Project Climbing Everest Scholarship

For the first eleven years of my life, I never heard someone mention mental health. Until, that is, it began to affect me. My mom delivered the blow seemingly out of nowhere. “I want you to start seeing a therapist.” My face flushed with shame and embarrassment. My whole image of myself shook as a cacophony of thoughts rushed into my mind - there must be something wrong with me - I’m broken and weak - everyone will look down on me now for needing to see a therapist. For months, I hid the fact that I was seeing a therapist as if it were a shameful secret. Until one by one, I discovered more and more people in my life that also went to therapy. Three of my closest friends. My aunt. Even my younger cousin. I was shocked. Could it be true that my friends and I were actually all going through the same exact thing? That this struggle I'd thought was so taboo was in fact incredibly commonplace? It was through this realization that I discovered the greatest tool to improve my own mental health. Speaking up. Breaking silence, sharing your struggles with others, and taking the time to listen and deeply understand the experiences of others. Doing this led to the formation of strong relationships and increased confidence in myself. It made me realize that I was not alone, and that having anxiety did not hinder me from having a happy and successful life. When my younger sister began to experience similar struggles with anxiety and self worth, my experiences provided a guide for how to help her. I realized I did not need a magic phrase or word to make it all better. I needed to simply listen. By giving her the space to share what she was feeling, I helped her feel seen and understood, and reassured her that her feelings were valid and important. Discovering the prevalence of mental health struggles has opened my eyes immensely. People, all around us hide so much beneath the surface. Some of the most successful people I know struggle with their mental health. Additionally, the people we are quick to judge often have so many struggles they keep to themselves that are the reason for their behavior. More than anything, a desire to understand people in a meaningful way has sparked my interest in psychology. I dream of working as a therapist for children and teens. I’ll teach these youth early on how important their mental health is and how it is not something that should ever be hidden. I aspire to help the upcoming generations be more accepting, more empathetic, more open and vulnerable, and therefore stronger than we are. Imagine the beauty of a society where we can be honest about the difficult emotions, stresses, and memories that plague us. Where we can be buoyed up by the support of all around us. Learning about and gaining an understanding of people has always been a passion of mine, and I can not wait to dive deeper in the world of mental health.

Despite increasing access to mental health resources, hundreds of people around the world continue to struggle, whether it be from the lack of resources in their area, or even just the stigma that has formed around asking for help. Over the years, my family and I have been impacted differently by mental health issues and the stigma surrounding them. I firmly believe that while we have come a long way in destigmatizing mental health and all of its flaws, we still have such a long way to go, and I believe that I can make a difference in the lives of others by providing this care. Throughout my life thus far, I have had my fair share of mental turmoil. I was diagnosed with a generalized anxiety disorder around the age of twelve, and I have been fighting for the ability to feel comfortable leaving my house for years. Over the past few years, I have made an extreme amount of progress toward this goal. Although I am still an anxious person, I have grown to be more comfortable being in public. I can maintain a job, drive, join social clubs and sports, and more. So much of this progress can be attributed to my access to therapy and other resources. If I had not had access to mental care such as therapy and testing through my doctor’s office, I would not have made it as far in life as I have. Having access to mental health resources has made it possible for me to recover from past traumas, overcome anxiety, and just be comfortable existing in social settings. I have seen and experienced the long-lasting effects of suffering from mental disorders and complications, and I have made it my mission to make an impact in the world of mental health. My experiences have led me to crave change, and I aspire to become a psychiatrist. My dream is to not only help people and fight the stigma and lack of mental health resources but also to open my private practice one day. My mission to help people overcome mental disorders just as I have done but also to help people: my mission is to help people who have lost hope, people who have great potential, people who mean something to others but are too lost in their heads to see that. Although my mission is achievable, I cannot do it alone. To achieve this goal, I need a strong education, and I believe that this scholarship could be my first step to reaching this goal. This scholarship would be an investment not only into me and my aspirations, but also into hundreds of other people who need help, but are too scared to ask for it, or even do not have access to it. This scholarship would greatly help me achieve my only goal: Helping other people who need it, people who were not as fortunate as me.