Mental health is like a roller coaster, as some days are way better than others. On the good days you feel invincible like you can move mountains, and on the not so good days it's like someone put that mountain on top of you. I was diagnosed with clinical depression and anxiety when I was in middle school due to attempting to take my own life. I am not the same girl today as I was when I wrote that note and had that plan. I grew up, learned a lot about myself, and I built a support system that helps me to this day when I feel that mountain moving over top of me. I grew up in a christian household with a very strong upbringing of what it meant to be an ideal christian. This ideal person was a big part to the digression of my mental health. I felt this pressure of needing to be someone that I wasn't and didn't want to be, well at least not on everyone else's terms. As my depression got worse, and did not go away, I lost my faith in the Lord and stopped paying attention at church, and disconnect myself from that atmosphere. My mental illness took me away from my church, my faith and told me I wasn't worthy. The worst part about all of it is, I truly believed that I wasn't worthy. I lost a lot of friends because I would cut people off, I didn't want to burden them. I remember thinking " noone wants to be friends with the crazy girl". Through middle school and high school my mental health was low and it took my personality away. I now am a second year college student and just recently have started feeling like myself again. I am now dealing with the stress of being a student-athlete as that is a whole new emotion, however I continue appointments with my counselor on my road to recovery. Through these past couple months I have found my voice and been able to speak up for myself and ask for help and reach out when I need it. My improvement in mental health results around one word, Acceptance. Once I was able to accept that I had a mental illness things got easier. I finally realized that I am not alone and there are so many other people who are dealing with similar things to me. I made friends in college, they will be my friends for a lifetime, and many of them struggle with similar anxiety as me. I finally was able to talk to others and in conversation, we are able to help each other conquer what is so little but seems so big. I believed that I could make the most out of my life even with my mental health being unpredictable at times. I learned ways to cope with anxiety attacks in crowded public places so I could experience Hamilton off broadway, New York city, and Disney world. I Accepted my mental illness as a passenger on my journey through life. I acknowledge its existence but I won't let it in the driver's seat. Due to my struggles with mental Illness, I decided to pursue a career in health care that would help children with disabilities. I am attending Utica University to receive my M.S. in Occupational Therapy and concentrating in pediatrics. Going through treatments and in general the process of mental illness a recurring thought in my head was" I want to be something bigger than myself, for someone else". The occupational therapy work field will allow me to work with kids that have a challenge ahead of them that they need to work with. I want to use what I have learned, about acknowledging the challenge and not letting it take over, to teach these kids that they can do anything they set their mind to. My mom used to always tell me that I was going through all this pain for something big, I am finally starting to see what she meant.

My name is Alyssa Morley, I currently attend Utica College although I began my college Career at Crown College in MN. I always knew I wanted to do good for others and be able to help people in whatever job field I chose to do. I landed upon the goal of becoming a Pediatric Occupational Therapist, preferably in a trauma unit. I would love to help a child regain mobility to play sports again, or even just learn adaption to feel comfortable performing activities of daily living after a traumatic incident. With this being my goal I am taking a big leap in my college career by committing to a 5 year program to receive my masters in Occupational Therapy, instead of reapplying for graduate school in 3 years. Being in this program sets me apart from my peers, it will allow me to start the journey of life a year earlier and that is very exciting to me. I plan to have a family and a home of my own. Traveling to Greece and Barcelona are on my bucket list of things to do once I graduate college and am financially supported by my work. Within my work field I would like to help in more ways than one. I have a heavy religious background, and although I would never push that on someone, I would love to be inspiration if that is what a patient needed. I was a part of the HOBY leadership program and that allowed me to learn different ways to contribute to my community through service. I was required to complete 100 hours of community service to stay in the program. Having gone through this program it allowed me to discover new ways of community outreach that I plan to carry on throughout my future. I have big plans and goals for my future as a mom, occupational therapist, leader, etc. Thank you for your time!