My name is Alexis Herman, and I am a black woman living in South Georgia studying Psychology. I gained an interest in Psychology after seeing how much mental health affects my peers and my family. I am working toward a bachelor's degree in Psychology, and hoping to then work towards a master's degree in Social Work and then join the military and help our service members received the care they need and deserve. On average, 22 service members commit suicide a day due to inadequate care. My mother and my father are both retired service members (having done 20 and 24 years in the military, respectively), and I have heard their stories of the care they receive and how they almost didn't. I can only imagine how my life would be currently had they not received the care they are now. Furthermore, I can only how the other families- other children, like myself- whose parents did not receive the care they needed and became a statistic. That is why I am working passionately toward my degrees to ultimately serve our country as a licensed mental health counselor. My hope is that each day I can work to change the trajectory of anyone who comes in my office away from becoming "one of the 22", a phrase used by service members who know how important it is to receive mental health. However, I want to do more than just help service members in the military. As a so-called "military brat", I know mental health affects more than just the service members defending our country; it impacts their families as well. I want to help the families whose loved ones have become "one of the 22" or have been negatively impacted by their service. If I can draw on my own experiences, I feel confident that many other "military brats" have felt the anxiety or depression or both of moving constantly with their military parent and not maintaining long lasting friendships. I want to help mothers and wives and husbands and fathers who are going through their own challenges while their significant other is away on extended employments. While service members are working hard to defend our country, their mental health may not be working as hard to keep themselves safe. That is my mission. I want to protect those who are protecting us. And if I can lower the statistic to 21 or even 20, I will know I am doing my job. As for experience, I have been going to therapy myself to over six months for anxiety and depression after finally divulging my multiple suicidal plans to my primary care doctor. Though it took two months after to finally see someone, I have felt exponentially better talking to someone and knowing there are others out there who share the same experiences. Though it's disheartening to know others have gone through or are going through a similar situation to my own, it's comforting to know there is a sort of community of others. With therapy, I know I will get better, and when I am, I can help others overcome the obstacles that once stood in my way, as well.

My name is Alexis Herman, and I am a black woman living in South Georgia studying Psychology. My mother is a black woman from Panhandle Florida, who joined the military at age 18. My father is a white man from Virginia, who also joined the military at age 18. I gained an interest in Psychology after seeing how much mental health affects my peers and my family. I am working toward a bachelor's degree in Psychology, and hoping to then work towards a master's degree in Social Work and then join the military and help our service members received the care they need and deserve. On average, 22 service members commit suicide a day due to inadequate care. My mother and my father are both retired service members (having done 20 and 24 years in the military, respectively), and I have heard their stories of the care they receive and how they almost didn't. I can only imagine how my life would be currently had they not received the care they are now. Furthermore, I can only how the other families- other children, like myself- whose parents did not receive the care they needed and became a statistic. That is why I am working passionately toward my degrees to ultimately serve our country as a licensed mental health counselor. My hope is that each day I can work to change the trajectory of anyone who comes in my office away from becoming "one of the 22", a phrase used by service members who know how important it is to receive mental health. However, I want to do more than just help service members in the military. As a so-called "military brat", I know mental health affects more than just the service members defending our country; it impacts their families as well. I want to help the families whose loved ones have become "one of the 22" or have been negatively impacted by their service. If I can draw on my own experiences, I feel confident that many other "military brats" have felt the anxiety or depression or both of moving constantly with their military parent and not maintaining long lasting friendships. I want to help mothers and wives and husbands and fathers who are going through their own challenges while their significant other is away on extended employments. While service members are working hard to defend our country, their mental health may not be working as hard to keep themselves safe. That is my mission. I want to protect those who are protecting us. And if I can lower the statistic to 21 or even 20, I will know I am doing my job.

My absolute, all-time favorite K-Pop group is Stray Kids! I first found Stray Kids in November of 2020, and like many Stays will tell you, they made an impact on my life. During 2020, I dealt with the effects of extreme loneliness. I didn't have friends since I had just moved to a new school in January, and our school was let out in early March as a result of COVID-19. I was reading a Times News Article about the top 10 songs of 2020, and Stray Kids' "Back Door" was listed as number 8. I recognized the name as a group my friend from California had mentioned before and figured since the music video was right underneath, I should watch it. And boy, did that change everything. I was completely enamored by the visuals, the sound productions, and the choreography. I had no idea what they were saying, but I wanted to learn more at that moment. I had Alexa shuffle every Stray Kids song she could and found so many of them that fit what I liked to listen to. Sure, I was going to have to look up what the heck they were talking about, but I was pleased listening to the sound of their voices. Furthermore, I discovered an entirely new side of YouTube: Stayville. Tens upon hundreds upon thousands of videos documenting the lives of Stray Kids. I was no longer focused on my depression, my anxiety or my loneliness as I watched eight goofy men laugh and play with each other. I focused on feeling the love they had for each other through the biggest screen I could. However, Stray Kids has done more than help me work through and get to the other side of my mental health issues. Every single member has worked to make an impact on the Earth. Lee Know, who supports shelters for animals, or Felix, who sponsors children in Africa. Stray Kids is a group that advocates heavily for mental health, wanting everyone who listens to their music to know they are not alone, they are unique, and there is always light at the end of the tunnel. Every album is distinctly different, whether about being "Maniacs" or falling in love (not their best album, in my opinion.) Stray Kids has taught me and so many others it is okay to feel lonely (Lonely St.), it is okay to be scared of growing up (19), and it is okay to not be okay (Levanter). Stray Kids is a group striving to make a difference, not just winning awards. That is why they make such an impact on my life, the lives of millions of others, and the world. Stray Kids everywhere, all around the world. You make Stray Kids Stay.

The Sorting Hat would not need to touch the crown of my head to know I am a Slytherin. From the poise to my confidence, I am told and believed to be the true definition of a Slytherin. This is not because I'm malicious, or underhanded, or because I love to watch people fall. We cannot let the flaws of the few define that of the many. Slytherin is about ambition, leadership, resourcefulness, and yes, being cunning. I embody all for traits of Slytherin. Allow me to break it down for you. I come from a Single-Parent household. I live with my mother and my younger sister, who is two years younger than I am. I was a "free-or-reduced lunch" student. To everyone in my surroundings, I was not favored to be the best at anything. Sure, my mother was in the Air Force and my father in the Navy, but as everyone told me, Military children are "Brats". I wanted to be a famous singer, and I worked hard to follow that path. I am ambitious enough to participate in every activity that would put me in front of an audience with a microphone. Now, I aspire to be a Military Officer. My ambition is to see that it happens. For leadership, I have always known I possess the quality. It is one trait that has always come naturally. I have a commanding voice, not a bossy one. People tend to listen to what I say and follow through. I make sure there are never any issues between my coworkers and me. Furthermore, I make sure everyone is in a comfortable and fair environment. I dare say anyone who comes across my path would identify leadership as one of my core qualities. Resourcefulness. This trait has come from my background as a Military Brat. I moved every 2 to 3 years, and it's not just moving a few towns over. It is always moving across an ocean or a continent. Makes it pretty hard to make friends, don't you think? Being resourceful is knowing how to connect with people so you're not alone, not isolated. I learned how to make friends quickly and how to let them when it was time to leave. And now, the last core value of a Slytherin. Cunning. Listen. Everyone lies, alright? Some are petty, some are... catastrophic. So, am I going to tell my sister that it was me who took her pencil because I needed one for class? No, because she has several others. But am I going to tell her where the new pencil suddenly appeared from? Also no because that would mean admitting I took her pencil in the first place. Am I going to tell you every single time I've had to finagle myself out of a situation? I'm not dumb. So, yes. I'm a Slytherin. I have to be ambitious, resourceful, show good leadership, and be cunning. There is no way I wouldn't Head Girl.