WEBVTT

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(gentle music)

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- Hi, I'm BMC May Kempis.

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I am a Filipino, and I am
a naturalized US citizen

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serving Pacific Partnership 2019.

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Being back in the Philippines

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being part of Pacific Partnership,

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it means a lot to me, you know,

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being a Filipino and also
serving in the US Navy.

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It's kind of like molded into one.

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Growing in the Philippines,

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we are a closely knit family

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with values, with respect,

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and determination to pursue
our dreams and goals.

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Promise myself, you
know, I would do better,

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and then that I would turn around

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and help out my family, my parents,

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and my brothers and sisters.

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The part of the mission
that's most compelling to me

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is the host nation engagements,

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'cause that's, like, the
one-on-one interactions

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that I would have with
the Filipino people,

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and I would be able to
interact and talk to them.

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All I can say is, you
know, follow your dreams,

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be determined, reach for that goal,

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no matter if there are hardships

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or some bumps in the road
that you will encounter.

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Just keep pushing for it.