Born and raised in the Philippines, I grew up with big dreams and an even bigger voice in my head telling me I wasn't enough. While others saw my achievements, what no one saw was the self-doubt and fear I carried every single day.

Growing up, life at home was often challenging. Guidance and emotional support were not always available, and many days felt more focused on survival. When I moved to the United States after high school, the hardest part wasn't the distance. It was the years I spent struggling with my mental health in silence.

Through mentorship, education, and people who believed in me when I couldn't believe in myself, I slowly rebuilt my confidence and found my purpose. I went on to earn degrees in Computer Science & Engineering and Cognitive Science from University of California Merced.

Today, I work as a web developer and youth support worker, where I now walk alongside teenage girls facing the very battles I once survived. And I founded KAMP, the Kuya Ate Mentorship Program, the program I wish had existed for me.

Through KAMP, I'm making sure the next generation of Filipino youth doesn't have to wait as long as I did to believe in themselves.

That is why I'm here. That is why this matters.