My name is Ana Garcia and I am currently in the process of completing my Master's in Social Work at Fordham University. I am the first person in my family to earn a bachelor's degree and will be the first to earn their master's. My career goal is to become a licensed clinical social worker so that I can treat those most underserved in the community. I specifically want to focus on providing mental health support to Latino communities who have suffered through the psychological toll of immigration and assimilation. I have witnessed first-hand how heavy the burden of being an immigrant can be due to my family's hardship in accustoming to life in the U.S.A. In 2016 I attended Florida State University to complete a Bachelor's in Psychology. What seemed like a carefree life for many of my peers was an extremely challenging one for me. As a Mexican-American whose parents only completed high school, it was very difficult navigating the higher education system alone. I spent most of my time during undergrad worrying about how my tuition would be paid for and spent countless hours on the phone with my parents trying to understand federal loans. That is why another life goal of mine would be to mentor a first-generation college student so that the university system does not seem so daunting - so that they do not feel as alone as I did. Additionally, during the course of my undergraduate career, I also managed to accrue nearly 2 years of counseling experience. I had the privilege of volunteering for 2-1-1 Big Bend, Inc. in a Crisis Counselor role in my free time, where I learned valuable professional skills such as providing advocacy, crisis intervention, and psychological counseling. I sought to use my knowledge to help those suffering – it’s been an honor to devote myself to helping individuals in that way. Being of immigrant parents has motivated me to dedicate myself to helping others based on the privilege I have been given. Not only is my bilingual background a positive attribute in a professional sense but it also shapes my belief of wanting to give back to others who may have grown up in similarly difficult circumstances. This is demonstrated by my volunteer work, which exhibits my dedication to supporting underserved populations in the community. I believe that my fluency in Spanish gives me the opportunity to aid an even larger population in need. My idea of impacting social change is by making mental health services accessible to everyone. Trauma is a huge factor in why our society suffers and by providing therapy to the population we will create meaningful healing by closing out generational cycles of trauma. When I obtain my LCSW, I want to support policy to achieve this goal of accessible behavioral health services and want to take clients on a sliding scale or at a very low cost. Thank you for taking the time to learn about me and gain insight into my life. I appreciate your consideration.

I am the first individual in my family to acquire a bachelor's degree and will also be the first to pursue their master's. Initially, I was very unsure of pursuing my degree because I knew it would be a huge financial investment and did not want to ask my family for more money. After much discussion, my family is supportive of my goals and I am confident that I will manage the financial aspect of acquiring this degree. My parents do not have a large income, therefore I came to the decision that I will be solely responsible for financing my master's. I understand that a master's program will be rigorous, especially while working a job. But receiving this education will support my passion for helping vulnerable individuals. At some point, I will be managing courses, a field placement, and a professional job – organization and time management will be the keys to my success. I held a job throughout high school and my undergraduate studies which demonstrate my capability of being able to effectively manage my time. A scholarship would tremendously help with my studies. My aspirations include completing a master’s program in social work and then becoming a licensed clinical social worker to treat individuals’ mental health with various therapy techniques. I especially would like to focus on treating the Latin American population who have experienced the psychological toll of emigration. I was able to figure out the direction I wanted to take in my life through education. I received my undergraduate degree in psychology and I believe it made me a more empathetic and caring individual through the classes I completed. I was able to see the world through a mental health lens and really pinpoint areas where society could benefit from therapeutic practices. My interest in psychology led me to volunteer as a crisis hotline counselor during my final two years of college. I was able to assist the Tallahassee population by providing them with social resources such as rental/utility assistance, food pantry programs, and even supporting them with finding local homeless shelters. I received many calls from the National Suicide Prevention Hotline, therefore, am also experienced with de-escalating suicidal individuals. My time spent at the hotline was fueled by my interest in enhancing my psychology education. I am the daughter of immigrants who could not provide much financial support for my studies. Therefore, I worked throughout my undergraduate degree to help fund my degree and am determined to do the same with this one. I appreciate any financial assistance for I know student loan debt can be quite crushing to an individual. Thank you for your time.

My career goal is to complete a Master's program in Social Work and then to become a licensed therapist to treat individuals' mental health. I have experience in high-stress environments such as volunteering at a crisis hotline as a counselor who had to de-escalate suicidal individuals. My current job involves working with people that need assistance in connecting to mental health resources and social assistance programs. My family experience and how I grew up composes a large part in who I am today. I am the youngest of three children and the only member of my family who was born in the United States. The privilege I felt of feeling safe in this country was a luxury never afforded to them. Unfortunately, my family experienced an identity crisis that took a toll on their mental health. This experience within my family opened my eyes to how important it is to take care of minority communities, especially immigrants. Advocacy is seriously needed for this population as they fear that reaching out for resources could result in legal trouble. Unfortunately, it is seen as “taboo” in Latin American culture to seek out mental health resources – I want to do my part in shifting that narrative. With that familial experience in mind, a professional plan of mine is treating Latin American immigrant children who have been affected by the psychological toll of emigration. It is important to take care of individuals that have endured trauma, especially children who will one day develop into active members of our society. The cycle of trauma must be ended early on so that it does not continue into future generations. I would act by putting together a group of professional peers and providing services in the Latino community where high populations of immigrants reside. My Spanish is one of the strongest tools in my skillset and would be highly utilized in supporting immigrant children with trauma. It has been proven that being culturally competent is one of the most important skills to know to effectively treat immigrants. With that knowledge in mind, I would also put together an initiative to train clinicians through cultural competency classes. The books I have read constantly remind me to keep an open mind and not see life as so black and white. For example, the book I am currently reading, Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell, is an insightful read on human behavior and how complex the decision-making process can be. Books inspire me to take a more curious approach to life and to be more patient with those around me. We are all going through our own personal struggles, which is something I've learned from reading books like Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed and The Body Keeps the Score by Dr. Bessel Van der Kolk. Thank you for your time and for your consideration.

My career goal is to complete a Master's program in Social Work and then to become a licensed therapist to treat individuals' mental health. I have experience in high-stress environments such as volunteering at a crisis hotline as a counselor who had to de-escalate suicidal individuals. My current job involves working with people that need assistance in connecting to mental health resources and social assistance programs. My family experience and how I grew up composes a large part in who I am today. I am the youngest of three children and the only member of my family who was born in the United States. The privilege I felt of feeling safe in this country was a luxury never afforded to them. Unfortunately, my family experienced an identity crisis that took a toll on their mental health. This experience within my family opened my eyes to how important it is to take care of minority communities, especially immigrants. Advocacy is seriously needed for this population as they fear that reaching out for resources could result in legal trouble. Unfortunately, it is seen as “taboo” in Latin American culture to seek out mental health resources – I want to do my part in shifting that narrative. With that familial experience in mind, a professional plan of mine is treating Latin American immigrant children who have been affected by the psychological toll of emigration. It is important to take care of individuals that have endured trauma, especially children who will one day develop into active members of our society. The cycle of trauma must be ended early on so that it does not continue into future generations. I would act by putting together a group of professional peers and providing services in the Latino community where high populations of immigrants reside. My Spanish is one of the strongest tools in my skillset and would be highly utilized in supporting immigrant children with trauma. It has been proven that being culturally competent is one of the most important skills to know to effectively treat immigrants. With that knowledge in mind, I would also put together an initiative to train clinicians through cultural competency classes. Thank you for your time and for your consideration.

Destigmatization and accessibility are crucial in helping those struggling with their mental health. Of course, having services readily available is important in the fight against mental health, but if people are not comfortable voicing their struggles then it won't do any good. As a society, we must be willing to openly communicate about mental health and encourage others that it is not seen as a weakness or something they should hide. Once we embrace that discussing mental health struggles is positive then we can move forward to providing support through behavioral health services. We must have agencies readily available to take in clients and not let socioeconomic factors prevent an individual from receiving the help they need. Social programs that are supported by the government financially will need to be implemented so that everyone has equal access to receiving life-saving assistance whether it be through therapy or psychiatry. The income of an individual should never be the reason that they cannot get help for their mental health. I appreciate your time and your consideration, thank you!

My career goal is to complete a Master's program in Social Work and then to become a licensed therapist. I have experience in high-stress environments such as volunteering at a crisis hotline as a counselor who had to de-escalate suicidal individuals. My current job involves working with people that need assistance in connecting to mental health resources and social assistance programs. One crucial aspect of the Social Work profession that I discovered early on was that it can be very demanding, especially on an emotional level. With that in mind, it became a priority to practice self-care to ensure that a healthy work-life balance is maintained. That practice was first applied while I was a volunteer and is consistently utilized now. I receive emotional relief by practicing yoga, going for runs in the early morning, and reading books. Currently, I am reading Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell which I am very much enjoying. By taking the time to take care of myself, I can provide the best quality service to those I aid. This specific skill has been exercised throughout my academic and professional career and will be one that will sustain me throughout my professional and personal life.

Patience is a concept that I struggled with for many years: more so my patience with time. Being a first-generation student and the daughter of immigrants I felt pressure to get everything done as quickly and efficiently as possible. Time was viewed as an agent that was working against me and I feared that I would fail by not completing my goals "in time". Towards the end of my undergraduate career, I hit a rock bottom - I became paralyzed with the idea of taking a moment of patience because I equated that to failure. Thankfully, I was able to re-group and take a step back from all the pressures I was inflicting on myself. I had to learn that patience was a gift that allowed me to ground myself and not put too much on my plate. Patience taught me the importance of not being harsh on myself and practicing self-kindness. It is a practice that I still follow to this day and that I believe will assist me in being successful throughout a Master's program.

One change that I believe would enhance the way education influences future generations is making it more accessible - specifically higher education post-high school. One of the struggles I encountered throughout my academic career was a lack of resources and guidance navigating through my undergraduate studies. My parents are immigrants from Mexico who did not understand the American school system and together we learned about financial aid, tuition, and the stress of funding a degree. I believe that all schools should have a department focused on supporting first-generation students in order to increase their success in the school system. It would have been extremely helpful to have had someone mentor me along the way - I hope to be that person in the future to a student who is in the same position that I was at 18.