Being patient allows me to move through life in a much more easy, flowing way. Many of us have heard the saying "patience is a virtue," but what does that truly mean to me? Patience to me is love, kindness, understanding from a high perspective, flowing with life and all its many surprises and treasures. Patience is important because it allows for life to take its course with me, in a positive, momentous way. When I got my first job at 16 I had to be so patient with myself in the learning aspect. The understanding that my current situation was not my final destination. I've had many jobs in the time it took me to learn that, each being filled with wonderful lessons of patience. Patience with myself, patience with coworkers, patience with guests I served, patient with traffic, patient with ducks in the road, and patient with the weather. Patience serves me in many beneficial ways, it's important because it brings me peace of mind. Patience brings peace, breathes assurance, and conquers fear. Patience is key.

My favorite artist is Kanye West, mostly for the fact that he is powerful in the confines of his mind. Kanye to me is a metahuman and legend all due to the fact that he believes in himself. We very much relate in that realm. I believe in my own personal power, and helping others do the same. Mostly through self-empowerment.

I believe growth is infinite, and there's never a point in a persons existence when growth ceases. It's that simple. A growth mindset to me indicates a deep understanding of what growth is typcically comprised of, a challenge or situation that causes us to utilize parts of ourselves we didn't know we had; and in that, learned more about our capabilities and newfound strengths, and just like that, you've bloomed. I'm an immigrant and miliatary brat, and throughout my life have had to buckledown and just handle many new things way before I believed I was ready. As a kid, my family relocated often, leaving me always saying goodbye to new friends and comfortable environments, but even so I was always at some capacity, excited to begin a new chapter in a new place. I believe it was because I knew no matter what was on the other side of this new path, a bigger, better, smarter, more experienced version of myself was about to be birthed. Needless to say change can be an uncomfortable part of life, as youre in a transitional period, not quite sure whats on the other side, but have grown too big to be complacent where you currently are. I maintain a growth mindset by always expecting beauty and evolution in my life. I am comfortable with not being certain of the future, but certain about simple aspects of my future, like happiness, prosperity, education, travel, healthy relationships, delicious foods, all just new beautiful experiences.

Putting the puzzle back together that is your mind when it's been lost in the dark for so long is daunting, and unfortunately for so many of us that suffer from mental health illnesses, seems to be an impossible feat. This is where I would say the phrase if there's a will there's a way comes into play, at least in my story. I was born in Liberia, and have been raised in the states since I was about 2. My family is deeply rooted in the Christian faith, and over the course of the years, the more I've explored my own mind, I've learned so much about how my religion, upbringing, and culture views the topic of mental health. For a majority of my life, prior to moving out on my own, the topic of mental health was taboo and pretty much nonexistent. So growing up feeling out of sorts or disoriented mentally, I never even knew what was happening, just kept so many feelings of angst and worry pent up internally. As you can imagine, being brought up with the notion that your thoughts should remain positive on the basis of religion but never a clear route to regain the momentum of positive thoughts other than prayer when things go awry, is a bit problematic. My family was never big on communication, which lead to me in my teen years barely being able to communicate with myself, to a point where I felt so lost and confused about who I was and what I wanted out of life, that I just floated in and out of existence. Finding solace and apparent happiness in some of the wrong things and people, when all I was really chasing was feeling safe and at peace between my own two ears. In my adolescence, I found myself never with quite enough confidence and often selling myself short due to my poor mental health practices and beliefs that translated to my life experience. I was so emotionally dependent on my friendships and romantic interests that it was just a slippery slope that was unhealthy with almost anyone involved with me at the time, simply because of the energy I exuded. I wasn't happy with my current job and aspired for better but my confidence took a toll on my ambitions and beliefs about what I was capable of at the time. I felt and was unhealthy, mentally and psychically. I'd struggled with body image and self-confidence issues since about 8 years old and even ended up weighing in at my heaviest at 230lbs summer of 2019, needless to say, I just wasn't doing well, at all. It wasn't until that summer at the end of my freshman year of college I felt I hit an all-time low when I literally couldn't exist peacefully, in my own mind, that I decided to make a change. It was a simple change, but one that saved my life. I decided to love myself. I decided to care for myself in ways that I hadn't experienced yet before and to give myself the love, admiration, care, thoughtfulness, and grace I deserved, and thus my mental health journey was birthed. What made this different from any self-help practice I had tried prior was the love I felt for myself. I began giving myself credit for all I had been through rather than running away and shaming myself for my issues. When I forced myself to see myself for all I'd endured in a positive light and chose to see my scars as battle wounds that characterized me instead of weaknesses, that haunted me, I began to flourish. Over the course of the last few years, I began this deep dive into getting to know and love myself and truly learning how to feed myself the positivity, and love and compassion I always wanted. Needless to say, it feels a whole lot better seeking and receiving validation from within. I was able to land my dream job in my desired field as a Target Beauty Rep, get my dream apartment in the city I love, lost 80lbs, cut my hair, explored and updated my personal style, and creativity and made so many more steps towards a healthier and happy lifestyle as a result of new, positive thought patterns. Today, I host a self exploration podcast called The Camille Effect which can be found on all music and podcast platforms including Spotify and Apple Podcasts where I speak on my life, aspirations and the value of believing in myself and attracting positivity and abundance into my life. My career goals soar as high as the sky is blue. I know I can go as far as my mind can conjur up, and that's the best part, believing in my dreams. I love my current romantic partnership, as its a reflection of how I see and value myself now, filled with communication, affirmations, compassion and trust. I'm so proud of the mental advancements I've made and love sharing my story in hopes it inspires or impacts at least one person to pick up some positive mental practices that translate into their life experience. No matter where you currently find yourself, everyday is an opportunity for something beautiful.

"If you give a hungry man a fish, you feed him for a day, but if you teach him how to fish, you feed him for a lifetime," is a famed quote by Chinese philosopher, Lao Tzu. While this saying is ages old, we can still find many truths in it today, especially when it comes to the rights and advancement of women, with an emphasis on marginalized groups such as women of color, and lgbtq+ women. As an immigrant, a young woman of color, and a financially independent student, I've been exposed firsthand to the many unfortunate truths and patterns regarding how women are unfairly treated and overlooked in comparison to our male counterparts. This being found in nearly all aspects of society, again with an emphasis on WOC, etc. While it is an unfortunate cycle, I definitely prefer to shed light on the massive progress that's been made in the past few decades when it comes to women's rights and female empowerment, and how I think we can continue progressing in an upward motion quickly, consistently, and permanently. I believe all power comes from within, and society would do best to uplift women by encouraging more women to tap into and understand their own true, unlimited potential. So many struggles women find themselves facing today are systemic, and fundamental, but every movement starts somewhere. Instead of pushing notions of the past, and reliving the age-old conformities of what a woman should be, I prefer looking towards the future of what a woman can be; anything. As a society, we are all a part of many moving pieces that define us as a culture and people. This being said, all women, especially ones such as myself, who currently find themselves as a part of the working class, can ever actually do for our professional advancement is double down on our personal advancement. I've dealt with more than my share of hardships after moving out of my somewhat toxic home environment at a young age and having to navigate and understand how I am perceived in the professional and real-world was jarring. From dealing with discrimination in the workplace and housing market, to being passed up for certain positions I was more than qualified for. Despite these occurrences, one thing that reigns true is I prefer to be happy, at peace and with my well-being on the forefront of all I do. I've grown to understand that I would rather pave and create my own opportunities and ventures rather than wait for someone else to reward me, because boy would I be waiting for a while. I chose to jumpstart my own clothing and jewelry business as a college freshman, turned my hobbies like makeup, beauty, and skincare, public speaking into money-making avenues with over 2 years as a beauty consultant under my belt and a self-help podcast I host called The Camille Effect. All of these decisions have lead to me discovering what brings me happiness, and that is so empowering, I've created my life exactly to my liking and take advantage of my personal power every single day. Going back to school to get my bachelor's degree in behavioral psychology with the help from scholarships and grants is just another way I empower myself, and I can only hope to inspire and ignite the same efforts and beliefs in other women.

"What does that even mean?" was the first question my friend asked me, after I said it was called PSCRYPT as we sat in my dorm in the fall of 2018. At the time I didn't quite have an answer, just inspiration. My brand was birthed out of elite optimism, which I plan to carry with it forever, as a foundation. I created PSCRYPT, as a freshman in college in 2018, pursuing a degree I didn't love, in a season of my life I also didn't love. After desperately wanting to have something to represent, stand for, and behind, that I truly loved and wanted to grow with, I decided to finally capitalize on my creative ideas and visions. PSCRYPT began solely as a clothing brand that I founded and funded by myself, using the marketing and branding skills I gained from a few classes, I was able to register my business as an LLC. This being said, a majority of my brand came together due to many online resources from creators, from YouTubers to bloggers to social media experts and content creators. None of which came easy, I invested about $2000 of my own money I'd worked to save for years towards inventory and even more on marketing and branding efforts. While an extremely risky move, that's the definition of being an entrepreneur. I look forward to failure, because I, like any other good business owner, knows from failure, is birther unsurmounted bouts of success. While some may deem it foolish to invest so much, so young, into literally an idea, I know exactly what I am capable of and the heights I want to see PSCRYPT rise to one day. With the funds granted with this scholarship, I would love to focus and expand more on my marketing efforts to bring awareness of my brand and its message, of absolute personal freedom. This scholarship would aid greatly in the upward motion in which I'm planning to take PSCRYPT, it would allow me to fund a website via Shopify, purchase stickers, lighters, postcards and other promotional material, as well as pay for content creators to promote the clothing, and blog. I have big dreams for PSCRYPT, I not only want it to be a clothing brand but a self-help resource, that inspires other black entrepreneurs and creators to take a leap of faith on that calling they just cant seem to let go of, despite cloudy circumstances. I eventually want to run a successful blog that combines my PSCRYPT brand and my self-help podcast that's available on all streaming platforms called The Camille Effect. I have had so much inspiration from so many incredible artists and brands I hope to work and collaborate with one day, some of which include brands like Supreme, Yeezy, and Yordie, which are two black owned creative brands. I also have plans of expanding PSCRYPT to the Miiriya app, a black owned app, that lets you shop solely black owned businesses all on one convenient, easy to use platform. I would love to expand my product collection from where I am right now, still inventory from my original launch in 2019, but I aspire to break into the jewelry making and accessory making realm as well. While so many risks, struggles, and fears come with becoming an entrepreneur, I wouldn't have my life any other way. There really are 0 limits for where I want to take my vision. You can find my social media on Instagram @PSCRYPT. I look forward to immense growth in the upcoming years.

"You talk white," was a sentence that sent me spiraling into my second biggest identity crisis at the ripe age of 13. Quickly followed by another friend asking why I listened to white music, as I played my favorite song by The Fray. Questions that demanded answers, swarmed my young mind. "Should I not be listening to this?" "I'm black, how can I talk white?" "I'm just being myself, how is that so weird?" "Why am I so different?" A shot to my ego that would eventually become a healed bullet wound through many more years of self-exploration. I'm an African immigrant, born in Liberia before moving to the midwest at age 2. My perception of self has been skewed by many factors, and not just due to growing up in majority-white spaces, but also feeling alienated by the Black American community in my earlier years. I spent my adolescence doing my best to blend in, I felt safe following the majority, but always insecure because I didn't look, speak, or act like anyone around me. Sometimes even within my own family, deeming myself an outcast because I didn't speak my native language and wasn't as traditional as my cousins. So where did I go from there, you may ask, after spending essentially my entire life chasing a facade that I'd never actually capture because I am, as we all are, incapable of being anything other than myself. Upon graduating high school, I opted for a more diverse college experience. I wanted to be around 1 of 1s. I wanted to be free to be unapologetically myself, and that's exactly what I've spent the past few years doing. Finding my true self as a black woman has been so liberating. My style, music taste, confidence, creativity, goals, and passions have benefited so greatly from taking the time to grow into myself and separate myself from society's standards of what a black woman should be, and carving out my own definition, which I'll share with you today. Being a Black Woman to me means being free, it means creating your own happiness and love for all that you are from head to toe, no matter what you see on tv and movie screens or hear on social media, Black Girls rock, and we deserve to be happy, accepted, cherished and loved as we are NO exceptions. I am so keen on using my voice to uplift all self-identifying Black Women. I even host a self-help podcast on Spotify called The Camille Effect. I want my story of confusion to shine a light on the fact that no matter where you are from or what you look or sound like, Black Women, we are VALID, we are UNIQUE, we are FREE, and we are CAPABLE.

I was 20 when I moved out of my mother's toxic household because my mental health was declining at such a rapid rate, it got scary. While my mother loves me, being a part of an African immigrant family, mental health was never something that was even considered 'real'. It's since been over a year since that occurrence, and I'm so proud of where I stand mentally right now. As a part of the younger generation who seems to be shining a light on the topic of mental health, and especially in the black community, I'd like to see so much change. I come from a family of all-male siblings excluding myself, 3 younger and 2 older. I'm no stranger to how black men are told to deal with their mental health challenges, if it's even ever addressed that is. After moving out into the world on a leap of faith, I was able to take so many steps towards creating a safe environment for myself. I curated new habits, new ways to check on my own mental health and happiness, and even started a podcast called The Camille Effect available on all streaming platforms, so I could be an example to my siblings, and other people who find themselves in situations like I was. My utopian vision for optimal mental health in the Black community would first include the topic of mental health being an open subject matter. Conversations regarding personal struggles and uplifting solutions and steps to betterment would be prominent. Mental health resources for the Black community of all ages, genders, sexual orientations would be readily available. Resources that are there as a foundation, to prolong and advocate for positive mental health, self-help practices, and ideals that are ingrained so there's less room for severe, and traumatizing thought processes and experiences to even occur. A positive mental health space contributes to nearly every aspect of a person's life, and contribution to their surroundings as well. Mental health care and advocacy in communities of color would send a pendulum of positive momentum into full swing. A typical community of color usually finds themselves undervalued or overlooked in contrast to a non-POC or majority-white spaces. If we crave social justice and equity, we have to first believe in our abilities and understand that we deserve to live in peaceful, prosperous spaces. We also need to instill these core values in generations to come. This would lead to higher confidence levels when pursuing a new career and educational opportunities, and the belief that positive change is not only possible but inevitable in our communities. Black voices will no longer be drowned out by society's previous notions that discredit black mental health, we are a thriving community of individuals that need to stop selling themselves short. This is the future. I am so excited to be a part of a tidal wave of positive changes surrounding the topic of mental health in the black community, I will continue to do my part by sharing my story, furthering my own education, broadening my horizon and new methods of well-being on future episodes of The Camille Effect.