What is your dream?

After witnessing firsthand the devastating effects of income inequality and the lack of an effective public education system while on a service trip to rural China, my dream is to start an organization that  can help create more opportunities for impoverished children to gain access to a quality education.

How will you use the 1,000 Dreams Scholarship?

I will use the 1,000 Dreams Scholarship towards my college tuition.

How is this helping you get closer to your dream?

By funding my education at the University of Pennsylvania, the 1,000 Dreams Scholarship is bringing me one step closer to giving me the knowledge, skills, and character I need to help others in need and make a real difference in the world.

What advice do you have for other young women looking to go for their dreams?

Just go for it and really believe in yourself! I’ve always been a very cautious person. While that isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it does make me wary of risk-taking and gives me a lot of anxiety about certain undertakings I’m unsure of. However, I’ve learned over time that having true confidence in yourself really is key. If you don’t think you can do it, you won’t. Having confidence can take you places beyond your highest expectations.

Any setbacks? How did you get around them?

For a long time, I struggled to really know myself and separate what I wanted from what I thought others expected from me. I definitely remember doing a lot of things in high school that I did not truly enjoy, but felt like I needed to continue doing in order to please others. It wasn’t until my junior year, when I was so stressed out and ready to crack at any moment, that I realized that I couldn’t keep doing this to myself; I wasn’t going to get anywhere close to where I wanted to be if I kept forcing myself to do things that I didn’t have a passion for. I had always loved politics and service, and once I began to immerse myself more into that world and cut out the activities that gave me anxiety, the pressure that I had before vanished. I didn’t dread spending time doing what I loved, but rather looked forward to it. This passion for sure made me happier as a whole and really set the tone for how I wanted to live the rest of my life.

What’s next for you?

My next goal is to obtain a degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at the University of Pennsylvania. I hope to push myself out of my comfort zone, meet new people, and continue to discover more about myself.