The hardest part of growing up was never knowing which version of home I would wake up to every day. Some days, it was arguments that echoed as the cold morning breeze came; other days, it was tension so thick that even silence felt loud. I learned to stay in bed longer during vacations to stay out of the way, and to get up early in the mornings for school before anything else. My mental health began to slip away...

"You will only fail as a leader when you think that today is going to be easier than yesterday." This quote from "The Wisdom of the Bullfrog" by Admiral William H. McRaven has guided how I lead my community through my non-profit organization, Nurses of the Future. What began as a school club later transformed into a non-profit organization after I moved to the city of Palmdale in Southern California, where I continued its mission to support students interested in...

Creativity is letting your imagination flow through you, whether it is with your paintbrush and canvas or your stylus and screen. Art has always been my escape, a way to relieve stress from school and life by entering a world that only I can control. What began as drawings of houses with triangle rooftops slowly evolved into detailed drawings. But as I grew older, it became harder to find time for this hobby, so I came to love digital art,...

"Do well in school, I need all A's in your classes." That was all I ever heard from my father growing up. I wish it were encouragement rather than feeling like a requirement. Ever since, succeeding has felt tattooed on me, like a permanent mark I could not erase. I have had familial pressure to make them proud since I was a child, which deeply affected my mental health. It became part of my everyday life when my family had...

The bright green door began to glow. As I touched the door, everything felt new, exciting, and fresh. Inside was a classroom with white walls and ten tables with sinks. This was the first day I walked into my Sports Medicine class at Palmdale High School in Southern California, during my junior year of high school in 2024. I introduced myself to the instructor, Mrs. Wright, an athletic trainer, who warmly welcomed me and placed me with a group of girls...

Growing up in a household with parents who work long, demanding shifts taught me responsibility. While my parents worked three to four shifts, I cared for my little brother and managed my academics. Rest often felt like a luxury while managing my nonprofit organization, Nurses of the Future, volunteering, and extracurriculars. This pushed me to mature quickly and taught me adaptability and empathy.  An additional challenge was that during my freshman and sophomore years of high school, I struggled with...