I would audition for State the next year. I’d only been playing violin for three years, while others had been playing for 6 or some even 10 years. Earlier that summer my director gave me a nice speech about how great it would be to make it, but then quickly added, “But don’t worry if you don’t get in, freshmen usually don’t.” He meant that as a preliminary cushion in the likely scenario that I failed, but I took it completely differently. Originally, I just aspired to audition. But from that point onward, I practiced out of spite. Freshmen don’t usually make it? Oh, we’ll see. I worked for weeks on the excerpts, especially on a particularly gnarly excerpt from Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring”. Every day after school, I’d stay in the orchestra room practicing until Mr. Towndrow kicked me out at 6. When I walked home in the muddy rain, I took my jacket off my body and covered my violin case instead. When it came time to perform, I was still incredibly nervous; however, my practicing reinforced my playing and I was able to make it through. and became the first student from my school to make TMEA All-State Orchestra all four years.

I had convinced my mother to buy us all food at the airport in hopes of putting her in a good mood, but it was a disaster. When we came up to the menu, she eyed it with immediate disapproval. “Ai-ya! Why is everything so expensive?” she said in Chinese. “What do you mean, ‘Why is everything so expensive,’ “ I said. “They’re normal prices.” My 5th-grade self clearly thought so. We decided to just buy water and that we weren’t that hungry anyway. The first thing that looked like water turned out to be vodka. The second thing that looked like water was actually water. My younger brother, Roger, wanted a bottle of Fiji water. I translated for my mother to the overworked cashier, asking how much an obviously cheaper brand was. $4.15. She tried to clarify by repeating it back in broken English. 15. Fifteen. One-five. Fumbling with her purse, she lost hold of some coins, sighed, and pushed the whole pile towards him. “It has foreign money in it. We don’t accept foreign money.” After pulling out some bills, we were still fifteen cents short. “Where’s the 15 cents?” I asked. This was, apparently, her breaking point. “I already give to him!” she yelled. “Weishema ta pian wo men?”-Why does he cheat us?-She bent down. “In this life, you have work hard. Nobody give you…” “Okay, okay!” I wanted to disappear where I stood; I knew she hadn’t paid the change. The cashier handed everything back. After that miserable altercation, I gave up the idea that my family could ever come off as normal in an American space. Somehow, I’d always have to find a way to hide our Chinese mannerisms like the broken English. My father always blasted Chinese music from his desktop in the living room, annoying my brother and I, who were trying to watch TV. Sometimes it was pop, others, traditional Chinese music. The Butterfly Lovers violin concerto and Yi Jian Me were classics. I’d wake up to the backing tracks of Fei Cheng Wu Rao, a Chinese dating show we used to religiously watch. During festivals, he would make me play folk songs on my violin to send to relatives in China. Chinese music was preeminent in my life. Yet when my partner for IB Music Theory suggested we study traditional Chinese Han music for our global music project last month, I cringed away from the idea. What should have been right up my alley turned out to be something completely foreign to me, and I didn’t like the notion that I didn’t know as much as I should about my culture. I almost talked myself out of the idea that the years of subtle racism and its effects didn't exist. Sometimes I think the first fourteen years of my life never happened, and my Chinese background has always made me cool and interesting. As I finish high school, though, my parents have started telling me things about our past, secrets that I never would have guessed. My mother used to feed rice grains to her pet chicken, which someone stole when Fuzhou was still poor. My father was involved in student protests that stopped trains when Tiananmen Square was going on. My grandfather was the only other person in our family with a musical background, but my grandmother had to sell his violin for pennies to eat during the Communist Revolution. These stories are not mine to tell, but I carry them with me as I face the internalized rejection of my own culture and reconnect with my roots.

In a world of overarching themes and long-term goals, dominated by stories of human evolution reaching back thousands of years, making our lives look like insignificant specks in the grand scale of things, it's important that we remember that what the meaning of life ends up being in the day-to-day and the simple pleasures that go along with it. At the end of the day, no matter what you've been doing, no matter what vision you have, your life is always going to be what you live out day to day. So, here are some of my simple pleasures. Thanksgiving break: There’s this song I can’t stop singing called Life We Chose by Jared & the Mills, so I recorded myself in a DAW program and transposed the guitar tabs online along with harmonies I gleaned from listening. To enjoy something so much as to recreate it; 40 hours, gone. I also like to play around with music in other ways, from composing to making parody songs to playing around with new techniques on my violin. I also like to read, drink tea, and mail things-especially mailing things, since it feels so tangible and official. I like taking walks in my neighborhood and gazing around at the trees providing crisp, clean air. I like going online and getting really into random things, like how pearls are formed or how candles work. My parents immigrated to the US to make more money, helping support three generations back home, as is customary in Chinese culture that the burden of elderly care always falls on the youngest. Because of this, paying for college will be a struggle. This scholarship will enable me to afford books and tuition, greatly reduce stress, and enable me to focus on my studies and enjoy my life.

My father always blasted Chinese music from his desktop in the living room, annoying my brother and I, who were trying to watch TV. Sometimes it was pop, others, traditional Chinese music. The Butterfly Lovers violin concerto and Yi Jian Mei were classics. I’d wake up to the backing tracks of Fei Cheng Wu Rao, a Chinese dating show we used to watch religiously. Chinese music was preeminent in my life. Yet when my partner for IB Music Theory suggested we study traditional Chinese Han music for our global music project last month, I cringed away from the idea. What should have been right up my alley turned out to be something completely foreign to me, and I didn’t like the notion that I didn’t know as much as I should about my culture. I almost talked myself out of the idea that it didn’t exist. The years of subtle racism and its effects would've gone unnoticed had the world not become a more accepting place. Sometimes I think the first fourteen years of my life never happened, and my Chinese background had always made me cool and interesting. Recently, though, my parents have started telling me things about our past, secrets that I never would've guessed. My mother used to feed rice grains to her pet chicken, which someone stole when Fuzhou was still poor. My father was involved in student protests that stopped trains when Tiananmen Square was going on. My grandfather was the only other person in our family with a musical background, but my grandmother had to sell his violin for pennies to eat during the Communist Revolution. These stories are not mine to tell, but I carry them with me as I face the internalized rejection of my own culture and reconnect with my roots.

When Simone Biles quit in the middle of the Tokyo Olympics, my violin teacher and I had a conversation. She asked me what I did if I ever felt burnt out with all I do with IB and violin. I said I took a day off to recharge and get right back to it the next day. “That’s exactly it! It’s what we were taught in Poland too. You take a day off and then you’re right back at it. When the time comes to perform, you perform.” The thing is, one day turns into two, and two days turn into a week, which turns into a month of doing nothing. When you come out of it, you hate yourself and wonder where all the time went. Growing up, I was convinced that I would just have to endlessly churn out great work nonstop, and if I didn’t, I would be weak. The truth is, I’ve been burnt out for a while, especially with COVID, and I only admitted that to myself recently. It’s an unsustainable way of life. Counting right now, I have 82 tabs open on my iPad and 70 bookmarks I’ve been meaning to get to. It’s easier to lose sight of the bigger picture and your overall health when everything usually stays hidden from view, but every once in a while, it’s crucial to take a step back and reflect on what you’re doing and where you’re going, which doesn’t necessarily prevent us from burning out (because it *will* happen again) but helps us come back from it and remind us that everything we do is not nothing. My best solution is to take moments to reflect and see the bigger picture. Wherever I go, I will promote self-care and mental health among my peers.

When I was little, a storm felled the tree in our front yard. My dad took me to Home Depot to pick out a baby tree. We lowered it into the dirt, and he forced me and my brother to place a ring of bricks around the base. In the suburb I live in, every house has a Great Big Tree. They aren’t a thousand years old, but they towered over rooftops. They were tall enough so that you wouldn’t have to duck around the lowest branches. A few branches fell into windows over the years, squirrels would scamper up their thick trunks, and birds would nest in them. They were sturdy enough to build swings on and provide enough shade to wait under during the hot summer months. Yet our tree, to this day, remains scant and sparse. When picking weeds, the branches scratch my face and snag my hair if I’m not careful. Its leaves are small and thin, making it impossible to rake them up in the fall. Instead of a solid shadow, it casts a light net. Walking through our street in the morning, our tree sticks out like a sore thumb amongst the giants. I’m a first-generation immigrant and have no other family here outside of my immediate family. Like our tree, I have yet to establish my roots here. And as I find a larger community through college, I’ll grow my own Great Big Tree someday. My parents immigrated to the US to help support three generations back home, as is customary in Chinese culture that the burden of elderly care always falls on the youngest. Because of this, paying for college will be a struggle. This scholarship will enable me to afford books and tuition and enable me to focus on my studies.

In my earlier developmental years, I had depression. It was a dark time I’ve mostly blocked out by now, but going through that has left me better able to help my friends who are going through the same thing. I am better able to emphasize with them and what they’re going through because I’ve gone through the same thing. I am able to better put myself in their shoes and say what they need to hear and do what they need me to do to support them. I am also more attuned to how people around me are feeling and pick up on signs that they’re not doing so well, even when they don’t have a mental illness. When I was struggling myself, my parents didn’t look too much into it. They dismissed it, saying it would pass and I’d just have to suck it up and get through it. It happens in every culture, but I think the unique East Asian culture that I am part of promotes suppressing feelings, especially within the family. On one occasion, my mother was called in to my middle school for a conference because I had written something alluding to my suicide in a project for English class. The assistant principal pulled me into his office, where my mom and a police officer were waiting. Thinking I was in trouble, I profusely denied having any suicidal thoughts because I just wanted to get out of that hugely uncomfortable situation and vowed to myself that I could never tell another soul or write anything in the district-monitored Google Doc database anymore. It was great that they took it seriously, but as a society, we need to de-stigmatize mental health because it prevents people like me from reaching out and getting the help they need. Everyone struggles. People believe strength comes from pushing through the mental illness and keeping the status quo; from dealing with depression or anxiety or bipolar disorder in the background, hidden from view, keeping the machine chugging along with no trace of the struggle underneath. But the real strength is in surviving it and recovering. Currently, with the stigma around mental health, recovery is the desired result, but we kick people down for seeking it. My experience with mental health has changed my goals and beliefs from when I was a little girl. Now, I am more apt to be proud of myself and others for basic activities like self-care; the ability to make my bed, wash my face, take a shower, to get my assignments done, and I’m eternally grateful I was able to get on track to recovery and that the people in my life were able to do that too. After years of mental illness destroying my self-worth, I have grown more into myself and realized what I’m worth. I believe now that the world is in a position to really be conscious about mental health, and we just need to take a little leap to break down barriers to reach more people across cultures. I intend to be part of that future and kickstart the process through my personal interactions by promoting mental health awareness. My parents immigrated to the US to make more money, helping support three generations back home, as is customary in Chinese culture that the burden of elderly care always falls on the youngest. Because of this, paying for college will be a struggle. This scholarship will enable me to afford books and tuition and greatly reduce stress and enable me to focus on my studies.

“Why do you always hide your lunch behind your lunchbox?” my friend Caidyn asked from across the table. “It looks good!” We were in middle school, and this was the first time I'd ever heard someone say that. I shifted the lunchbox slightly away from me, as if denying it, then quickly readjusted it to its old position. I always used to hide my lunch because of what my mother had packed; dumplings, har gow, bean sauce chicken feet, noodles and soups of which their names I don’t even know. For two glorious months in elementary, I brought my lunch to school, happy to be eating anything other than the identical Lunchables I saw (of which the only good part was the meat anyways). One day, a kid walked past, took a sniff, and scrunched their nose. “Your food smells like trash.” From then on, I’d eat as much as I could bear in the first five minutes of lunch before the others got back from the ridiculously long lunch line, then I’d quietly slip the rest of it into the trash can. “Oh, yeah, I just like it this way.” “You barely have any space to eat.” “It’s fine, I don’t care.” I was cramped. My father always blasted Chinese music from his desktop in the living room, annoying my brother and I, who were trying to watch TV. Sometimes it was pop, others, traditional Chinese music. The Butterfly Lovers violin concerto and Yi Jian Mei (the song that recently blew up as a meme for its lyrics “xue hua piao piao”) were classics. I’d wake up to the backing tracks of Fei Cheng Wu Rao-If You Are The One is its Australian title-, a Chinese dating show we used to religiously watch. During festivals, he would make me play folk songs on my violin to send to relatives in China. Chinese music was preeminent in my life. Yet when my partner for IB Music Theory suggested we study traditional Chinese Han music for our global music project last month, I cringed away from the idea. What was supposed to be my secret, my culture, was in danger of being displayed out in the open. What should have been right up my alley turned out to be something completely foreign to me, and I didn’t like the notion that I didn’t know as much as I should about my culture. Turns out, a lot of my classmates are super interested in East Asian music. The arch-nemesis that plagues me is not a real person, but I talked myself out of the idea that it didn’t exist. The years of subtle racism and its effects would have gone unnoticed had the world not become a more accepting place. Sometimes I think the first fourteen years of my life never happened, and my Chinese background had always made me cool and interesting. As I finish high school, though, my parents have started telling me things about our past, secrets that I never would have guessed. My mother used to feed rice grains to her pet chicken, which someone stole when Fuzhou was still poor. My father was involved in student protests that stopped trains when Tiananmen Square was going on. My grandfather was the only other person in our family with a musical background, but my grandmother had to sell his violin for pennies to eat during the Communist Revolution. These stories are not mine to tell, but I carry them with me as I face the internalized rejection of my own culture and reconnect with my roots.

GDYO challenges me as an achiever, playing difficult repertoire I would normally pass out at the sight of. However, when the lights are shining on us at the Meyerson Symphony Center and the time comes to perform, there’s no backing out. It forces me to get used to pulling off what I thought was impossible. Leaping in and executing those difficult passages shows me that I am more capable than I was willing to admit. Eventually, I worked my way up to the role of the principal second, leading my section, and have kept that position to today. GDYO has proven to me that I can be better, I have been better, and I will be better than what I thought possible in the years to come. I am of the strong belief that prestige doesn’t define success, though it may seem like it through my interactions in GDYO. Nonetheless, the qualities I gleaned from my peers and my culture are to be hard-working, ambitious, and to strive for excellence. The kids at GDYO aren’t in it just to get into Ivy Leagues; they work hard because it is simply what they do, and it is simply what I do too. No matter where I go, I plan on keeping these qualities. My parents immigrated to the US to make more money so that they can send it home to help support three generations of my family, as is customary in Chinese culture that the burden of elderly care always falls on the youngest. Because of this, paying for college will be a struggle. This scholarship will enable me to afford books and tuition and would greatly reduce stress and enable me to focus on my studies.

"If your mother says she loves you, check it out." -Seymour M. Hersh, Reporter: A Memoir In a world where misinformation is propagated by the internet farther and wider than it ever could have been and where the margin of error needs to be minuscule for many professions, double-checking your information is crucial for the world to function. Though a bit unorthodox, I found a great example in a particular Harry Potter fanfiction. Professor McGonagall is teaching transfiguration, and she asks Harry to determine if something was originally wood transfigured into a pig or a pig transfigured into wood. He reckons one thing or the other but was deducted points because the correct answer was "I don't know" since a single error in transfiguration would be incredibly dangerous. She then goes on to explain the dangers of transforming anything into air, since someone could breathe it in and it would transfigure back into its previous state, killing the person. This principle of double-checking to confirm you have the right answer and that an answer of "I don't know" is better than a wrong answer is especially true in fields that affect everyone, such as medicine, law, engineering, or politics. A single error could lead to the harm and death of many. Applying such a principle literally to something as seemingly sure as your mother saying she loves you might be rather useless, but it makes it memorable because it's so obvious. Of course, applying it everywhere to everything is impractical, but in the most important aspects of our lives, it's crucial to do my due diligence and check it out.

In Shostakovich’s Quartet No. 8, there is a four-note theme built on an abbreviation of the composer's name, DSCH, which becomes D-Eb-C-B in German nomenclature, suggesting an autobiographical nature. Since this was written shortly after Shostakovich reluctantly joined the Communist Party, certain interpretations paint it as a suicide note. It was reportedly written over three days. That interpretation is intertwined with the historical context of the piece, which was dedicated “To the Memory of the Victims of Fascism and War”. It was composed in 1960. Almost having been purged twice and surviving Stalin’s five-year plans and the Nazi invasion of his home, this was almost certainly a criticism of fascism and totalitarianism. Ultimately, the message of this piece is unclear, from interpretations of it being autobiographical to a thinly veiled protest of the Soviet Union, but the environment it was written in provides rich context. That Shostakovich was able to compose such a masterpiece under such conditions is a tragic yet inspiring example of the human soul coming out and persevering even when people try to censor it. We will break through in the end, even within the tumultuous climate of our world. My generation was born into a world that feels like it's on fire. However, like Shostakovich, we will persevere and come out on the other side with something beautiful. Although I'm not going to be a composer, I plan on completing my Bachelors in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, to which I was accepted in December. After that, I would like to get my Masters or a Ph.D. in the same field as I start my career as an aspiring senior engineer. In my career, I want to lead projects that will significantly change our lives for the better through technology.

I was 12 when my brother and I picked apart our first PC console. My dad had gotten a new computer, so we went to town with the screwdrivers and ripped its electronic guts out. I understood absolutely none of what was happening, but it was nonetheless extremely fascinating. We picked apart the keyboard after and I fiddled with the transparent contact layers. Dust blocked our view from the tiny edges and small corners of the circuit boards, so we ran them under some water. My brother never looked at me and explicitly said, "Hey, how does this work?" Instead, we silently came to our conclusions about what did what as we took pieces out and tried to fit them back in (all completely wrong, of course). I had repressed this memory and many others similar until just now, freehanding this essay, but I've always had a soft curiosity about how things that appeared like magic worked, just as I was curious about the rest of the world that I was living in. Then I realized that I was part of something bigger than myself. I could make an impact. Small, like when my math teacher's electrical engineer friend saved her from her crazy roommate by fixing the thermostat, or large, influencing tech production down the line that would lead to an entirely different quality of life for billions of people. I plan on completing my Bachelors in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, to which I was accepted in December (both the school and major). After that, I would like to get my Masters or a Ph.D. in the same field as I start my career as an aspiring senior engineer. One industry I'm particularly interested in is microelectronics. In my career, I want to effectively lead projects that will significantly change our lives for the better through technology. A better quality of life, from education to physical health, is always on the horizon, and the possibilities are limitless. However, getting there is going to be tough. My parents immigrated to make more money so that they can send it home to the entire rest of the family in China. Not all of the money they make goes to our family; overseas, they are helping support three generations, as is customary in Chinese culture that the burden of elderly care always falls on the youngest. Because of this, paying for college will be a struggle.

Christina’s World by Andrew Wyeth, 1948 The painting features a young girl (inspired by Wyeth’s neighbor Anna Christina Olson) who has a degenerative muscle condition. However, you can't tell at first without knowing the backstory. From the painting's point of view, it is very possible to the viewer that she is instead lounging in the grass, looking toward the horizon. The horizon she's looking towards seems dark, with just a few rural buildings and a vast nothingness beyond that, but she's looking towards it anyway. This piece hits home not because I have a similar disease (I don't), but it parallels much of my life. Even before COVID, I had gone days and weeks at a time with absolutely no energy at all. I am not completely sure what it is, since every time I go to the doctor's it miraculously disappears and I forget to mention it, but it's this feeling of physical fatigue that comes from no explainable source. During the summer of 2020, it got particularly bad for a few days when my dad and my brother had to prop me up on our daily walk around the neighborhood because I literally did not have the energy to walk. I'd lay down and suddenly find myself unable to get up for the next hour. However, like the girl in this painting, this psychomotor fatigue of mine is not revealed to many people. Wyeth's neighbor preferred to drag herself wherever she wanted to go. Despite her illness, she gets things done, and it inspires me to get done what I need to do. This painting represents a state of mind that is about perseverance in the face of adversity. It doesn't matter whether it comes from yourself or others, as long as I keep fighting to go somewhere.

"Oh, so you're the advice girl? I see." Upon reading those words, my initial reaction was to cringe and denounce the title. I had always thought I was more of the perfectionist type, the analyst, who would always have a systematic approach to things and be reservedly critical of my peers' work, sometimes to a fault. This was reflected most clearly in my leadership roles in whichever orchestra I found myself in, being section leader or concertmaster. During the TMEA All-State convention during the rechair for Philharmonic, I got second chair, but the girl who had gotten first hadn't practiced, so I supported her from the side and took some strain off her back. During audition season, I wrote the fingerings I had for the region excerpts and distributed them to classmates in the hopes of helping more of them comprehend what they viewed as a monstrosity. I also became Publicity Chair senior year for orchestra, but other than that there weren't many official positions I held. Those words were spoken after I gave a friend romantic advice and remarked on how it always somehow ended up happening. However, I realized that made sense; people did come to me with their intrapersonal/interpersonal problems, and I was generally a good mediator and was able to provide support and perspective. I joined TSA (Technology Student Association) my senior year too, and when there was a huge rupture in the leadership, the officers turned to me for help and made me an honorary officer despite me being a new member. People turned to me for problems they wouldn't otherwise voice ("I just trust you, I guess." "You're a good listener."). The friend was right, though. I support my community not only through critical feedback but also through caring and listening.

Before COVID, I was a sophomore in high school running on less than 5 hours of sleep a day dealing with being bi and the only Chinese-American student. Looking back, I don’t know how I could’ve possibly done it. Maybe there was a weird adrenaline kick that came with that age, since I also used to be able to consistently stay up until 4-5 AM doing God knows what on the internet. Revenge bedtime procrastination was its own beast; I could never understand the stories of people staying up late studying or finishing a project-I was staying up late entertaining myself and having existential crises. I found myself spiraling into a pattern of depressive days, self-isolation, and procrastination. Over quarantine, I was suddenly able to sleep in later and later until I was regularly getting 8+ hours of sleep, and it was glorious. Gone were the headaches, the dizziness, the blanket of exhaustion. I felt freer, like I’d returned to my true self. I had more energy. It sounds obvious, but I never realized the value of sleep until I got enough. As we returned to a hybrid version of school in the fall and I had to wake earlier, I decided I wasn’t going to go back to a messed up sleep schedule and determined to myself that I would go to sleep at a reasonable time between 11-12 in the evening. If I couldn’t fit the 8 hours into my natural cycle, I’ll just push it back a few hours. And with that, junior year became the best year of my life, academically. It sounds counter-intuitive, but the pandemic actually helped me fix my sleep schedule. With more free time also came more time to focus on skincare and exercising. At first, it was a struggle since I wasn’t used to the discipline required to exercise and wash my face every day, but before I knew it my acne cleared up, I felt like I gained the remaining energy normal people had (I was perpetually exhausted before, and wondered how others did it), and my posture improved. Chores morphed into habits and I turned into a better version of myself. I was also extremely depressed a few years ago. A healthier lifestyle definitely played a huge part in my psyche getting better. Over quarantine, I also had a bout where I was able to go weeks without showering. Before, I also never made my bed because I thought it was stupid; it would get messed up anyway, who go through the effort? Those basic practices-sleep, hygiene, and exercise-helped me out of the hole I’d dug myself into. I’d argue they’re essential. They anchor me now. Health and wellness, I realize now, is not being a perfect aesthetic TikTok girl who drinks green smoothies in the morning with a metal straw and works out for hours every day. It’s a lifestyle composed of the necessary routines that keep you functional. They’re the simple cornerstone habits of exercising (at all) and getting enough sleep. They’re part of how you care for yourself as a human being. In the future, I plan on attending the University of Texas at Austin majoring in Electrical Engineering (to which I am already accepted) starting Fall of 2022. After completing my bachelor's, I would like to continue onto a Master's program and start my career as an aspiring senior engineer. Seeing as this is an intense field of study, I'll also work towards supporting my peers in their mental health journeys and helping deal with burnout as a community in my classes and extracurriculars.

Before COVID, I was a sophomore in high school running on less than 5 hours of sleep a day. Looking back, I don’t know how I could’ve possibly done it. Maybe there was a weird adrenaline kick that came with that age, since I also used to be able to consistently stay up until 4-5 AM doing God knows what on the internet. Revenge bedtime procrastination was its own beast; I could never understand the stories of people staying up late studying or finishing a project-I was staying up late entertaining myself and having existential crises. I found myself spiraling into a pattern of depressive days, self-isolation, and procrastination. Over quarantine, I was suddenly able to sleep in later and later until I was regularly getting 8+ hours of sleep, and it was glorious. Gone were the headaches, the dizziness, the blanket of exhaustion. I felt freer, like I’d returned to my true self. I had more energy. It sounds obvious, but I never realized the value of sleep until I got enough. As we returned to a hybrid version of school in the fall and I had to wake earlier, I decided I wasn’t going to go back to a messed up sleep schedule and determined to myself that I would go to sleep at a reasonable time between 11-12 in the evening. If I couldn’t fit the 8 hours into my natural cycle, I’ll just push it back a few hours. And with that, junior year became the best year of my life, academically. It sounds counter-intuitive, but the pandemic actually helped me fix my sleep schedule. With more free time also came more time to focus on skincare and exercising. At first, it was a struggle since I wasn’t used to the discipline required to exercise and wash my face every day, but before I knew it my acne cleared up, I felt like I gained the remaining energy normal people had (I was perpetually exhausted before, and wondered how others did it), and my posture improved. Chores morphed into habits and I turned into a better version of myself. I was also extremely depressed a few years ago. I’m not saying it’s the cure, but a healthier lifestyle definitely played a huge part in my psyche getting better. Over quarantine, I also had a bout where I was able to go weeks without showering. Before, I also never made my bed because I thought it was stupid; it would get messed up anyway, who go through the effort? Those basic practices-sleep, hygiene, and exercise-helped me out of the hole I’d dug myself into. I’d argue they’re essential. They anchor me now. Health and wellness, I realize now, is not being a perfect aesthetic TikTok girl who drinks green smoothies in the morning with a metal straw and works out for hours every day. It’s a lifestyle composed of the necessary routines that keep you functional. They’re the simple cornerstone habits of exercising (at all) and getting enough sleep. They’re part of how you care for yourself as a human being. In the future, I plan on attending the University of Texas at Austin majoring in Electrical Engineering (to which I am already accepted) starting Fall of 2022. After completing my bachelor's, I would like to continue onto a Master's program and start my career as an aspiring senior engineer. Seeing as this is an intense field of study, I'll also work towards supporting my peers in their mental health journeys and helping deal with burnout as a community in my classes and extracurriculars.

Over the summer of 2020, I participated in an SAT prep program run by a woman named Sharon. She had been teaching in public school for decades, longer than I had been alive. Throughout our lessons, particularly in the reading and writing sessions, she mentioned a few times how the public education system was failing and not teaching us what we needed to know. That same summer, a senior from my school contacted me about participating in a student-run organization called Youth 4 Tomorrow. It was a sapling of an idea, but part of it was that we would write articles on stuff that mattered and actually make moves toward making changes in the world. I've always been fascinated by the state of public education, especially since my experience with it has been what it is. The district I went to isn't insanely competitive, but I was curious to see how education has changed over time, and, I suppose, a little angry that it's in the state that it's in now. So I emailed her at the end of the course, asking if I could interview her over Zoom about how she had seen the state of public education change in her time. I wrote an article about it, which I doubt had many readers, but through this experience, I learned that the best thing we can do as students is to take charge of our own education, especially if public education won't provide us with what we need and lead future generations to be greater.

Although I loved playing in the school orchestra, I still felt isolated from my classmates who weren't as interested in classical music. I decided in 8th grade that I would audition for state the next year. I’d only been playing violin for 3 years, while my competition had been playing for 6 or 10. Generally, having that little experience prior to auditioning didn’t bode too well, but violin was the one thing I actively worked towards that was truly mine. I made the TMEA All-State Orchestra (now a 4-year All-Stater!). I am the first and only student in the history of my school to do so. Each year over 70,000 high school students across Texas start the process in their region and only 112 slots are reserved for violin. Violin became tied to my identity-I was "the violin girl" and this was the one extracurricular I excelled in, representing my school at Region and State. Classical music was my life, and I worked hard towards improving my performance practice. When I took IB Music Theory, my preconception of what music was radically evolved. I was exposed to world genres like kumpo, kora, minimalism, kulning, hocket, and encouraged to explore and experiment with composition and technology. It was then that I came across an animation on YouTube called "Recruit Rhapsody" and was inspired to write one of my own for the animation. This led me down a rabbit hole of being inspired by more dramatic works to compose some of my own. I spent hours hunched over the piano and lyrics and Noteflight and enjoyed every second of it. While I may plan on going into Electrical Engineering in college, I hope to keep alive that free artistic spirit within myself and my peers, and even incorporate it into my field.

When I was nine, my dad dragged me to his office. I spent the whole day there, bored out of my mind, rolling around the dark-grey carpet while he typed away on his computer. He's an accountant. I've been scared my entire life that this is what my life would look like once I grow up: uninspired drudgery doing math all day for someone else just to put food on the table. I immersed myself in the arts, escaping via books, movies, and music. My accomplishments on the violin and my experiences making music with highly talented peers and mentors led me to burrow myself further into the arts. I thought it was the only way forward, but the only problem was that it didn't have quite enough financial or career stability for me to feel comfortable pursuing. I thought this was it. It was either the arts or life just like I saw in The Office. However, when I attended a Destination Discovery STEM summer camp, I was exposed to a different kind of work. I don't remember much about the entire experience, but I do remember that we built bridges by ourselves that held up to 6 whole reams of paper before they violently came to an end. The whole process was engaging, and I had a lot of fun both socially and creatively. I realized I was part of something bigger than myself, and now I want to work my way up in the engineering industry so I can create more and actually have an impact on billions of lives as an engineer. I hope to become a senior engineer at a large company like Google that continually innovates. I will be part of the new generation of leadership in engineering, developing solutions, and building metaphorical bridges.

When I was nine, my dad dragged me to his office. I spent the whole day there, bored out of my mind, rolling around the dark-grey carpet while he typed away. I've been afraid ever since that my life would turn into uninspired drudgery. I immersed myself in the arts, escaping via books, movies, and music. My accomplishments on the violin and my experiences making music with highly talented peers and mentors led me to burrow myself further into the arts. However, it didn't have quite enough financial or career stability for me to feel comfortable pursuing. I thought it was either the arts or life like I saw in The Office. I was exposed to a different kind of work at a Destination Discovery STEM summer camp. I don't remember much about the entire experience, but I do remember that we built bridges by ourselves that held up to 6 whole reams of paper before they violently came to an end. The whole process was engaging, and I had a lot of fun both socially and creatively. I realized I was part of something bigger than myself, and now I want to work my way up in the engineering industry so I can create more and actually have an impact on billions of lives as an engineer. While completing my Bachelor's (most likely at UT Austin, since I've been accepted there), I plan on doing work-study and finding internships as well as hopefully getting to study abroad to broaden my horizons in the industry and better serve my purpose. I hope to become a senior engineer at a large company like Google that continually innovates. I will be part of the new generation of leadership in engineering, developing solutions, and building metaphorical bridges.

When I was nine, my dad dragged me to his office. I spent the whole day there, bored out of my mind, rolling around the dark-grey carpet while he typed away on his computer. He's an accountant. I've been scared my entire life that this is what my life would look like once I grow up: uninspired drudgery doing math all day for someone else just to put food on the table. I immersed myself in the arts, escaping via books, movies, and music. My accomplishments on the violin and my experiences making music with highly talented peers and mentors led me to burrow myself further into the arts. I thought it was the only way forward, but the only problem was that it didn't have quite enough financial or career stability for me to feel comfortable pursuing. I thought this was it. It was either the arts or life just like I saw in The Office. However, when I attended a Destination Discovery STEM summer camp, I was exposed to a different kind of work. I don't remember much about the entire experience, but I do remember that we built bridges by ourselves that held up to 6 whole reams of paper before they violently came to an end. The whole process was engaging, and I had a lot of fun both socially and creatively. I realized I was part of something bigger than myself, and now I want to work my way up in the engineering industry so I can create more and actually have an impact on billions of lives as an engineer. I hope to become a senior engineer at a large company like Google that continually innovates. I will be part of the new generation of leadership in engineering, developing solutions, and building metaphorical bridges.

When I was nine, my dad dragged me to his office. I spent the whole day there, bored out of my mind, rolling around the dark-grey carpet while he typed away on his computer. He's an accountant. I've been scared my entire life that this is what my life would look like once I grow up: uninspired drudgery doing math all day for someone else just to put food on the table. I immersed myself in the arts, escaping via books, movies, and music. My accomplishments on the violin and my experiences making music with highly talented peers and mentors led me to burrow myself further into the arts. I thought it was the only way forward, but the only problem was that it didn't have quite enough financial or career stability for me to feel comfortable pursuing. I thought this was it. It was either the arts or life just like I saw in The Office. However, when I attended a Destination Discovery STEM summer camp, I was exposed to a different kind of work. I don't remember much about the entire experience, but I do remember that we built bridges by ourselves that held up to 6 whole reams of paper before they violently came to an end. The whole process was engaging, and I had a lot of fun both socially and creatively. I realized I was part of something bigger than myself, and now I want to work my way up in the engineering industry so I can create more and actually have an impact on billions of lives as an engineer. I hope to become a senior engineer at a large company like Google that continually innovates. I will be part of the new generation of leadership in engineering, developing solutions, and building metaphorical bridges.

"Oh, so you're the advice girl? I see." Upon reading those words, my initial reaction was to cringe and denounce the title. I had always thought I was more of the perfectionist type, the analyst, who would always have a systematic approach to things and be reservedly critical of my peers' work, sometimes to a fault. This was reflected most clearly in my leadership roles in whichever orchestra I found myself in, being section leader or concertmaster. During the TMEA All-State convention during the rechair for Philharmonic, I got second chair, but the girl who had gotten first hadn't practiced, so I supported her from the side and took some strain off her back. During audition season, I wrote the fingerings I had for the region excerpts and distributed them to classmates in the hopes of helping more of them comprehend what they viewed as a monstrosity. Those words were spoken after I gave a friend romantic advice and remarked on how it always somehow ended up happening. However, I realized that made sense; people did come to me with their intrapersonal/interpersonal problems, and I was generally a good mediator and was able to provide support and perspective. I joined TSA (Technology Student Association) my senior year too, and when there was a huge rupture in the leadership, the officers turned to me for help and made me an honorary officer despite me being a new member. People turned to me for problems they wouldn't otherwise voice ("I just trust you, I guess." "You're a good listener."). When my friend admitted to me that he hadn't eaten all day, I ran across the school to the orchestra room and back and snuck him some snacks. I support the community around me not only through taking care of them and listening.

When I was in 8th grade, my English teacher posed a question. "What do you do in your free time for entertainment?" We said we read books, watched TV and movies, scrolled through social media, and went to concerts and games. She pointed out that all the activities we just listed are just us consuming things. It's a passive form of entertainment and engagement, and that we were never actually creating anything. At the time, I saw her point, but I didn't understand it. What was wrong with consuming? Turns out, it wasn't the consumption, but the lack of creativity that threw us off balance. I have since taken on more creative endeavors in my free time for no other reason than to entertain myself. I get caught up in the process and the vision at the end, and while it humbles me, it also gives me life. Over the summer, I started sewing and made a sundress from scratch. Throughout the year, I've composed way more than what was required for IB Music Theory; a rhapsody, a city pop track, vocal and pan experiments, a parody song, and I'm currently working on a contemporary album for violin, flute, and cello that represents different aspects of high school life. I've written creatively for myself. Inspired by "Tick Tick Boom", I created similar tracks about the experience of applying to college and my current classes. Just now, I wrote a poem on procrastination imagining Lin-Manuel Miranda's voice that will never see the light of day. I spend hours on designs for orchestra promotions that nobody asked me to do and decorating mail I send out to friends. Creativity is the root of what keeps us human, and as I go into engineering, I hope to create new things I couldn't before.

In the time between my childhood and my life as it is now, in my late teens, it seems as if a light switch has been flipped in the world. It seems like only yesterday that I was sitting in the office chair in front of the computer, knees curled up, staring wide-eyed at the screen, genuinely afraid for some random stranger’s life five states away because the internet was the only safe place for them. But it was also only yesterday that LGBTQ+ identities and expressions have become integrated and represented in popular culture. It was only yesterday that my friends were accepting of me being bisexual. Only yesterday, a close friend brushed off a conversation about queerbaiting and my own questions about myself, citing that he didn’t really know “that kind of stuff”. Only yesterday, my parents grimaced at the thought of me marrying a girl. The world we have now is not perfect, though it’s come a long way. But the world I want to live in and the world that I work towards says no to oppression. It is a world that says no to bigotry, no to shame, and no to exclusion. As a bi woman, I hope for a world that gives people the right to live and love as they are created to. That's why, in freshman year of high school, I started a GSA with my friends (later changed to Equality Club). We led discussions about sexuality and gender, delving into LGBTQ history and struggles, and supported each other through it all. We created a space for students to discuss their issues without prejudice, and with advice and insight from older members of the community. I'm proud that it's continued through my time in high school, but it's a neverending process.

I decided in 8th grade that I would audition for State the next year. I’d only been playing violin for three years, while others had been playing for 6 or some even 10 years. Generally, having that little experience prior to auditioning didn’t bode too well, but playing the violin was the one thing I actively worked towards and the one thing that was truly mine. Earlier that summer Mr. Towndrow, my director, gave me a nice speech about how great it would be to make it, encouraging me to try out, but then quickly added, “But don’t worry if you don’t get in, freshmen usually don’t.” He meant that as a preliminary cushion in the likely scenario that I failed, but I took it completely differently. Originally, I just aspired to audition. But from that point onward, I practiced out of spite. Freshmen don’t usually make it? Oh, we’ll see. I worked for weeks on the excerpts, especially on a particularly gnarly excerpt from Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring”. Every day after school, I’d stay in the orchestra room practicing until Mr. Towndrow kicked me out at 6. Every free period I had where I finished my work early, I asked to be allowed to practice instead of killing time. My fingers bled. When I walked home in the muddy rain, I took my jacket off my body and covered my violin case instead. At home, my brother begged me to stop practicing. When it came time to perform, I was still incredibly nervous; however, my practicing reinforced my playing and I was able to make it through. The first year I made State, there were only 8 other freshmen who made it. That time, I was ranked #85. By junior year, I was able to climb to #25.

"Oh, so you're the advice girl?" Upon reading those words, my initial reaction was to cringe and denounce the title. I had always thought I was more of the perfectionist type, the analyst, who would always have a systematic approach to things and be reservedly critical of my peers' work, sometimes to a fault. This was reflected most clearly in my leadership roles in whichever orchestra I found myself in, being section leader or concertmaster. During the TMEA All-State convention during the rechair for Philharmonic, I got second chair, but the girl who had gotten first hadn't practiced, so I supported her from the side and took some strain off her back. During audition season, I wrote the fingerings I had for the region excerpts and distributed them to classmates in the hopes of helping more of them comprehend what they viewed as a monstrosity. Those words were spoken after I gave a friend romantic advice and remarked on how it always somehow ended up happening. However, I realized that made sense; people did come to me with their intrapersonal/interpersonal problems, and I was generally a good mediator and was able to provide support and perspective. I joined TSA (Technology Student Association) my senior year too, and when there was a huge rupture in the leadership, the officers turned to me for help and made me an honorary officer despite me being a new member. People turned to me for problems they wouldn't otherwise voice ("I just trust you, I guess." "You're a good listener."). The friend was right, though. I support the community around me not only through critical feedback but also through caring and listening. A lot of my generation struggles with mental health. Having gone through some stuff myself, I try to talk them through it.

I'm immersed in the smell of superglue and sharpie fumes in the living room as I work on my shadow box art project. It was started on a whim, inspired by posts I saw on social media. I was getting lightheaded. I stepped outside for fresh air. Almost immediately, my head cleared. I live in a suburban environment, with easy access to nature from my front lawn to the many trails around me. However, I still live in an artificial world, some of which will unavoidably poison me from time to time. That's where the nature of my environment comes in and reminds me where I am. I don't see exotic plants every day, but the landmarks provided by the nature around me keep me grounded. The specific tree species, regardless of if they were planted by the city or not, anchors me in Irving, Texas. The animals signify that yes, this is a habitable space that is conducive to life. The fresh air produced by plants and regular air circulation free me from the muggy atmosphere of my house. Nature is healing. When I need a break, I can take a short walk outside. When I need a longer break to process things, I take longer walks. Nature is present around me in endless abundance, and it's generally more interesting than rows of smooth tile. Recently, nature has been unforgiving. As climate change slowly worsens, the environment around me gradually changes as well. This past Christmas was the hottest Christmas I can remember. It felt like summer. Other parts of the world are hit harder with environmental disasters and more severe anomalies. I try to clean up when I can, but in the future, I want to help preserve what is such an integral part of our lives.

1. Ride a bike (completed) Even though I live in the suburbs, I never learned how to ride a bike, and I've always wanted the father-son experience that everyone seems to have while learning to ride a bike, even though I'm nobody's son. Starting off 2022 by learning how to ride a bike is a great start to the year, and I feel like I've learned a new life skill. 2. Play violin with an ensemble of amazing musicians (completed) Though I was in an orchestra class at school, my classmates never really practiced and weren't super interested in classical music. Luckily, I've managed to audition into GDYO, LSYO, and region and state ensembles. I've made Region 6 years in a row, consistently at the top of the rankings (came in 1st junior year), and I'm a 4-year All-Stater, with my highest ranking being #25 in the state of Texas. 3. Go to college, become an engineer (in progress) Yes, the quintessential Asian American dream. I didn't really have a problem with that since I was automatically admitted to UT Austin due to my high rank in school. I recently got accepted into the Electrical and Computer Engineering major there, and while I don't have too much prior experience with electrical engineering-related activities, I'm looking forward to learning about circuits and stuff. But the main thing I'm really excited about is being able to (hopefully) finally create things I've only dreamed of before by using what I learn in my classes, and after I've completed my degree, I hope to become a Senior Engineer somewhere. There's still a lot to explore, and I will step out of my comfort zone here. 4. Take over the world (in progress) Napoleon tried, Hitler tried, Genghis Kahn certainly tried. It's worth a shot.

Lights up, Eyes shut Time to start a brand new day Five minutes 'till the bell I make it in the nick of time anyway My name is Esther and I'm Chinese American I know five other girls with my name Don't know if I can run faster or jump higher than they can But I'm still solidly in the game I play violin They think I'm straight Living in the second largest state Juggling an alphabet soup of IB, AP, SAT, GDYO, and NYU Not valedictorian But a close second Really not a big deal, or so I reckon