During Spring Break 2026, from March 13 to 20, I had the privilege of traveling to Liberia, Costa Rica, with Filter of Hope. Joining forces with an amazing group of students from Cru, Bridges International, Destino, and Design Movement, we partnered with a local camp called Hacienda Palabra de Vida and local churches. Our daily mission was to go house-to-house in the surrounding neighborhoods, distributing state-of-the-art water filters capable of providing a family with clean drinking water for up to ten years. Alongside installing the filters, we focused on building relationships and sharing the love and hope of Jesus. After long days walking through the communities, our evenings were spent back at the camp, unwinding in the semi-olympic pool, playing ping pong, and gathering for team debriefs to reflect on the day. 

What made this trip distinctly beautiful was the deep sense of partnership we felt with the locals. A significant portion of the families we visited were already believers. Instead of just sharing a basic message, we had the opportunity to connect deeply, discussing how our faith is the root of our actions, rather than our works being a means to earn faith. Even more impactfully, we spent time teaching these local Christians how to use the water filters we provided as a practical tool to serve and bless their own friends, families, and neighbors. It felt incredible to not just drop off a resource, but to genuinely equip and empower the community to continue caring for one another long after our group flew home. 

The physical environment of Costa Rica provided a stunning backdrop for our team of fifty students to bond. Staying together in the camp's bunkhouses allowed for late-night conversations and genuine connection. On our scheduled fun day, we got to experience the beauty of the country, taking a well-deserved rest after consecutive days of distribution. It was during these moments of downtime—laughing around the campus, sharing meals, and navigating a new culture together—that I saw our group truly become a unified team motivated by compassion. 

Beyond the work itself, I was struck by our group’s diversity and dedication. Our international students and six organizations navigated complex travel logistics to join us, united by a shared vision of global healing. Providing clean water felt like a tangible expression of that mission, fueled by a vast network of partners back home whose generosity mobilized us. This collaboration, bridging continents and communities, made our impact in Costa Rica feel far greater than the sum of our parts.

By the end of our time in Liberia, our team had successfully installed 142 water filters and connected with 210 people. We celebrated as 52 individuals made the decision to follow Christ, and had the profound joy of encouraging 141 fellow believers. This year’s journey revealed a completely different side of service—one that focuses heavily on equipping others and building sustainable, lasting relationships. I left feeling incredibly grateful for the experience, carrying home a fresh perspective on how practical tools, like a simple water filter, can create a ripple effect that transforms entire communities.

On New Year’s 2025, I traveled to Denver for the Bridges International Vision Conference, a global gathering of students from over 75 nations focused on personal growth and spiritual discovery. Our time was split between exploring Colorado’s landmarks, like Garden of the gods, and attending insightful seminars on topics such as AI and Faith and Faith in Suffering. Between the nightly sessions with world-class speakers and multicultural worship, I spent my days in "Tracks," building deep connections with people from vastly different backgrounds while exploring the intersection of culture and faith.

A highlight of the week was the Global Showcase, where I had the opportunity to represent my heritage by singing "Ikaw Lang Ang Mamahalin" by Joey Albert, despite being sick and losing a lot of my voice. Performing that song for such a diverse audience was a surreal moment of connection, especially alongside the vibrant Culture Night, where we all wore our traditional attire. Capping off the year with a massive New Year’s Eve celebration, I left Colorado with a profound appreciation for the global community and a heart transformed by the simple power of presence and shared stories.

I built a production-style multi-agent research assistant designed to handle complex informational tasks through orchestrated teamwork. The system breaks down queries into structured stages: a planner decomposes the task, a researcher gathers data from web and academic sources, a writer synthesizes the findings with proper citations, and a critic reviews the draft for quality and safety. To ensure reliability, I implemented rigorous input and output safety guardrails and an offline evaluation benchmark utilizing an LLM-as-a-judge framework to score responses on metrics like factual accuracy and relevance.

During Spring Break 2025, from March 15 to 22, I had the incredible opportunity to travel to Cuba with Filter of Hope, alongside my college Christian groups—Bridges International, Cru, and Destino. The purpose of our trip was to bring clean drinking water and share the hope of the Gospel with local families. Each day from Monday to Thursday, we split into small teams with a local guide and translator, visited homes, installed water filters, and asked permission to share about Jesus and pray with those we met. In the evenings, we regrouped for fellowship, worship, team debriefs, and lots of fun—including singing with our hostel owners, laughing over meals, and bonding as a team.

Many moments made this trip special, but a few stand out in particular. On the very first day, I was placed in a group that worked with members of the local Deaf community. It was a surreal experience to share the Gospel and translate between English, Spanish, and sign language—all while learning how the filters worked for the first time. One of the most emotional visits we made was to an elderly man living alone in very humble conditions on the fourth day. He couldn’t see clearly and had very few people in his life to talk to, so he welcomed us with story after story. His situation reminded me of the dignity and value every person holds, regardless of how the world sees them.

On our “fun day,” when we rested and enjoyed the beach, I found myself later in the night standing in the kitchen of the third-floor Baptist church we’d partnered with, looking out the window. Across the street, I watched as some of our senior students, staff, and our guide María installed the very last filter of the trip. A woman who had asked earlier in the week for a filter had almost been forgotten—but thankfully, we followed up. That visit turned into a full conversation about the Gospel, and she gave her life to Christ that night.

By the end of the week, our team had installed 250 water filters, shared the Gospel with over 400 people, and witnessed 100 individuals choose to follow Jesus. We also prayed with 183 fellow believers. But beyond the numbers, this trip left me with a deep appreciation for community, the power of presence, and how much love and change can happen through simple acts of service. I'm incredibly thankful for the opportunity to serve and be transformed through this experience—and I carry its lessons with me still, as well as its implications on my current journey in life.

In collaboration with Griffin Dominguez, Volunteer Coordinator at Habitat For Humanity ReStore of Champaign County, I organized a charitable event for Ameren Innovation Center interns and staff. This event reaffirmed the iCenter's commitment to the Urbana-Champaign community. Our tasks for the day included restocking the ReStore center with donations and furniture, as well as performing demolition work on worn-out couches and sizeable commodities.

During my study abroad experience in Granada, Spain, in Spring 2024, I engaged in community service at Colegio Ave María de la Quinta, a local secondary school. With the support of CEGRÍ faculty members Violeta and Yanira, and under the guidance of Virginia, I served as a classroom instructor once a week. I taught English to 15-16 year-old students, focusing on colloquialisms, American-British language nuances, and sharing my background as an immigrant from the Philippines. Additionally, I provided history lessons and facilitated cultural exchanges, creating a mutually enriching experience. This opportunity allowed me to learn more about Andalucían-Spanish culture in Granada while offering the students a broader perspective on international cultures and educational opportunities.

Since moving to Des Plaines in 2013, I have actively engaged with the Des Plaines Public Library, appreciating its welcoming staff and extensive resources for community development, research, and academic growth. During my junior and senior years of high school, my involvement with the library deepened. I organized events such as crafting dog toys from fleece, rallied students for the youth advisory board, and strengthened connections between the library and the English National Honors Society at Maine West High School.

Spirituality has long been the cornerstone of my life as a committed Baptist. From my experiences in the Philippines to engaging in mission trips, participating in special numbers, collaborating with community partnerships and ministries, and cherishing time with family, my dedication to this identity feels more like a calling than a mere obligation or community service.

At the Des Plaines Food Pantry, my primary focus was mobilizing students to volunteer and raise awareness about the pantry's mission and impact. I immersed myself in the pantry environment, built connections with facility directors, promoted available services and opportunities, and streamlined the volunteering sign-up processes and applications. This effort not only encouraged student engagement but also facilitated the accumulation of valuable service hours.