Serena's Study abroad experience.

During May of last year, protests against racial injustice spread from downtown Seattle to Bellevue. Looting occurred at Bellevue Square, Nordstrom, Macy’s, many restaurants, etc, and unfortunately, Police were obliged to get all these damages fixed. I was glad to grab an opportunity to express my gratitude towards the police and help them during this obstacle by taking on the role of a cashier of a Crowdfunding for Bellevue police station. After the leader spread our ideas to the people inside a Bellevue group chat, I was surprised by the number of people willing to donate. In two days, the three other cashiers and I collected multiple donations from a large number of people through bank account, PayPal, and WeChat, tracked these transfers using excel, and transformed them into a check of seven thousand six hundred forty-six dollars and 34 cents that was ultimately paid to the order of Bellevue Police Foundation. In other words, this event during the COVID pandemic influences my life by showing me that money and material goods are not as important as human life and caring for each other in times of need. It has also shown me how much greatness can come from working together.