My name is Yliah Najil Cefre, and I was born to a single mother in Manila, Philippines. I moved to the United States with my mom when I was just three years old, in hopes of providing an American education for me. Growing up with a single mother was tough. We were constantly at the poverty line and moving from house to house. Despite all of the hardships we have gone through, my mother was determined to help provide me with a proper education. I understood all of my mother's sacrifices, so I tried very hard in school so I could get into the college I wanted. I ended up completing high school with a 3.9 GPA, as well as being on the A honor roll for every semester. I also wanted to contribute to my Asian-American community by joining a Dear Asian Youth chapter in my school. High school was a time to help figure out my identity and where I stood in the world. During this time, I realized that one of my passions is helping other people, especially people with similar experiences with me. I realized that completing college and getting the education that I needed was essential if I wanted to make an impact on my Filipino-American community. First, I would like to help my Filipino-American community in any way that I can using the education and the experiences I gain from college. In college, I plan on joining clubs and resource centers to help better the lives of Asian Americans. Second, I would like to work hard and become successful after college. If I become successful in achieving my career goals, I want to be an example that younger Filipino-Americans in the community can look up to. I want to be the example that helps increase the 37% of Filipinos in the US with a Bachelors degree to 100%. I want to make my mother's sacrifices and our hardships worth it by being a prominent example in the community— that even though we Filipinos may encounter adversity, we will always overcome it with resilience.

Tragic and inspiring, as well as influential and motivating, would describe my favorite artist, Van Gogh. His works are deeply haunting but moving, and his story unfortunately ended in such an abrupt way. Gogh is one of my favorite artists because he proves to be an example that we must keep moving forward to progress, despite any hardships we face. We must demonstrate resilience using creativity, and some day, our work will pay off, hopefully in ways that will inspire others.