I grew up around drug and alcohol addicts as well as very abusive people. My mom was a single mother with four kids while also hooked on drugs and alcohol. I was exposed to many things at a very young age and had to be independent at the age of 6. My sister was the oldest and we were 6 years apart in age, she raised me more than my mom did, but she suffered from depression because of all the trauma we went through. Starting at a young age, I grew up seeing my sister cut herself and her trying to kill herself. Shortly after we entered foster care my sister got very depressed and stopped taking her medicine, I watched her get sicker and sicker every day, refusing to eat, refusing to even get up. I was by her side through it all, I watched her die in the hospital bed. She was 15 years old when she died. After she died, I got very depressed to the point I would lay in the middle of the road hoping a car would kill me. I started drinking, smoking, and cutting my wrist afterward and I was around 10 years old. She was my everything, my sister, and my best friend. I struggled with cutting my wrist for several years and drinking. I also struggled with many insecurities since my dad left when I was younger and that my birth mother went to prison, and I had to grow up visiting her in and out of jail. I always thought of how I'm not enough for anyone and that's why they left, which then would lead to me getting depressed and not making healthy choices. I have overcome those thoughts with lots of therapy and by getting adopted by a good family. I still have those thoughts, but I turn to my family and my counselor to help me overcome them. I go to therapy every week and try to better myself and find positive healthy outlets to turn to when my mental health starts to decrease. Over the years of my mental health issues, there has always been one good constant thing to help no matter what and that is animals. I have always had a soft spot for animals; they are very therapeutic. Animals can't talk to make us feel better but, in their way, they comfort us. My dogs have easily saved my life in many ways. So, I want to be a veterinarian so I can take care of them and save their life like they did for me.

I grew up around drug and alcohol addicts as well as very abusive people. My mom was a single mother with four kids while also hooked on drugs and alcohol. I was exposed to many things at a very young age and had to be independent at the age of 6. My sister was the oldest and we were 6 years apart in age, she raised me more than my mom did, but she suffered from depression because of all the trauma we went through. Starting at a young age, I grew up seeing my sister cut herself and her trying to kill herself. Shortly after we entered foster care my sister got very depressed and stopped taking her medicine, I watched her get sicker and sicker every day, refusing to eat, refusing to even get up. I was by her side through it all, I watched her die in the hospital bed. She was 15 years old when she died. After she died, I got very depressed to the point I would lay in the middle of the road hoping a car would kill me. I started drinking, smoking, and cutting my wrist afterward and I was around 10 years old. She was my everything, my sister, and my best friend. I struggled with cutting my wrist for several years and drinking. I also struggled with many insecurities since my dad left when I was younger and that my birth mother went to prison, and I had to grow up visiting her in and out of jail. I always thought of how I'm not enough for anyone and that's why they left, which then would lead to me getting depressed and not making healthy choices. I have overcome those thoughts with lots of therapy and by getting adopted by a good family. I still have those thoughts, but I turn to my family and my counselor to help me overcome them. Over the years of my mental health issues, there has always been one good constant thing to help no matter what and that is animals. I have always had a soft spot for animals; they are very therapeutic. Animals can't talk to make us feel better but, in their way, they comfort us. My dogs have easily saved my life in many ways. So, I want to be a veterinarian so I can take care of them and save their life like they did for me.

I grew up around drug and alcohol addicts as well as very abusive people. My mom was a single mother with four kids while also hooked on drugs and alcohol. I was exposed to many things at a very young age and had to be independent at the age of 6. My sister was the oldest and we were 6 years apart in age, she raised me more than my mom did, but she suffered from depression because of all the trauma we went through. Starting at a young age, I grew up seeing my sister cut herself and her trying to kill herself. Shortly after we entered foster care my sister got very depressed and stopped taking her medicine, I watched her get sicker and sicker every day, refusing to eat, refusing to even get up. I was by her side through it all, I watched her die in the hospital bed. She was 15 years old when she died. After she died, I got very depressed to the point I would lay in the middle of the road hoping a car would kill me. I started drinking, smoking, and cutting my wrist afterward and I was around 10 years old. She was my everything, my sister, and my best friend. I struggled with cutting my wrist for several years and drinking. I also struggled with many insecurities since my dad left when I was younger and that my birth mother went to prison, and I had to grow up visiting her in and out of jail. I always thought of how I'm not enough for anyone and that's why they left, which then would lead to me getting depressed and not making healthy choices. I have overcome those thoughts with lots of therapy and by getting adopted by a good family. I still have those thoughts, but I turn to my family and my counselor to help me overcome them. Over the years of my mental health issues, there has always been one good constant thing to help no matter what and that is animals. I have always had a soft spot for animals; they are very therapeutic. Animals can't talk to make us feel better but, in their way, they comfort us. My dogs have easily saved my life in many ways. So, I want to be a veterinarian so I can take care of them and save their life like they did for me.

I grew up around drug and alcohol addicts. My mom was a single mother with four kids while also hooked on drugs and alcohol. I got exposed to many things at a very young age and had to be independent at the age of 6. One time when I was out walking with my mom we walked past a homeless person and they had a dog with them. I felt bad for them because I could sympathize with what they're going through but in my mind I felt mostly bad for the dog. I kept thinking how it's not fair that the dog has to starve and not be taken care of, so I begged my mom if we could go inside the store and buy some food for the woman and his dog. We went inside and bought some dog food and human food, then we went back outside and gave it to them. She was very thankful and gave us a hug for the food we gave her and her dog. As we left, I turned around and I could see the dog eagerly eating the food we got him. Since we were very poor we spent most of our money for that person and her dog, so we only got a few items to eat that week. Even though I didn't get to eat much that week my soul was very full because I knew that person and dog got to eat. I have always had a soft spot for animals, so I decided I want to be a veterinarian at a young age. As a kid I grew up where the adults I knew didn't make good choices and didn't take care of me but I couldn't do anything about it because I was a kid and it was their responsibility to take care of me. Animals are very similar in that way. Animals can't talk in our language so it's up to the owners to take care of them. They don’t use words to tell us they’re in pain or that their stomach hurts.Instead they whimper,lay down, or eat grass. I want to be a veterinarian so I can take care of them and make sure they are as healthy as possible like I wished someone would have done for me when I was younger. Majoring in Veterinary medicine will allow me to accomplish that goal and be able to be an advocate for animals and take care of them like every person and animal deserves.