When I first began working as a Registered Behavior Technician, I thought my job was to teach skills and manage behaviors. But the more time I spent with clients—many of whom were children and teens navigating complex emotional worlds—the more I saw the quiet stories behind every behavior. I learned to listen beyond the data sheets: to the anxiety in a parent’s voice, to the isolation in a teen’s silence. These moments taught me that healing isn’t just about technique—it’s about connection. That realization, along with my own experiences navigating the mental healthcare system as a queer individual, is what solidified my decision to pursue a career in mental health. My lived experiences have shaped both the direction of my studies and the kind of therapist I hope to become. As someone who has seen how stigma and systemic barriers can silence people, I’m drawn to making mental health care more accessible and affirming for LGBTQ+ individuals and other marginalized groups. During my undergraduate years, I conducted and published research exploring the intersections of identity, resilience, and well-being. That work helped me understand how evidence-based practice and empathy can coexist—that research can guide us, but compassion is what keeps us human. In the MSW program at the University of North Florida, I aim to integrate counseling practice with research to create supportive, inclusive environments where clients feel seen and safe. If I could make one significant change to today’s mental healthcare system, it would be to embed culturally competent, community-based care into every level of treatment. Too often, therapy is designed for those who can afford it, access it easily, and feel welcome in clinical spaces. This excludes many people who most need support. I would advocate for models that place therapists directly within community settings—schools, shelters, LGBTQ+ centers, and virtual outreach programs—so that mental health care becomes part of daily life, not something people have to search for. I believe equity starts with meeting people where they are, both literally and emotionally. The growing field of teletherapy reflects this same principle of accessibility, and I’ve seen firsthand both its benefits and challenges. Teletherapy breaks down geographical barriers and helps clients connect with providers who share their identities or specialties, which is especially meaningful for LGBTQ+ individuals in rural or unsupportive areas. However, it also reveals gaps in access—unstable internet connections, lack of privacy at home, and digital literacy challenges can all limit its effectiveness. To innovate, we need hybrid care models that combine telehealth’s reach with local, in-person support networks. We also need platforms designed with cultural and linguistic diversity in mind, ensuring that clients can express themselves authentically in spaces that feel safe and familiar. Ultimately, my goal as a future therapist is to bring warmth, curiosity, and cultural humility to every interaction. I want to create therapeutic spaces where people don’t have to shrink themselves to be understood, where they can see their stories reflected with dignity and hope. My background in behavioral work and research has given me the tools; my lived experiences have given me the purpose. Pursuing my MSW isn’t just a career step—it’s a commitment to reshaping how care is provided, accessed, and shared. I believe that healing begins with being seen, and I want to help others see themselves as worthy of that healing, too.

This past summer, I worked with a local non-for-profit tutoring service called JaxThrive. Jax-Thrive provides free tutoring, virtually and in-person, to refugee children in Florida and the surrounding southern United States. I earned about twenty-nine community service hours working with them. Through them, I was able to help many children, helping them finish their spring semester and finals or preparing them for the upcoming fall semester. Even though I couldn’t meet them in person, I tried my hardest to build connections. Even though I didn’t get to work with Jax-Thrive for very long, I learned lessons that will stick with me for the rest of my life. The two children I worked with the most were two brothers from Syria. They were resistant to my help at first, the younger thinking he didn’t need help, and the older stuck in his anxiety about a placement test he had to take at the beginning of the semester. As I worked with them more, they became more comfortable with me and let me help them. While they became more comfortable around me, I learned more and more about their pasts. I learned from the older brother how they fled Syria and the hardships that came with that experience. When I met them, these boys were nine and eleven years old, which meant that the youngest brother would have only been about six and the elder only eight when they fled Syria. It was hard to comprehend young children going through these awful situations. Before I met those kids, I never really understood or cared about what was going on in the Middle East and surrounding areas. Maybe it shows a lack of maturity, but I didn’t pay attention because it didn’t affect me directly, and I didn’t understand it at all. Now that I’ve had a chance to talk to these people and start to understand, I realize the fault of my previous ways. Having this fantastic chance to work with those kids and being comfortable enough to share their stories with me is something I am eternally grateful for. I’ve now been trying my best to keep up on worldwide issues and doing my best to be a real global citizen, and I want to continue being globally aware throughout my life. I do not want to miss out on chances to help change the world for the better because I couldn’t be bothered to look at events outside of my own country.

My favorite book always has been, and forever will be " The Island of Doctor Libris" by Chris Grabenstein. The premise of the book is getting kids interested in reading books that they may not normally pick up. For me, this book inspired me to start reading a great number of classics including, "The Three Musketeers" and the original "Robin Hood." "The Island of Doctor Libris" helped me start reading classics at an early age which has helped me to be a well-read adult. Now, I am reading books such as "Crime and Punishment" by Dostoevsky and "Anna Karenina" by Tolstoy. Also, by helping me start reading those bigger, more adult, books at an early age, my reading and writing capabilities increased early on which has helped my throughout my dual enrollment career in highschool. When I look back and read this book as an adult, it is childish and absolutely takes creative liberties with the characters from the classic portrayed. In the same thought, it is interesting, funny, and engaging which is why it's helping kids engage with these more complex materials. Not only does it act as a benefit to kids and their reading, but it is also a genuinely good book. The main character's mother is working for this mysterious Dr. Libris who has a secret island where characters from stories come to life. The main character is also struggling through his parents' separation and trying his best to find new friends. It takes realistic struggles and adds a layer of fantasy. That's why it's my favorite book. Not only are the characters likeable and the storyline fun, it helps engage kids in a while new world of literature.