Breathe. Name 5 things you can see. Breathe. Name 4 things you can feel. Breathe. Name 3 things you can hear. Breathe. Name 2 things you can smell. Breathe. Name one thing you can taste. For as long as I can remember, my life has been a cycle of breathing and naming, of anxiety. What’s worse-every person I knew struggled, so I began to feel as if these feelings were normal and simply a part of life. Every single one of my friends became stressed to the point of panic attacks. It was normal, and we went back to class as soon as we could. High school panic attacks soon turned to Freshman-year-of-college depression. Before long, I wasn’t eating or leaving my room, and aside from schoolwork, I slept the day away. This heavily impacted on my relationships, as I was self-isolating nearly all the time. The people that understood what was happening didn’t know how to help, and the ones that didn’t understand decided I was just annoying and reclusive. Mental health is a lifelong journey of peaks and valleys. The key is learning to use the peaks to make it through the valleys and learning how to coexist with the valleys. After my experience with depression at the end of my first semester of college, I recognized that I needed to act; that my mental struggles wouldn’t just dissolve. I confided in my closest friends about my recent struggles, and they had given me advice related to their own experiences. Prior to this, my only anxious ticks had been terribly destructive; habits like ripping out my hair and chewing on my lip. Using devices like fidget rings and toys now helps to channel my anxious energy into something less damaging. Meditation also does wonders for centering and quieting my mind, and I plan on attending therapy sessions soon to prevent any repeats of my first semester of college. As challenging as mental illness can be, it has shaped the way I perceive the world as well as those around me more than I could ever describe. Empathy and understanding come easier to me, and I tend to be less judgmental than other people. Due to my own struggles with metal health, I can recognize similar struggles in others. This makes me less likely to attribute people's flaws to their character, and more likely to consider the circumstances of certain situations. Messiness and laziness are typically regarded as negative traits related to a person's character. However, the state of one's mental health can predispose them to these tendencies, so I tend to consider those possibilities prior to passing judgement. My personal journey with mental health has drastically changed the way I view and manage my relationships. On the one hand, relationships can be considerably more difficult, as other thinking and anxiety can lead to several miscommunications and misunderstandings. It can also be more challenging to engage with friends in certain social situations, due to social anxiety and a shorter social battery. In addition, I tend to need more time to be by myself after social events than other people, to “recharge.” On the other hand, my experience with mental health has also pushed me to better communicate my needs and advocate for myself within my relationships. Boundaries are important for any healthy relationship, a sentiment I would’ve learned later had I not experienced anxiety, depression, and other situations that require boundaries. Since my eighth grade English teacher, one of my role models growing up, first mentioned law to me, I have always been interested in the career. Despite the anxiety and stress that can come with the career, the urge to help people through concrete means, such as the law, has always been an aspiration of mine. One branch of law I have recently been looking into is environmental law. In my experience with mental health, to say that solely internal factors affect mental health is irresponsible. The state of our world can greatly affect each individual citizen's mental health. Climate change and global warming are extreme issues that are not taken nearly as seriously as they should be, and this plays a role in the mental health of the people of this planet. Taking this notion into consideration, I can lessen the load of external factors on the mental health of the general population. After a life of naming and breathing in patterns, I simply want to ensure that people can breathe, without naming.

I remember it as if it were yesterday. Sitting in my eighth-grade English class, anxious because my favorite teacher, my role model, had called me to the hallway to talk. As a class, we had been getting ready for high school classes at this point, so I should have been expecting this. Yet, I still felt as though there was something wrong. Trying to push my anxiety aside, I followed him into the hallway and prepared myself for whatever he was about to say. Instead of being in trouble, which I had always feared though it had never been the case, he said that my writing style was unique and above my peers. After discussing classes I should consider in high school; he told me something I would always remember: “You would make a fantastic lawyer someday.” This sentiment stuck with me through all the difficulties of high school, the college process, and even to the day I decided that I wanted to major in law and policy and participate in Dickinson Colleges 3+3 law program, a program that grants me the ability to receive my bachelor's degree in three years, at which point I will attend law school for three years. My main goal is to help others through my future law career. Environmental law has also interested me, and with every new climate emergency my sense of urgency grows. I can help others in a multitude of ways through a career in environmental law. For example, leaking sewage off the coast of Florida is making the water uninhabitable for different species of plants and animals, which are a major food source for sea life, including sharks. Solving the problem of the leaking sewage could solve a multitude of other problems. It could increase the numbers of fish in these areas thereby providing a source of food for Florida residents. It could also reduce the number of shark attacks that have occurred up the coast due to the lack of food and the need to seek out other food sources. Extreme weather is the direct result of climate change and global warming. As an environmental lawyer, I would be able to evoke change on these fronts. Large and fatal wildfires, tornados, and hurricanes will not be stopped until climate change is taken seriously, and the government (and general population) can act accordingly. Viewing these issues as serious threats can also effect positive change on indigenous peoples, both in the United States and around the world. Climate change and global warming affect all of us and a career in environmental law would enable me to help tackle these issues. We, as a people, must become aware of these problems and regard them as serious issues, as we will all be increasingly successful if we do.

As a queer woman growing up in a fairly conservative town, I quickly learned that people expected me to stay quiet, small, and live with the sole intention of making others comfortable. People did not want me to express myself, speak out, or take a stand. For me, taking up space encompasses all of these things. Taking up space is letting people know that I am here, I have my own opinions, and I will not let others speak over me or for me. Taking up space is about letting others know I cannot, and will not, be ignored. I try to apply this idea of taking up space in all facets of my life. In school, that means holding my own and speaking up during group projects and presentations, making sure my ideas are heard. It means communicating concerns clearly to professors and advocating for myself and my future. In the musical groups I am a part of, taking up space translates to suggesting new songs and warm-ups and putting myself out there for solo opportunities. In the A Capella group I am a part of, taking up space also means taking on more leadership and responsibility by taking an officer position. In my day-to-day life, taking up space means speaking out for and supporting others that are less privileged than myself. It means not only speaking up for myself but encouraging others to speak out for themselves as well. The idea of taking up space will be more important than ever in advocating for my future and pursuing my goals. I am enrolled in a 3 + 3 law program at Dickinson College. This program enables me to complete my bachelor's degree in three years and then attend law school for three years, accelerating my education. Though law school are slowing becoming female-dominated, the field of law still remains a male-dominated field, with only 38% of lawyers being women in the United States in 2022. Even worse, only 23% of law partners in the United States, as of 2021, are women. Despite these staggering statistics and the male-dominated nature of law, I hold lofty goals for myself in the law field. I plan on working at an office while studying for the bar exam, then working my way up to becoming a partner at a law firm, but it doesn't stop there. In fact, my overall end goal is to gain a good enough reputation to break into politics, eventually running for congressional office. Congress is also heavily male-dominated. As of early 2021, only 27% of congressional seats are held by women. Given my daily life, and my sky-high future goals, the idea of taking up space is, and has always been, very important in shaping how I live my life. From speaking up in class, to advocating for my future.

Mental health is not often discussed. This is a known fact, and yet little is being done to change it. I started showing signs of obsessive-compulsive disorder when I was fairly young. I cannot remember when it had first started, I just remember my mother being understandably upset at me picking sequins and beads off shirts, as well as being slightly concerned with my odd habits of counting steps everywhere I went and touching certain things before leaving the house. It was until I had gotten older that I realized my father was on medication for OCD, and my mother had been worried I had it too. My anxiety quickly followed, showing up in middle school when I would put terrible unnecessary pressure on myself to reach almost unattainable standards, thinking that my life would be ruined if I did not achieve the impossible goals that I had for myself. My grades had to be perfect, my hair had to be perfect, everything had to be perfect. This "perfectionist" mindset led to an eating disorder, starting in seventh grade. Though my family intervened, and I do not practice disordered eating currently, the body dysmorphia that I had developed during that period of time remained. Each time I look in a mirror, I appear bigger to myself, a sensation I desperately wish would stop. All these issues came to a peak in sophomore year of high school when I was taking honors pre-calculus. I stayed up until two in the morning every day, trying to complete each assignment perfectly. I was incredibly upset, because I knew there was no way I would finish the class with an 'A.' I went through a period of depression during that time. Since then, I've been coping with my issues in different ways, using different practices to clear my mind and de-stress. My perfectionism has never gone away, which resulted in my decision to shoot high and pursue a career in law. As for the relationships I have, I tend to withdraw from friends at times. Lucky for me, I have surrounded myself with people that understand, and help me to talk through and work through my anxious thoughts. Romantic relationships are hard, but I am currently in an almost two-year relationship with someone who completely understands what I need and when. My partner does his best to calm my anxiety, reassuring and supporting me every step of the way. In turn, I help him with his mental health, often using my knowledge and experience of anxiety and mental health. My experience with mental health has greatly impacted my view of the world, as well as my goals and relationships. Due to my experience with mental health, I now have a stronger belief in people. For example, instead of seeing my friend as messy and unorganized, I just recognize she has ADHD and I offer to help her tidy up sometimes. I am less quick to judge people, and more likely to want to help and empathize.

Making information and resources more easily accessible for everyone. A large part of this is education. In my experience, mental health was only discussed when major events occurred. Events that had made struggles with mental health so obvious and difficult to ignore that it had to be discussed. In my first year of high school, I boy I had played in orchestra with had committed suicide. The high school held a brief assembly, no more than half an hour, talking about how bullying can lead to depression. Afterwards, we were instructed to move on with our lives and be a little kinder to others. A similar incident happened the following year, with an even smaller response. If mental health education could be provided on a large scale, these events would not happen as frequently. In less extreme cases, people could have had the resources to deal with stress before it morphed into anxiety disorders, or hopelessness before it morphed into depression. Mental health is not taken as seriously as any type of physical health, which is why treatment and therapy are so extremely expensive and inflexible, at times. In addition, only a limited number of therapy sessions are covered by insurance. This, in addition to the stigma around mental illness, is why so many people tend to suffer in silence instead of receiving the help and treatment that they need. I do, however, believe that the stigma surrounding mental illness is shrinking, as my friends and I, as well as other members of our generation, are working hard to normalize therapy and medication. Despite this, we as a society still have a long way to go, and education and easier accessibility to resources would be a great and practical solution to helping more people that struggle with their mental health.

Mental health is not often discussed. This is a known fact, and yet little is being done to change it. I started showing signs of obsessive-compulsive disorder when I was fairly young. I cannot remember when it had first started, I just remember my mother being understandably upset at me picking sequins and beads off shirts, as well as being slightly concerned with my odd habits of counting steps everywhere I went and touching certain things before leaving the house. It was until I had gotten older that I realized my father was on medication for OCD, and my mother had been worried I had it too. My anxiety quickly followed, showing up in middle school when I would put terrible unnecessary pressure on myself to reach almost unattainable standards, thinking that my life would be ruined if I did not achieve the impossible goals that I had for myself. This "perfectionist" mindset led to an eating disorder, starting in seventh grade. Though my family intervened, and I do not practice disordered eating currently, the body dysmorphia still stayed. Each time I look in a mirror, I appear bigger to myself, a sensation I desperately wish would stop. All these issues came to a peak in sophomore year of high school when I was taking honors pre-calculus. I stayed up until two in the morning every day, trying to complete each assignment perfectly. I was incredibly upset, because I knew there was no way I would finish the class with an 'A.' I went through a period of depression during that time. Since then, I've been coping with my issues in different ways, using different practices to clear my mind and de-stress. My perfectionism has never gone away, which resulted in my decision to shoot high and pursue a career in law. As for the relationships I have, I tend to withdraw from friends at times. Lucky for me, I have surrounded myself with people that understand, and help me to talk through and work through my anxious thoughts. Romantic relationships are hard, but I am currently in an almost two-year relationship with someone who completely understands what I need and when. My partner does his best to calm my anxiety, reassuring and supporting me every step of the way. My experience with mental health has greatly impacted my view of the world, as well as my goals and relationships. Through all my struggles I have learned that mental health should not be a taboo topic. Like many topics that can be seen as controversial in a learning environment, the more we talk about it, the better off we will all be.

When I was in the early stages of high school, I did not really know how to calm my anxiety or clear my mind, however, the Covid-19 pandemic and my first year of college attendance have definitely helped me in finding good mind-clearing strategies. First of all, if I am simply anxious in a general sense, I tend to gravitate to physical activities, such as going for a run/walk or lifting weights. Working out with music is a really good stress reliever and can even help to get feelings of anger and frustration out as well. Music also helps. In college especially, if I was particularly stressed, I would visit a practice room and sing and play piano. Whether it was writing new music to express my feelings, or just listening to my favorite songs and belting them out, it always helped to bring me a clearer mind and get rid of some stress. I also tend to use wellness apps, such as "My SSP" to give me tips on assessing mental health and providing resources. Resources such as free chats and phone calls are provided. One slightly obvious, but important, thing I use to clear my mind and de-stress is fidget toys. I made sure I had multiple options at college, as I tend to pull my hair out of bite my nails when I am stressed or anxious. Using fidget toys, such as pop-its or slime channel my anxious energy into something less destructive than ripping out hair. Another less hands-on approach I may use is writing done each thing I am stressed about. After looking at each item, I will then write a corresponding solution next to it, or even multiple. This gets my thoughts on paper, and I get one step closer to solving those problems. The last, and what I would consider strangest, thing to clear or quiet my mind is to talk to myself. This works best with specific stresses, and I only recently discovered how helpful it could be. I was very anxious about a paper that I had only been given one day to do. After locking myself in a study room with a whiteboard, I realized that my mind was a lot of different places at once- what to have for dinner, if I would be able to finish the paper, if I would get a good grade. I decided to talk myself through focusing on the paper. I first said aloud that the focus should be the paper, and all other thoughts are irrelevant. I went from there, speaking the order I would draft the paper and what quotes I would use, and scolding myself if my mind drifted to other places. It was surprisingly very helpful and I finished the paper in time. That was the first paper I had gotten an 'A' on in college. Throughout my mental health journey, from high school to my first year of college, using these tips to clear my mind and deal with my anxiety have helped tremendously. I can honestly say I would not be sane without them.

I have always tried to help out and give back to my community as much as I could, as it has given so much to me, both in high school and college. In high school, I was a member of many auditioned musical ensembles that would play and sing for the community, such as a string octet, an a-capella group, and a show choir. I was also a part of our high school's music honor society, Tri-M. This was in addition to my participation in my high school choir, as well as my high school Woman's Choir, where I would often lead warm-ups and help others improve their diction and tone. In the specially auditioned groups, and Tri-M, we would play and sing for retirement homes and churches within our community on holidays, or just to make people smile. On one instance around the holidays, I went caroling around community neighborhoods with Tri-M, also visiting Utz Terrace, a home for elderly people, to spread some holiday cheer to them. We also contributed to our high schools mini-thon, singing to help to raise money for kids with cancer. Even during the pandemic, we made sure to record performances, or otherwise hold performances remotely to keep peoples spirits up. I also currently try to be an active leader in my college community, as well as the surrounding community of Carlisle PA. In college, I am a member of some musical groups, including the Dickinson College choir and an a capella group called the DTones. Both of these groups put on concerts for the community, bringing awareness to important issues. Just this past spring, our college choir sang about and donated money to causes helping the situation in Ukraine. In addition, I volunteered to help with a production with the Bread and Puppet Theatre group that was held for free for the community at our college farm. It was to bring awareness and raise money for important issues, such as water security, mental illness, and oppression. I volunteered by donating my time to construct set and props, make costumes, and even practice and participate in a few acts. At the dress rehearsal the morning prior to the afternoon performance, I was often the first to offer to quickly learn and fill in for an act when additional people were needed. Even through the cold and rainy conditions October conditions, we had still pushed through and held the performance outside. All in all, it was a big success. I always try my best to give back to the communities that have, and continue to, raise me and make me the person I am today.