What do you want to be when you grow up? Parents, teachers, and friends have been asking me this question since I was five years old. First, I wanted to be a postal delivery woman. I liked that this job had to be completed “whether rain or shine.” People counted on them to uphold a standard and deliver the mail on time. They were connecting loved ones, friends, and the occasional advertisements to every home in America. These positions encompass the same values that I was taught and continue to hold in my life today. Growing up, I was taught to always be caring and respectful to your loved ones and to continually open yourself up to any opportunities where you can learn something new. My parents have instilled in me the idea that learning can be done in a classroom or in the Amazon jungle. It is all about taking those chances. I believe these values will ultimately help answer the questions of who I want to be and which career I will eventually choose. At this stage in my life, I feel like the road is barely paved for me. I am still setting the minerals and churning the dry cement. UCLA is only a part of the road-making process. It may sound directionless, but I know two things about myself at least. I am a seeker and a learner. I am looking for my future family, my livelihood, and my passion. I plan on joining new clubs, taking challenging classes, and traveling to unfamiliar places because I know that is how I will find my identity and my future. I am a Chinese-American daughter, devoted friend, and UCLA undergraduate student. These labels are meant to define my identity, but I feel like they are just a small part of who I am trying to become in the future. As we learned in Arts and Architecture 10 Lectures, art is about creatively expressing oneself and sharing a perspective through skill and dedication. Simply put, I am looking to create my own art.
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