The adversity that I had to face was knowing my mental health declined after my dad was arrested for drinking and driving. Alcoholism runs in my family, so when it affected both of my parents, I had a hard time coping with it. I not only had to worry about getting through school, but I also had to watch out for my younger brother. I was so anxious and stressed out that my goal of going to college seemed impossible. My parents also refused to help me pay for my college, which was just another obstacle keeping me from reaching my goals of becoming a journalist. I had to work three jobs in high school hoping to save up enough money to go to college. The problem was I started to lose the motivation and will to try. I fell into a dark place in my mind. I believed I was all alone in my struggles and nobody would care if I was alive or not. It was hard getting up everyday, acting as if everything was fine when in reality it was far from it. The person that really kept me moving was my brother. I knew that if I succumbed to what was going on in my head, my brother would be left alone in this world. He was the one who asked me if I was okay, congratulated me when I passed my Spanish test, and made sure that I was present in the moment. He convinced me that talking with my school counselor would help me with my mental health. My school counselor sat and listened to me talk about what was happening in my home life and how it was affecting my moods and my thoughts. Because of those conversations, I started to change my mindset and the way I was looking at the world. I realized that there are bad things in this world, but there are also beautiful things that outweigh the bad. There are things to live for and goals to achieve. I began to believe that college was in my future. I’m finally prepared to start thinking about my future instead of worrying about what had happened in the past. I felt like college was in my future. This adversity taught me that I am stronger than I know. I am loved, I am capable, and I am wanted. Even though my family struggles with alcohol, I refuse to let it define me anymore. Sometimes I still think about what I went through as a child, but then I think about how that is just a chapter in my book. It's what made me who I am, but does not dictate my identity. Today, I'm in college working to become a journalist with people who support me and want me to succeed. Some days I still struggle with my mental health, but now I have a therapist who helps me get through the hard days and friends who are ready to drag me out of my thoughts and show me what there is to live for.