I've taken to watching wildlife documentaries and am always surprised by something new. Whether it was a dancing bird or a pufferfish making astounding patterns on the ocean floor while making a nest for future eggs, there was always a new creature that I would see behind the screen. In the future, I hope to see that kind of wildlife in person. I want to work towards preserving the environment and the wildlife that inhabits it. I believe that, now more than ever, we need more people to work towards combating the effects of climate change. In aiming to become a wildlife conservationist or a wildlife veterinarian, I aspire to make an impact in protecting wildlife from the encroachment of deforestation and the loss of habitats, both from climate change and human settlements, poaching, the exotic pet trade, and other threats. This includes protecting the ecosystems they live in. I want to help make the world one where wildlife and people can coexist without one threatening the other. As I am about to attend Cal Poly Pomona, I intend to use this as an opportunity to do more volunteer work, especially those that involve helping the environment in any way, whether it is cleaning up public spaces or planting more trees. In addition to this, since I am majoring in Animal Science, I believe I will learn the necessary information to assist animals in the future. Furthermore, I was taught by teachers in my high school to make connections with my college professors, as this will open up opportunities for internships and networking. This part of my educational journey will allow me to discover even more career options that coincide with helping the environment. The person who inspired me was my high school teacher, who was my Chemistry and AP Environmental Science teacher. In the two years I was in her class, she gave passionate lectures about the environment and how climate change came with troubling implications such as climate refugees and rising sea levels. Under her teaching, I better understood how industrialization harms the environment and how wildlife was affected. She inspired me to want to help the environment, and I especially want to help the animals who are being negatively affected by the rising temperatures and anthropogenic threats. In the same way she made me aware of the very real threats of climate change, I also want to raise awareness of the damage that we as people are doing to the environment. When people harm the environment, they hurt themselves in the process. Whenever we cut down trees, we destroy natural habitats and increase the number of endangered populations; then we wonder why so many species, both animal and plant, are going extinct. I do not want to be a part of the problem; I want to be a part of the solution, working towards a world where both people and nature can coexist. This is why I aim to become a wildlife conservationist. I believe that as a wildlife conservationist, I not only help animals, but people as well. By preserving habitats, I can help minimize the damage that people are doing and ensure that the biodiversity of species does not just survive, but thrives as well. I aim to help people understand that it is our obligation to protect the world we live in and that we must treat our Earth with respect and care. This is a service not only for the environment, but for humanity as a whole. Therefore, to me, this is a commitment to change for communities all over the world.

As a child, and even now, I still have an affinity for praying mantises and jumping spiders, and just about most tiny creatures that run across my path. Every time I saw a praying mantis, without fail, I would pick it up. I can tell from experience that jumping spiders are more skittish, though. When I was younger and didn't know any better, I tried raising some praying mantises. At most, I raised two, but both died. Somewhere in the back of my mind, a voice did tell me that a pencil box with dirt and some sticks wasn't enough to keep two full-grown mantises alive. Now, I pick up mantises and let them walk on me while I appreciate their alien-like body structure and the religious piety of their front legs before setting them back down on their merry way. However, I was able to keep a praying mantis alive for a while before winter hit. It was a female, large and beautiful, vibrant green. I would catch flies and roaches for it to eat, several a day, really. I was determined to keep it alive and give it the best life. I let it live on the small plant that was on top of our refrigerator; no cage or tiny enclosure to keep this fierce predator tame! I would watch as it nibbled the head, taking apart the flies and roaches with the anatomical knowledge of a surgeon. I was obsessed with it and was upset when it died. I didn't know where I went wrong; I gave it a home. I fed it like a queen, gave it the amount of water it needed, and took it outside. It was almost winter, so I attributed its death to cold temperatures and gave it back to nature; more specifically, the ants in our front yard. I was obsessed with praying mantises and even brought them to my high school once. As far as I could tell, I was the only one there who willingly brought live, miniature predators to school. I even raised a small, red-backed jumping spider. It was absolutely adorable, in my eyes, anyway. I let it crawl on me and watched with fascination as it used small web strings to swing itself to safety when needed. Its small chelicerae were almost a metallic bluish-green, and its small body was slightly fuzzy. I kept it in a small jar and let it build its small, tiny web enclosure where it often rested. I let it out very often and brought it with me to school and even church once. 17-year-old me was devastated when it was his time to go, but jumping spiders don't live forever. Especially those under the care of a teenager who didn't have the proper resources to raise it right. In general, my "awkward" thing was interacting with the tiny creatures that lived around me. I still try to catch small lizards, praying mantises, and jumping spiders. But I grew up and learned to leave the wild things to their own. Who was I to try raising them as if I knew what was in their best interest? However, this doesn't mean my love for wildlife has faded at all. I am proud to say that I was able to save a small house finch from an opossum, gave it shelter for the night, and set it free the next morning. In essence, my love for wildlife remains the same, and when I grow up, I plan on becoming a wildlife veterinarian or wildlife conservationist so I can commit to saving animals.

Saving the world sounds like a child's dream and an impossible one at that. However, that is what environmentalists, climate scientists, marine biologists, and wildlife conservationists do, alongside other people who advocate for the world to quickly acknowledge and work to alleviate the effects of climate change. When I think about Rachel Carson, I think about the book she wrote, "Silent Spring", and am reminded of how silent the world would be if we didn't protect the biodiversity around us. Choosing to advance my education in science, specifically Animal Science, is a step towards my goal of landing a career in protecting wildlife. I intend to become a wildlife veterinarian or a wildlife conservationist, and I am better preparing myself for that field by majoring in Animal Science at Cal Poly Pomona. My dream is to see a world where people can see just how many species surround us and how much more vibrant the world is when we not only help animal species survive, but also when they thrive. I look forward to not only protecting the animals, but also the ecosystems and habitats they live in. Unfortunately, not many people are aware of the natural services that the ecosystems around us provide, and often underestimate how important they are because they are unaware of their impact. By majoring in Animal Science, I am hoping to become a wildlife conservationist who, in addition to saving animals and the environment, educates others about the importance of preserving our world. This scholarship can help me achieve a major impact. Not only will it alleviate the financial burden of paying for my college tuition, but it will also allow me to focus on how I can better help the environment. I want to develop ideas on how to support conservation efforts and address serious issues that plague these efforts. For instance, the exotic pet trade harms so many different species of animals, subjecting them to brutal conditions that are detrimental to their health. Many conservation efforts are undermined through these trades, and I want to contribute to efforts to combat them. For me, this scholarship is an investment towards a future where I can help animals live freely without harmful human interference. If I can successfully graduate debt-free and get a career, I want to donate to conservation organizations such as the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), The Nature Conservancy, and more. I would like to join these organizations once I get the experience needed and contribute to the welfare of wild animals and their habitats. This not only benefits the animals, but humanity as well. Conserving more habitats, specifically more vegetation, can help mitigate the impacts of climate change, which is heavily impacting us right now, and I want to help people adapt to these changes. This scholarship will lower the amount of money I will have to pay out of pocket, and I am hoping it is enough to graduate debt-free. I am determined to graduate within four years and have committed myself to this major so I can aspire to become a wildlife conservationist or wildlife veterinarian where I can make a difference.

I learned my compassionate ways from my parents, who in turn learned to be compassionate from the Bible. Even though my mother is often tired from doing house chores, she continues to serve our family and our church, singing in the choir and helping out by cleaning in the kitchen. Even though my father spends hours peeling shallots and ginger to make some money, he finds time to play checkers with me and chess with my younger brother. As their daughter, I've continued striving to follow their example. At church, I would sometimes help with serving the food, and recently also joined the choir, just like my mother. Since I am much older now, I've learned to be compassionate by serving like my parents and exemplifying this by doing house chores daily and helping my parents with translation when needed. I've learned patience from these experiences and better understood the importance of listening to the needs of the people around me. Furthermore, I've also participated in my church's visitations to invite neighbors to our VBS (Vacation Bible School) and understood the importance of sharing the love of Christ with those around us. In addition to this, I volunteered whenever I could during my high school years. During my senior year, I've attended the Lunar New Year Art Walk, which is located in Downtown Pomona. When someone there didn't speak English, I was able to translate their inquiries to someone who could help from Mandarin to English and vice versa. I was able to have compassion for them because it heavily reminded me of my parents, who also couldn't speak perfect English. My mother often told me to learn multiple languages so that I could help the people around me and so that they wouldn't be taken advantage of, and this has helped me develop sympathy and compassion for those who can't speak or understand English. During this volunteer experience, many of the people eating there spoke mainly Chinese, and some reached out to me, hoping I understood Mandarin, which I did. This allowed me to assist those who spoke Mandarin or Cantonese. Instead of feeling frustrated or annoyed, I felt a great sense of compassion for them; I wanted to help them and didn't see it as an inconvenience. I was grateful that they felt comfortable reaching out to me. I intend to continue exemplifying compassion in action by extending my services beyond just my family members, but also to members of my community, whether to people I know or don't. I intend to work with volunteer organizations when possible and improve my Mandarin speaking skills so I can assist more people, just like I did during this Art Walk. I will continue to help my parents and also get a stable job so I can support them in the future. I know that they've worked hard, and I want them to know how much I appreciate them by taking them out to see more of the world. I sympathize with them since we often don't travel, and I want to ensure that they don't have to keep working to earn money for the rest of their lives. I don't want them to struggle financially or earn just enough to survive. I want to alleviate their worries for the future by first graduating from college debt-free, and then landing a stable job that will enable me to support them and let them enjoy life. This is one of the acts of compassion I want them to experience.

Attending higher education will facilitate what I hope to achieve in the future by giving me more choices and opportunities to reach my future career in the field of animal science. Cal Poly Pomona is a university that will provide me with the education I need to better understand how to become a wildlife conservationist or wildlife veterinarian in the future. Its hands-on approach to teaching students and the volunteer opportunities it provides will give me the essential experience to deepen my knowledge of animals. Once I get my degree in Animal Science, it will show potential employers that I have attained a higher education that is known for giving its students real-life experience beyond the classroom, which I believe will make me a strong candidate for roles involving the preservation of animal species and their welfare. In addition to this, attending Cal Poly Pomona will give me volunteering opportunities that will give me the chance to apply what I learn in the real world, and that is one of the things that higher education is meant to do. I want to conduct research outside of the classroom and work with animals outside. I want to attend many volunteering events to give myself a better chance of achieving my future career. I plan to create a positive impact by working with volunteer organizations when possible, involving the care of animals. So far, my volunteer experiences have involved mainly people, yet it shows my willingness to help my community and my ability to communicate with others. This was inspired by my teacher, who was not only my chemistry teacher, but my AP Environmental Science teacher as well. Her passion and concern for wildlife in a world that is threatening already endangered species made me aware that there are people who are working painstakingly to protect animals that others don't even seem to know exist. I aspire to be a part of that effort and know it is not too late to commit myself to working with animals. I want to participate in more volunteer work that will involve wildlife so that I am better prepared for my future career. By becoming a wildlife conservationist or wildlife veterinarian, I will create a positive impact by working directly to protect the habitats and lives of animals, even ones that I may have never heard of before. Watching wildlife documentaries such as the one titled "Our Planet", narrated by David Attenborough, has shown me only a fraction of the vast biodiversity that exists and lives on our planet. I want to protect the ones that remain and help them thrive in a fast-changing world, especially since they are directly impacted by our decisions. It will be a rewarding experience, not just for me, but for those who will be able to appreciate the vibrancy of having so many different animal species living alongside humans. Certainly, a more consistent exposure to nature will benefit humanity, and I want to be a part of the effort that makes it possible. I would also like to travel around the world and communicate to people the importance of preserving the biodiversity on this planet, especially since an alarming number of animal species are disappearing every day. Becoming a wildlife conservationist/veterinarian will give me that opportunity, especially since I will have a more advanced understanding of how biodiversity impacts us. Advocating for animals is one of the positive impacts that I plan to create in the future, but another positive impact is letting people see the amazing things that arise from coexisting with multiple species. For instance, just knowing the Amazon rainforest has been greatly diminished from what it once was is not enough. I want to play an active role in protecting its remaining sprawl and want more people to understand that the Amazon rainforest is more than just its trees and animals, but the important services it provides to humans. The same goes for other important ecosystems, such as reefs. People appreciate the beauty, but their understanding of the importance of protecting such ecosystems would be more beneficial. In this way, I would be helping not just the wildlife that depend on those ecosystems and these habitats, but also the people who rely on the very ecosystems that are being destroyed. In essence, I will be better preparing myself to attain a career in this field by getting the experience I need, attending higher education, and creating a positive impact by applying the things I learn.

Seeing YouTube videos of people going to different places and eating foods I've never seen before is like watching a dream in real life; it seems untouchable and unreachable. However, that is one of the plans I have for the future and not just for myself. I want to make that dream attainable for my family, especially my parents, who haven't been able to see so much of the world and appreciate its more breathtaking wonders. My first plan is to complete college and graduate debt-free, a goal that is made more possible with scholarships and grants. This is my main objective as of now, so my parents won't have to worry about paying my tuition; I want to be able to carry these college financial issues without burdening my parents with them. When I graduate debt-free, I intend to get a stable career in the wildlife conservation field. I strongly believe that this would be rewarding in the sense that I would be working in something I am passionate about: protecting animals and the biodiversity that surrounds us. My plan regarding my career is to either become a wildlife veterinarian or a wildlife conservationist. After landing a stable career, I plan to take my parents out to see different places, whether it is a beautiful natural landscape, such as a forest or the coast, or a different country. I want to let them see more of the world, try new foods, and spend time enjoying the wonderful things this world has to offer, rather than having to work for the entirety of their lives. I was motivated to do this when my older sister took my parents, my younger brother, and me to Carmel-by-the-Sea. It was a city that seemed so magical when I saw it, and it was definitely worth the 6-hour drive it took to get there. This trip inspired me to take my parents to see even more wonderful places, especially since my parents were able to relax on this short 2-day vacation, resting from the work of peeling onions and ginger, driving us to school, and doing chores daily. I plan to take my parents to South Korea, a country my mom has expressed wanting to travel to once or twice, despite not speaking Korean. I understood then that my mother just wants to see nice places that she has never been to, and I share that desire. I also want to travel to different places and see their natural wonders. This scholarship will help me achieve those plans by alleviating the financial burden I would have to face. Finishing college debt-free is one of those plans, and the more money I don't have to pay out of pocket is a step towards that goal. It would help pay for materials that I would need, such as textbooks or lab materials, when needed. Since I am majoring in Animal Science at Cal Poly Pomona, I understand that I may need to pay for lab materials. However, this scholarship could help me pay for some of them, and I wouldn't have to ask my parents to pay with money they could spend on groceries or use to pay for bills. This is money that not only I don't have to pay back, but also money that my parents won't have to spend. I intend to pay for college without asking my parents for money so that they won't be stressed out about paying for my tuition or other needed materials. In essence, this scholarship is an investment in my plans for the future.

Peeling shallots and ginger is a mundane task, but I did what I could to help support my family. My dad sometimes brings home bags of shallots or boxes of ginger for us to peel to make some money. Despite the hours we put in and the soreness in our thumbs from pressing the knife to peel the skin, the money we make is not much. I never asked exactly how much; I just knew that it wasn't enough. All this manual labor taught me more than just the value of hard work. It taught me discipline, perseverance, and the need to pursue a higher education so that my parents won't have to continue working like this for the rest of their lives. As immigrants from China, they had to start from scratch, peeling onions from the start until now. Without knowing enough English, they have to work long hours from home to make some money. This has motivated me to invest heavily in my academic journey. I joined my high school's Speech and Debate Club, participated in debate tournaments, volunteered at the Art Walks in Downtown Pomona, and maintained a perfect GPA throughout my entire high school journey. I’ve applied for multiple scholarships, took seven classes during my sophomore and senior years, took honors classes, completed a total of 9 AP exams, and graduated as the valedictorian. These achievements were made possible because I've overcome challenges, which included being low-income and having parents who don't speak English. I was willing to make sacrifices so that my parents wouldn't have to struggle more, and I learned to balance my academic assignments with house chores. I committed myself to all of my classes and communicated with teachers whenever I needed extensions or assistance. I built strong relationships with my teachers and my classmates, and found myself belonging in a community that supported and helped me develop more confidence to overcome many obstacles. Motivated and high-achieving students from disadvantaged backgrounds deserve opportunities such as scholarships and grants to maximize their potential and chances of success. Financial hardships should never be a barrier to reaching their goals, and their hard work despite these obstacles is commendable. They already face difficulties that other, more privileged students don't, and have to work even harder to make it to college. Scholarships and grants help level the playing field and allow them to achieve their goals like everyone else. Support through this grant would help me achieve my goals by alleviating financial burdens. I want to achieve my goals without worrying about paying my tuition, so I can focus on earning my degree and pursuing my career path. I am aiming to become a wildlife veterinarian; however, I understand that it is not easy, and the costs of vet school are high. Despite this, I am passionate about this goal, and I want the best for my parents and myself. I am taking this step by step, starting by paying for my college education and graduating debt-free.