Chandler Wall Memorial Scholarship

At 15, I began my fight against chronic illness. At 18 I found myself trapped in an abusive relationship. There were many people who helped save my life, but the individual who started it all was my therapist- a social worker. I've had dreams of helping people since I was 5, but finding a career path that felt right was ominous. It wasn't until I sat down one-on-one that I realized social work was not just my future profession, it was my purpose. I met my first social worker my junior year of high school, but it wasn't for another year to come that I truly understood the inner workings that come with the title of social work. Seeing first hand how one person could completely change a person's life created a spark inside my chest that I didn't know could be ignited. As I've grown up, I've become a person I'm proud to be. While I'm not a perfect example of characteristics a social worker should have, I do pride myself in the knowledge that I am a soft hearted individual with enough life experiences that set me up for success in my career path. I was raised being told by my mom that empathy is not something you're born with, it's something you're taught, and while that may be true, I don't remember a time when my heart was not full of empathy, even for those who arguably “do not deserve it”. Social workers are so much more than what I was taught as a child. Social workers are individuals with a mass amount of emotional strength and softness. Social workers stand alongside people in the hardest, most vulnerable times. But within hardship, there is purpose. Nobody wants to go through emotional trauma, but traumatic experiences can lead to greater emotional intelligence and empathy towards others. My own experiences- specifically over the last 4 years- have reshaped how I see the world and the people in it. I know that if you asked me 11 months ago what my thoughts were on women who stay in toxic relationships, I would have said that I don't understand why they don't simply leave because I would never let a man treat me like that. But now that I have lived through it personally, I understand the complexity of the question and how healing and moving on from traumatic experiences is painful and messy- but it also builds understanding. That understanding is something I will carry into every interaction as a social worker. Within the future I hope to be working with individuals who are also navigating through trauma. Whether it's abuse, illness, or other mental challenges, I want to be there to catch each client when they don't feel strong enough to hold themselves up. Social work gives me the opportunity to use my story to empower others, to create real change, and to offer hope where it feels lost.There are many ways to save a life. For me, that way is through social work. I’ve faced and overcome obstacles that once felt impossible. Now, I want to help others do the same. If I can offer someone even a fraction of the support my therapist gave me, then I know I will have made a difference.

Pursuing a career in psychology to make a positive impact in my home state is my primary career aspiration. I am currently a junior undergraduate attending National Park College in Hot Springs, Arkansas, for the fall semester of 2025. I aspire to become a licensed psychologist in my home state of Arkansas and practice in central Arkansas. I am diagnosed with bipolar type I, general anxiety disorder, and complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD), and I cope with my disorders daily through prescribed psychotropics and weekly therapy sessions. I wish to utilize my personal experiences to assist others with similar struggles by being able to relate to my clients, allowing me to be better equipped to both help them and build a professional bond. I will make a positive impact on the world by providing psychological services throughout Arkansas. I have personal experience with various types of abuse, witnessing various addictions, gun violence, domestic violence, and going to therapy to cope with various psychological disorders and trauma. I will utilize these experiences to allow clearer perspectives of my future clients’ experiences, offer advice on how to cope with or overcome adversities, and being able to form better relationships with my clients through empathy and shared experiences. I have always wanted to help others, especially the less fortunate, and this shows through my past job as a nurse’s assistant and my current job as a kitchen assistant in the same nursing home. Through my work as a psychologist, I will advocate for the improvement of psychological services and facilities throughout Arkansas, and this is because I have had experiences that presented various flaws with these services within central Arkansas. My childhood shaped both who I am and my aspiration to pursue a career in the field of psychology. Both of my parents were bipolar drug addicts, my grandmother and aunt were alcoholics, and I had to often care for my younger siblings, all while battling with my mental health and sexuality. I had not seen stability in my life until leaving for college, for I had the opportunity to remove myself from broken environments and learn to be on my own. As I become more independent, I can shift more of my attention toward my career aspirations. I wish to do good in the world and make an impact on my community, and this is because I am an example of how psychological services can greatly benefit someone’s life. My career in mental health will allow me to serve both my state and community, subsequently making a positive impact on the world.