Paige's Promise Scholarship

My name is Paige Kelso, and I am currently a senior at Taylor University. For the last four years, I have been studying social work and psychology, which led me to have a passion for advocating for mental health. Currently, I am finishing up my degree by completing my senior practicum (internship) in a high school. I have had the opportunity to talk to and work with many students who are struggling with substance misuse. Once I graduate, I will be starting my master’s in social work at Michigan State University this summer. This master’s degree will allow me the ability to work with and counsel adolescents (or any other age) who are struggling with substance misuse. Alcoholism runs in my family, so I have witnessed how addictions can ruin relationships and damage people’s lives. As a social worker, I seek to work with clients as they fight addiction and potentially rebuild some relationships or other things that they have lost in their life. I plan to make a positive impact on the world by working with and supporting high schoolers who are struggling with and/or know someone struggling with addiction by spreading awareness on mental health. Mental health is an area that is still often overlooked and/or not taken seriously. As a future social worker, I look forward to working to change that and expand the knowledge about mental health in communities. I want to allow a safe space where people can truly work through the experiences that have shaped them and led them to where they are currently. People often turn to substances as a coping mechanism for something else going on in life; I am seeking to intervene and offer alternative ways to cope. As a future social worker, I believe that all people have inherent dignity and worth no matter what situation they are in. Specifically, those who have issues with substance misuse need people who support them and are consistently rooting for them. It has been a neat experience to see how many students are willing to speak up about their struggles with substance misuse when they know that they have a space free of judgment and consequences to go to. After I complete a master’s degree, I am planning to return to the high school setting to create more spaces like this. I plan to help people recover from substance misuse through the use of therapy and working through what a person is experiencing and has experienced. This offers people a person they can trust and turn to and allows them to have accountability. In addition to that, I plan to be heavily involved in advocating for mental health awareness in school communities, which includes substance misuse. This would involve hosting events and facilitating conversations about mental health. And finally, specifically in the school setting, I think that it is important to recognize that people often need several different kinds of support. This will lead me to ensure that I know what substance misuse resources and services are in the community and to connect students to additional supports.