When everyone told me last year, “Make the most of this experience, because it is going to fly by,” I did not realize how true those words would be. I cannot believe that around this time one year ago, I had never spoken in public, I knew close to nothing about Chinese culture, and I had visited LA Chinatown once. Throughout my reign as Miss Los Angeles Chinatown’s Third Princess, I attended more cultural events than I could ever count, traveled to China for the first time, represented the LA Chinatown and Asian-American communities, met countless important figureheads of all ethnicities from all over the world, witnessed once-in-a-lifetime experiences, and gained an entire sisterhood of strong, amazing, and inspirational young women. Beyond that, I have developed an incredible vault of skills and traits that I never would have dreamt of having before participating in the pageant, including: public speaking, stage presence, confidence, grace, poise, professionalism, networking, collaboration, cultural appreciation, global awareness, critical thinking, humility, strength, independence, leadership, and so much more. 

I am forever grateful to the Chinese Chamber of Commerce of LA for granting me this opportunity and selecting me to represent Chinatown in 2018. Thank you to last year’s contestants and coaches for helping me become the best me I could be throughout training. Thank you to my family, friends, and sponsors for your generosity and support. Thank you to my fellow court members for creating life-long memories with me and making this year a truly unforgettable experience. Thank you, Scarlett and Chester, for your patience, mentorship, and hard work. Thank you, Tom, for your unwavering dedication, protection, thoughtfulness, and true chivalry while escorting us to every event this year. Thank you to the twins, Esther and Eileen, for always seeing the best in me, rooting for me from behind-the-scenes, and guiding me through the good times and bad. Finally, thank you to Los Angeles Chinatown, for welcoming me with open arms into one of the most life-changing roles I have had, despite my mixed ethnicity, my limited residence in LA or even California, and my complete inability to understand a single word of Chinese. 

In my contestant biography last year, I mentioned that my childhood dream had been to be a “dancing princess doctor.” Much to my absolute delight and shock, Miss LA Chinatown has made the second part of my dream come true. For that, thank you, from both my 5-year-old and my 23-year-old selves.