Majestic Bison for Wellness Scholarship

I would like to first express my gratitude for the opportunity for this scholarship consideration. My name is Gracie Maston. I am a senior at Dunlap High School in Illinois, preparing to start college this fall as a psychology major with plans to earn a master’s degree in counseling. My interest in the counseling profession goes back many years. Growing up, I often heard my mom, who works as a mental health counselor, share stories about the different ways she’s been able to support others. She has always been someone I deeply admire and is among the most influential people in my life. A particular interest of study within counseling that I am drawn to is helping others who have been impacted by domestic violence. I overcame a significant challenge when I sought counseling after being in an abusive relationship with my boyfriend of three years. It took others pointing out the abuse for me to realize what I was experiencing, as I often made excuses and minimized its emotional impact. There were many times when I felt disconnected from myself and believed I had lost who I once was. Counseling helped me recognize that the way I was treated was unacceptable and guided me towards rebuilding my self-worth. I'm thankful my parents encouraged me to seek therapy. I am happy to say I am no longer in a relationship with him. I've personally experienced how much counseling and support can change lives, and I hope to help others on their own journeys as well. Since my mom has been a highly influential person in my life, I really want to follow in her footsteps. She started her own private practice in counseling about 4 years ago. I would one day like to also start my own private practice in counseling. In order to do that, I will need to do the basic requirements to obtain my LCPC (licensed clinical professional counselor) as well as be familiar with running a business to attract clients. I would like to work as a counselor in my community to gain experience and build a client base before pursuing private practice. An important social issue within the field of counseling that I would like to address in my career would be access to mental health care. For many people it can be extremely difficult to obtain counseling services due to a variety of reasons. These can include lack of or unreliable transportation, cost for services, childcare issues, and cultural stigma to name a few. Depending on where I live and work one day, I would like to be able to use my social awareness of these issues to help those in need. One way to do this would be to help offset the cost of counseling for those who have no insurance so it can be affordable to them. I would use a sliding scale and consider client's overall extenuating circumstances. I would not want lack of money be the reason that people could not receive counseling services. For me, leading a successful life isn’t just about earning money, it’s about making a positive impact on others, especially through the mental health field. I love Maya Angelou’s quote, “People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel.” To me, that would be a successful life. Thank you for this scholarship consideration.