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I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I know many people would agree that the church has a big reputation for having a strong culture, whether that be in a good or a bad way. There is always the saying that “the Gospel is perfect, but the people aren’t.” I completely agree with it. Sometimes there are people who live it in a way that gives other people a bad impression of the church, but I know it is because we’re all just human and we all make mistakes. Just because we are a part of this church does not mean we think we are perfect. We know we are not and we know that need help. For me, that is why I stay in the church. It has shown me what standards I want to keep for myself and for my family. It helps me become a better version of myself and teaches me things that I would never have learned elsewhere.

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I am a mother of two beautiful kids. I have a 3 year old son and a 5 month old daughter. I’ve realized that there is no perfect way of being a mom. Nowadays, there are so many people who believe they have the perfect way to become a mom and how to raise children. There are the aesthetic moms, the Montessori moms, the homeschooling moms, the nature moms, and even the “crunchy” moms. I don’t know what half of those mean or how to be those moms, but I just know that I am a mom that’s trying to do her best. Being a mom has taught me how to be so very patient, how to care more about someone else than myself, and how to find the joy in all the little moments. Kids will definitely teach you how to look outside of yourself and they will humble you in more ways than you thought possible. It has also taught me to never judge what a mother or a family is going through. Motherhood is hard and we all have different ways of going through it. It has taught me to give everyone the benefit of the doubt and to be kind to everyone.

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My husband and I have been married for four years now. It’s an interesting change going from girlfriend to wife. All of the feelings are the same, but now there’s all this official paperwork that shows that you really are together for the long run. Being a wife has taught me a lot about teamwork and kindness. It takes the both of us to make the marriage work, and kindness makes everything run easier. I have never been so involved in someone else’s life until I got married. You really learn so many sides of a person and it’s pretty fun. I’ve also learned to be vulnerable and open with him. When you’re dating, you try to put up your best and strongest self, but once you’re married, that’s not always possible. I think it’s a beautiful thing to be able to truly let your guard down around someone because you trust them so much. Being a wife and having my husband with me has definitely helped me grow into a better person.

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I went to school for my bachelor’s degree in Hawai’i at BYU-Hawai’i. I lived there for a total of 5 years. I had a lot of chances to learn about the Hawaiian culture while I was there, from taking a Beginning Hula class to exploring the island itself. One of the things that had the greatest impact on me was the “Aloha” spirit. Aloha is not only a well-known saying, but it is a way of life. It is being compassionate, respectful, and kind to everyone and everything. When you meet the locals, you can feel the Aloha spirit in all of them as you reciprocate that same respect and love. I wish I had more time to be there, but it is my goal to move back there one day to continue to learn more about their culture.

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I am a pretty big homebody, but there is something special about traveling the world too. Since I was younger, I’ve always enjoyed going on road trips to different places and I’ve continued doing that with my own little family as well. This past year, we’ve gone to so many different national parks to explore and be outdoors. Our favorites so far are Yosemite National Park and Zion National Park. Traveling has helped me appreciate nature and the different cultures in the world we live in. Sometimes we get caught up in social media, work, and school that we don’t take the time to look up and around us. There are so many amazing things here on earth and I hope to have more time to go on more adventures.

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My parents were both born and raised in the Philippines, and they moved here to the United States before I was born. Normally, a “FilAm” is someone who has one parent from the Philippines and one from the US. I am full Filipino, but since I was born and raised in the US, I am also considered “FilAm”. My parents spoke Tagalog to us growing up, so my siblings and I could understand it. It wasn’t until later on that I learned to speak it as well. I also grew up eating all of the traditional Filipino foods. We celebrated American holidays but with some Filipino traditions integrated into it. My parents raised me in the traditional ways of the Philippines, but also learned to adjust to how it was here in America.
Growing up “FilAm”, it’s a weird in between. In America, I am a minority because I am Filipino. It could be hard at times trying to relate to other Americans here. When we would visit the Philippines, I was considered the American because I could only speak English at the time. It was always a bit weird to figure out where I fit in. I have been able to meet other FilAms who are all just trying to appreciate our heritage while also embracing the American culture as well. I have come to find the best of both worlds and to represent what each culture means to me.