Coming from a person who has struggled with their mental health since middle school, it is pertinent that I find ways to protect my peace and maintain happiness. Something that helps me achieve those things is by staying occupied. In school, I involved myself in a multitude of various activities which helped me not only combat intrusive thoughts, anxiety, and depression but also developed my social, musical, professional, advocacy, and technical skills as well as leadership qualities. So along with keeping myself busy, I tend to relax and take care of my mind, body, and soul by treating myself to a day filled with my favorites. My ideal day would include any of the following: shopping, ordering an iced coffee, watching shows, dancing, listening to music, traveling, volunteering/community outreach, Christian worship, and eating or cooking my favorite things. I also enjoy fixing my hair, nails, and following a skincare routine. More things I like are activities in nature or even going for a walk, and spending time with my close friends as well as my sister and nieces but it has been hard (on my mental health) due to the pandemic and distance. Self-care is all about how you treat your body which includes what you choose to consume. With that in mind, I monitor what I eat, things I listen to, and what I watch because it all affects my overall mood (and anyone’s lifestyle for that matter). Another thing I do to improve my mental health is by cleaning up my environment. Meaning if my workspace is unorganized, it creates a distraction for me so cleaning up my room before working helps improve my focus and produce better work. These are most of the ways I put a smile on my face and happiness in my heart.

Growing up with the odds against you and learning about our history, some can find difficulty in believing Black people can be in a career to save lives. The amount of time and money it takes to study preparing to be in a medical career can weigh heavily on an individual's mind especially when they feel as if the world is weighing on their shoulders. Science is ever so changing, just like the world of racial equality for African-Americans. That's the beauty of life; that things can change and become better. I believe due to the dynamics of the racial divide spread across America and even around the world, the importance of seeing someone similar to you being represented in such a demanding yet vital field is inspiring. Throughout my years in high school, pretty much all my life, I have been one of the only Black kids in the room. I was always noticed but sometimes not just for my brains. The color of my skin most days would be the main attraction. As I have gotten older, I used the pain and experiences of being one of the only of me so to speak to my advantage. I used my brown skin to become a barrier breaker instead of letting it build a wall around potential opportunities. During those crucial years of my life, K-12, I have seen people with brown skin, come from similar backgrounds to mine in positions that did not seem possible from the history textbooks my predominantly white schools had us learn from. Seeing Black children my age or Black persons, in general, achieving goals and breaking records gave me a sense of pride and a push in the right direction. That is why I believe in the pertinence of witnessing racial diversity in any field but more specifically the healthcare profession. Knowing the cold facts about what used to be done(still happens) to people with the color of my skin when it came(comes) to health, medicine, and anything related is absolutely absurd and asinine to think about. Being able to see someone racially similar, allows me to feel like anything is possible as long as I just go for it. Then from the patient's perspective, being an African-American patient having a Black doctor, or any other type of physician in the medical field helps us build a sense of trust back into the medical system. In the Black community, we would feel like, "Who better knows my body than someone who will believe my pain, listen to me, and genuinely care for me" unlike historically having someone of another race dictate how honest we as Black people were being when in need of immediate healthcare. This may seem completely out of the blue, but to get personal, my mother had been confused and worried about the status of her health constantly questioning, "What could be wrong?" As I write this on August 6th, 2021, yesterday is when I discovered I could train to become in the medical field as a phlebotomist. Although the certified phlebotomist I spoke with wasn't Black, I still felt like I could pursue this next step in my life. Why? Because I've seen people who look like me, get the job done and do it with such grace, determination, and strength. From politicians to teachers, to nurses, doctors, Olympians, even billionaires and so many more who share my culture, background, and can be empathetic as a Black person, not only was but is hopeful, and motivational, to help me pursue my dreams wherever it will lead me.