Finishing college has long been a goal of mine, but it seemed to be something that was out of my reach. I am a first-generation college student and I have had to navigate this process on my own since the beginning. It has been a very bumpy road from the beginning to where I am now, but I’ve been able to obtain clarity on my goals and work towards achieving them based on the adversities I experienced during my journey. My first year in college was difficult. I lost one of my dearest friends to suicide, so I decided to take a year off. Fast forward, and things were not much easier. I struggled with my finances and housing insecurity which ultimately led me to take community college classes before returning to Temple University years later. A couple years later, my best friend whom I was living with also died from suicide. In a span of a short time, my world had turned completely upside down. Despite the heavy burden this placed on my mental health, I strived to complete my remaining classes while ignoring everything in my being that was telling me to quit. After these incidents, I had a period of self-discovery and realized that I wanted to pursue a career in medicine; both of my friends struggled with their mental health and neither of them received the help that they desperately needed. Since their deaths, I've struggled with my mental health and have tried my best to stay focused on my goals. One way I was able to stay focused and heal was by volunteering in my neighborhood. Sometimes it would be as small as picking up trash or picking up groceries for my neighbor. I was also able to volunteer at a local retirement home. These simple things helped me cope with the loss of my friends and gave me renewed purpose. I am an avid reader. Another method of coping with loss was to read anything and everything I could get my hands on. During this difficult time, I read "It's OK that you're NOT OK" by Megan Devine, "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho, and "A Rustle in the Grass" by Robin Hawdon. These books taught me that you can not only live after immense loss, but you can go on to thrive. I am aware that countless others have similar stories as my two best friends. I am determined to complete my degree, graduate from medical school, and become a licensed psychiatrist. I hope to provide affordable care and treatment to everyone that needs it. Despite having worked full-time, volunteering, and serving in the Army, I always placed education as my highest priority. Gaining an education is incredibly important to me; I view it as a privilege that not everyone gets to experience. It is a way to not only better personally improve ourselves, but also our community, and the people close to us. When I first began this journey, I had no idea that the upcoming years would be the hardest, most illuminating years of my life. This scholarship will not only allow me to continue my studies without the financial stress that comes with attending college but will also allow me to continue following my path of service toward my community and those who need help most. I never gave up and I refuse to ever give up on my dream of becoming a mental health advocate because this is my mission in life, and I know that my friends would never have allowed me to give up on myself either.

Finishing college has long been a goal of mine, but it seemed to be something that was out of my reach. I am a first-generation college student and I have had to navigate this process on my own since the beginning. It has been a very bumpy road from the beginning to where I am now, but I’ve been able to obtain clarity on my goals and work towards achieving them based on the adversities I experienced during my journey. I was initially enrolled at Temple University in 2015. My first year was difficult. I lost one of my dearest friends to suicide, so I decided to take a year off. Fast forward, and things were not much easier. I struggled with my finances and housing insecurity which ultimately led me to take community college classes before returning to Temple University years later. In 2018, my best friend whom I was living with committed suicide, as well. In a span of a short time, my world had turned completely upside down. Despite the heavy burden this placed on my mental health, I strived to complete my remaining classes while ignoring everything in my being that was telling me to quit. After these incidents, I had a period of self-discovery and realized that I wanted to pursue a career in medicine; both of my friends struggled with their mental health and neither of them received the help that they desperately needed. Since their deaths, I've struggled with my mental health and have tried my best to stay focused on my goals. One way I was able to stay focused and heal was by volunteering in my neighborhood. Sometimes it would be as small as picking up trash or picking up groceries for my neighbor. I was also able to volunteer at a local retirement home. These simple things helped me cope with the loss of my friends and gave me renewed purpose. My two friends were victims of not receiving the medical attention they needed, and I am aware that countless others have similar stories. I am determined to complete my degree, graduate from medical school, and become a licensed psychiatrist. I hope to provide affordable care and treatment to everyone that needs it. Despite having worked full-time, volunteering, and serving in the National Guard, I always placed education as my highest priority. I am motivated to face any obstacles in hopes of one day lowering the prevalence of people struggling with serious mental health illnesses like Dom and Ben. I want to be able to change the landscape of graduate education and show others who have struggled like me that it's not impossible to make it. Gaining an education is incredibly important to me; I view it as a privilege that not everyone gets to experience. It is a way to not only better personally improve ourselves, but also our community, and the people close to us. When I first began this journey, I had no idea that the upcoming years would be the hardest, most illuminating years of my life. This scholarship will not only allow me to continue my studies without the financial stress that comes with attending college but will also allow me to continue following my path of service toward my community and those who need help most. I never gave up and I refuse to ever give up on my dream of becoming a mental health advocate because this is my mission in life, and I know that my friends would never have allowed me to give up on myself either.

Finishing college has long been a goal of mine, but it seemed to be something that was out of my reach. I am a first-generation college student and I have had to navigate this process on my own since the beginning. It has been a very bumpy road from the beginning to where I am now, but I’ve been able to obtain clarity on my goals and work towards achieving them based on the adversities I experienced during my journey. Lauren's story struck me because I lost two very close friends to suicide during my college years. I was initially enrolled at Temple University in 2015. My first year was difficult. I lost one of my dearest friends to suicide, so I decided to take a year off. Fast forward, and things were not much easier. I struggled with my finances and housing insecurity which ultimately led me to take community college classes before returning to Temple University years later. In 2018, my best friend whom I was living with committed suicide, as well. In a span of a short time, my world had turned completely upside down. Despite the heavy burden this placed on my mental health, I strived to complete my remaining classes while ignoring everything in my being that was telling me to quit. After these incidents, I had a period of self-discovery and realized that I wanted to pursue a career in medicine; both of my friends struggled with their mental health and neither of them received the help that they desperately needed. Since their deaths, I've struggled with my mental health and have tried my best to stay focused on my goals. One way I was able to stay focused and heal was by volunteering in my neighborhood. Sometimes it would be as small as picking up trash or picking up groceries for my neighbor. I was also able to volunteer at a local retirement home. These simple things helped me cope with the loss of my friends and gave me renewed purpose. My two friends were victims of not receiving the medical attention they needed, and I am aware that countless others have similar stories. I am determined to complete my degree, graduate from medical school, and become a licensed psychiatrist. I hope to provide affordable care and treatment to everyone that needs it. Despite having worked full-time, volunteering, and serving in the National Guard, I always placed education as my highest priority. I am motivated to face any obstacles in hopes of one day lowering the prevalence of people struggling with serious mental health illnesses like Dom and Ben. Gaining an education is incredibly important to me; I view it as a privilege that not everyone gets to experience. It is a way to not only better personally improve ourselves, but also our community, and the people close to us. When I first began this journey, I had no idea that the upcoming years would be the hardest, most illuminating years of my life. This scholarship will not only allow me to continue my studies without the financial stress that comes with attending college but will also allow me to continue following my path of service toward my community and those who need help most. I never gave up and I refuse to ever give up on my dream of becoming a mental health advocate because this is my mission in life, and I know that my friends would never have allowed me to give up on myself either.

Finishing college has long been a goal of mine, but it seemed to be something that was out of my reach. I am a first-generation college student and I have had to navigate this process on my own since the beginning. It has been a very bumpy road from the beginning to where I am now, but I’ve been able to obtain clarity on my goals and work towards achieving them based on the adversities I experienced during my journey. I was initially enrolled at Temple University in 2015. My first year was difficult. I lost one of my closest friends to suicide, so I decided to take a year off. Fast forward, and things were not much easier. I struggled with my finances and housing insecurity which ultimately led me to take community college classes before returning to Temple University years later. In 2018, my best friend whom I was living with committed suicide, as well. In a span of a short time, I lost two of the closest people to me to suicide. Despite the heavy burden this placed on my mental health, I strived to complete my remaining classes while ignoring everything in my being that was telling me to quit. I was determined to not give up because I knew that it was not the road my two best friends would have wanted me to take. After these incidents, I had a period of self-discovery and realized that I wanted to pursue a career in medicine; both of my friends struggled with their mental health and neither of them received the help that they desperately needed. Since their deaths, I've struggled with my own mental health and have tried my best to stay focused on my goals. My two friends were victims of not receiving the medical attention they needed, and I am aware that there are countless others whose lives have ended too soon due to similar failures in our medical system. I am determined to complete my bachelor's degree in Biology, graduate from medical school, and become a licensed psychiatrist, and I hope to provide affordable care and treatment to everyone that needs it. Despite having worked full-time at a hospital and serving in the National Guard, I always placed education as my highest priority. I am motivated to face any obstacles in hopes of one day lowering the prevalence of people struggling with serious mental health illnesses. Gaining an education and attending college is incredibly important to me; I view it as more than simply a means to an end, it is a privilege that not everyone gets to experience. It is a way to not only better personally improve ourselves, but also our community, and the people close to us. When I first began this journey, I had no idea what was in store for me, nor did I have an idea that the upcoming years would be the hardest, most illuminating years of my life. This scholarship will not only allow me to continue my studies without the financial stress that comes with attending college but will also allow me to continue following my path of service toward my community and those who need help most. I never gave up and I refuse to ever give up on my dream of becoming a mental health advocate because this is my mission in life, and I know that my friends would never have allowed me to give up on myself either.

I'm a non-traditional 4th-year undergraduate student at Temple University who is currently studying biology. I have been living in the Philadelphia area attending school on and off while working full-time since 2017. I grew up in scenic Lancaster, Pennsylvania and some of my favorite memories from this time were hiking in Tucquan Glen with my best friend before he passed away. It was there that I developed a love for the outdoors. I learned how important environmental conservation was when my community fought against the building of the Atlantic Sunrise pipeline that would ultimately lead to fracking in and around the Conestoga river and nearby ground wells. Unfortunately, PA legislators were unwilling to listen to the concerns of the community and the pipeline project went ahead anyway. However, our community was successful in getting the company to avoid routing the pipeline through Tucquan glen, which houses old-growth trees and a tributary to the Susquehanna river. In the past few years, I learned how the EPA has effectively been "gutted" and environmental protections have been greatly reduced. Speaking to some of the academics at my University further highlighted the urgency of this problem. This affects not only the current climate crisis, but also the extinction of local flora and fauna, which are already at risk due to human encroachment, disease, overhunting, or overfishing. Since moving to the city, I was shocked by the number of people who have never experienced the beauty of nature. I met coworkers and neighbors who told me they had never been camping or hiking. I met some people who said they hadn't even been to the beach before. Even more shocking, was the number of people who appeared to have little regard for the environment. True, it was an urban environment, but to see streets littered with trash and local parks abandoned and overgrown was painful. Even the local Wissahickon park wasn't immune to the litter and encroachment of the local community. I realized that I want to protect the environment that we have, whether it be the rolling fields and hidden glens of Lancaster county, the urban parks and shared spaces of Philadelphia, or the incredibly important Susquehanna and Schuylkill rivers that flow through Central and Southeastern Pa. During the pandemic, I joined the community to locate and destroy spotted lanternfly nests. I've also volunteered to remove other various invasive species in and around Philadelphia. I've also become very interested in mental health. To me, a healthy environment is important for good mental health. Ultimately, I would like to open free mental health clinics that also focus on holistic treatments that include interacting with the environment and building habits to make the community a healthier place to live. I would also like to create programs that would help immerse youth in nature by getting people out of the urban environment and into the nearby hidden gems of nature. Not enough kids get to experience the tranquility that only exists when you're outdoors and away from the bustle of the city. This can also foster respect for the environment and may also help build healthy habits and help people realize the importance of protecting what we have. In 2018 my best friend drove to Tucquan glen and took his life. This is where we had some of our best memories- spending endless summers collecting cool rocks and swimming in frigid water, surrounded by the lush emerald green of the old-growth forest. This was our favorite place to be. In 2020, Tucquan Glen was closed indefinitely due to overcrowding and disrespectful visitors.

I'm a first-generation undergraduate student studying biology at Temple University. I've lived and worked in Philadelphia for a long time and my current goal is to complete my 4-year degree. I first began attending community college before transferring to Temple and at first, I had no clue where I wanted to go with my career. All I knew was that my education was incredibly important to me and I have a passion to understand the world around me. Not until one of my closest friends succumbed to his mental health did I realize that I wanted to attend medical school. It seems ironic that a personal loss is what it took for me to decide what I wanted to do in life, but I've come to the philosophy that we grow from our losses and hardships. Since that moment, I began to take my studies even more seriously and I began to work in the mental health field. I've volunteered in some of the most poverty-stricken areas of my city and realized there is an acute lack of mental health services for most of those that need them. Thus, my aspiration transformed into something more tangible. Not only do I want to attend medical school, but I also want to study psychiatry and create free mental health clinics in Philadelphia. I am no stranger to mental health struggles, as I have had my own since my best friend's passing. However, what I would consider one of my greatest personal accomplishments is keeping my mental health in check while attending college and working full-time. I was able to use my struggles as a motivation to stay in college and work towards completing my degree. Professionally, I would consider it my ultimate accomplishment to open free mental health clinics, but I realize I need to sometimes step back and acknowledge what I have done so far. I've helped expand services for people without homes while working at a non-profit. I've volunteered in Kensington distributing food and harm-reduction supplies. Also, I've helped organize neighborhood clean-ups in my community during the pandemic. Since I am paying my own way through college, nearly all of the costs have come out of pocket or through loans. This award will make a difference by helping me pay down some of my college debt and allow me to save more for graduate school. I will also be able to put some money towards textbooks and other required class materials. Needless to say, college expenses have become a huge burden, one that I see can prevent me from achieving some of my long-term goals. I hope to make an impact in my community and anything that can help me pay my debt will make all the difference for me.

My name is Chris McMillan. I'm a student at Temple University and I'm pursuing a Bachelor's degree in biology. I'm a first-generation POC and every day it feels like a dream that I'm actively working towards my future by attending classes at this university. I didn't immediately attend college right after high school; I initially joined the Army and worked various jobs before saving up and eventually applying to Temple U. At 17, my mom realized she was pregnant and from what she recalls, the world came crashing down around her. She had no idea if she would be able to care for a child and finish high school at the same time. She managed to do both and provide me with the opportunities to achieve what she always hoped I could do, which was go to college. Her dreams are my dreams and though the road has been arduous, to say the least, I can't ever give up my dream of finishing college and getting my degree. Ultimately, my goal is to go to medical school to specialize in psychiatry and eventually open free mental health clinics in and around Philadelphia. In the past few years, I've lost two of my closest friends after they succumbed to their mental illness. I want to be the person that helps those who feel they have nobody left and nothing to lose. Unfortunately, not enough people have access to critical mental health services and don't know where to find help when they're in a crisis. My friends weren't able to get the proper help they needed in time. From working in the mental health field for years, I know this rings true for too many people. I've struggled with my own depression, partially as a result of these events. Along with my normal academic challenges, struggling with my mental health adds another layer of difficulty to achieving my dream future. I know that to succeed, I must be able to care for myself, remind myself of what I want to achieve, and when things get tough, I also need to remember to be kind to myself. Throughout this journey, I've learned that I can't succeed without the help of others, primarily family and friends. I realized how important it is to surround myself with people that truly care about me and want me to do good in life. Thus, I know first-hand how important it is to spread kindness whenever and wherever I can. It sounds cliché, but its true that one small act of kindness can change everything for somebody. Thank you for your consideration.

I'm a non-traditional undergraduate student at Temple University who is currently studying biology. I have been living in the Philadelphia area attending school on and off while working full-time since 2017. One of the biggest obstacles in pursing my education has been from within. I experienced several tragedies, including the loss of my best friend and roommate and have been struggling with the emotional fallout from this. I want to say that I have fully recovered and am doing better, but I can't. The truth is, I am struggling every day with depression. Some days are better than others, but its always a constant battle. I had depression as a child and have been in and out of therapy since I was 12. One of the hardest things about living with depression are the lies that we tell ourselves. Often, I feel like I can't accomplish a certain task or I'm not cut out for it. This has been particularly the case during my early academic career. This self-defeating thinking was initially something that I had resigned myself to live with. I accepted it as part of who I am, until I grew tired of it. What changed? I continued therapy. I also surrounded myself with a group of friends who are understanding and supportive. Lastly, and probably most importantly, I set goals for myself. Learning is a passion of mine and completing college is my one major goal in life right now. Being able to focus on this, one day at a time, has helped me to keep moving forward despite my depression or what has happened in the past. I want to help others who struggle like I do. The road isn't easy, but knowing that I can potentially be in a position to better someone else's life, to help guide them, or to help alleviate their suffering makes my journey absolutely worth it.

In 2016, I lost one of my closest friends to suicide. This person was someone I looked up to. He was funny, kind, artistic, charismatic, and well, just plain cool. Ben's loss weighed heavily on me and still does to this day. In 2018, my best friend Dom died by suicide. He was the closest person to me in my life. He was someone I could tell my secrets to. We shared so many inside-jokes and, experiences, ups and downs, and I considered him a brother. His loss also weighs heavily on me. Four years later, I'm not the same person I once was. Immediately after Dom's death, I felt broken, like my soul was crushed and life had splintered into a million different pieces. It sounds like hyperbole, but its true. I felt like I would never recover and I couldn't see any light at the end of the tunnel. I think there's a rock bottom that we can reach as individuals. For me, I was at my worst. I can't say that I recovered through the force of sheer will, but I did recover. Maybe not fully, but I have gotten to the point of being able to enjoy life, seeing things without the dullness that I've become accustomed to seeing. Granted, it wasn't easy for me the past few years. I went through years of therapy and I've had to learn how to find happiness where I can. In a short span of time, I lost two of the closest people to me and consequently I felt I had lost everything worth living for. When grieving, I had to take it day-by-day, putting one foot in front of the other. I made goals for myself. First, my goals were merely getting myself out of bed and showering, or doing the dishes, any mundane chore to keep me busy and focused on myself and what needs to be done. Eventually, I realized that maybe things were going to be okay for me. I don't remember when I had this realization, it just happened. Depression consumed me for a long time. I had a hard time remember the "good" moments that I had with my friends and my mind kept wandering to the most traumatic experiences from the short periods before Ben and Dom had killed themselves. There was always a small part of me that was always fighting against the trauma, against these depressive thoughts. That part of me was a coping mechanism and it was the same part of myself that allowed me to get out of bed, shower, and clean my room. It was the part of me that saved me from myself, I think. As time passed, I healed. Part of my healing was always setting more goals for myself. I always knew I wanted to help people. When Ben died, I felt that this purpose was renewed. When Dom died, I witnessed first hand how he was failed by the medical system and I knew I had to be part of the solution. Knowing what they went through, along with countless others struggling with mental health and not getting the help they needed, I realized it was my calling to fight against our current mental health crisis. I want to go into medicine and specialize in psychiatry. I want to be at the forefront of academic research and novel treatments for those suffering from the worst etiologies that would drastically impact someone's mental well-being. College has been difficult. I'm an "older" student now, funding my education mostly through loans and out of my own pocket. This has required working full-time while, at points, attending school full-time. Sometimes finishing college seems out of reach for me, especially when life gets in the way. But on the hard days when something seems insurmountable, or I feel defeated, I remember why I am pursuing this degree. I remind myself that I want to help people like Ben, like Dom, and others like myself who is a survivor of suicide loss. Tragedy is unfortunately very common and it affects us in ways we can't even begin to imagine. I never "got over" the loss of my friends. To say that I'm over their deaths sounds disingenuous. I live with their deaths and I keep moving forward with their deaths on my mind. Once I've achieved my major goal of becoming a physician, I will proudly say that I lived for my friends and helped others in their name.

Finishing college has long been a goal of mine, but it sometimes seemed to be something that was out of my reach. I am a first generation college student and I've had to navigate this process on my own. It has been a very bumpy road from the beginning to where I'm at now. In 2015, when I was first accepted to Temple University, I had no clue what I wanted to do. I knew I wanted to help others and serve my community, but my head was still spinning at the fact that I was actually attending college classes. That first year was difficult. I lost one of my closest friends to suicide so I decided to take a year off. Fast forward, and things were not much easier. I struggled with my finances and housing. Ultimately, I decided to take community college classes before returning to Temple. In 2018, my best friend whom I was living with committed suicide as well. In a span of a short time, I lost two of the closest people to me. I struggled through my remaining classes at community college despite everything in my being that was telling me to give up and quit. The reason I continued with my education was that I finally knew what I wanted to do, which is to pursue a career in medicine. Both of my friends struggled with their mental health and neither of them got the help that they desperately needed. Since their deaths, I've struggled with my own mental health and have tried my best to stay focused on my goals. I know they were not the only ones to not get the help they needed and there are countless others who have been failed at every turn. I'm determined to complete my bachelor's degree, go to medical school, become a psychiatrist, and help the people who aren't getting any help. This is why college is important to me. I see it as more than a means to an end. College is a privilege that not everyone gets to experience. It is a way to not only better ourselves, but our community and the people around us. When I first started this path, I had no idea what was in store for me. I also had no clue that the upcoming years would be the hardest years of my life. I never gave up because I view this as my mission and I know my friends would never have allowed me to give up on myself.