In the United states 4.7% of psychiatric nurse practitioners are Black/African American. Only 17% of psychiatric clients are Black/African american, but in 2022 suicide was the third leading cause of death in African Americans ages 10-24. A variety of factors influence low african american psychiatric providers/patients such as cultural stigma, systematic issues, and access to care. In 2022 I was admitted to a psychiatric hospital. Growing up, it was looked down upon to seek psychiatric help. Many people look at psychiatric help as the person being “crazy” and/or “beyond help”. This stigma is incredibly popular in my culture (African American), and this roots from systematic racism. I was struggling with my mental health since I was in elementary school, but the fear of being seen as “crazy” frightened me and I let my hurt simmer. Covid came in 2020 and all of the things I was going through amplified, I was stuck and felt that there was no escape from what was going on in my life. Soon enough, I realized that I only had two options left: lose my life or get the help I need. I ended up going against everything I learned when I was brought up, and I sought out help. When I was admitted into the hospital I noticed that there were not many staff members that I felt I could relate to. Many of them were older white women and the fears arose within my mind such as “Maybe I don't belong here.” The lack of diversity made it difficult for me to open up to the staff and providers. During my time there I did meet one Mental Health Technician who changed my perspective. Not only was she close in age to me but she was one of the few black staff there. The more I talked to her, the more I felt like I needed to change my life around. After I left and went back home I started seeing a PMHNP who was also a black woman. She slowly but surely changed my ways of thinking and inspired my career path. In 2024 I knew for sure that I saw myself in the psychiatric field, but I knew being a psychiatrist was not the path for me. I wanted to get more patient interaction before I began a career as a provider so that I could understand my clients to the fullest extent. With further research I decided that being a PMHNP was the right job for me. I could work as a nurse first to get the full patient experience then become a practitioner after a couple years of experience as a nurse. When I finally understood where I wanted my career path to go I started researching schools. 2024 was my graduation year and I knew college was in my future. I still wanted to be where I felt the most comfortable so an HBCU was something I took into consideration. With distance, nursing program reviews, and environment, I realised Winston Salem State University was the right choice for me. I also began working as a Mental Health Technician, to get an understanding of all levels in the psychiatric field. I love my job and it has furthered my passion for uplifting mental health especially in young people and erasing the stigma created especially in my culture. I went from patient-MHT and now I am currently going to school to begin a career in nursing. This scholarship will allow me to focus on my career without the burden of financial hardships getting in the way.

In the United states 4.7% of psychiatric nurse practitioners are Black/African American. Only 17% of psychiatric clients are Black/African american, but in 2022 suicide was the third leading cause of death in African Americans ages 10-24. A variety of factors influence low african american psychiatric providers/patients such as cultural stigma, systematic issues, and access to care. In 2022 I was admitted to a psychiatric hospital. Growing up, it was looked down upon to seek psychiatric help. Many people look at psychiatric help as the person being “crazy” and/or “beyond help”. This stigma is incredibly popular in my culture (African American), and this roots from systematic racism. I was struggling with my mental health since I was in elementary school, but the fear of being seen as “crazy” frightened me and I let my hurt simmer. Covid came in 2020 and all of the things I was going through amplified, I was stuck and felt that there was no escape from what was going on in my life. Soon enough, I realized that I only had two options left: lose my life or get the help I need. I ended up going against everything I learned when I was brought up, and I sought out help. When I was admitted into the hospital I noticed that there were not many staff members that I felt I could relate to. Many of them were older white women and the fears arose within my mind such as “Maybe I don't belong here.” The lack of diversity made it difficult for me to open up to the staff and providers. During my time there I did meet one Mental Health Technician who changed my perspective. Not only was she close in age to me but she was one of the few black staff there. The more I talked to her, the more I felt like I needed to change my life around. After I left and went back home I started seeing a PMHNP who was also a black woman. She slowly but surely changed my ways of thinking and inspired my career path. In 2024 I knew for sure that I saw myself in the psychiatric field, but I knew being a psychiatrist was not the path for me. I wanted to get more patient interaction before I began a career as a provider so that I could understand my clients to the fullest extent. With further research I decided that being a PMHNP was the right job for me. I could work as a nurse first to get the full patient experience then become a practitioner after a couple years of experience as a nurse. When I finally understood where I wanted my career path to go I started researching schools. 2024 was my graduation year and I knew college was in my future. I still wanted to be where I felt the most comfortable so an HBCU was something I took into consideration. With distance, nursing program reviews, and environment, I realised Winston Salem State University was the right choice for me. I also began working as a Mental Health Technician, to get an understanding of all levels in the psychiatric field. I love my job and it has furthered my passion for uplifting mental health especially in young people and erasing the stigma created especially in my culture. I went from patient-MHT and now I am currently going to school to begin a career in nursing. This scholarship will allow me to focus on my career without the burden of financial hardships getting in the way.

In the United states 4.7% of psychiatric nurse practitioners are Black/African American. Only 17% of psychiatric clients are Black/African american, but in 2022 suicide was the third leading cause of death in African Americans ages 10-24. A variety of factors influence low african american psychiatric providers/patients such as cultural stigma, systematic issues, and access to care. In 2022 I was admitted to a psychiatric hospital. Growing up, it was looked down upon to seek psychiatric help. Many people look at psychiatric help as the person being “crazy” and/or “beyond help”. This stigma is incredibly popular in my culture (African American), and this roots from systematic racism. I was struggling with my mental health since I was in elementary school, but the fear of being seen as “crazy” frightened me and I let my hurt simmer. Covid came in 2020 and all of the things I was going through amplified, I was stuck and felt that there was no escape from what was going on in my life. Soon enough, I realized that I only had two options left: lose my life or get the help I need. I ended up going against everything I learned when I was brought up, and I sought out help. When I was admitted into the hospital I noticed that there were not many staff members that I felt I could relate to. Many of them were older white women and the fears arose within my mind such as “Maybe I don't belong here.” The lack of diversity made it difficult for me to open up to the staff and providers. During my time there I did meet one Mental Health Technician who changed my perspective. Not only was she close in age to me but she was one of the few black staff there. The more I talked to her, the more I felt like I needed to change my life around. After I left and went back home I started seeing a PMHNP who was also a black woman. She slowly but surely changed my ways of thinking and inspired my career path. In 2024 I knew for sure that I saw myself in the psychiatric field, but I knew being a psychiatrist was not the path for me. I wanted to get more patient interaction before I began a career as a provider so that I could understand my clients to the fullest extent. With further research I decided that being a PMHNP was the right job for me. I could work as a nurse first to get the full patient experience then become a practitioner after a couple years of experience as a nurse. When I finally understood where I wanted my career path to go I started researching schools. 2024 was my graduation year and I knew college was in my future. I still wanted to be where I felt the most comfortable so an HBCU was something I took into consideration. With distance, nursing program reviews, and environment, I realised Winston Salem State University was the right choice for me. I also began working as a Mental Health Technician, to get an understanding of all levels in the psychiatric field. I love my job and it has furthered my passion for uplifting mental health especially in young people and erasing the stigma created especially in my culture. I went from patient-MHT and now I am currently going to school to begin a career in nursing. This scholarship will allow me to focus on my career without the burden of financial hardships getting in the way.

In the United states 4.7% of psychiatric nurse practitioners are Black/African American. Only 17% of psychiatric clients are Black/African american, but in 2022 suicide was the third leading cause of death in African Americans ages 10-24. A variety of factors influence low african american psychiatric providers/patients such as cultural stigma, systematic issues, and access to care. In 2022 I was admitted to a psychiatric hospital. Growing up, it was looked down upon to seek psychiatric help. Not only in my family but in the outside world as well. Many people look at psychiatric help as the person being “crazy” and/or “beyond help”. This stigma is incredibly popular in my culture (African American), and this roots from systematic racism. I was struggling with my mental health since I was in elementary school, but the fear of being seen as “crazy” frightened me and I let my hurt simmer. Covid came in 2020 and all of the things I was going through amplified, I was stuck and felt that there was no escape from what was going on in my life. Soon enough, I realized that I only had two options left: lose my life or get the help I need. When I was admitted into the hospital I noticed that there were not many staff members that I felt I could relate to. Many of them were older white women and the fears arose within my mind such as “Maybe I don't belong here.” The lack of diversity made it difficult for me to open up to the staff and providers. During my time there I did meet one Mental Health Technician who changed my perspective. Not only was she close in age to me but she was one of the few black staff there. The more I talked to her, the more I felt like I needed to change my life around. After I left and went back home I started seeing a PMHNP who was also a black woman. She slowly but surely changed my ways of thinking and inspired my career path. Going from being afraid to get help to wanting to start a career in mental health is something that has always surprised me. Both the Mental Health Technician and my PMHNP were my biggest inspirations to create change in other people, the same way they did for me. In 2024 I knew for sure that I saw myself in the psychiatric field, but I knew being a psychiatrist was not the path for me. I wanted to get more patient interaction before I began a career as a provider so that I could understand my clients to the fullest extent. With further research I decided that being a PMHNP was the right job for me. I wanted to be where I felt the most comfortable so an HBCU was something I took into consideration. Winston Salem State University was the right choice for me. I also began working as a Mental Health Technician, to get an understanding of all levels in the psychiatric field. I love my job and it has furthered my passion for uplifting mental health especially in young people and erasing the stigma created especially in my culture. I went from patient-MHT and now I am currently going to school to begin a career in nursing. Three years ago I never thought I would be able to change my life around like this. The MHT and PMHNP changed my life around and I would love to do the same for others. Collapse

In the United states 4.7% of psychiatric nurse practitioners are Black/African American. Only 17% of psychiatric clients are Black/African american, but in 2022 suicide was the third leading cause of death in African Americans ages 10-24. A variety of factors influence low african american psychiatric providers/patients such as cultural stigma, systematic issues, and access to care. In 2022 I was admitted to a psychiatric hospital. Growing up, it was looked down upon to seek psychiatric help. Not only in my family but in the outside world as well. Many people look at psychiatric help as the person being “crazy” and/or “beyond help”. This stigma is incredibly popular in my culture (African American), and this roots from systematic racism. I was struggling with my mental health since I was in elementary school, but the fear of being seen as “crazy” frightened me and I let my hurt simmer. Covid came in 2020 and all of the things I was going through amplified, I was stuck and felt that there was no escape from what was going on in my life. Soon enough, I realized that I only had two options left: lose my life or get the help I need. When I was admitted into the hospital I noticed that there were not many staff members that I felt I could relate to. Many of them were older white women and the fears arose within my mind such as “Maybe I don't belong here.” The lack of diversity made it difficult for me to open up to the staff and providers. During my time there I did meet one Mental Health Technician who changed my perspective. Not only was she close in age to me but she was one of the few black staff there. The more I talked to her, the more I felt like I needed to change my life around. After I left and went back home I started seeing a PMHNP who was also a black woman. She slowly but surely changed my ways of thinking and inspired my career path. Going from being afraid to get help to wanting to start a career in mental health is something that has always surprised me. Both the Mental Health Technician and my PMHNP were my biggest inspirations to create change in other people, the same way they did for me. In 2024 I knew for sure that I saw myself in the psychiatric field, but I knew being a psychiatrist was not the path for me. I wanted to get more patient interaction before I began a career as a provider so that I could understand my clients to the fullest extent. With further research I decided that being a PMHNP was the right job for me. I wanted to be where I felt the most comfortable so an HBCU was something I took into consideration. Winston Salem State University was the right choice for me. I also began working as a Mental Health Technician, to get an understanding of all levels in the psychiatric field. I love my job and it has furthered my passion for uplifting mental health especially in young people and erasing the stigma created especially in my culture. I went from patient-MHT and now I am currently going to school to begin a career in nursing. Three years ago I never thought I would be able to change my life around like this. The MHT and PMHNP changed my life around and I would love to do the same for others. Collapse

In the United states 4.7% of psychiatric nurse practitioners are Black/African American. Only 17% of psychiatric clients are Black/African american, but in 2022 suicide was the third leading cause of death in African Americans ages 10-24. A variety of factors influence low african american psychiatric providers/patients such as cultural stigma, systematic issues, and access to care. In 2022 I was admitted to a psychiatric hospital. Growing up, it was looked down upon to seek psychiatric help. Not only in my family but in the outside world as well. Many people look at psychiatric help as the person being “crazy” and/or “beyond help”. This stigma is incredibly popular in my culture (African American), and this roots from systematic racism. I was struggling with my mental health since I was in elementary school, but the fear of being seen as “crazy” frightened me and I let my hurt simmer. Covid came in 2020 and all of the things I was going through amplified, I was stuck and felt that there was no escape from what was going on in my life. Soon enough, I realized that I only had two options left: lose my life or get the help I need. When I was admitted into the hospital I noticed that there were not many staff members that I felt I could relate to. Many of them were older white women and the fears arose within my mind such as “Maybe I don't belong here.” The lack of diversity made it difficult for me to open up to the staff and providers. During my time there I did meet one Mental Health Technician who changed my perspective. Not only was she close in age to me but she was one of the few black staff there. The more I talked to her, the more I felt like I needed to change my life around. After I left and went back home I started seeing a PMHNP who was also a black woman. She slowly but surely changed my ways of thinking and inspired my career path. Going from being afraid to get help to wanting to start a career in mental health is something that has always surprised me. Both the Mental Health Technician and my PMHNP were my biggest inspirations to create change in other people, the same way they did for me. In 2024 I knew for sure that I saw myself in the psychiatric field, but I knew being a psychiatrist was not the path for me. I wanted to get more patient interaction before I began a career as a provider so that I could understand my clients to the fullest extent. With further research I decided that being a PMHNP was the right job for me. I wanted to be where I felt the most comfortable so an HBCU was something I took into consideration. Winston Salem State University was the right choice for me. I also began working as a Mental Health Technician, to get an understanding of all levels in the psychiatric field. I love my job and it has furthered my passion for uplifting mental health especially in young people and erasing the stigma created especially in my culture. I went from patient-MHT and now I am currently going to school to begin a career in nursing. Three years ago I never thought I would be able to change my life around like this. The MHT and PMHNP changed my life around and I would love to do the same for others. Collapse

In the United states 4.7% of psychiatric nurse practitioners are Black/African American. Only 17% of psychiatric clients are Black/African american, but in 2022 suicide was the third leading cause of death in African Americans ages 10-24. A variety of factors influence low african american psychiatric providers/patients such as cultural stigma, systematic issues, and access to care. In 2022 I was admitted to a psychiatric hospital. Growing up, it was looked down upon to seek psychiatric help. Not only in my family but in the outside world as well. Many people look at psychiatric help as the person being “crazy” and/or “beyond help”. This stigma is incredibly popular in my culture (African American), and this roots from systematic racism. I was struggling with my mental health since I was in elementary school, but the fear of being seen as “crazy” frightened me and I let my hurt simmer. Covid came in 2020 and all of the things I was going through amplified, I was stuck and felt that there was no escape from what was going on in my life. Soon enough, I realized that I only had two options left: lose my life or get the help I need. When I was admitted into the hospital I noticed that there were not many staff members that I felt I could relate to. Many of them were older white women and the fears arose within my mind such as “Maybe I don't belong here.” The lack of diversity made it difficult for me to open up to the staff and providers. During my time there I did meet one Mental Health Technician who changed my perspective. Not only was she close in age to me but she was one of the few black staff there. The more I talked to her, the more I felt like I needed to change my life around. After I left and went back home I started seeing a PMHNP who was also a black woman. She slowly but surely changed my ways of thinking and inspired my career path. Going from being afraid to get help to wanting to start a career in mental health is something that has always surprised me. Both the Mental Health Technician and my PMHNP were my biggest inspirations to create change in other people, the same way they did for me. In 2024 I knew for sure that I saw myself in the psychiatric field, but I knew being a psychiatrist was not the path for me. I wanted to get more patient interaction before I began a career as a provider so that I could understand my clients to the fullest extent. With further research I decided that being a PMHNP was the right job for me. I wanted to be where I felt the most comfortable so an HBCU was something I took into consideration. Winston Salem State University was the right choice for me. I also began working as a Mental Health Technician, to get an understanding of all levels in the psychiatric field. I love my job and it has furthered my passion for uplifting mental health especially in young people and erasing the stigma created especially in my culture. I went from patient-MHT and now I am currently going to school to begin a career in nursing. Three years ago I never thought I would be able to change my life around like this. The MHT and PMHNP changed my life around and I would love to do the same for others. Collapse

In the United states 4.7% of psychiatric nurse practitioners are Black/African American. Only 17% of psychiatric clients are Black/African american, but in 2022 suicide was the third leading cause of death in African Americans ages 10-24. A variety of factors influence low african american psychiatric providers/patients such as cultural stigma, systematic issues, and access to care. In 2022 I was admitted to a psychiatric hospital. Growing up, it was looked down upon to seek psychiatric help. Not only in my family but in the outside world as well. Many people look at psychiatric help as the person being “crazy” and/or “beyond help”. This stigma is incredibly popular in my culture (African American), and this roots from systematic racism. I was struggling with my mental health since I was in elementary school, but the fear of being seen as “crazy” frightened me and I let my hurt simmer. Covid came in 2020 and all of the things I was going through amplified, I was stuck and felt that there was no escape from what was going on in my life. Soon enough, I realized that I only had two options left: lose my life or get the help I need. When I was admitted into the hospital I noticed that there were not many staff members that I felt I could relate to. Many of them were older white women and the fears arose within my mind such as “Maybe I don't belong here.” The lack of diversity made it difficult for me to open up to the staff and providers. During my time there I did meet one Mental Health Technician who changed my perspective. Not only was she close in age to me but she was one of the few black staff there. The more I talked to her, the more I felt like I needed to change my life around. After I left and went back home I started seeing a PMHNP who was also a black woman. She slowly but surely changed my ways of thinking and inspired my career path. Going from being afraid to get help to wanting to start a career in mental health is something that has always surprised me. Both the Mental Health Technician and my PMHNP were my biggest inspirations to create change in other people, the same way they did for me. In 2024 I knew for sure that I saw myself in the psychiatric field, but I knew being a psychiatrist was not the path for me. I wanted to get more patient interaction before I began a career as a provider so that I could understand my clients to the fullest extent. With further research I decided that being a PMHNP was the right job for me. I wanted to be where I felt the most comfortable so an HBCU was something I took into consideration. Winston Salem State University was the right choice for me. I also began working as a Mental Health Technician, to get an understanding of all levels in the psychiatric field. I love my job and it has furthered my passion for uplifting mental health especially in young people and erasing the stigma created especially in my culture. I went from patient-MHT and now I am currently going to school to begin a career in nursing. Three years ago I never thought I would be able to change my life around like this. The MHT and PMHNP changed my life around and I would love to do the same for others. Collapse

In the United states 4.7% of psychiatric nurse practitioners are Black/African American. Only 17% of psychiatric clients are Black/African american, but in 2022 suicide was the third leading cause of death in African Americans ages 10-24. A variety of factors influence low african american psychiatric providers/patients such as cultural stigma, systematic issues, and access to care. In 2022 I was admitted to a psychiatric hospital. Growing up, it was looked down upon to seek psychiatric help. Not only in my family but in the outside world as well. Many people look at psychiatric help as the person being “crazy” and/or “beyond help”. This stigma is incredibly popular in my culture (African American), and this roots from systematic racism. I was struggling with my mental health since I was in elementary school, but the fear of being seen as “crazy” frightened me and I let my hurt simmer. Covid came in 2020 and all of the things I was going through amplified, I was stuck and felt that there was no escape from what was going on in my life. Soon enough, I realized that I only had two options left: lose my life or get the help I need. I ended up going against everything I learned when I was brought up, and I sought out help. When I was admitted into the hospital I noticed that there were not many staff members that I felt I could relate to. Many of them were older white women and the fears arose within my mind such as “Maybe I don't belong here.” The lack of diversity made it difficult for me to open up to the staff and providers. During my time there I did meet one Mental Health Technician who changed my perspective. Not only was she close in age to me but she was one of the few black staff there. The more I talked to her, the more I felt like I needed to change my life around. After I left and went back home I started seeing a PMHNP who was also a black woman. She slowly but surely changed my ways of thinking and inspired my career path. Going from being afraid to get help to wanting to start a career in mental health is something that has always surprised me. Both the Mental Health Technician and my PMHNP were my biggest inspirations to create change in other people, the same way they did for me. In 2024 I knew for sure that I saw myself in the psychiatric field, but I knew being a psychiatrist was not the path for me. I wanted to get more patient interaction before I began a career as a provider so that I could understand my clients to the fullest extent. With further research I decided that being a PMHNP was the right job for me. I could work as a nurse first to get the full patient experience then become a practitioner after a couple years of experience as a nurse. When I finally understood where I wanted my career path to go I started researching schools. 2024 was my graduation year and I knew college was in my future. I still wanted to be where I felt the most comfortable so an HBCU was something I took into consideration. With distance, nursing program reviews, and environment, I realised Winston Salem State University was the right choice for me. I also began working as a Mental Health Technician, to get an understanding of all levels in the psychiatric field. I love my job and it has furthered my passion for uplifting mental health especially in young people and erasing the stigma created especially in my culture. I went from patient-MHT and now I am currently going to school to begin a career in nursing. Three years ago I never thought I would be able to change my life around like this. The MHT and PMHNP changed my life around and I would love to do the same for others.

In the United states 4.7% of psychiatric nurse practitioners are Black/African American. Only 17% of psychiatric clients are Black/African american, but in 2022 suicide was the third leading cause of death in African Americans ages 10-24. A variety of factors influence low african american psychiatric providers/patients such as cultural stigma, systematic issues, and access to care. In 2022 I was admitted to a psychiatric hospital. Growing up, it was looked down upon to seek psychiatric help. Not only in my family but in the outside world as well. Many people look at psychiatric help as the person being “crazy” and/or “beyond help”. This stigma is incredibly popular in my culture (African American), and this roots from systematic racism. I was struggling with my mental health since I was in elementary school, but the fear of being seen as “crazy” frightened me and I let my hurt simmer. Covid came in 2020 and all of the things I was going through amplified, I was stuck and felt that there was no escape from what was going on in my life. Soon enough, I realized that I only had two options left: lose my life or get the help I need. I ended up going against everything I learned when I was brought up, and I sought out help. When I was admitted into the hospital I noticed that there were not many staff members that I felt I could relate to. Many of them were older white women and the fears arose within my mind such as “Maybe I don't belong here.” The lack of diversity made it difficult for me to open up to the staff and providers. During my time there I did meet one Mental Health Technician who changed my perspective. Not only was she close in age to me but she was one of the few black staff there. The more I talked to her, the more I felt like I needed to change my life around. After I left and went back home I started seeing a PMHNP who was also a black woman. She slowly but surely changed my ways of thinking and inspired my career path. Going from being afraid to get help to wanting to start a career in mental health is something that has always surprised me. Both the Mental Health Technician and my PMHNP were my biggest inspirations to create change in other people, the same way they did for me. In 2024 I knew for sure that I saw myself in the psychiatric field, but I knew being a psychiatrist was not the path for me. I wanted to get more patient interaction before I began a career as a provider so that I could understand my clients to the fullest extent. With further research I decided that being a PMHNP was the right job for me. I could work as a nurse first to get the full patient experience then become a practitioner after a couple years of experience as a nurse. When I finally understood where I wanted my career path to go I started researching schools. 2024 was my graduation year and I knew college was in my future. I still wanted to be where I felt the most comfortable so an HBCU was something I took into consideration. With distance, nursing program reviews, and environment, I realised Winston Salem State University was the right choice for me. I also began working as a Mental Health Technician, to get an understanding of all levels in the psychiatric field. I love my job and it has furthered my passion for uplifting mental health especially in young people and erasing the stigma created especially in my culture. I went from patient-MHT and now I am currently going to school to begin a career in nursing. Three years ago I never thought I would be able to change my life around like this. The MHT and PMHNP changed my life around and I would love to do the same for others.

In the United states 4.7% of psychiatric nurse practitioners are Black/African American. Only 17% of psychiatric clients are Black/African american, but in 2022 suicide was the third leading cause of death in African Americans ages 10-24. A variety of factors influence low african american psychiatric providers/patients such as cultural stigma, systematic issues, and access to care. In 2022 I was admitted to a psychiatric hospital. Growing up, it was looked down upon to seek psychiatric help. Not only in my family but in the outside world as well. Many people look at psychiatric help as the person being “crazy” and/or “beyond help”. This stigma is incredibly popular in my culture (African American), and this roots from systematic racism. I was struggling with my mental health since I was in elementary school, but the fear of being seen as “crazy” frightened me and I let my hurt simmer. Covid came in 2020 and all of the things I was going through amplified, I was stuck and felt that there was no escape from what was going on in my life. Soon enough, I realized that I only had two options left: lose my life or get the help I need. When I was admitted into the hospital I noticed that there were not many staff members that I felt I could relate to. Many of them were older white women and the fears arose within my mind such as “Maybe I don't belong here.” The lack of diversity made it difficult for me to open up to the staff and providers. During my time there I did meet one Mental Health Technician who changed my perspective. Not only was she close in age to me but she was one of the few black staff there. The more I talked to her, the more I felt like I needed to change my life around. After I left and went back home I started seeing a PMHNP who was also a black woman. She slowly but surely changed my ways of thinking and inspired my career path. Going from being afraid to get help to wanting to start a career in mental health is something that has always surprised me. Both the Mental Health Technician and my PMHNP were my biggest inspirations to create change in other people, the same way they did for me. In 2024 I knew for sure that I saw myself in the psychiatric field, but I knew being a psychiatrist was not the path for me. I wanted to get more patient interaction before I began a career as a provider so that I could understand my clients to the fullest extent. With further research I decided that being a PMHNP was the right job for me. I wanted to be where I felt the most comfortable so an HBCU was something I took into consideration. Winston Salem State University was the right choice for me. I also began working as a Mental Health Technician, to get an understanding of all levels in the psychiatric field. I love my job and it has furthered my passion for uplifting mental health especially in young people and erasing the stigma created especially in my culture. I went from patient-MHT and now I am currently going to school to begin a career in nursing. Three years ago I never thought I would be able to change my life around like this. The MHT and PMHNP changed my life around and I would love to do the same for others.

Black women’s mental well-being is consistently being underappreciated and discarded. Lack of support from people within our own community, combined with hundreds of years of stereotypes degrading Black women, makes today’s society a society that overlooks the Black woman. As a Black woman, it doesn't take long to notice how differently you get treated. Coming out of the womb seems like a threat to people because of the color of my skin. Getting treated like you're not capable of being able to think on your own because I'm a woman. Years of this torment are detrimental to my mind. Feeling like you never fit in anywhere breaks you, but when you try to get help for that mental instability, people look at you like you're insane. This is the life of a Black woman. Constantly, doctors and nurses overlook depression and internal problems in Black women. Black women are 3 times more likely to die in childbirth than white women; Black women's suicide rates are rapidly rising each year. These problems happen because our voices are silenced. No one understands Black women like a Black woman. I want to reclaim the lives we have lost due to us being silenced by our voices. My passion is to become a nurse specializing in behavioral health, to heal my Black sisters, and break the negative connotations people have of the Black woman. In 2017 I was hit with a tsunami of emotions. At the time, I was in the 6th grade and just starting puberty. Like many people during that period of their life, bullying in my school was at an all time high. What made it worse for me was that I was shy and quiet, so I would take the bullying and not tell anyone. The build up of torment from school, then going home and having to take emotional abuse from my dad, was exhausting. One day my mind broke and thoughts of suicide flooded my braid until i felt like that was the only escape. I reported my thoughts and thought i would be saved from these evil thoughts, but i was wrong. As soon as i reported what happened, i got yelled at by my parents because “i dont know what depression is”. I knew after that, that i couldn’t let anyone know how i felt; After that the suicidal thoughts got worse until it was too late. The rapid decline of my mental health lasted for years and i even had to go to the hospital. These trials and tribulations were a fight, but i overcame them and even developed a love for mental health/creating better environments for mental health development in the process. When i was going through my mental crisis, I loved when people helped me and made me feel like I belonged. This love kept progressing and i realized that i would like to help people that were in my same situation. This is the reason i would like to become a behavioral health nurse, so that u can be there for people in emergency situations and maybe even change their mindset. I want to continue my nursing career by pursuing higher education after my bachelors and become a nurse practitioner afterwards. I never felt like i had a voice in the world, especially when i was going through a crisis. Many black women feel the same way i felt or even worse. When i become a nurse practioner, i will give black women their voices back. I am attending winston salem state university as an upcoming freshman and am truly excited.

Black women’s mental well-being is consistently being underappreciated and discarded. Lack of support from people within our own community, combined with hundreds of years of stereotypes degrading Black women, makes today’s society a society that overlooks the Black woman. As a Black woman, it doesn't take long to notice how differently you get treated. Coming out of the womb seems like a threat to people because of the color of my skin. Getting treated like you're not capable of being able to think on your own because I'm a woman. Years of this torment are detrimental to my mind. Feeling like you never fit in anywhere breaks you, but when you try to get help for that mental instability, people look at you like you're insane. This is the life of a Black woman. Constantly, doctors and nurses overlook depression and internal problems in Black women. Black women are 3 times more likely to die in childbirth than white women; Black women's suicide rates are rapidly rising each year. These problems happen because our voices are silenced. No one understands Black women like a Black woman. I want to reclaim the lives we have lost due to us being silenced by our voices. My passion is to become a nurse specializing in behavioral health, to heal my Black sisters, and break the negative connotations people have of the Black woman. In 2017 I was hit with a tsunami of emotions. At the time, I was in the 6th grade and just starting puberty. Like many people during that period of their life, bullying in my school was at an all time high. What made it worse for me was that I was shy and quiet, so I would take the bullying and not tell anyone. The build up of torment from school, then going home and having to take emotional abuse from my dad, was exhausting. One day my mind broke and thoughts of suicide flooded my braid until i felt like that was the only escape. I reported my thoughts and thought i would be saved from these evil thoughts, but i was wrong. As soon as i reported what happened, i got yelled at by my parents because “i dont know what depression is”. I knew after that, that i couldn’t let anyone know how i felt; After that the suicidal thoughts got worse until it was too late. The rapid decline of my mental health lasted for years and i even had to go to the hospital. These trials and tribulations were a fight, but i overcame them and even developed a love for mental health/creating better environments for mental health development in the process. When i was going through my mental crisis, I loved when people helped me and made me feel like I belonged. This love kept progressing and i realized that i would like to help people that were in my same situation. This is the reason i would like to become a behavioral health nurse, so that u can be there for people in emergency situations and maybe even change their mindset. I want to continue my nursing career by pursuing higher education after my bachelors and become a nurse practitioner afterwards. I never felt like i had a voice in the world, especially when i was going through a crisis. Many black women feel the same way i felt or even worse. When i become a nurse practioner, i will give black women their voices back.

Black women’s mental well-being is consistently being underappreciated and discarded. Lack of support from people within our own community, combined with hundreds of years of stereotypes degrading Black women, makes today’s society a society that overlooks the Black woman. As a Black woman, it doesn't take long to notice how differently you get treated. Coming out of the womb seems like a threat to people because of the color of my skin. Getting treated like you're not capable of being able to think on your own because I'm a woman. Years of this torment are detrimental to my mind. Feeling like you never fit in anywhere breaks you, but when you try to get help for that mental instability, people look at you like you're insane. This is the life of a Black woman. Constantly, doctors and nurses overlook depression and internal problems in Black women. Black women are 3 times more likely to die in childbirth than white women; Black women's suicide rates are rapidly rising each year. These problems happen because our voices are silenced. No one understands Black women like a Black woman. I want to reclaim the lives we have lost due to us being silenced by our voices. My passion is to become a nurse specializing in behavioral health, to heal my Black sisters, and break the negative connotations people have of the Black woman. In 2017 I was hit with a tsunami of emotions. At the time, I was in the 6th grade and just starting puberty. Like many people during that period of their life, bullying in my school was at an all time high. What made it worse for me was that I was shy and quiet, so I would take the bullying and not tell anyone. The build up of torment from school, then going home and having to take emotional abuse from my dad, was exhausting. One day my mind broke and thoughts of suicide flooded my braid until i felt like that was the only escape. I reported my thoughts and thought i would be saved from these evil thoughts, but i was wrong. As soon as i reported what happened, i got yelled at by my parents because “i dont know what depression is”. I knew after that, that i couldn’t let anyone know how i felt; After that the suicidal thoughts got worse until it was too late. The rapid decline of my mental health lasted for years and i even had to go to the hospital. These trials and tribulations were a fight, but i overcame them and even developed a love for mental health/creating better environments for mental health development in the process. When i was going through my mental crisis, I loved when people helped me and made me feel like I belonged. This love kept progressing and i realized that i would like to help people that were in my same situation. This is the reason i would like to become a behavioral health nurse, so that u can be there for people in emergency situations and maybe even change their mindset. I want to continue my nursing career by pursuing higher education after my bachelors and become a nurse practitioner afterwards. I never felt like i had a voice in the world, especially when i was going through a crisis. Many black women feel the same way i felt or even worse. When i become a nurse practioner, i will give black women their voices back.

Black women’s mental well-being is consistently being underappreciated and discarded. Lack of support from people within our own community, combined with hundreds of years of stereotypes degrading Black women, makes today’s society a society that overlooks the Black woman. As a Black woman, it doesn't take long to notice how differently you get treated. Coming out of the womb seems like a threat to people because of the color of my skin. Getting treated like you're not capable of being able to think on your own because I'm a woman. Years of this torment are detrimental to my mind. Feeling like you never fit in anywhere breaks you, but when you try to get help for that mental instability, people look at you like you're insane. This is the life of a Black woman. Constantly, doctors and nurses overlook depression and internal problems in Black women. Black women are 3 times more likely to die in childbirth than white women; Black women's suicide rates are rapidly rising each year. These problems happen because our voices are silenced. No one understands Black women like a Black woman. I want to reclaim the lives we have lost due to us being silenced by our voices. My passion is to become a nurse specializing in behavioral health, to heal my Black sisters, and break the negative connotations people have of the Black woman. In 2017 I was hit with a tsunami of emotions. At the time, I was in the 6th grade and just starting puberty. Like many people during that period of their life, bullying in my school was at an all time high. What made it worse for me was that I was shy and quiet, so I would take the bullying and not tell anyone. The build up of torment from school, then going home and having to take emotional abuse from my dad, was exhausting. One day my mind broke and thoughts of suicide flooded my braid until i felt like that was the only escape. I reported my thoughts and thought i would be saved from these evil thoughts, but i was wrong. As soon as i reported what happened, i got yelled at by my parents because “i dont know what depression is”. I knew after that, that i couldn’t let anyone know how i felt; After that the suicidal thoughts got worse until it was too late. The rapid decline of my mental health lasted for years and i even had to go to the hospital. These trials and tribulations were a fight, but i overcame them and even developed a love for mental health/creating better environments for mental health development in the process. When i was going through my mental crisis, I loved when people helped me and made me feel like I belonged. This love kept progressing and i realized that i would like to help people that were in my same situation. This is the reason i would like to become a behavioral health nurse, so that u can be there for people in emergency situations and maybe even change their mindset. I want to continue my nursing career by pursuing higher education after my bachelors and become a nurse practitioner afterwards. I never felt like i had a voice in the world, especially when i was going through a crisis. Many black women feel the same way i felt or even worse. When i become a nurse practioner, i will give black women their voices back.

Black women’s mental well-being is consistently being underappreciated and discarded. Lack of support from people within our own community, combined with hundreds of years of stereotypes degrading Black women, makes today’s society a society that overlooks the Black woman. As a Black woman, it doesn't take long to notice how differently you get treated. Coming out of the womb seems like a threat to people because of the color of my skin. Getting treated like you're not capable of being able to think on your own because I'm a woman. Years of this torment are detrimental to my mind. Feeling like you never fit in anywhere breaks you, but when you try to get help for that mental instability, people look at you like you're insane. This is the life of a Black woman. Constantly, doctors and nurses overlook depression and internal problems in Black women. Black women are 3 times more likely to die in childbirth than white women; Black women's suicide rates are rapidly rising each year. These problems happen because our voices are silenced. No one understands Black women like a Black woman. I want to reclaim the lives we have lost due to us being silenced by our voices. My passion is to become a nurse specializing in behavioral health, to heal my Black sisters, and break the negative connotations people have of the Black woman. In 2017 I was hit with a tsunami of emotions. At the time, I was in the 6th grade and just starting puberty. Like many people during that period of their life, bullying in my school was at an all time high. What made it worse for me was that I was shy and quiet, so I would take the bullying and not tell anyone. The build up of torment from school, then going home and having to take emotional abuse from my dad, was exhausting. One day my mind broke and thoughts of suicide flooded my braid until i felt like that was the only escape. I reported my thoughts and thought i would be saved from these evil thoughts, but i was wrong. As soon as i reported what happened, i got yelled at by my parents because “i dont know what depression is”. I knew after that, that i couldn’t let anyone know how i felt; After that the suicidal thoughts got worse until it was too late. The rapid decline of my mental health lasted for years and i even had to go to the hospital. These trials and tribulations were a fight, but i overcame them and even developed a love for mental health/creating better environments for mental health development in the process. When i was going through my mental crisis, I loved when people helped me and made me feel like I belonged. This love kept progressing and i realized that i would like to help people that were in my same situation. This is the reason i would like to become a behavioral health nurse, so that u can be there for people in emergency situations and maybe even change their mindset. I want to continue my nursing career by pursuing higher education after my bachelors and become a nurse practitioner afterwards. I never felt like i had a voice in the world, especially when i was going through a crisis. Many black women feel the same way i felt or even worse. When i become a nurse practioner, i will give black women their voices back.

Black women’s mental well-being is consistently being underappreciated and discarded. Lack of support from people within our own community, combined with hundreds of years of stereotypes degrading Black women, makes today’s society a society that overlooks the Black woman. As a Black woman, it doesn't take long to notice how differently you get treated. Coming out of the womb seems like a threat to people because of the color of my skin. Getting treated like you're not capable of being able to think on your own because I'm a woman. Years of this torment are detrimental to my mind. Feeling like you never fit in anywhere breaks you, but when you try to get help for that mental instability, people look at you like you're insane. This is the life of a Black woman. Constantly, doctors and nurses overlook depression and internal problems in Black women. Black women are 3 times more likely to die in childbirth than white women; Black women's suicide rates are rapidly rising each year. These problems happen because our voices are silenced. No one understands Black women like a Black woman. I want to reclaim the lives we have lost due to us being silenced by our voices. My passion is to become a nurse specializing in behavioral health, to heal my Black sisters, and break the negative connotations people have of the Black woman. In 2017 I was hit with a tsunami of emotions. At the time, I was in the 6th grade and just starting puberty. Like many people during that period of their life, bullying in my school was at an all time high. What made it worse for me was that I was shy and quiet, so I would take the bullying and not tell anyone. The build up of torment from school, then going home and having to take emotional abuse from my dad, was exhausting. One day my mind broke and thoughts of suicide flooded my braid until i felt like that was the only escape. I reported my thoughts and thought i would be saved from these evil thoughts, but i was wrong. As soon as i reported what happened, i got yelled at by my parents because “i dont know what depression is”. I knew after that, that i couldn’t let anyone know how i felt; After that the suicidal thoughts got worse until it was too late. The rapid decline of my mental health lasted for years and i even had to go to the hospital. These trials and tribulations were a fight, but i overcame them and even developed a love for mental health/creating better environments for mental health development in the process. When i was going through my mental crisis, I loved when people helped me and made me feel like I belonged. This love kept progressing and i realized that i would like to help people that were in my same situation. This is the reason i would like to become a behavioral health nurse, so that u can be there for people in emergency situations and maybe even change their mindset. I want to continue my nursing career by pursuing higher education after my bachelors and become a nurse practitioner afterwards. I never felt like i had a voice in the world, especially when i was going through a crisis. Many black women feel the same way i felt or even worse. When i become a nurse practioner, i will give black women their voices back.

A boxing match between my mind and the rest of my body has always been a constant struggle for me. It seems as though the constant struggle was actually beneficial to me and my current goals. As an African American woman, I have always been in constant struggle with mental health. The combination of the stigma of mental health in the black community, racism, and my own mental disorders has put a dramatic toll on my life. This mental battle has been happening since I was a little girl and has followed me in my grown-up life. I knew that the mind was something I wanted to study so that I could help people stay in better situations than me. Knowing that I can help people battle their minds instead of losing that fight gives me joy. When I was n the sixth grade I found out I had depression. The feeling was something I would never wish on anyone. Feeling alone and trapped in your own body is enough to make anyone feel like they are losing the fight with their mind. This depression was not momentary and it is still a current fight with me. Now that I am 16 years old and have had this mental battle for many years, I know that mental health is something I am passionate about. I have always wanted to do something in the medical field because helping people gives me a euphoric feeling and I love it. The combination of mental health and medicine has brought me to behavioral health. I have been around behavioral health nurses and I truly know that this is a job I will love and never give up on. I will always aspire to help people with their mental health because I know the impact of getting rid of the stress mental disorders cause. I want to become a behavioral health nurse practitioner because I would like to communicate with my patients to understand what they are going through, as well as help them with what they are going through. I would love to go to college and get my BSN, then I would want to work in a hospital setting, and finally, I would get my MSN and become an NP. This has been a goal of mine for several years and I know I can make a change in my community and in the world. Mental health is such a crucial part of my life and being able to help others with their battles is amazing to me. I would never want anyone to go through anything alone and I will always try my best as a future nurse to make sure my patients will be successful and have healthier minds.