I'm pursuing a degree in the mental health field because I’ve experienced firsthand how powerful and life-changing support can be. I am in long term recovery from substance use, and throughout my journey, I’ve faced trauma, loss, and hopelessness. But I’ve also experienced healing, growth, and the support of people who believed in me when I couldn’t believe in myself. These experiences inspired me to dedicate my life to helping others who are struggling. I want to be the person who offers support, encouragement, and tools for change, just like others did for me. Right now, I work as a drug and alcohol counselor and am earning my Master of Social Work degree. I work mostly with women who have been incarcerated and are now trying to rebuild their lives while healing from addiction and trauma. Many of them have grown up in broken systems, experiencing abuse, neglect, and poverty. A lot of them have never had anyone truly listen to them, or believe they could live a different life. I try to be that person for them. I don’t judge them for their pasts, I meet them where they are, and I walk beside them as they start to build new futures. Because of my own lived experience, I can relate to my clients in a real and meaningful way. I know what it feels like to hit rock bottom. I also know how hard it is to get back up, especially when the world sees you only through your past mistakes. But I also know it’s possible. When clients feel hopeless or overwhelmed, I can honestly say, “I’ve been there too,” and they know I mean it. That connection builds trust, and trust is the foundation for change. My long-term goal is to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and continue to work with people who are rebuilding their lives. I want to expand access to trauma-informed care, reentry support, and mental health services that include physical wellness and holistic healing. I hope to help create programs that combine therapy with movement, nutrition, and community support, because healing takes more than talk, it takes connection and care on many levels. Most of all, I want to help people believe that they can change, that they matter, and that their future isn’t defined by their past. I’ve seen how powerful one person’s belief can be in someone’s life. I want to be that person for as many people as I can. That’s why I’m pursuing this degree, and why I’ll never stop trying to make a difference.

Recovery means that you are a warrior; someone that has gone through the depths of hell and fought their way out. Recovery means that you are resilient, strong, and brave; getting clean from drugs and alcohol is a lifelong battle the we will always endure. To me, recovery means constantly working on yourself, constantly striving to evolve in to a better person, constantly proving your worth (or at least feeling the need to), and constantly being underestimated. Recovery is having a support group whether that be AA/NA, drug and alcohol free friends, or family. I got clean on June 24, 2017, I had decided that I was finally sick and tired of feeling sick and tired. I realized that the only three paths my life would realistically end up taking were either jail, an institution, or death. After many failed attempts at getting clean, I made a decision that afternoon to turn my life over to my higher power and stop getting loaded for once and for all. Since that day, it has not always been easy. Some days I have had to fight with myself tooth and nail to not make the decision to go back to the life where I can escape pain and reality. What I can say, though, is that my recovery has been the most beautiful and empowering thing I've ever experienced and I would not trade it for anything in this world. I'm grateful everyday to wake up with another day clean and sober.