Christian Dunbar Athletics Scholarship

My dream in life is to play in the NFL. I realize that is a very big dream. While pursuing this dream, getting a higher education provides me with more experiences and opportunities. I will be attending Concordia University Wisconsin this fall. While in college I want to study psychology to become a therapist. I love helping people with their problems. It makes me feel good about myself when I help others cope with their issues. I plan to look for opportunities and internships within my field of study and work in similar areas like Hammond, IN while in college. I have found therapy to be beneficial to me when facing hardships in my life. Due to my parent’s divorce, the family was forced to see a therapist. Their divorce was very ugly, and it negatively affected me and my sister. While attending the therapy sessions, I felt like they were unnecessary, and I was just like a broken record. My therapist's office was in Crown Point, IN, a 40 min drive from home. I was frustrated that I had to go so far to get help. Although there were a couple of times when I enjoyed it. Thankfully I play sports to help keep me sane, and that was my therapy at the time. Now, I am glad my family was forced to have therapy because it made me a better person than I am today. It also sparked this new passion within me. Even though I consider playing sports as my therapy, I still love to listen to people's problems. I want to help them, understand them, and get them to open up and be completely comfortable with talking to someone like me. As a student-athlete and teenager, I know firsthand how the pressure of the world affects mental health. Dealing with the pandemic, social media and being successful in football, are a few pressures I deal with on a regular basis. Traditionally, the African American culture does not seek therapy. By becoming a therapist, I would help change this thought process. I do not want to be the therapist that just calls the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). I want to be the therapist that a patient can sit down with and listen to as they express their feelings and then provide solutions. I would want to create a bond with the patient, the couple, or the family. I realize there is life after football. Upon retiring from my football career, I plan to give back to the community by opening my own psychology office in my hometown of Hammond, IN. There are limited therapeutic resources in lower-income cities like Hammond or Gary, IN. There are a lot of offices in Portage, Merrillville, and Dyer, for example. These neighborhoods in Indiana are some that people may consider affluent. These offices are too far for people in my community and a major inconvenience to try to get to these locations. Transportation may be limited for some people. I experienced this inconvenience firsthand. I realize there is a need for therapy in my community. I would like to help with this problem by pursuing my degree in psychology while at Concordia University Wisconsin.