Winter break, funnel cake. Ferris wheel… no deal? But I had planned on riding it for a year! “It’s too cold, you kids will freeze,” dad said. The California night was cool. “It’s probably closed anyways,” mom said. The Ferris wheel was spinning and mocking us. “You might get electrocuted, haven’t you heard stories about Ferris wheel accidents?” dad added. I became unhinged. “This is why you won’t let me go on Global Glimpse; you guys...

I can breed koalas with turtles and I can eat ice cream with friends in North Korea. This is all possible due to the power of Photoshop. Photoshop is like a straw that allows people’s eyes to drink from my imagination. I can make anything and put it anywhere; from sea monsters in the ocean to winged toasters at my birth. For nearly four years, I have used Photoshop to express myself in an adventurous way, one that offers...

As a freshman, I joined my high-school’s roller hockey team during its inaugural year. Even though I have never before touched a stick or even skated, I had tons of fun learning and playing with the team. I was on good terms with all of my teammates, but the tension between other players was noticeable. We frequently had meetings to discuss the internal conflict within our team, especially among the upperclassmen. During all of this in-fighting, I was a...

Eight-thousand miles away, on April 1st, 2016, my grandpa passed away. My mom immediately flew to Cambodia, so now she couldn’t drive me to school or cook for me. In an instant, she left my life, and she remained gone for six weeks. I was dependent on my mom’s facilitation of my activities, and her absence complicated many parts of my life, from hockey to school to studying at home. My dad had to work and couldn’t take...

I can crack my knuckles a lot, but what truly separates me from other UC applicants is the combination of my unique backgrounds and interests. I am a first-generation Chinese-Cambodian American, a descendent of survivors of the worst genocide since the Holocaust. I am humbled by this, and it plays into my personality and values. Knowing that I have such tragedy in my ancestry makes me grateful to exist and it makes me less wary of discussing or even joking...