I’ve always been one of the ‘overachievers’ in class, consistently getting honors and perfect scores my whole life. Despite all the hard work and perseverance I put in to achieve them, I never felt like it was enough. I realize that beyond standardized test scores in school, I want to put my knowledge, skills, and passions to good use. Writing is one of my strong suits. I’ve always found it easy to just let my fingers do its thing then leave my brain to do all the editing work. I want to use this skill to provide information to more people, bringing more light to the gender disparities the field of STEM continues to face. STEM has always been seen as a very intimidating field for everyone, let alone women. Even I had my doubts about planning to pursue this field for a while. I could always just follow my father’s footsteps in foreign diplomacy and have my future already smoothly planned out for me. Still, honestly, I feel like I have this frustrating obligation for STEM that I know I need to act upon. I want to help break down the question ‘Am I good enough for this?’ and involve myself in this community of supporting young aspiring scientists and not tearing them down solely based on their gender. Writing has always been one of my favorite passions; coupled with my interests in Science, scientific journalism and advocacy is a beautiful combination of both.

Exclusive education excludes or omits certain students from mainstream education based on their ability, diagnosis, or background, which may or may not involve discrimination by educational authorities. While this act may benefit privileged children, it leaves other less privileged kids in the dark, with limited access to education and learning, hindering their imagination and dreams. In addition to that, putting a fine line between the children could also negatively affect the disadvantaged children's thinking process, seeing themselves as inferior or poor. In this time of the pandemic, it is crucial that every child feels equal and included. Every child deserves an equal opportunity to bring out themselves and their ideas to their full potential.. In my own little way, I have volunteered as an assistant to a pre-school teacher for many years to help provide young kids fun and inclusive learning experiences. I aim to raise funds to support and donate to nonprofits and organizations actively working toward universal primary education such as: The United Nations Girls' Education Initiative, Save the Children Philippines, and Education Foundation of the Philippines. In conclusion, I know the power that education can bring and I wish to share my privilege of education in the Philippines.

Before the pandemic, my family members would all be busy with their own things. I'd be in after school clubs, my mom would stay back at work late at night, my dad would be doing 'who knows what'. But that had all changed as we were forced to stay put in our own home. I never knew that I would be discovering so many things that I overlooked when I was so busy being outside of home. I discovered that surrounding myself with supportive and comforting people allows me to continually become a better person. I cherish how lucky I am to have such amazing people in my life with whom I can freely share my true thoughts and feelings and continue to create more simply happy memories together. I learned (and still continue) to appreciate all the blessings that I am privileged to have during the pandemic like a roof over my head, plentiful food on the table, the caring people in my life. Growing up, conquering fears, and learning more about the world through a more mature lens is 10x more fun with friends and family by your side through all the triumphs and failures.

As a daughter of a diplomat, I have gained many lessons from the sort of consistent nomadic lifestyle our family lives. We’ve moved from Vietnam, to the Philippines, to the Middle East, and then back to the Philippines. I have built up this resilience from change because I’m used to being dragged around countries and changing schools. I have to learn acceptance, flexibility, independence, and maturity regardless of the circumstance. As I grow older, I realize that these opportunities won’t just be handed to me, so I work hard to find them myself. While my classmates ask our teachers to lessen the workload, I go the opposite and seek out more opportunities myself. Even as part of the ALMS (Advanced Learners in Math and Science) program at my school, I still want to do more. Without the help of my school, my teachers, or my friends, I voluntarily join STEM events and competitions to challenge myself even internationally. I have this strong urge to satisfy my curiosity, go beyond, and seek unique experiences. Despite the resilience and maturity I’ve gained throughout the years, I can’t change the fact that I would be alone. I would be the first one in my family to be applying to US universities. That means navigating how everything works and figuring out the process on my own. Although I’ve always had a lot of support from my parents and friends, this is all a new independent process for me that is both challenging but exciting. Instead of seeing the challenges and difficulties of studying abroad, I see a multitude of opportunities. Independence has allowed me to come this far, but I want to go further and make all the ideas in my head come to life.

I drew myself with blonde hair. My elementary school teacher would hand out worksheets with the words ‘About Yourself’ printed across the top in colorful lettering. I took my Monggol No. 2 pencil out and started sketching out a confident young girl, rocking a long swooped-up ponytail. But that’s where the resemblance ended, the yellow wax broke through the paper, and my hand suddenly had a mind of its own. It painted luscious flowing locks of honey that I knew were not mine to claim. ‘About Yourself’ suddenly became ‘About your Dreams.’ Perhaps I got so lost in the worlds I read about that I thought I looked exactly like their main characters. Each page I flipped through must have planted a magical hair seed, rooting from my brain, then passing through my follicles. They broke through my Asian-colored skin and blossomed swooping golden tresses, proving that American literature truly defies the rules of science. Granted, I was just a seven-year-old kid then, still figuring out who I truly was. Was I Vietnamese because I was born in my mother’s homeland? Was I Filipino because of the nationality I inherited from my father? Was I Arabic because I moved to a desert land? Back then, I decided I was American. Holding on to these books satisfied the craving for security and solace, even just for a short while. They became a temporary answer to my identity; they were the anchors that grounded me, the books made me laugh, the stories that made me cry, the lessons that made me learn. While my physical homes changed, the pages and books in my hands always remained constant. Now, these dreams have grown up with me. The stories I’ve read about still hold a place in my heart, but I long to see for myself the minds, places, and experiences behind all colors of hair. Universities in the United States are home to so many people with rich diversity and similarities at the same time. And ultimately, I think that no college prestige or tuition can compare to the student communities that fuel their campuses. As an ALMs (Advanced Learners in Maths and Science program) student, I have proved that being a girl AND having a mixed identity did not hinder me in my pursuits both inside and outside of school. I have achieved consistent High-Honors throughout my school years, placing 1st out of the class in my previous school and ranking 14th out of my current 167-member batch. I have won schoolwide Math-Sci quiz bees and committed to creative outlets such as piano and ballet training. While my classmates ask our teachers to lessen the workload, I go the opposite to seek out more challenging opportunities. I voluntarily join organizations, events, and competitions even without the knowledge of my school, combining my love for STEM, writing, reading, learning, and collaborating with different people. Doing all these things allowed me to bring out that creativity and apply the wild imagination rooting from seven-year-old me all those years ago. They continue to run through my veins, aching to have a purpose, not be limited to the pages in my books. Art stems from diversity, uniqueness and passion, all of which are crucial for the future of developing better solutions. I want to contribute to the STEM community while celebrating all my cultures: Vietnamese, Filipino, and even ‘American.’ So now, aside from painting my hair with its true colors, I choose to pick up a black pen and let its black ink bleed into my writing.