In August of 2019 my older brother, Ben, died by suicide. Ben’s battle with mental illness was painful, isolating, and difficult for him and my family. His illness and death at 26 left me with knowledge and empathy for something I never asked for: a deep and personal understanding of what families go through when someone they love suffers from mental illness and the trauma and grief of suicide. My empathy for others has always existed, but the compassion I gained after Ben’s death, and the ability and calling I now have to connect with and help those who have experienced pain, trauma, or grief has helped cement my decision to pursue a career in social work. After the loss of my brother some of my closest friends could not talk to me about Ben’s suicide. I came to understand their inability to know what to do or say reflected our societies’ shame, stigma around, and failure to address mental illness, suicide, grief, and trauma. The fears my friends had around mentioning Ben devalued my grief and his death. It was as if that part of me, that trauma, was invisible or never happened. My friend's inability to talk openly and honestly made me understand how isolated Ben must have felt while struggling with his inner pain. Reflecting on and understanding the silent suffering my brother, myself, and so many others experience has given me perspective I want to use to help others. I want to make a difference. I want to help others heal. I want to be part of changing the dialogue around mental health struggles and trauma that people and communities face. I want to create the space and time to encourage this shift by providing the language and resources that schools, workplaces, individuals and communities need to ensure that the culture and conversations around mental health and trauma feel, and are, safe. In my pursuit of a Masters in Social Work I can learn how to implement programming, teach others how to navigate these challenging and uncomfortable conversations, and become an advocate and agent for change in how our society acknowledges and treats mental health. I intend to support individuals, communities, and families to help remove the stigma, shame, and fear that surrounds mental illness while challenging the systemic racial and socioeconomic barriers that restrict equal access to mental health resources. The struggles we face as a diverse society do not discriminate, and therefore the policies, resources, conversations, and information surrounding them mustn't either.