Author: MELISSA PORTUGAL

In 2016, you have faced countless battles that were hard to overcome, hills that were difficult to pass and even mountains that were even tough to overcome; however, you survived.

You survived another hectic year.

You survived another year.

You survived another year of multiple heartbreaks,

Another year of pain,

Another year of numerous lessons to be used in 2017.

You survived the tumultuous storms of 2016.

You survived what you may call the most the soul-sucking year of 2016; however, that does not stop from there.

You are still surviving. You are still fighting. You are still pushing through.

To be honest, it is now time to become more outspoken with your views and your opinions.

You will finally decide to be you in the midst of all this sadness and hate.

You decide to finally be you and remove all the expectations and simply live life.

You decide to be self-confident in your own skin.

You decide to be your own unique self; someone worth so much and valuable.

You decide to simply be you.

It is now 2017.

And you will use the lessons you learned to have a better, fulfilling life.

In 2016, I have faced countless battles that were hard to overcome, hills that were difficult to pass and even mountains that were even tough to overcome; however, I survived.

I survived another hectic year.

I survived another year.

I survived another year of multiple heartbreaks,

Another year of pain,

Another year of numerous lessons to be used in 2017.

I survived the tumultuous storms of 2016.

I survived what you may call the most the soul-sucking year of 2016; however, that does not stop from there.

I am still surviving. I am still fighting. I am still pushing through.

To be honest, I decided to become more outspoken with my views and my opinions.

I decided to finally be me in the midst of all this sadness, hate, and bigotry.

I decided to finally be me and remove all the expectations and simply live life.

I decided to be self-confident in my own skin.

I decided to be my own unique self; someone worth so much and valuable.

I decided to simply be me.

It is now 2017.

And I will use the lessons I learned to have a better, fulfilling life.

Because life is so precious,

Life is so, so precious.

So catch those dreams.

Keep living.

Keep moving.

Push forward.

And never stop believing.

To be honest, education is knowledge.

Without knowledge, how are we supposed to be independent and stand up for what, us, women believe in.

Education is the key to the future.

In America, we take education for granted because we think about “ourselves” and not what we can do to help others around us.

By showing selfless actions, the smallest actions, around the world, we are able to show a positive outcome for the poor and the wealthy.

Today, I learned that immigrants are not actually “stealing jobs”; they are actually working hard for their success.

It is because women and men who are from poor backgrounds come to the United States to study for a better, comfortable future.

It is all about working hard to succeed in life.

Instead of complaining about how hard the subjects are, it is about internalizing and ingesting the material that is given to us by teachers and asking for help when needed.

Use the resources around you to have a better and fulfilling life, even if the educational process is difficult. It’s easy to get into a rut and have lack of patience, little confidence, poor time management, procrastination and lack of motivation. It happens to all of us. Just remember, resources like a paper writing service and tutoring can help you get adjusted and work through your shortcomings.

I decided I would be the “voice” for women by lending an ear in a respectful, graceful, and honest way.

By being selfless, the world can be a better place one step at a time.

Remember, working hard to succeed is not something someone should take away from you because without it, how are we living a better, fulfilling, and meaningful life?

I want to be the “voice” for women to show how women are actually strong in the government, considering the fact we have the emotional intelligence, intellect, and intuitive power to truly dominate the government around us, globally and internationally.

I am passionate in what I believe in and I will continue to share my inspiration with others in an honest and respectful way.

It is about time someone shows what true feminism and equality really is which is the gift of knowledge and actually taking the time to internalize the information. I never gave up in high school.

I was simply trying to learn and internalize the information that was given to me; however, the fact that they did not believe that you should be passionate about subjects you are interested in… is rather disheartening and uninspirational.

I want to change the world by focusing on the importance of education, especially to the ones who truly deserve a seat in the classroom.

I have big plans for the future.

I want to send women in poor countries in schools to really utilize the resources around them to prosper in their own country and have a comfortable, stable life.

Immigration should be restricted; however, that does not mean someone or anyone cannot come into the United States. We all have a right to have a better future, but not everyone understands the true importance of education.

Education is not a race to compete in getting a degree; it is simply gaining the knowledge to live in a better world.

Having self-confidence in yourself should feel liberating and free. 

Having self-confidence and focusing on education can help the world become a better place by simply focusing on the positives of people. 

Why do we always dwell on the negatives? What’s the point? Because there should not be a point. 

Negativeness will get you no where; however, positiveness will. 

Instead of actually dwelling on the past, we should BELIEVE in ourselves and our SELF-WORTH and VALUE to be selfless to those who do not have the opportunity to have an EDUCATION. 

No one should ever take away your happiness and what you want to do.

 You should NOT care what other people think of YOU because you are unique and special. 

You are DIFFERENT and we can USE those GIFTS to really make a DIFFERENCE in this WORLD. 

 will be a voice to the women and men who come from the poor and the wealthy. 

I will state my FACTS instead of opinions because I AM EDUCATED ENOUGH to know the TRUE MEANING OF EDUCATION. 

No matter what, YOU HAVE TO BE AMBITIOUS TO PURSUE YOUR DREAMS AND GOALS NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU HAVE SUFFERED because everyone is unique in his or her way and you should NOT JUDGE others by their appearances or social class because if you truly want a better life, help those around you and speak up for what you really believe in (which is right & not the wrong). 

The only way we can combat this issue is by staying positive and figuring out a positive outlook to the situation instead of looking at the negativity. 

Women and men should have equal opportunities but everyone is AFRAID to SPEAK UP for what they BELIEVE in but I am NOT AFRAID. I AM SIMPLY EMPOWERING OTHER WOMEN TO SEEK EDUCATION. 

I am not fighting.

 I am inspiring women and men about the value of education.????????????????????????????????

Today, I would like to call out a young gentleman that I thought was worthy of my love and care instead he showed me how ignorance is the most idiotic and egocentric way to live. 

I was voicing my opinions through rage and cussing because he does not understand the hardships of those who are actually poor to those who have a stable and grateful home to live in. 

I was shocked and totally pissed off. 

I went off on him because I am passionate in what I believe in and that is why equality for both men and women is important. Feminism and equality go hand in hand because we are looking at both two different perspectives, one from the poor and one from the rich.

I am sick and tired of people forgetting what feminism and equality really is.

YOU are the one that is not educated enough to really understand the world and the culture around us. 

I am passionate and I will continue to voice my facts instead of opinions.

I will be a natural born leader who is truly SELFLESS. 

You know what he said? He said I was craving for attention… that’s ignorance. 

He is living in a world where he does understand the true meaning of WOMEN EMPOWERMENT. 

If I was craving for attention, I would be using my voice to not project what I am passionate about; however, this young gentleman gave me ignorance. 

That is not how you should live. 

You should live with RESPECT AND DIGNITY for everyone and to listen to a person’s story to truly understand what life has to offer us. 

I am beyond heated right now. 

I will literally give you the FACTS instead of the OPINIONS to voice my reasons as to why fiercely independent women are important in the workplace. 

I am literally sick and tired of the hatred, jealousy, and envy of those around us.

If you want to change the world, then be SELFLESS and learn to actually volunteer, voice your opinions, and be a natural born leader to do good in the world. 

I am not SELFISH. I am simply doing what I want to do because I am PASSIONATE about the work I want to do. 

Doing service is not supposed to make you feel about yourself. 

You are supposed to do it because it is the right thing to do. 

         As a Filipino-American woman in today’s society, I have witnessed the hardships of those who are poor to those that are successful in the workplace. From the hardships and adversities I have faced, I have learned to use those weaknesses in order to turn them into strengths. The hardships and adversities I have faced made me into a better woman I am today. In today’s society, women are seen as unintelligent and weak women; however, that is not the case. In fact, women are highly intellectual, intuitive, and emotionally strong. We sense the emotions from other people and visualize what he or she is feeling. In my opinion, women are strong, intellectual human beings that deserve the utmost respect because of the hardships we face, from catcalling to being sexually assaulted by men who are uneducated about the impact of sexual and emotional abuse to the fact that men believe they are supposedly the breadwinners of the family; however, that is also not the case. Women are fiercely independent. 

       Women should be recognized for their role in society because of their strength and courage to fight for what he or she wants. Throughout my high school years, I have always been passionate and inquisitive about the English, math, and science or any other subjects by asking questions and being assertive if I needed help to understand the subject. I remember I would ask my teachers questions and constantly ask for help in order to understand how to solve the equations or problems because I wanted to know how to do the problem. 

      When I went to my teacher, I remember my teacher would tell me, “Oh, you don’t have to learn that if you don’t get it. You just need to pass.??? When my math teacher told me this, I questioned why she would not help me if I was attending private school. I wanted to learn how to solve the log equations because I could not understand it instead she dismissed me and told me not to worry about it.

      To me, I always put in the effort into a subject, no matter how hard and difficult it was because I was thirsty for the knowledge about the world around me and the subjects that interested me the most. I always knew I was different when I walked the halls of an all-girls school. I knew I was different from everyone else. I knew that would change the world with my actions by being selfless and doing small things for those around me. I focused on the small things and always thought of others before myself. I also remember the time I was having trouble with physics class so I would always ask my teacher for help to really understand the equations and problem solving because it was something that I cannot understand.

     I was determined to understand it; however, it resulted in being anxiety-ridden and depressed. Not to mention, family issues that made me realize how unconditional love is a virtue that God has granted me. He granted me the gift of being selfless to other people because He knew that I would change the world around me. He knew that I would challenge the people around me, especially my friends and family. He knew that I was a fiercely independent woman. I am a Scorpio.    

    I am someone who is determined to achieve the utmost success in my friend group because I am passionate about the subjects I want to learn. The thing is the people around me do not understand the true meaning of education and it’s valued. Education is important for women because it allows women to have a better future and are able to receive recognition and utmost respect and dignity for pursuing his or her dreams.

      By being selfless and empathetic, one can truly understand a person’s story in order to solve issues regarding racism and prejudice. Empathy is a virtue that others do not truly understand. I also remember the time by biology teacher would be upset or rather annoyed at the fact that I would always visit her and ask her questions but I was passionate about the science program. I knew I wanted to share the gifts I have to those around me. I knew that I was destined to serve the world in a peaceful yet graceful way. He knew that I had the strength to succeed in the workplace and everywhere I go in order to receive the utmost respect and dignity for women. I am the living and breathing truth of a woman leader. To me, my family instilled the values and morals that education is the key, the key to a better life and future for my future children to chase his or her dreams without giving up on what they want. It made me realize that we take education, family, and friends for granted because we are selfish to other people’s needs. We think about ourselves instead of the people around us. I believe that both women and men deserve equality in the workplace because it is important to educate men that women are strong, independent, and intellectual human beings. Not everyone is perfect, but if we focus on the strengths of other people, we are able to turn those weaknesses into strengths. I am thankful for the lessons that I have learned in the past from my parents, family, and friends. They truly made me into a better woman today. With grace and elegance, by simply smiling, showing kindness, and showing respect, we are able to change the world one step at a time.

    By showing patience and lending an ear, one can truly understand a person’s story and empathize with them. Having a big heart is not wrong. It simply means you understand the gift of unconditional love and bringing the best out of certain people. It is the virtue of forgiving and never forgetting but letting it go. I have learned the hard way but I learned that it’s better to grow and understand the world in a different perspective. I am thankful for the gifts and love God has given me to share with the world. 

      One day, I hope I could also meet with Pia as well. I want to confide with her about the problems Filipino-Americans and Filipinos have faced because we are the true embodiment of faith, love, family, and friends. 

       Also, Donald Trump does not deserve his position because he is the misogynist who thinks about himself instead of others. While I do believe in strict restrictions, it is possible to solve problems without judging a person’s race or ethnicity. I believe that showing grace, elegance with a smile is important to connect with others despite the differences we face. 

     In addition, I believe Donald Trump downgrades women because he believes women should not have a role in society to be the breadwinner. Money is not the answer. Happiness is the answer. Choosing happiness over materialistic possessions is the key to changing the world.

      In this day and age, the media focuses on extravagant lifestyles and materialistic objects instead of focusing on the important news around the world globally and internationally in order to understand the difficulties women, men, and children face in different countries.

      I would like to stand against Donald Trump by focusing on the facts instead of judging others based on a woman’s appearance, clothing, and status in society. Being a fiercely independent woman is a force to be reckoned with especially if we counteract act the weaknesses Donald Trump has to offer. 

     To me, he is a terrible world leader who will lead our nation to discrepancies and indecisive actions and thoughts which is not the true embodiment of a leader in today’s society. You are the future and I firmly believe women should have a role in the government. A fiercely independent woman deserves the utmost respect and dignity in the government or workplace. I am grateful for the opportunities America has to offer. It is simply a rewarding experience. Moreover, I realized that students at the Community College of Baltimore are hard workers in society; however, there are some students who do not value education. It is important to emphasize how education can help others around us. I hope to change the world with my attitude.