Battling transphobia has been incredibly difficult. For a long time, my school didn’t recognize who I was, and neither did my parents—until just this past year. Even now, I often find myself fighting internal battles. It’s exhausting to constantly assert my identity, to explain and defend my existence again and again. Still, I push forward. I’ve poured so much effort into learning about myself and advocating for who I am. In high school, I joined clubs like Leaders of Tomorrow, the Women’s Rights Club, and the Equality Alliance Club. These spaces gave me a voice and helped me realize I wasn’t alone. My experiences with my gender, race, and sexuality have shaped every part of who I am today. They’ve also strengthened my desire to help others, to use my own growth as a platform to support people who are still finding their own voices. My dream is to become a clinical therapist—to create a safe and affirming space for people from all backgrounds, especially those who feel unseen or unheard. But reaching that dream feels more difficult every day. I see transphobia and homophobia splashed across headlines, in laws, on social media. I go to bed every night wondering if the fight is even worth it. When my own government tries to strip away my rights, it’s hard not to fall into despair. Some might think I'm being overly sensitive. That I just need to “get over it”. But what I feel runs so deep that I can't “get over it” like others can. This is what really pushes me into the study of psychology. I've decided to become a therapist or a psychologist because I want to be the person that others can rely on. I don’t want others to pick themselves up alone. Psychology is my passion and my emotions are the fuel. I knew from a young age that I was sensitive, and I intend to use that to my advantage to further my education and research in psychology. But college is expensive. I’m not getting any help in this. Like myself, my parents don’t have the money to pay for four years of college. I want so badly to be able to have this opportunity to continue this path. I’ve been fortunate enough to receive direct admission to IU’s school of science, and while saving and working more will help, it’s not going to be enough. A scholarship would aid me even more in my journey.