The uprooting of my life at the age of nine years old took place only six years ago when my mother and I flew from the Philippines to a place best known for its opportunities provided to those who seek them: the United States of America. Moving to a place so different in culture and societal expectations was an earthquake that threw cracks into my well-built system of “fitting in.” In my private school in the Philippines, I belonged in every way and felt so together in my community of peers. When I first stepped into an American public elementary school, though, I looked around me, searched for a face that looked similar to mine and was left with my first feelings of alienation when I found none. It wasn’t until I entered the school library that I began to find my place. The world of literacy and books opened up the way for me to make connections with my peers in profound ways. It offered me a group of students who, just like me, enjoyed books and the stories they provided. Every day after school, we would assemble and read stories, have conversations about them, and exchange thoughts. We even competed in the Global Reading Challenge and placed third overall in our school. Not only did literacy bring me a group of like-minded new friends, but it also widened my lens on the varying perspectives and experiences of those around me that were not visible to my naked eyes. When I remained ignorant about those around me and refused to believe that any of them could understand how it felt for me to come to the U.S. and basically redo my whole life, books reminded me that I was not alone. Literacy showed me that even a simple picture book could unite two people from differing backgrounds and help them understand that underneath it all, they’re not so different from one another. This is the power of literacy in all shapes and forms. With this award, I will pursue my goals of broadening my education in hopes that one day, I open up my own library. This library will aim to provide books to children all over the world who are not as fortunate as those here in America when it comes to free and accessible books. It will be a safe space where the seeds of hope and ambition will set roots into the minds of dreaming young children who will keep growing and expanding into their own tree of life.

I was an accident. I was never meant to be a part of my mother's plans, and I certainly wasn’t one of the little tasks on her checklist waiting to be crossed off. Still, I happened. My mother was born on the third island of the Philippines. Her mother, my lola, gave birth to her in their hut house. In that same house she gave birth to her next two children. Over the course of a decade or two, she birthed five more. My mother had to step in to become a second mom to her younger siblings. Growing up in a poor household that had mouths to feed, my mother worked odd jobs starting from a young age. She did so continuously all while receiving her education at a public school that was over a three mile walk from home through the forest. When she would recount these days to me, I often believed she exaggerated her circumstances. After visiting her childhood home, I knew there was nothing to exaggerate. As my mother grew, she faced more struggles with the addition of her siblings and the increasing workload in school and various jobs. She rarely had the time nor the funds to participate in extracurriculars. Her definition of play always surrounded her siblings, and she never quite had a life of her own. It wasn’t until when she reached college that she started living her life. On her nineteenth birthday she tried cake for the first time and received her first ever birthday gift from her newfound friends. She had crushes on boys, became a member of the university student leaders' program, and started to truly discover herself. In the midst of her discoveries and curiosity, though, she made me. My mother found out she was pregnant six months in. I was not a part of her plans, but she knew deep inside that she wanted me. To her, I was her blessing. During her pregnancy, she took time off of college to work multiple jobs. She earned enough money to buy necessities for me and to save for our future. Eventually she gave birth to me, and she knew that her current lifestyle was not enough. She wanted a better life for me. With that, she flew to the biggest city in the Philippines which was an hour flight away. There in Manila she made her way working and going to college at the same time. I was four years old when my mother finally took me with her. It wasn’t until ten years later that I knew the full story. My mother’s hard work and dedication to me and our future has become my motivator in life to keep striving for the best. If it wasn’t for her, I would not be the person I am. She has taught me to put in the time and effort to achieve my goals and succeed. There is no other way up than to work for it. Thank you, mom.

The uprooting of my life at the age of nine occurred only six years ago when my mother and I flew from the Philippines to a place best known for its opportunities provided to those who seek them: the United States of America. Moving to a place so different in culture and societal expectations was an earthquake that threw cracks into my well-built system of “fitting in.” In my private school in the Philippines, I belonged in every way and felt united in my community of peers. When I first stepped into an American public elementary school, though, I looked around me, searched for a face that looked similar to mine and was left with my first feelings of alienation when I found none. It wasn’t until I entered the school library that I began to find my place. The world of literacy and books opened up the way for me to form connections with my peers in profound ways. It offered me a group of students who, just like me, enjoyed books and the stories they provided. Every day after school, we read stories and exchanged honest thoughts. We even competed in the Global Reading Challenge and placed third overall in our school. Not only did literacy bring me a group of like-minded new friends, but it also widened my lens on the perspectives and experiences of those around me that were not visible to my naked eyes. When I remained ignorant and refused to believe that anyone could understand how it felt as an immigrant, books reminded me I was not alone. Literacy showed me that even a simple picture book could unite two people from differing backgrounds and help them understand that underneath it all, they’re not so different from one another. From these experiences, I discovered the true power of literacy in all shapes and forms. With this award, I will pursue my goal of broadening my education in hopes that one day, I open up my library. This library will aim to provide children globally with free and accessible books. A service that children in other countries, like the Philippines, are not as fortunate to have. In this library, readers will activate and broaden their minds. They will learn about different experiences and the possibilities they could take for themselves. It will be a safe space where the seeds of hope and ambition will set roots in the minds of dreaming young children who will keep growing and expanding into their tree of life.