Jim Coots Scholarship

My name is Jessica Aviles Vargas, I want to tell a little about me, I came from Puerto Rico to live in Florida with my parents when I was just 5 years old, not knowing the language and still never failed a grade, I learned at an early age to work hard to achieve my goals. I recognized that I did have great teachers that helped me through my transition specially my ESOL teacher which we still remember at home today with a grateful heart, I am very grateful for the opportunities I have received coming here to the US. I think that is one of the reasons I fell in love about helping others, seeing myself surrounded by wonderful people that made it possible for me, I see the impact you can made in someone life. Everything I overcame throughout the seventeen years of my life has shaped me into the person I am today. When I was a ten year old girl I was robbed of my innocence, I was no longer comfortable in my own skin. I felt as if my whole life was a joke and I had to be doomed from the start. After loosing myself in silence the signs became evident. I began to carve things into my own body, skip school, getting in fights, stay up every night or never stop sleeping, and starve myself for days or eating the whole pantry. A student from my class started getting worried seeing the state I was in, and brought the situation to a social worker with cps who later baker acted me, I ended up admitted to receive treatment. At this stage of my life I couldn't see myself living past the next day, much less reaching graduation or a sweet 15. But God plans were greater than mines and show me how wrong I was about myself. After all my failed attempts I started to look at life from another perspective; Why am I still here? What is my purpose as a human? Why am I really angry at the world?. Spiraling in my head for years never got me anywhere so I wrote my thoughts/questions in journals, and completely deleted social media. After working towards my own self healing for some time I started to discover the answers to all my questions. I survived so that I could save someone's life the way mine was saved. Every individual goes through something, therefore everyone should have access to a therapist/counselor. My goal in life is to major in mental health counseling and make sure no one has to worry about whether or not they can afford receiving help. Now I am on my fist semester of college at Olivet Nazarene University here in Illinois, I am part of the swimming team after been an athlete since I was 5 years old swimming for the league of "swim Florida" and swimming for Riverdale Highschool in Fort Myers in the varsity team where I made it to Regional and then State in a very competitive team. I am now pursuing a major in Psychology and can see I am more close to be able to achieve my goals and my dream to help others through mental health career. I am eager and willing to take this challenge with a positive attitude to face any possible obstacles. I have dreams and goals and they are about helping others and this opportunity is my next step to reach my all goals. I am very grateful for this opportunity,