In November 2021, I was diagnosed with Severe Anxiety when I attended my first therapy session after having a severe panic attack at school. Before this time, I had experienced anxiety my entire life, even having panic attacks but not knowing what they were at the time. My stress affected my academic life as well as my social life. I was always too nervous about going out with my friends, talking to someone new, and speaking up in class. I often had panic attacks that kept me from class and other activities. I felt like I couldn't breathe, like drowning, like nothing would get better during my panic attacks. My fear of being seen as weird or different caused me to keep the way I was feeling secret until I couldn't anymore. After seeing my therapist for a few months, I got on Zoloft and have been taking it since. At the end of the winter of my Junior year, I had a panic attack during a timed exam for a dual credit class. I could not finish the test in time due to my panic attack; it dropped my grade, and even after I emailed my professor about my situation, she still would not let me retake the exam. Failing my exam caused me even more stress about my grades; when I spoke to my therapist, she suggested getting a 504 plan for my anxiety. My 504 plan has greatly helped me ease my stress regarding schoolwork and every day in class. I have always been my advocate for my needs when it comes to my anxiety disorder—talking to my doctor about upping my medication dosage and participating in therapy regularly. Before my diagnosis, I knew I had some anxiety, and most of my school's students did too. Knowing that anxiety greatly affected me, I wanted to help other students feel less anxious in the classroom. So when our teacher asked us to find an issue within our school and develop a plan to fix it or make it better for our ecology class, I immediately thought about the overall stress of our students. Our projects would be presented to our Superintendent to be considered for implementation in our school. I studied the effects of color and plants on students' overall stress and anxiety; my partner and I designed a plan for the school, indoor and outdoor plants throughout the school, a room dedicated to reducing stress through plants and color, as well as painting all of the classrooms specific colors to reduce stress and anxiety, as well as improve productivity. Our school now has a sensory room, new landscaping outside, and plants in almost every classroom. My anxiety has caused me to fall into depression occasionally, hurting myself and having thoughts of suicide. I wouldn't be here today if it weren't for my amazing family, friends, and therapist. I want to be that support system for other people, helping and guiding those suffering from horrible situations and who have a mental illness. I plan to be a Youth Correctional counselor, guiding troubled youths into a better life, supporting them, and showing them their ability to overcome and grow. My anxiety has caused me so much pain and prevented me from doing everyday activities, but it has also given me empathy for those who suffer similarly to me. Being a mental health advocate for myself and others is something I take pride in; I have pushed to implement procedures and plans to support those with mental illness at my school.