On November 14th, 2021, Freddie Torres—a friend, a teammate, and a beautiful soul—took his life shocking our soccer community to its core, leaving us all in shock and disbelief. His passing highlighted the silent struggles that many young athletes and students, like Freddie, face with mental health. It spurred me into action, igniting a passion within me to advocate for progress and social change regarding bullying and harassment in K-12 settings and sports. How could he keep thoughts about taking his life to himself? As a friend, how can I ensure this never happens again? Reflecting on Freddie's situation, I often wonder how he could’ve kept his thoughts about taking his life to himself. It's a painful reminder of the importance of creating a safe and supportive environment where individuals feel comfortable expressing their emotions and seeking help without fear of judgment or stigma. As his friend, I vow to ensure that his tragic loss isn’t in vain, and through my philosophy of "volunteering from the heart not just the hands" I've worked towards creating a better community and environment for children battling mental health. In honor of Freddie's memory, my soccer club established the LiFe Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to improving the mental health of young athletes, parents, and coaches. Through the foundation, we organize events like the Freddie 5K, bringing together hundreds of athletes to raise awareness about mental health issues and celebrate Freddie's life. I’ve taken an active role in organizing the emotional event where I get to speak directly to the next generation of soccer players and children about how to spread love not hate. I’ve given public speeches and personal talks for the LiFe Foundation emphasizing the importance of prioritizing mental well-being and fostering open discussions about emotions so that one day we can shed tears of laughter, not grief for our loved ones and friends. My interest in pursuing a career in mental health stems from my personal experiences in an additional soccer setting where I met this incredible young boy, Aryan, through volunteering at the Special Olympics. He was battling Cerebral Palsy and mental health complications with one of his parents recently passing away. I witnessed as other children teased his ability to communicate because of his rare complication. However, he had a passion for soccer and he fully embraced that to overcome the taunting of his peers and his mental health qualms, pursuing this burning passion that I found incredibly inspiring 8 years later. I’ve lived through firsthand the devastating effects of untreated mental health issues, but I’ve also lived through the joy of a child successfully overcoming their mental health issues. I understand the barriers that many children and adolescents face in accessing appropriate treatment options, and, indeed, the current process of obtaining mental health care for young people is often convoluted and inaccessible, exacerbating their suffering. As a future pediatric neurologist, I am committed to streamlining the process of obtaining treatment options for children and adolescents struggling with mental health and bullying, like Freddie, while also working to create a better future for children with disabilities, like Aryan. I believe in the importance of early intervention and providing comprehensive, culturally sensitive care that addresses the unique needs of each individual. By collaborating with schools, community organizations, and healthcare providers, I aim to develop impactful pipelines of mental health support, ensuring that every child receives the help and love they deserve. I am determined to honor their legacies from the heart, by creating a world where every child feels valued, supported, and empowered to live their life to the fullest.