When I was 11, a trip to rural Philippines changed my life. I saw children living in 5 x 5 shacks, using dug up dirt holes in the ground as restrooms while watching the trains pass.

As a child raised in Los Angeles, I came home with a different perspective…more grateful, less entitled. It opened my heart to service and started a tradition with my mother by sending balikbayan boxes, packages filled with food, clothing, and toys to families in need.

In 2023, I launched the Arte Youth Program to bring art therapy and emotional support to underserved youth.