Technology has become more advanced in many ways. Our society thrives with new features and possibilities that technology has opened up for us. Companies such as Apple, Google, Microsoft, and more have introduced many features, such as, translating a picture, sharing your location with family members, and more. The possibilities are endless and will only continue to grow. As someone who grew up in the era of technology, I found the GPS to be one of the most significant pieces of technology that stood out to me. When I was a child, my family would always go on trips. One time we went to Santa Cruz and got lost. I remember my dad was always fumbling with those paper maps. We didn’t have a GPS at the time so it was difficult to navigate and stay on the correct route. My parents would always argue about which way we should go. Eventually, we managed to get back home. Today, my family uses the GPS whenever we go travel. We specifically use Google Maps and I find it amazing that it still works without the internet which makes it more convenient for me. The directions are clear and tell you when you should take the incoming exit and which side you should stay in. It also comes in different forms. It can be an app on your phone or a device that you can latch onto your car. Without the GPS, people would be lost and probably not find their way back home. It has made traveling and visiting family members more efficient and simple.

I am currently a senior at my high school and when I chose my classes, I decided to fill up my entire schedule, leaving me with no time to relax. I regret this decision because I wanted my last year of high school to be enjoyable and partake in more clubs and activities. Now, I’m stuck with a pile of homework and stressing about my grades. It’s still important to stay active in your classes and strengthen your high school record. So, my advice to people out there going back to school is to enjoy your high school years and not overheat yourself by taking too many classes. Instagram: @kelpy_yeet

From the creation of antibiotics to the significant findings of DNA, many scientific discoveries have benefited society and revealed the depths of the unknown. Some have changed the way we live and improved how we can protect ourselves, such as penicillin. Penicillin introduced antibiotics which reduced the number of deaths from infections and other illnesses. Out of all the scientific discoveries, the most significant one to me is electricity since it paved the way for technology and has numerous uses that provide comfort for us. Electricity is one of the reasons we have smartphones, electric cars, etc. Technology has become advanced over the past few years and allowed us to connect with the rest of the world with just a few clicks of a button. With technology, we can communicate with family members and friends through smartphones. We even have artificial intelligence. Without the discovery of electricity, we wouldn’t have been able to reach this point of technology and probably be using fire like in the Stone Age. Another advantage of electricity is its numerous uses that benefit us and the environment. Using electricity is more eco-friendly than using fossil fuels like coal and gas. Transportation powered by electricity reduces the number of greenhouse gasses emitted into the air. Electricity also powers appliances such as fridges, microwaves, ovens, washing machines, and more. Most importantly, it gives us access to air conditioning, heating, and entertainment. It allows us to be more at ease and is more efficient than times without electricity. Electricity was a huge discovery in our world. It provided us with ways we could survive and comfort ourselves. It also made changes to our lifestyle and how we spend time in our daily lives. Without electricity, we would still be using fire as a source of light and fuel.

Growing up in a low-income family, I had many experiences with money. From saving up money at a young age to having a credit card. Money was crucial to my family. There were bills to pay, groceries to buy, and more. I remember my mom would be doing taxes and I would help her count bills. My experiences with money have given me a better understanding of finance and what I will be dealing with financially in the future. When I was a kid, I remember I got a lot of red pocket money from my relatives on Chinese New Year. My piggy bank would be filled to the rim. My mom told me I shouldn’t leave a hefty amount of money at home. She told me that I should put it in the bank and save it later for college. I was taught to not spend money constantly and spend it wisely on necessities, such as clothing, food, etc. Whenever I get red pocket money, I would always give it to my mom because she needs it more than I do and knows what to do with it better than I do. Another financial lesson I learned was to invest early. Investing earlier can allow the investment to grow over time. This is because we have more time when we’re younger and that allows the investment to grow as time passes. The investment grows in value and will be racking up bills. Unfortunately, I never got to invest when I was younger, but it is one way to be one step ahead of everyone else. In my sophomore year, I was in AVID and we did several simulations where we had to deal with money. One of them was being a loan shark and choosing options that would result in more money for loan sharks. From this simulation, I learned that it is better to pay off the loan sooner than later. Otherwise, there would be a cycle of having to pay more money than was said. Another simulation was investing in stocks, paying bills, and taxes. This simulation taught me that finance mattered a lot in everyday life. With the information and experience, I have gathered from dealing with finance, I plan to become warier about loans, my credit score, and paying bills on time. I will continue to save up my allowance and use them when necessary. These lessons have taught me how the finance world works and ways to work with money. I will apply the knowledge that I have absorbed from financial lessons and experiences to avoid falling into financial traps and scams.

When I was little, I would always be silent and keep my distance from most people. Being the scared and introverted child I was, I avoided trying new things. One obstacle that I faced was making friends. I was scared to make friends because I didn’t know how to get acquainted with anyone. The only people I was close to were my family. At this point, I knew that I needed to get out of my comfort zone sooner or later. One day, I pushed past my limits and had my first friend. I ended up asking a classmate if they wanted to play tag in the playground. Surprisingly they said yes. The day after that, we met up again and played tag. From this experience, I learned that new experiences may seem intimidating at first, but you’ll get used to them. This experience led me to become adventurous and fearless to try new things and activities. Overall, this lesson taught me to not be afraid to try out new things.

Growing up in a dangerous city with the homeless wandering the streets wasn’t the best experience. I always wondered what I could do for my town for it to become better. Whenever I went shopping with my mom, I would see donation jars dedicated to saving cancer patients, helping animals, and other good causes. We would always donate whenever we had changed. Now that I’m older, I have other ways I contribute to helping my community. With the help of volunteer opportunities offered at my school, I can help make a difference in my community. As a member of the California Scholarship Federation club, volunteering is one of our duties. We are given options on where we can volunteer or we can volunteer wherever. I usually volunteer at animal shelters and my public library. At the animal shelter, I feed animals there and take the dogs for walks. When volunteering at the library, I would spend around two to three hours lining up books or reading to the children. Overall, volunteering has given me a great experience of how I could improve and give back to my community. Volunteering allows me to help others in my community and make their lives more lively. It requires only a tiny amount of your time and makes a difference. Aside from volunteering, there are many ways you can still contribute to the community. There are fundraisers and drives where you can donate to good causes. For me, volunteering is my favorite way of positively impacting the community.

Whenever I would go out shopping with my family, I would look up at the sky and see ash-colored smoke hovering in the air. I thought to myself, “Yikes, look at all those carbon emissions in the atmosphere.” Just imagining inhaling all that pollution made me disgusted. I felt devastated that our planet was slowly dying because of our harmful actions. To improve it, I limited my electricity usage and don’t use a vehicle to go out anymore. At home, I unplug my electronics and appliances that I am not planning to use. I also use cold water to wash my laundry and air dry it. This way my energy consumption is not wasteful and it is contributing to eliminating climate change. But when I need to use an electronic, I try not to use it for a long period. Limiting electricity usage can save money and the climate as it doesn’t use an excessive amount of gas or coal. Another way I positively impact the climate is not using a vehicle often. Using a vehicle can pollute the air. Vehicles emit greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide, and all other sorts of harmful byproducts. Instead of using a vehicle, I use my bike to go to places such as the park, school, or the store. When I do need to go somewhere that is long-distance, I take the train or bus sometimes. With methods like these, we can eliminate climate change step by step.

Throughout my junior year, I was struggling in my Spanish 3 class. I wasn’t able to grasp the material completely and my grade kept dropping. I consider myself to be a perfectionist, so I was hyperventilating about whether I would be able to pass the class. It was almost time for finals and that meant taking a test with all of the material we learned throughout the entire year. Luckily, I stayed optimistic and studied earnestly until morning. On the last day of school, I did well on most of my finals and ended with a B in the class. Of course, I wasn’t satisfied, but at least I didn’t get a grade worse than that. I was glad that all my hard work paid off and I didn’t just accept the fact that I would fail the class no matter how much I studied. I believed in myself and didn’t give up no matter how many times I wanted to. After all the struggles I went through, staying optimistic has taught me that overcoming your fears of failing is a step toward success. It is important to stay unwavering and determined to achieve desired results. It wasn’t easy for me but I managed to stay positive throughout the way. I learned the hard way that no matter how tough the situation is, remaining calm and positive is the most logical solution.

Throughout my life, I enjoyed drawing and looking at art. I would always bring out my inner artist and creativity when it came to school projects. When I was bored, I would doodle random objects or sceneries. I find art to be astonishing and fun to look at. My adoration for art has led me to find my favorite art piece called The Great Wave off Kanagawa. The Great Wave off Kanagawa is a woodblock print made by Katsushika Hokusai. It was made during the Edo period of Japanese history. It depicts a massive wave about to implode on three fishing boats with Mount Fuji in the back. The artwork represents an important change happening to Japanese society. The waves represent the coming of foreign impact and Mount Fuji represents Japan itself. This art piece is my favorite because the waves have great detail and structure. I love visiting the ocean and the painting depicts water. The artist made the colors pop in the artwork and mostly used the colors blue and white. The Great Wave off Kanagawa is an appealing work of art that I admire. It is very mesmerizing to look at and that’s why it is my favorite piece of art.

One piece of advice that I was commonly told was to save up money and spend it wisely. It was the same thing every time. Of course, I knew it was better to save up but wasn’t there anything else that could rack up some more cash? It was not until I read an article online about earning money. I soon learned that if you invest at a young age, you can earn a lot. If you invest when you’re younger, your investment can grow and stack up some cash. This is because younger people have more time and that time allows the investment to grow. Soon the investment will grow in value. The more time you have, the more your investment can grow. I find this finance lesson to be important because it seems efficient and the fastest way to earn money. Sadly, I was never taught this finance lesson when I was younger, but I can advise those around me about this.

Growing up, I mostly stayed with my grandma at home. My grandma practically raised me. She would always bathe, cook, and teach me. As I got older, I wasn’t able to spend time with my grandma because of schoolwork. As a result, my grandma was bored and lonely at home, so I would always help her open the TV. Of course, she wasn’t satisfied with TV entertainment, so I thought she should call some of her friends and talk over the phone. It made things a bit better but only lasted a while. Reflecting on my grandma’s experience, I think family members should contribute more time to spend with the elderly. The elderly only have a limited amount of time, so they should spend it on memorable things. One thing I would do to improve the lives of the elderly in my community is to volunteer at senior homes. Elderly people don’t get much company and tend to be lonely because of it. Volunteering is one of the ways to boost the mood of the elderly and build friendly relationships with them. Volunteering at senior homes helps improve the life of residents. Many seniors are at risk for social isolation and stress. In senior homes, they are surrounded by the same people and atmosphere every day. A change, such as volunteering would be a lovely surprise to them and make their day more eventful. Volunteering at a senior home may seem like a small act, but it means a lot to the elderly.

As a kid, I enjoyed going to the library during and out of school. I would read Laura Ingalls, Percy Jackson, Charlie Bone, Goosebumps, and many more. My favorite genres were fantasy, action, adventure, and mystery. Out of all the books I read, I mostly enjoyed reading the Harry Potter series. My favorite book from the series was “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”. What made this book appealing was the plot itself. The book contained a lot of action and was suspenseful. As I read, I became more immersed and read until the very end. “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” was about Harry’s fifth year at Hogwarts and his ongoing fight against Lord Voldemort. This made me admire Harry for being heroic and persistent. Despite losing both of his parents, Harry remained strong and fought against his enemy. Throughout the story, Harry and a group of students united and called themselves Dumbledore’s Army. They created this group to learn defense spells because their teacher didn’t agree to teach them spells. Later on, Harry received a vision of his godfather, Sirius Black, being in danger. This caused The Order of the Phoenix to take action. It was an organization led by Dumbledore and operated in secrecy. The discovery of this organization was thrilling and made me want to discover what would happen later. There are still many parts to the book that can be seen as exciting and contribute to the plot. This book gave me the thrill of adventure and made my reading experience memorable. It continues to make me read the book over and over and experience the wonders of Harry Potter’s adventures once more.

Back in first grade, I would still remember we would study science, math, English, physical education, and history. Those were the main subjects that classes would focus on throughout elementary and middle school. It was not until high school that there were a variety of classes that I didn’t recognize. Ranging from coding classes, driver's ed, personal finance, and ceramics. As we become closer to adulthood, we realize that school didn’t teach us the importance of taxes, credit, and such. Schools should incorporate and require classes such as taxes and survival skills into education. As of now, schools are making progress by adding classes that benefit students in the future, such as personal finance. Survival classes have yet to be established. With classes like these, students would be able to understand the importance of managing money and be able to survive on their own. It would also empower students to become successful and independent later in the future. Managing finances and credit is an important duty when being a citizen. Paying taxes is required and helps support police, firefighters, and other resources. Maintaining good credit decides if that person is responsible enough to buy a house or car. Money is a big part of society as it is used everywhere and almost anytime. Having finance classes in school would make a difference instead of just teaching students basic subjects that they have been learning about since elementary. Let’s say that we’re stuck in the middle of the woods and lost our way. At this point, panicking would be the most predictable action. But with survival knowledge, getting back on the right track would be easy. With survival classes established in school, students would be able to take care of their well-being. Survival classes provide a sense of risk and the possibility of being able to save a life or get out of a crisis. Thus, schools should establish finance and survival classes. Money is a part of everyday life and emergencies can occur at any time. These classes will benefit the future of students. This change will make education better for future generations and prove useful for students in the future.

One day, I was scrolling through Youtube and a video caught my eye. It was labeled “Most Hard Core American Sniper - The White Feather”. I clicked on the video with great interest. This led me to admire one of my favorite historical figures: Carlos Hathcock. Carlos Hathcock was a United States Marine Corps sniper with a record of 93 confirmed kills. It is estimated that he had 300 to 400 kills. Hathcock was seen as a legend and respectable soldier during the Vietnam War. At the age of 17, Hathcock enlisted in the U.S. marines. His shooting skills at this time were advanced and he continued to improve. This made me admire Hathcock for the skills that he achieved at a young age and how he quickly became a master sniper. Later on, Hathcock would end up with numerous achievements that led to him earning fame and recognition. At first, Hathcock was deployed as a military policeman but got promoted to 1st Division Sniper Platoon after volunteering for combat. I admire how he volunteered to take part in a mission without knowing what he was getting himself into. Hathcock was eager to take part in combat and would soon earn the nickname “White Feather”. Hathcock wore a hat that had a white feather attached to it, daring the enemy to spot him. Hathcock always stepped forward when it came to missions no matter the risks. He stated that he didn’t like killing but it was either him or the enemy. With many notorious kills, Hathcock was forced to retire after stepping on a landmine. His sniper career came to an end, but he is still embedded in history as a great soldier.

The best financial advice I ever received was to save up and stick to a budget. Growing up Asian, I received a lot of red envelopes. These red envelopes contained money and it was a tradition to give them out to close ones. I would receive many red envelopes during New Year, birthdays, weddings, and other important occasions. At the time, I didn’t understand the importance of money and wasn’t interested in buying stuff. My piggy bank would end up being full and I would have around 300 to 500 dollars every 7 months. It wasn’t safe to leave a copious amount of money at home. My mom would tell me that it was better to save the money and put it in the bank. This way I would be able to spend the money on important things in the future, such as college. This lesson taught me the importance of saving money. As I got older, I got myself a wallet. I began spending some of my money on clothes and other necessities. I come from a low-income family so I was expected to stick to a strict budget. Whenever I went shopping with my family, we would always ask if there were discounts. It was all for the sake of saving some money. Whenever I would get a red envelope with money in it, I would always give it to my mom because she would know what to do with it and get the most use out of it. Today, I still follow this advice whenever I’m dealing with money. When I would go out with my friends, I would resist the temptation to buy something if it wasn’t worth it. I may have regretted buying that one sweatshirt but that choice will benefit me in the future.

Our society is not the best right now, as it faces many problems, such as violence, unemployment, poverty, and pollution. The list goes on and on, but one problem is the most drastic. That problem is climate change. Climate change is the shift in temperature and weather patterns. It threatens humanity, natural resources, animals, and more. It can lead to increased events of natural disasters, disease, and extreme temperatures. Greenhouse gas emissions cause climate change. The greenhouse gas emissions trap the sun’s heat and cause climate change. Greenhouse gases are produced from manufacturing, electricity generation, transportation, etc. To reduce the number of gas emissions, we should switch over to using renewable energy. Renewable energy uses natural resources, such as the sun, wind, rain, and biomass. It is more eco-friendly, effective, and safer. Renewable energy consists of using solar panels, wind generators, hydroelectric plants, and more. It results in a less amount of electricity being consumed. Plus it is more of a healthier option than the methods we are using now. According to the United Nations, 29% of the world uses renewable energy, and 71% stick to gas or other sources. This means less than half of the world is contributing to solving climate change. The number of renewable energy users can be increased through recognition and reward programs. If they switch over to renewable energy, they can earn certain rewards, such as money, gift cards, and more. This way people are encouraged to switch over to renewable energy and the number of renewable energy users will increase.

When I was in 4th grade, I had to create a rocket that was able to fly. There were no materials listed, so we had to create a rocket from scratch. I wanted my rocket to be unique and durable because we were going to launch the rockets into the air. I thought of using a water bottle, soda bottle, and cardboard. I made three rocket prototypes. For the fins, I used cardboard for all of them. After I finished building the rockets, I tested if they were able to fly. It was a matter of trial and error. Only one of the rockets was successful and it was the one made out of a soda bottle. I concluded that the other rockets were not successful because they were not durable enough. Completing this project also made me realize that creativity matters when it comes to creating things. Observing and trying out different things were also important. The project I completed in 4th grade helped me apply creativity in my life. Whenever I would do labs, projects, or essays, I would always stop and think about different ideas to start with. I even apply creativity when I’m cooking. When I’m missing an ingredient, I would try to substitute it with another food item that would make the food taste flavorful. Creativity allows me to think outside of the box and be more innovative.

“Better to stay silent than to speak out.” When I was a child, I was mostly raised by my grandma. My parents were out working and my older sisters were busy with school. My grandma taught me many life lessons that I even remember today. She taught me how to take care of myself, save money, and more. One thing that I remember the most was when she said, “It’s better to stay silent than to speak out.” At first, I didn’t understand what my grandma meant because I was still very young. She explained to me that complicated situations will arise if you speak out, so it is better to stay silent. She told me I would understand when I grow up. Even though I didn’t know what my grandma meant by that, I still took her advice and stayed silent about my thoughts. It was until high school that I finally understood what my grandma had meant by that saying. During my sophomore year, I had to take classes online. One of the classes I took was Chemistry and it was a cinch for me. There I met a classmate who was struggling with the assignments. I boasted that I finished all of the homework and offered to help them with theirs. After the day I helped them with their homework, they kept coming back and asking for help to the point where they wanted me to do all of their homework. At this point, I understood what my grandma meant by “Better to stay silent than to speak out.” If I hadn’t boasted, I would’ve been in a better situation where I wasn’t stuck trying to be manipulated.

As a child, I wanted to become many types of things. Those things ranged from becoming a farmer to a doctor. At this age, the world and society weren’t very clear to me. It seemed like an easy process at first, but as I grew up, I realized the world was much more complex than I expected. This realization made me wake up to reality and set my mind on more serious types of goals. Now as a senior in high school, I’m one step away from adulthood. I thought to myself that I should be more focused on my future education and job, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to have enough money to live with. After long hours of college and career searching, I’ve set my eyes on some goals. My top long-term goals right now are to major in computer science, attend UC Berkeley, become a coder and work in a giant tech company. These goals seemed the most important as college is the next huge step for me. Other future goals I had in mind were to buy my first house near or in the bay area and travel to many places with my family. I plan to buy my first house near or in the bay area because right now, I live in an area where it is extremely hot in the summer. I also hope to invite my parents with me when I move into a new house. For my goal to travel, I plan to go to Vancouver, Hawaii, the Maldives, Taiwan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and many more. When we travel, I also hope to experience the luxury of first-class on an airplane.

Growing up as the youngest child was never the easiest. I have two older sisters that are around 7 years older. Before me, they experienced the essential need of studying. And as known, the younger ones tend to look up to the older ones and ask them for advice. When I entered high school, I was loaded with many assignments that required excessive amounts of studying. The first people I went up to were my sisters. I asked them, “How would I be able to study all this material?” The first method my sisters recommended to me was using Quizlet. Quizlet made studying terms and definitions easier for me. I was able to memorize a set of words within 2 hours. I would use Quizlet whenever I needed to study vocabulary for my Spanish class. The amount of vocabulary I needed to study for my Spanish class was around 200 words and Quizlet was able to help me memorize them all. Another method was to use Cornell notes and quiz myself on the material. For Cornell notes, I would always jot down notes that seemed important and highlight key ideas. After finishing the notes, I would study them and the original material, then quiz myself. I would quiz myself until I memorized all the material correctly. This helped me with organization and strengthened my memory. Time management was also a handy study strategy. If I had multiple tests or quizzes in one day, I would use this method. I would split up the time I had and dedicate it to one of each subject, such as two hours of Spanish and one hour of Calculus. Thus, I wouldn’t get all jumbled up and not have enough time to study for one class. It made studying less stressful and more efficient.

Nature is the sole reason why I love going outside. Breathing in that fresh, nature-made air rejuvenates my soul. The fluffy clouds that are seen above, the birds chirping every morning, and the sound of the wind rustling the leaves. Nature is what makes our planet breathtaking and enjoyable. Without it, our lives would be dull and lifeless. I love nature because it relieves my stress every once in a while. It makes my life more adventurous as I love to explore and admire the scenery. It is also one of the reasons why we go on family trips. Nature provides us with beautiful landscapes, flower gardens, beaches, and so much more to enjoy. It also gives me a reason to stay active and spend more time outside. While nature is glorious, we should also help preserve it so it can be appreciated by everyone. Ways we can appreciate nature are to volunteer at wildlife parks, plant some trees, or conserve water. I appreciate nature by recycling plastic bottles, cans, and such. This way natural habitats have a lesser chance of being destroyed and landfills would not be full of trash. I also make sure to throw my trash away and avoid using plastic bags. Plastic bags can degrade into tiny toxic particles that can contaminate the environment and can also put animals at risk. Therefore, we should protect nature from non-eco-friendly materials and other disasters, so we can enjoy it.

During my freshman year of high school, I would always slack off and procrastinate about homework. My grades were good, but my lifestyle was terrible. I would play video games and not pay attention to my health. I didn’t stay hydrated enough, so I began to experience headaches often. Sometimes I would stay up till 3 in the morning to finish reading manga. Even worse, the COVID-19 virus struck and everyone was put into quarantine. Quarantine made me switch to a sedentary lifestyle because I was doing online classes at the time. It limited my time to go outside and stay active. I would mostly spend time sitting at my desk either working or browsing through Youtube. The more familiar I became with this lifestyle, the more concerned I was. My health was slowly deteriorating and I needed to do something about it. This situation ended up becoming an obstacle in my daily life. I was determined to have a more healthy lifestyle and change bad habits into good ones. To conquer this obstacle, my first step was to exercise regularly and drink more water. I also made sure I slept early and did my homework as soon as possible. At first, sticking to the plan was difficult, but I stayed persistent. A few months after, I started seeing improvements in my health. I felt more refreshed and became more organized with my work. Finally, I was able to overcome my obstacle of living an unhealthy lifestyle because of my persistence to become a better individual.

I grew up in a city that had a majority of the homeless wandering around the streets. They held up signs that said, “Anything helps”. I would always see drivers pass by and donate a few bucks. I thought to myself, “Wow! That was very generous of the driver to help out the homeless person.” However, it was a scarce amount that would only get them through a day. This made me think, “Isn’t generosity when someone helps those in need and it leaves a big impact?” As I grew up, my view on generosity changed as I understood more about society. It was harder than expected for those who had nothing at first, but with the generosity they received, they were able to get through hardships day by day. This inspired me to help those around me and be generous to them. I would either give out a dollar or two and buy them some food. Whenever helping out others, I would feel vivacious because I was able to help someone out. As of now, I think of generosity as the action of helping those in need no matter how small or big their gratuity is. Showing generosity tells others that they mean something and makes them feel important. It ends up having a positive impact on the receiver and helper. It also has its benefits regarding lifestyle. Therefore, generosity should be shown more often as it leads to a better community.

As a child, I have always been interested in technology. The inner works of how a laptop functioned, the software, and many of the functions a cell phone held. I was immersed in all of it. Every day I would log on to my sister's laptop and surf the internet. The way how a laptop was able to have many apps and connect to the internet amazed me. At the time, the technology world was seen as complex in my eyes, but I believed it was also one of the marvelous things we have in life. More than half of the world relies on technology and uses it every day. Being able to live in an era with advanced technology made life easier. The GPS was created to make traveling and navigating easier. Communication was improved to the point where we could call each other anywhere in the world. The tech world continued to advance and so did our society. Throughout my high school years, I began career searching. The first thought that came to me was having a good salary. But I thought, what was the point of doing something that you didn't enjoy doing? That's when I found out about coding. I discovered coding by watching a certain content creator on YouTube that created types of robotic machinery and added codes to them. It piqued my interest and I decided that my career goal was to become a coder. I was motivated to explore more about coding, computer science, and the STEM field itself. Just imagining the endless possibilities you can do and create with coding was mind-blowing. I wanted to be able to create apps or software-related stuff that would impact the tech world. One surprising fact I discovered about the STEM field was that not many women pursued STEM careers. It was surprising because I believed that women could also impact the STEM field greatly. Yet, it gave me a reason to keep being motivated and become a part of the group of women that are within the STEM field. The technology we have today is advanced, but it can be even more futuristic. Technology is growing day by day and our society is adjusting to it. As a young woman aiming to become a part of the STEM field, I'll impact the tech world by making advancements to the technology we have today and become a role model to future STEM workers. I hope to also motivate more women to join the STEM workforce. With more helping hands, we can improve the world one step at a time.