Mental health has been a very important thing to me throughout my life. My mom was the one who first inspired me to start my mental health journey because it is something she is very passionate about. She is currently enrolled in a master's level program for counseling. She has inspired me throughout my life, but especially during my time in high school. These four years have been a roller coaster for me, however, they have taught me how vital mental health is. I used to be extremely active. Between 5 AM lifts, practice, and work outside of practice I was constantly going. This all changed however when I was diagnosed with Covid-19 for the first time. I ended up being homebound for two months and even after that was met with severe chest pains at any attempt at physical activity. I entered a very dark time in my life. I was just going through the motions and none of those motions were ones I loved. I slept all the time and when I wasn't sleeping I was watching TV becasue I didn't see the point in doing anything else. This lasted until almost the end of the summer after my freshman year. My parents talked me into going to a church camp. I had never been off on my own so this was terrifying for me and considering the state I was in I did everything I could to get out of it. While at camp I had a huge realization that I was viewing this situation all wrong. Yes, this was a challenge, however, it was also a huge opportunity. I came home and finally realized that it was okay that I couldn't keep up with the other girls because I would. The reality was and still is that my body cannot handle conditioning the way most coaches do it. So I went out and found my own way to condition. It involved testing my boundaries and when I exceeded them taking the appropriate time to rest. This took a long time and even now it is hard. However, I have put in the work and continue to and am happier than ever. I ended up getting Covid every year of high school which included many setbacks. However, I ended my high school career as an All-Region player in my junior and senior year and the Team MVP for my senior season. Another feat that would've seemed impossible my freshman year is that I had the honor of being the first person in our school's history to be a 2x All-State Choir member. Not bad for a kid with broken lungs. I can be proud and thankful for all these accomplishments because I know what I went through to get where I am today. I went from a kid wondering if she would ever play sports again to a senior getting ready to commit to play college softball. The time that I went through my freshman year has forever changed me and who I am as a person. At that time I didn't see a way out. I felt lost and alone, but it was the moment that I decided to take control that changed the course of my life. Because of this time, I have decided to pursue a career in counseling. I believe that I have the perspective and experience to help so many kids. I'm going to leave off with something that Nido Qubein once said and that is, "Your present circumstances don't determine where you go; they merely determine where you start."

Mental health has been a very important thing to me throughout my life. My mom was the one who first inspired me to start my mental health journey because it is something she is very passionate about. She is currently enrolled in a master's level program for counseling. She has inspired me throughout my life, but especially during my time in high school. These four years have been a roller coaster for me, however, they have taught me how vital mental health is. I used to be an extremely active person. I played three sports and my day consisted of waking up at 5 AM to lift, going to school, after school practice, and then more time either spent on the field or the court. It was very physically and mentally demanding, but I loved every second of it. I was a young kid playing travel softball with dreams to continue in college and the drive to make it happen. I showed up to my first season of high school ball and started varsity as a freshman and was on top of the world. This all changed later freshman year when I was diagnosed with COVID-19 for the first time. Following the initial two weeks of quarantine, I spent two months homebound because of complications with my lungs and immune system. I hated being at home so much and I viewed it as a setback and I was ready to be done with it. After finally being released to go back to school and life I figured life would go back to normal and I could resume my previous intense schedule, but boy was I wrong. After just one day I realized that school drained me so much. The first week was spent going straight home and napping for several hours and just feeling overall rotten. When I finally had the strength to make it through the school day I decided this was the time to get back at it. Little did I know running even just fifty meters was followed by severe chest pain. I was so broken. The thing I loved most in the world was ripped away from me. I couldn't swing more than a couple of times without having to sit down, my body couldn't handle the 5 AM lifts, and the thing I loved most seemed to be ripped away from me. After trying over and over and finding nothing but pain and exhaustion I gave up. I decided to face the reality that it was gone. As a freshman in high school, this seemed like the end of the world. I couldn't keep up with the girls in practice let alone the standard I held myself to. My parents tried telling me it would take time, but that never really set in. Instead, I fell into a dark place. I didn't have many friends, I hated school and the fact that all I actually could do was school work, and I felt alone with no way to cope. I spent my afternoons sleeping or watching TV and everything just seemed pointless. This lasted months until we finally hit summer. I spent the summer just kinda hanging out, however, my parents convinced me to go to this church camp. I tried so many ways to get out of it because I just wanted to stay home. I hadn't ever really been out by myself before and with my mental state the idea of it seemed like the end of the world. That camp changed my life. I made some of my best friends, who, even years later I still talk to. While at camp I had a huge realization that I was viewing this situation all wrong. Yes, this was a challenge, however, it was also a huge opportunity. I came home and finally realized that it was okay that I couldn't keep up with the other girls because I would. The reality was and still is that my body cannot handle conditioning the way most coaches do it. So I went out and found my own way to condition. I involved testing my boundaries and when I exceeded them taking the appropriate time to rest. This took a long time and even now it is hard. However, I have put in the work and continue to and am happier than ever. I ended up getting Covid every year of high school which included many setbacks. However, I ended my high school career as an All-Region player in my junior and senior year and the Team MVP for my senior season. Another feat that would've seemed impossible my freshman year is that I had the honor of being the first person in our school's history to be a 2x All-State Choir member. Not bad for a kid with broken lungs. I can be proud and thankful for all these accomplishments because I know what I went through to get where I am today. I went from a kid wondering if she would ever play sports again to a senior getting ready to commit to play college softball. The time that I went through my freshman year has forever changed me and who I am as a person. At that time I didn't see a way out. I felt lost and alone, but it was the moment that I decided to take control that changed the course of my life. Because of this time, I have decided to pursue a career in counseling. I believe that I have the perspective and experience to help so many kids. I'm going to leave off with something that Nido Qubein once said and that is, "Your present circumstances don't determine where you go; they merely determine where you start."

Mental health has been a very important thing to me throughout my life. My mom was the one who first inspired me to start my mental health journey because it is something she is very passionate about. She is currently enrolled in a master's level program for counseling. She has inspired me throughout my life, but especially during my time in high school. These four years have been a roller coaster for me, however, they have taught me how vital mental health is. I used to be an extremely active person. I played three sports and my day consisted of waking up at 5 AM to lift, going to school, after school practice, and then more time either spent on the field or the court. It was very physically and mentally demanding, but I loved every second of it. I was a young kid playing travel softball with dreams to continue in college and the drive to make it happen. I showed up to my first season of high school ball and started varsity as a freshman and was on top of the world. This all changed later freshman year when I was diagnosed with COVID-19 for the first time. Following the initial two weeks of quarantine, I spent two months homebound because of complications with my lungs and immune system. I hated being at home so much and I viewed it as a setback and I was ready to be done with it. After finally being released to go back to school and life I figured life would go back to normal and I could resume my previous intense schedule, but boy was I wrong. After just one day I realized that school drained me so much. The first week was spent going straight home and napping for several hours and just feeling overall rotten. When I finally had the strength to make it through the school day I decided this was the time to get back at it. Little did I know running even just fifty meters was followed by severe chest pain. I was so broken. The thing I loved most in the world was ripped away from me. I couldn't swing more than a couple of times without having to sit down, my body couldn't handle the 5 AM lifts, and the thing I loved most seemed to be ripped away from me. After trying over and over and finding nothing but pain and exhaustion I gave up. I decided to face the reality that it was gone. As a freshman in high school, this seemed like the end of the world. I couldn't keep up with the girls in practice let alone the standard I held myself to. My parents tried telling me it would take time, but that never really set in. Instead, I fell into a dark place. I didn't have many friends, I hated school and the fact that all I actually could do was school work, and I felt alone with no way to cope. I spent my afternoons sleeping or watching TV and everything just seemed pointless. This lasted months until we finally hit summer. I spent the summer just kinda hanging out, however, my parents convinced me to go to this church camp. I tried so many ways to get out of it because I just wanted to stay home. I hadn't ever really been out by myself before and with my mental state the idea of it seemed like the end of the world. That camp changed my life. I made some of my best friends, who, even years later I still talk to. While at camp I had a huge realization that I was viewing this situation all wrong. Yes, this was a challenge, however, it was also a huge opportunity. I came home and finally realized that it was okay that I couldn't keep up with the other girls because I would. The reality was and still is that my body cannot handle conditioning the way most coaches do it. So I went out and found my own way to condition. I involved testing my boundaries and when I exceeded them taking the appropriate time to rest. This took a long time and even now it is hard. However, I have put in the work and continue to and am happier than ever. I ended up getting Covid every year of high school which included many setbacks. However, I ended my high school career as an All-Region player in my junior and senior year and the Team MVP for my senior season. Another feat that would've seemed impossible my freshman year is that I had the honor of being the first person in our school's history to be a 2x All-State Choir member. Not bad for a kid with broken lungs. I can be proud and thankful for all these accomplishments because I know what I went through to get where I am today. I went from a kid wondering if she would ever play sports again to a senior getting ready to commit to play college softball. The time that I went through my freshman year has forever changed me and who I am as a person. At that time I didn't see a way out. I felt lost and alone, but it was the moment that I decided to take control that changed the course of my life. Because of this time, I have decided to pursue a career in counseling. I believe that I have the perspective and experience to help so many kids. I'm going to leave off with something that Nido Qubein once said and that is, "Your present circumstances don't determine where you go; they merely determine where you start."

Our world is an incredibly fascinating place. Everything was designed with a specific role and I believe that diving deeper into our role as humans will help us to increase our ability to perform that role. I am a seventeen-year-old senior in high school, and throughout these seventeen years of living, one of my biggest questions has been the true purpose of the human person. The world around us was created in such an intricate and specific way, so how do we as humans fit in? What role do we play? This has led me to decide to go on and pursue bachelor's degrees in both psychology and philosophy. I believe the way to answer my questions is through education and discovering what science teaches us and how we are designed to operate. A little backstory for you, I live in a small town in northeast Missouri. So as you can probably imagine, we are the stereotypical country small town. The average person's wardrobe consists of boots and jeans and most of our population lives in the country and works as farmers. Don't get me wrong, I love our town and I wouldn't have chosen to grow up anywhere else. However, you may have heard of the term "small-town mindset" and I am here to confirm it is a very real thing. My family is quite the opposite though. We live in town, we don't farm, and you won't find a pair of boots in our house. My dad grew up in a little bit of a bigger area and through this I believe has provided insight for our family that causes us to pull away from this "small town mindset" I referred to. This has caused my mindset to shift away from the majority of my classmates. I have been able to use this to my advantage and I believe it is how I have found success in life. I am a 2x All-Region softball player, as well as a 2x All-State Choir member. These are vastly different areas and I do not think I could have achieved any of it without without the open mindset that my dad has taught me. Now, I am not at all saying that one of these mindsets is better than the other and I love my classmates. We have just grown up with different goals and it has been very intriguing to me and what has driven me to decide my course of study. The first step will be a psychology degree. Through this, I will be able to discover how the human mind and body work. I think it is vital that we are spreading the science of psychology to everyone who is seeking any form of education. Knowing how our minds and bodies are supposed to function is the key to helping them function more efficiently. Our minds are very intricate and fascinating. By knowing how they are supposed to operate we can optimize their use. It is the same concept as finding out exactly how much sleep is ideal for you. Everyone is different. Some people run better on smaller amounts of sleep vs some people who need their full 8 or 9 hours. Our minds are the same way. Everyone is different and therefore exploring your own is crucial to functioning efficiently. This is why the study of psychology is so important for everyone to explore. You can find so much out about yourself and others. However, I believe this is only half of the picture. Through psychology, we can look at how our minds work, or the science behind our behaviors. This is where philosophy comes into play. According to an article released by infocentral.albizu.edu, "Philosophy is the result of one's brain performing a function - and the study of how the brain functions and the resulting behaviors is psychology." This means to understand one you have to look at the other. In simple terms, the study of philosophy is the why in our study of life and human nature, while the study of psychology is the how. This is why I plan to pursue degrees in both to get a look at the full picture. Now you may be thinking, but wait, the question was about the nature of our universe and the importance of understanding it and I have just been talking nonstop about people. I think the very first, but most crucial step in understanding the world around us is through understanding ourselves. The human mind is so complex and beautiful and it longs to be understood. We are fortunate to have come after some brilliant scientists who have devoted their lives to the study of humans and I plan to continue that trend so that future generations can prosper because of the knowledge that we are continuing to explore and discover. The world around us is an incredible and precise place, however, the only way to unlock the true beauty and complexity of it is to first unlock that within ourselves.

Mental health is an increasing topic in our world. Researchers come out with new studies every single day on mental health, whether it's how to recognize when you have a problem, where to find help, and where to see signs in the people close to you. Mental health is extremely important in everyone's life and it's something that we should all be educated on! In my life, I have seen the effects of mental health in so many ways. I have been witness to the ways it can be the silent killer through my loved ones' struggles with it. My sister has recently moved to online schooling due to mental health and is doing much better, but she still faces challenges every day. Due to her story and others I have seen, I have decided to pursue a career in mental health to help everyone take those steps to get back to their fullest self. In order to function as members of society we need to be able to function within ourselves first. How do we expect to grow as a nation or even the world if we have members who are facing challenges alone that leave them too drained for other work? The mental health of the people of our world should be our top priority and I believe the first step in the right direction is education. Not just education in terms of math and science and all that, but education of the human mind and the way our mental health is affected by things. It will allow us to be more self-aware about what we are going through and how to help it. Now, I'm not saying everyone has to become a psychologist or be professionally trained in the operation of the human body. However, I am saying that including these things in our curriculum for kids, especially high schoolers, will benefit them as they go along in life. How are we supposed to expect these kids to ask for help if they don't know how to know when they need it? Educating our world about mental health is the next step and is what I plan to do through my education and future career. My mental health journey has been an interesting one. Throughout high school, it has been a struggle. I go to a very small school where if you participate in one activity, you participate in them all. This has led me to be a three-sport athlete, who is also involved in band, choir, and several clubs where I served leadership roles for most of my high school career. Now that I have hit my senior year I have hit a wall. The first quarter was filled with burnout and absolutely no motivation, and it was only the beginning of the year. Throughout the past couple of weeks, I have had to learn to say no to things that are not in my best interest and not do things just because I feel pressured to. As a high schooler taking 16 hours of college credit, I just couldn't physically or mentally do it all and undoing three years of a "have to do everything" mindset took a lot. However, now that I am letting that go I am happier than ever being able to focus on academics and the activities that bring me joy. Now I am able to maintain my mental health by putting myself first by meal prepping, getting sufficient sleep, and spending time on activities that will help me become better and not just ones I feel pressured to do.

John 14:27 says “Peace is what I leave with you; it is my own peace that I give you. I do not give it as the world does. Do not be worried and upset; do not be afraid.” I have been witness to many different types of mental health issues and reactions to those issues. Everyone has trauma and everyone responds to it in different ways. In the same way that everyone has a unique fingerprint, everyone has unique experiences. I have been there for people who have lost friends, and loved ones, and just gone through some unimaginable things. My sister is in a current battle with mental health and is temporarily homeschooled because of it. I have a close friend who was on a trip while studying abroad and was visiting the Holy Lands as Israel was bombed and war broke out. He was trapped for a while, but by God's grace, he made it out just before they closed the borders. However, he has had his own mental health journey due to his experience and trauma of going through a life-threatening situation. There are so many things people go through and a lot of the time we don't know a fraction of what's going on inside their head. The worst part about being there for my friends and family while they go through all this is not feeling like I'm doing enough for them. I'm not the greatest with words of encouragement. I would rather be able to give you the facts of why you're feeling like this and the steps you can take to fix it. However, I don't believe that's the most effective approach to mental health. These people don't want to feel like a problem that I'm walking through the steps to figure out. They want to be seen as people created in God's image and they deserve to be seen as such. This has inspired me to pursue a career in mental health to help people feel like true sons and daughters of Christ worthy of living a life fully enveloped in God's grace. I have decided to pursue this by attending college to major in psychology and philosophy with a minor in theology to study why we think and act the way we do. After graduation, I plan to enter into a master's level program in Catholic Psych. This will lead me into a career of counseling and spiritual direction, allowing me to help people in the purest way possible, by leading them to God. I believe that a relationship with God is the solution to mental health issues, however, as humans we will fall away from him from time to time. God placed other people in the world to bring us closer to him and to pick us up when we do fall away and remind us of His glory. I want to serve as that person to people in order to help them. Through my extensive education and training, I will be able to make a difference in people's lives. The program I intend to go into is completely virtual and all my clients and I will interact online, so I also plan to accomplish this in person. The flexibility of my job will allow me to serve in youth ministry helping kids to see the endless extent of God's love and how worthy they are of it. I truly want to change lives and I believe wholeheartedly I have the calling and the ability to do so.

The definition of success according to www.merriam-webster.com is, "a degree or measure of succeeding." Some might see success as being accepted into their dream college, getting their dream job, or maybe even something as simple as finally hitting that first home run. These are all achievements that come from hard work and therefore deserve celebration. However, the way I view success might be a little different from the typical person. Don't get me wrong, I love awards and recognition and all that. Who doesn't? The truest form of reward and the real meaning of success to me though is how I have inspired people in my journey. As high school seniors, we have so many kids looking up at us. From terrified freshmen to even middle school or elementary kids, there are always people watching you and the work you are putting in. The most rewarding thing I have received and will continue to receive from all of my success is the relationships I have built with younger students who have seen how hard I work and desire to replicate it. That work ethic that I have the opportunity to model for them will help them throughout their entire life and truly make them better people and that is better than any trophy or title I will ever win. This is why I will be successful. I'm not chasing a specific accomplishment, but rather the accomplishment of knowing I made a difference in someone's life.

I have been witness to and experienced a variety of mental health problems. I have been there for friends who have lost family, and friends, or even were trapped in the middle of a warzone with no way out. I have seen so many different situations and reactions and I have only lived a fraction of my life. I could share any of my friends' stories or even personal ones, however, the story I am going to focus on belongs to one of my closest and dearest friends. My friend was studying abroad and a couple of weeks ago took a trip to the Holy Lands. The trip was unplugged so they had no access to their devices and so throughout these 10 days I wouldn't have any contact with him. He left that Thursday and we said our goodbyes and expected the 10 days to be hard with no contact, but it was an incredible opportunity for him and it would be worth it. So a day went past and then Saturday morning I woke up to a very strange and cryptic text from him. The text said he was safe but there was a situation. Shortly after, his mom reached out and shared what she knew with us. Israel had been bombed and become a warzone and he was stuck there. He knew very little of the situation but we had enough information from social media to know it was bad. It was an insane week full of lots of worrying and prayer. A little less than a week later he was able to make it out of the country and back to campus. He escaped right before they closed the borders. While the immediate reaction from all of us was to be thankful and praise God he was safe, there was a whole other battle none of us were prepared for. However, this battle was almost more intense for us individually because there was no physical evidence of it. Each of us was facing and processing a week's worth of emotions that were all over the place. Even though I haven't been able to see him seeing as he is still on campus in Austria, the evidence of him going through and processing all of this is so evident. On the other hand, while he was the one physically there, both of his parents were facing impossible battles back home. Their child was in danger and they were the ones who allowed him to make this trip. Everyone was affected by this and even though we are about 3 weeks out of it all, the repercussions are very real for each of us. The experience of sitting on the sidelines and watching the people I love go through all this has changed my life. I absolutely hated that I never knew what to say or how to help. I'm not the best with words of encouragement, especially over text. This made me feel so helpless as I watched the people I'm close to live in this state of pain. This is the reason I have decided to pursue a career in mental health. I want to be able to know the science behind why people feel the way they do and I want to help them in any way I possibly can, and I believe the way to do that is to educate myself about it. This scholarship will help me to make that goal a reality and help people live life to the fullest.

Throughout high school, I have witnessed how mental health can affect people in so many ways. I have watched it affect the people around me as they have gone through so many situations. Everyone's life is so different and their traumas vary drastically. I have friends who have lost parents, friends, and even a friend who was trapped in the middle of Isreal as they were bombed and war broke out earlier this month. In the same way that everyone's trauma is different, so are their responses. Everyone processes things in different ways and I believe it is so important for all of us to be aware of the differences in responses to trauma. Through high school, I have sat through various mental health assemblies. For the most part, the goals of these assemblies are to let the kids know there are people to help them and to not be afraid to reach out. However, how are we supposed to expect kids to reach out if they don't know how to identify if they need help? Educating people about mental health is the way we can change that. One of the hardest things to do as humans is to evaluate how we're feeling inside. If we educate people about the signs, then we will be able to help people recognize what they're feeling and how to handle it. Counselors and mental health professionals are so crucial, however, people's traumas and their responses to traumas are so different that sometimes there's only so much we can do. The vast reactions mean it is hard for everyone to always recognize how they're actually feeling and the cause of it. The media portrays mental health as a cause of feeling down and not socializing or being motivated. However, I have seen the exact opposite reaction as well. Some people respond by becoming more outgoing and outspoken to counteract the pain they are feeling inside. Some people experience a loss of motivation and some people use their motivation as a way to busy themselves to distract from their feelings. These are how the signs of trouble and even signs of suicide cover themselves up and the solution is to educate everyone so they better know how to recognize and process what they're feeling. As I move on from high school I plan to major in psychology and philosophy to study how the brain works as well as the thoughts of the meanings of our existence and our roles as people. My goal is to go into a counseling-type profession with an emphasis on the science behind it all while sharing my findings with people. Through social media, mental health has become a much bigger topic and now that more people know about it we are seeing a rise in cases. This may seem like a bad thing, but I believe it is good because it means we're becoming more aware and voicing what we're feeling which is a great step in the right direction. Social media gives us the ideal platform to share this information and educate people and through that education, we will make a difference in the mental health of our world.