Rachel Yuen

If you don't learn to write your own story, someone else will write it for you

I am an 18 year old Filipina-American, raised by a single mother who passed away in 2005. After her death, I battled depression and the awareness that I had no one to provide financial help to me once I grew out of the foster system and headed to college as an independent student. But the fact that I grew up poor and lacked both parents does not mean that I have not succeeded. I applied to UC Berkeley with no one's help, got accepted, and I am now a Sophomore, with an intended major in Architecture. Three main outlets have assisted me in my inner-struggle to maintain peace in the midst of my unfortunate circumstances: singing, dancing, and drawing. It is for this reason that I am convinced about the power of music and the arts, and one of the reasons why I have decided to devote my energy towards fulfilling an education and a career that fosters my artistic endeavors.