Every class I’ve been in I’m the only one like me. The girl with brown skin, tiny eyes, and small flat nose. I tried to fit in, and while I had my family, I never connected with kids my age. High school started and the Asian Pacific Club shining in red and gold sparkled in my eyes. “Maybe I can feel connected once in my life in this town.” I ended up joining the club and that one choice changed my life. For the first time in school, I felt like I belonged. The missing goal I’ve been striving for ever since I was young. Surrounded by others that related to me gave me a community to rely on. I got to express myself without being scared I was different. I got to know others that grew up with my childhood games, TV shows, and snacks. My confidence grew and I had the courage to express myself. My sense of fashion and dance got a chance to blossom. Learning through my peers and social media, I created outfits and expressed my passion for dance that was once lost by learning the traditional style of tinikling. Dancing with my friends made me feel the joy I had when I was younger and confident in my culture. Toward the end of my junior year I ran for the President of the Asian Pacific Club. I have worked to educate others at my school about different languages, the significance of various clothing pieces, and teach traditional Asian dances. I get to express a part of myself that was hidden away from everyone, which was my biggest challenge growing up. Not being able to connect with my peers made me feel alone, but now I have a community in my home town that didn’t feel like it existed when I was younger. I’ve learned to thrive by being happy and learning about my true identity that's been a part of me that was hiding in my youth. By gaining confidence and being surrounded with people that get me and support me, I set my mind to strive for higher goals and ambitions. Not only did I learn to thrive within myself but learned to make the most of life. The members of the club are not my blood cousins but my second family, supporting me through anything. Asian Pacific Club is my home away from home, helping express the real me with my love for clothes, dancing, and my culture for the rest of my life. Being able to gain this scholarship will help my family financially. My parents are divorce, I live with my dad fulltime and he spends his time working two jobs while watching me and my two other siblings. Getting this scholarship will help send me to college but take a little ease off my dad that is so hard working. Overall gaining this scholarship will help with my future career of becoming a nurse. Not only will I help out my father and what life he gave me since he came from the Philippines, I can help all the patients I have the chance too when I become a nurse.