My mother and father are immigrants from Nigeria. They both came to the United States in the 1990s and have lived in this country since. My mother was studying to become a lawyer in Nigeria when her education was interrupted by a nationwide teachers' strike. She decided to come to the US after several strikes of this kind delayed her undergraduate education. She hoped that immigrating to the United States would provide her with job security and academic opportunities that her home country could not. My father completed his undergraduate education in Nigeria but was unable to find work after. He immigrated to the United States in search of better job opportunities. My parents left behind their friends and family and came to a foreign land to provide a better future for their children and themselves. My parent's stories inspire me; they wanted better for themselves and left their comfort zones in order to seek it. They have taught me that no matter what obstacles you face, you must find a way to overcome them. Whenever I feel discouraged in university and am tempted to give up, I remember my parent's story. In their academic journies, they faced many impediments yet refused to give up. This inspires me to keep pushing through no matter what I face. I may fail, I may fall but as long as I get back up I can do great things. Knowing what they have sacrificed in the hope of a better future for me motivates me to always put my best foot forward. I want to succeed, so they can be content with the fact that their decision to immigrate to the United States has provided their future generations with the great opportunities they left their homes to find.

In the last year, life has thrown many challenges at me and because I didn't pay much attention to mental health. These challenges wrecked havoc on me. At the time, I felt like I was at my lowest point and that life just wasn't worth living anymore. Things seemed helpless and I felt like I was alone. After I was out of the situation that caused me to feel this way. I made a vow to myself to never get to that point again in my life where I felt like all hope was lost. Everyday, I try to treat myself with kindness and grace. I know that healing isn't linear. Some days are good and some days are bad. However, that experience taught me that I am strong enough to overcome the bad days. It taught me to appreciate the good days and find a light in all tough situations. This experience has helped me realize that life constantly changes and now my goals life have changed. Even though I still want to pursue a career in medicine, my goals now are to realize that failure is a natural part of life but that after every low point in life comes a high point. This experience has improved my relationship with those around me. I taught me to never take for granted the people in my life. At my lowest point, I thought no one was there for me or cared about me. However I was proved wrong and realized that many care for me and want to see me happy and successful. My understanding of the world and the way life works has also changed based on my experience with mental health. I have learnt that life isn't fair and that many have been in my position and unfortunately aren't here today. That is why I preach the importance of taking care of our mental health and bodies and being kind to all people. Because when I was at that point in my life, the kindness of a stranger made me realize that there was hope and that I am cared for. I have come out of this experience wiser and more in tune with myself. Dark days will come and go but I must try my hardest to focus on the light and the beautiful things that life has to offer.