I am a compassionate individual committed to making a positive impact within marginalized communities in my current career and through my future social work practice. My journey toward this goal is rooted in personal experiences and an understanding of the challenges that marginalized communities face. I am the daughter of a Mexican immigrant and a first generation college student. I am pursuing my Masters in Social Work at Portland State University. My social work education provides me with a specialization in clinical practice which will translate to on the ground service for my community. I currently work at a local nonprofit named Centro Cultural. I manage many academic support programs for LatinX middle schoolers and high schoolers in my community. I witness firsthand the lack of culturally specific mental health resources and extra curricular support services available to my community. This exposure ignited my passion for addressing the unique mental health needs for the Latinx community, motivating me to pursue a career dedicated to creating equitable access to mental health services in educational settings. I understand that many barriers prevent individuals from seeking help and resources. In the Latinx community I serve, the largest barriers include; organizational funding, educated and licensed community members, transportation, location, awareness, and cost of services. This realization fueled my commitment to supporting culturally appropriate mental health and academic support services. I aim to resist systems of oppression by providing these services and partnering with other members of the community. In my tutoring program for middle schoolers we routinely learn and practice a growth mindset. We challenge ourselves to do the hard things, the new things, and aim to fail better. I believe in creating a safe and culturally sensitive space where students from diverse backgrounds can openly discuss their experiences in academia, knowing they will be met with understanding and respect. In terms of activism, I am dedicated to advocating for increased academic and mental health resources within my community. The Centro Cultural Education department actively resist the “school to to prison pipeline” by partnering with local organizations such as the local library. We are not associated with local schools. This differentiation provide students with a new environment and an opportunity to build a new relationship with academics. It is beyond my scope of practice to provide my students with mental health resources however, I aim to serve my community in a license, professional, setting eventually. I aim to be a catalyst for change, on the ground level of my community. My career aspirations as a NASW licensed school social worker align with my commitment to fostering mental health equity. I am pursuing a professional path that allows me to directly impact underserved communities. Clinical social work serves as an immediate remedy for individuals. However, my education has taught me that lasting transformation is brought by combining policy change and resisting structures that cause harm, we need community organization and empowerment. I am dedicated to utilizing my skills to provide accessible mental health in academic support services for my community. In conclusion, my personal experiences and my career have profoundly influenced my beliefs, activism, and long term career aspirations. I am driven by passion to make mental health services more accessible, within marginalized communities. Through a combination of empathy, education, and advocacy, I aspire to contribute to a future where mental health is prioritized, destigmatized, and accessible to all. I understand that it is unfair to leave resistance and systemic transformation up to the most marginalized populations in our society. However, there is power in resistance and challenge will be the catalyst for change.