As someone who has struggled with mental health issues throughout my adult life, including suicidal ideation and substance use disorder, I have a deep relationship with music as it has helped me through some of the darkest times in my life. That said, I've found that some of the most powerful and inspirational songs are those that meet the listener in their dark place and are able to move them towards the light. The song that does this unlike any other, for me, is "Iridescent" by my favorite band of all time: Linkin Park. "Iridescent" starts out with a somber piano tune, gently introducing itself to a potentially fragile and emotionally wounded listener, before gradually picking up the mood, simultaneously uplifting the listener. The lyrics validate the listener's feelings of inadequacy, sadness, frustration, and other negative emotions that got them into such a dark place, before instructing them to "let it go." The phrase "let it go" is repeated multiple times in a row after the song's bridge, emphasizing the importance of this simple message. I know that I am capable of many great things, but my self-defeating attitude will stop me before I can even get started if I allow it to. "Iridescent" reminds me to let go of that which I may be allowing to hold me back; it's a song that inspires me to remain resilient, especially in the face of life's many hardships.

Service to other people is what keeps me strong in my recovery. As someone who struggled with substance use disorder for several years, I felt isolated and hopeless when I was active in my addiction. Having lost everything to this disease in 2017, I was humbled and gained a newfound appreciation for all the blessings in my life. One of the principles of recovery I’ve heard echoed in 12 Step meetings and which I’ve personally found to be most true is that “service keeps you sober.” That’s why I continue to volunteer regularly and give service to my community, especially to those who are facing the same struggle that I faced. Although I have never personally experienced homelessness, much of the service work I do is focused on helping the unsheltered population in Salt Lake City. Some of the service work I’ve been fortunate to have the opportunity to do has actually been relevant to my career goals. For example, I was at one point the Webmaster for Cocaine Anonymous of Utah, managing their website and helping organize regional conferences. As someone who is attending school to earn an Associate of Science degree in computer science, this was a wonderful learning opportunity for me as well as a service opportunity for my community. A non-profit organization known as Utah Support Advocates for Recovery Awareness (USARA) is one of the greatest organizations available to our local recovery community. I have thoroughly enjoyed the volunteering opportunities that they have allowed me over the past four years. Most recently, I was given the opportunity to DJ their annual “Recovery Day” event, in which recovery-focused organizations from all over Utah come together to share what they are about and connect people in all stages of recovery to one another. In years past, I was once tasked by USARA with compiling and organization a contact list spreadsheet of such organizations, which had then been used to plan one of the first Recovery Day events. Aside from actively doing service work for my community, I try to activate positive change through my digital presence. In a society that is socially divided because of vitriolic exchanges on social media, I am mindful of the impact of my words and choose not to spread negativity through biting rhetoric. I believe that the rise of social media has lead to political polarization and the adoption of extremist views over the past several years. I may still try engaging in civil debate online, where appropriate, but I abstain from participating in the conversation if it is not productive or uplifting. I am striving to lead by example and prove that recovery is possible and stop the stigma surrounding substance use disorder. I hope to give back to the community that has given so freely to me and supported me in my journey of recovery. My continuing education will help me to develop and expand my skill set so that I may share my talents with my community in whatever ways I can.

One personal finance lesson I've found most important is to always try to live within your means. Accumulating debt may be inevitable when pursuing a college education, or purchasing a new vehicle, or buying a house, but it should not be an option when considering luxurious expenses. If there is something you need but cannot afford, try to think of some ways to come up with the money before simply taking on more debt. Perhaps most importantly: Never get a payday loan. Avoid payday loans at all costs, because the interest rates are almost always so high that getting such a loan will undoubtedly set you back financially in the long run. The best practice is to create a monthly budget and stick to it, setting aside some amount of savings with every check so that when an emergency comes along, you are not stuck defaulting to debt accumulation in order to pay for such an emergency.

Service to other people is what keeps me strong in my recovery. As someone who struggled with substance use disorder for several years, I felt isolated and hopeless when I was active in my addiction. Having lost everything to this disease in 2017, I was humbled and gained a newfound appreciation for all the blessings in my life. One of the principles of recovery I’ve heard echoed in 12 Step meetings and which I’ve personally found to be most true is that “service keeps you sober.” That’s why I continue to volunteer regularly and give service to my community, especially to those who are facing the same struggle that I faced. Although I have never personally experienced homelessness, much of the service work I do is focused on helping the unsheltered population in Salt Lake City. Some of the service work I’ve been fortunate to have the opportunity to do has actually been relevant to my career goals. For example, I was at one point the Webmaster for Cocaine Anonymous of Utah, managing their website and helping organize regional conferences. As someone who is attending school to earn an Associate of Science degree in computer science, this was a wonderful learning opportunity for me as well as a service opportunity for my community. A non-profit organization known as Utah Support Advocates for Recovery Awareness (USARA) is one of the greatest organizations available to our local recovery community. I have thoroughly enjoyed the volunteering opportunities that they have allowed me over the past four years. Most recently, I was given the opportunity to DJ their annual “Recovery Day” event, in which recovery-focused organizations from all over Utah come together to share what they are about and connect people in all stages of recovery to one another. In years past, I was once tasked by USARA with compiling and organization a contact list spreadsheet of such organizations, which had then been used to plan one of the first Recovery Day events. I am striving to lead by example and prove that recovery is possible and stop the stigma surrounding substance use disorder. I hope to give back to the community that has given so freely to me and supported me in my journey of recovery. My continuing education will help me to develop and expand my skill set so that I may share my talents with my community in whatever ways I can.