“My mom has been the biggest influence on myself, and she will always be. She has always supported me, and I am very fortunate to have such a loving mom. Someone once told me, “You can tell the character of a person by how much care/love a person has received in his or her upbringing”. It was eye-opening because I know my mom will always put me first; I think her strength, courage, and capacity to love is admirable. I used to grow up and think, “Hm, I can do better” or “Why can’t you do this?” I didn’t realize how strong my mom was, but as I grew, I learned her job is very demanding on the body. I think the idea of being independent doesn’t frighten me as much as it would’ve for little Amy. I believe that people’s backgrounds shape their future, and we should never force ourselves to be someone we’re not.”

– Amy Ton, USC, 4th year| Got an A+ in her epidemiology class!