As someone has mental health issues and is the child of parents with mental health issues, I know the effects on family and sense of self all too well. My childhood watching my mother struggle with bipolar disorder taught me compassion and empathy. Struggling with it myself has shown me how hard it can be to be fully present for my own children. Both of these experiences together have given me a unique experience to truly relate to other people with mental health needs. My goal for my career is to work with women and families struggling with mental health and domestic violence issues. I believe that they I will be able to reach people and help them on a deeper level. Not everyone who works in these fields has personal experience with them, and that is okay. However, I know that I understand more than most. I am hoping that I am able to truly make a difference in the lives of women, children, and families who struggle like my parents and I did.

1. I deserve this scholarship because I don’t want to get a job. 2. My goals are to have a job that doesn’t suck. 3. My obstacle was putting down the remote long enough to answer these questions.