There are few things more humbling than needing to rely on other people when someone holds themselves to the standards of being “self-sufficient”. As a society, we are told that we must meet all the life markers: high school, college, marriage, family, and great-paying job. We are supposed to build our lives to grandiose expectations but aren’t told the secret- we are not supposed to do it alone. I grew up in Nebraska but had to move to Iowa when I was just going into high school. The first nine months of my life were spent with my mother. She was not prepared to raise a child due to her drug use and diagnosed schizophrenia. I experienced neglect and malnutrition as a result. After my mother lost custody, her parents (my grandparents) began raising me. They did the best they could, but so many developmental milestones had already gone by without me passing them. My pediatric doctors helped my new caretakers build a plan to increase my nutrition intake, exercise my muscles, and work towards the development typical for children my age at that time. I lived with my grandparents until I was 14 years old, then my grandparents passed away. I moved up north with my aunt and uncle. That experience left me with a true understanding of what it is like to feel alone. It felt dangerous to connect with anyone for fear that they, too, would fall short of what I needed. I was so lost for so many years. My mother is still alive, but due to her mental illness, she lives in a nursing home back in Nebraska so she can be provided for. My new best friend was the one who convinced me to start therapy and begin a healing process because we are not meant to live this life alone. Throughout this process, I discovered that I have CPTSD, ADHD, most likely autism, and identify as nonbinary. I went through many therapists who did not know how to meet my needs and kept trying new people. I found friends online who thought and felt like me during this time. Despite not having a qualified therapist, I was building a community that kept encouraging me all along the way to never give up, even when I was ready to give up. My social work degree will be the first stepping stone to owning my counseling service. My chosen community has always been there for me when I didn’t believe in myself. I want anyone with a dream to not be held back by childhood trauma. People have so much potential waiting to be released. It is easy for those with challenges that occurred in childhood to be held back by physical or mental disabilities. With the right motivation, support, and perseverance, there is no limit to what people can achieve. What I aspire to give back to my community is a safe space in therapy for people who are disabled, neurodivergent or part of the LGBT+ community. I have firsthand knowledge of how isolation and lack of community connection can be detrimental to hope and success in a person. The world is such a diverse place, and those differences should be celebrated, but the commonalities also need to be recognized to maintain the connection we have with others. When we work our way through life trying to be self-sufficient, we miss the opportunity to help and be helped. I am eager to help the people who don’t fit the mold and are unique, brave, and valuable just as themselves.