Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships & Awards (OMSFA)

I believe that creating products and experiences that center overlooked communities makes the world more accessible for everyone. Growing up as a child of immigrants shaped this instinct early. At the University of Washington, I've channeled it into projects at the intersection of design, technology, and storytelling, including a live translation app to improve multilingual healthcare access and a voice-assisted rideshare platform to help seniors maintain independence. These experiences taught me the power of designing for the edges, as solutions intended for certain groups often benefit a much broader audience. I love fashion because dressing up empowers me. However, I also see it as a system that shapes who feels seen, supported, and confident in their daily lives, and like any system, it can exclude. This year's Fashion Scholarship Fund theme, "Fashion Crosses Industries," pushed me to explore how fashion can improve the experience of wearing medical devices. 7.7 million people with diabetes rely on continuous glucose monitors, yet tight seams, friction, and skin-irritating adhesives are a daily reminder that fashion wasn't made for them. Confidence Underneath, my proposed collaboration between Dexcom and SKIMS, introduces the first fashion-forward adaptive wear line engineered with light, breathable, non-irritant fabrics that secure sensors without compression because no one should have to choose between health and confidence. I was honored to be selected as a Class of 2026 FSF Scholar, one of 100 chosen from 760 applicants, and invited to the FSF Live Gala in New York City. This scholarship will support my continued pursuit of making fashion more accessible. I am currently working toward this mission at Phia, the end-to-end shopping discovery platform, where we are exploring how technology can democratize access to fashion for everyday consumers.