Often, it is difficult to make mental health care accessible to underprivileged populations, especially children. However, schools can reach many children of various backgrounds and situations. I plan to become a school psychologist in order to help prevent and alleviate mental illness early on. What people experience in school, such as bullying, labeling, and tracking, directly affects their mental health and self-perception. Some students are denied opportunities because educators perceive them to be incompetent due to reasons such as race, gender, or neurodivergence. I want to encourage children to believe that they are capable, even if they come from unique backgrounds or need accommodations. Reducing shame and inequity in the public school system can help prevent depression, academic-related anxiety, and negative self-image. Because there is a shortage of school psychologists in the country, students are being denied a wonderful resource for mental health care. Being a school psychologist will allow me to help reach people in a way many others cannot at no expense to the populations I'll serve.

When people find out I want to be a school psychologist, they are often shocked that I would choose that field. This is not because I don't have the skillset, personality, or passion for the job. My career choice is unusual because I was homeschooled. I had a brief public school career before my parents decided they wanted to teach me at home. After that, I had a very successful education studded with awards and opportunities. Unfortunately, I am not a supergenius endowed with an unusual capacity for absorbing and internalizing information. In fact, it took me a while to grasp certain subjects. I was extremely below average in math until seventh grade, after which I excelled in honors and college-level classes. Primarily, my success was due to my education working for me. There was space for me to make mistakes, take my time, and explore new approaches. Many public school students don't get this privilege, especially when facing barriers such as problems at home, learning disabilities, bullying, and a lack of advocacy from their educators. Now it seems like I am showing off to public schoolers. However, this is not the case. I want to help. Through my adaptive education I found that learning does not look the some for everyone. Unfortunately, not everyone can be homeschooled. Instead, I want to enter the schools and give students the same opportunities I received. Oftentimes, the hurdles students are faced with are due to no fault of their own. Many racial and cultural minority students are viewed as less capable simply because of their genetics. Similarly, many students with learning or mental disorders are completely disregarded because they need extra assistance. This unfair treatment can be avoided with the help of professionals such as school psychologists. Once I complete all of the schooling I need to become a school psychologist, including a doctorate, there are many goals I want to accomplish. Helping reduce the stigmas around neurodivergent students would be extremely fulfilling for me. Some of the neurodivergent children I have worked with have been labeled as obstinate, rude, or disruptive simply because their minds work differently. Changing the way a school handles and perceives their neurodiverse populations would satisfy an urge I've had for years. Additionally, I want to change how students feel about themselves. The mindset a person has can influence their success story. If students internalize harmful labels placed on them or create harmful labels for themselves, they can prevent themselves from reaching their full potential. I want to help students understand that they are capable, and that there is no shame in asking for assistance. Despite my lack of experience with public schools, I have a powerful passion for education. Dismantling the challenges preventing students from being all that they can be is my primary aspiration. I know I can accomplish this because my education has given me triumph, and I want to pay it forward.

We welcome her… She is Eve, the mother of all and the mother of the one whose son will crush the serpent’s head. She is Hagar, a servant banished, who turned to God in the wilderness and He saw her. She is Sarah, who bore a child in her old age and laughed at the absurdity of God’s miracle. She is the Shunammite woman, who donated selflessly to a stranger and put her faith in God through her infertility. She is Ruth, who remained steadfast to her mother-in-law, and was rewarded for her diligence. She is Esther, who stayed faithful to her people, strong in the face of fear and steady in the presence of evil. We welcome her… She is Mary, the unprepared teenage mother who birthed and raised a Savior. She is the woman at the well, who drew water for a thirsty provider and ran to tell the good news of the man who knew her. She is the adulterous woman, who was forgiven her most shameful mistakes. She is the woman healed of the issue of blood, whose faith was more unbreakable than that of the disciples. She is Tabitha, who gave charitably and did the work of the Lord selflessly. She is Mary Magdalene, who remained with the sacrificed Lamb of God, who lived in reverence of Him, and started the spread of the Gospel. We welcome her… She is the little girl, whose unbreakable joy brightens and changes the world around her. She is the provider, juggling work and home duties, yet still finding time to giggle with her children. She is the teenager, remaining true to God’s standard, despite peer pressure, school expectations, and an undetermined identity. She is the want-to-be mother, pleading that God will give her a child while remembering that He knows what is best. She is the soon-to-be mother, emerging victorious on the other side of an infertility battle. She is the grandmother who, despite having no children of her own, is a comforting, Godly figure for all of the neighborhood kids. We welcome her to our table, regardless of her scars and her mistakes. She is the daughter of the Most High King and she is welcome.