I always knew growing up that I wanted to work with animals, but as a first-generation student without any family members who went to college or participated in academia, I was limited to believing my only options were veterinary medicine or zookeeping. I found North Hollywood High School´s LA Zoo/Biological Sciences Magnet, a small campus in Griffith Park next to the LA Zoo. For four years, I've had the opportunity to broaden my exposure to the sciences, studying biology, chemistry, zoology, environmental science, forensics, and animal husbandry. I get to apply what I’ve learned in rigorous elective classes taught at the college level to real-world situations. I love connecting the dots to the overall picture. These experiences and teachers supported me through the process of applying for the competitive animal husbandry internship that the Zoo Magnet offers with the LA Zoo, where I ranked #1 amongst my peers to take the elective class. I also became aware of research as a career through a biomedical research internship at Children's Hospital LA. While gaining practical lab skills and assisting with cutting-edge research, I became aware of the ethics and procedures of using animal models. I loved being able to help people and understood how animals further research, but I also believe there is room for improvement, procedures around animal testing can be more ethical and effective. My time studying Zoology and working at the LA Zoo as a docent and husbandry intern also instilled in me the goal to one day assist with research that protects endangered wildlife species. These experiences have given me space to grow and inspired me throughout the application process for the Zoo’s Conservation Internship where I've been researching Los Angeles' local wildlife this summer. I've always been in awe of the inspiring diversity of wildlife and wanted to share others. Advocacy should extend to research to ensure it’s done appropriately. I've become aware that this field is not very diverse or accessible for queer women of color or those from low-income backgrounds through hosting several community forums for my school as an officer in Zoo Crew, the student leadership at the Zoo Magnet. Topics on Filipino Heritage Month and Solidarity in the Farm Workers Union, Black History Month, and Women's History Month and Intersectionality each reflect some aspect of my identity. Leading these forums, I found that many people were just as confused as I was, longing to talk and learn from each other. I’m proud to have been able to give people an opportunity to begin having difficult conversations without fear of judgment. Amidst the isolation that the pandemic brought, we created spaces for connection. Throughout my junior and senior years in Zoo Crew as Treasurer and President I saw where people needed further support and helped with adapting our virtual forums into in-person community-building activities for the underclassmen and celebrating the events that inspired them on campus with displays that convey the experiences of our students. These passion projects led me to take a college class on Race and Ethnic Relations. The freedom and resources to explore my interests I was given within Zoo Crew allowed me to discover what was important to me, a trend I want to continue as a college student. I aim to build my skills and knowledge through hands-on work to gain more knowledge in biology research and animal science so that in my career I may bridge the gap between animals and human researchers. I want to assist in wildlife conservation research that connects the public to endangered species and preserves ecosystems so that we may coexist.