My experience with mental health has shaped my goals, my relationships, and my understanding of the world in personal and lasting ways. I have learned that mental health is not something that exists in isolation. It influences how people think, feel, connect with others, and move through life. My perspective has been shaped by both personal struggles and the experiences of those closest to me, especially my mother and grandmother. One of the most impactful experiences in my life was watching my mother battle breast cancer. During that time, I saw how physical illness also carries strong emotional weight. While she focused on treatment and recovery, our family also had to cope with fear, uncertainty, and emotional exhaustion. Despite everything, my mother remained strong and hopeful. She taught me the importance of resilience and emotional support. I realized that mental health plays a major role in how people handle physical illness and life challenges. That experience helped me understand that healing is not only physical, but also emotional and mental. My understanding of mental health deepened even more when my grandmother began living with dementia. Watching someone you love slowly lose their memory and independence is heartbreaking. It changed the way I view identity, memory, and connection. Dementia showed me that mental health conditions do not only affect the individual, they affect the entire family. It also taught me patience and compassion, especially in moments when communication becomes difficult or emotional. I learned that support is not always about having the right answers, but about showing up with empathy and consistency. These experiences also shaped my understanding of relationships. I became more aware of how important communication and emotional awareness are in maintaining strong connections with others. I learned that people often carry invisible burdens, and that kindness and understanding can make a meaningful difference in someone’s life. Because of this, I try to be more intentional in how I listen and respond to others. I have also become more empathetic, recognizing that everyone is going through something that may not be visible. My experiences with mental health have directly influenced my goals. I want to pursue a career in psychology so I can better understand human behavior and support individuals and families facing emotional and cognitive challenges. I plan to attend Salisbury University and major in Psychology. My long-term goal is to become a licensed therapist and eventually open my own private practice where people feel safe, supported, and understood. I want to help individuals dealing with anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, and cognitive decline, while also working to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health, especially in communities where it is often misunderstood or ignored. As an African American male, I have also become more aware of how cultural expectations can influence mental health. In many communities, there is pressure to appear strong and handle problems independently. Emotional struggles are sometimes seen as weaknesses rather than valid experiences that deserve care and attention. Because of this, many people suffer silently instead of seeking help. This awareness has strengthened my desire to be part of the change by promoting open conversations about mental health and encouraging others to seek support without shame. My understanding of the world has also changed through my service and leadership experiences. From 2022 to 2024, I volunteered with the Kids Team at Union Church BWI Campus, where I helped care for and engage young children in structured activities. This experience taught me that emotional safety and consistency are essential for healthy development. I learned that even simple interactions can have a lasting impact on a child’s sense of security and confidence. I also participated in leadership programs such as EMBODI, the HOBY Maryland Youth Leadership Seminar, and the TCP Young Leaders Program. These experiences helped me develop communication, leadership, and teamwork skills, while also teaching me the importance of civic responsibility and emotional intelligence. Through these programs, I began to understand that leadership is not just about guiding others, but also about listening, learning, and serving with intention. My exposure to the University of Maryland, Baltimore County Summer Enrichment Academy also broadened my perspective by introducing me to academic fields such as cybersecurity and programming. This experience helped me see how knowledge and problem-solving can be used to improve systems that affect people’s lives. Overall, my experience with mental health has shaped me into someone who values empathy, awareness, and support. It has taught me that everyone has a story, and that understanding those stories requires patience and compassion. It has also shown me that healing is not linear and that people need safe spaces where they can be honest about what they are going through. In the future, I hope to use my education and experiences to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others. I want to help people feel seen, heard, and supported, and I want to contribute to a world where mental health is treated with the same importance as physical health.

I perceive myself as a positive force in society through my commitment to supporting others emotionally, serving my community, and working toward a future where mental health is understood and valued. My perspective has been shaped by personal experiences, including watching my mother battle breast cancer and my grandmother live with dementia. These experiences showed me how health challenges affect not only individuals, but entire families emotionally, mentally, and socially. They also taught me empathy, patience, and the importance of emotional support during difficult moments. As I grew older, I realized that many people carry internal struggles that are not always visible. During middle school, I experienced loss, isolation during COVID, and emotional challenges that made me more aware of how easily someone can feel overwhelmed or disconnected. These moments helped me understand that being a positive force does not always mean fixing problems, but instead being present, supportive, and understanding when others are struggling. I have also worked to be a positive force through service in my community. I volunteered with the Kids Team at Union Church BWI Campus, where I helped care for and engage young children in structured lessons and activities. This experience taught me that consistency, patience, and kindness can create a safe and supportive environment for others. It also showed me that even small actions can have a lasting impact on someone’s sense of security and belonging. My leadership experiences have further shaped how I contribute to society. Through EMBODI, I developed discipline, leadership skills, and a stronger sense of responsibility to uplift my community. The HOBY Maryland Youth Leadership Seminar taught me about ethical leadership, collaboration, and civic responsibility, while the TCP Young Leaders Program strengthened my communication, teamwork, and confidence. These programs helped me understand that being a positive force also means using my voice and actions to encourage others and contribute to meaningful change. Academically, the University of Maryland, Baltimore County Summer Enrichment Academy exposed me to fields like cybersecurity and programming, helping me build problem-solving skills and broaden my understanding of how knowledge can be used to improve society. These experiences reinforced the importance of education as a tool for positive impact. My future goals are centered around becoming a therapist. I plan to attend Salisbury University and major in Psychology so I can better understand human behavior and mental health. I want to support individuals dealing with anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, and cognitive decline, while also helping families navigate these challenges. I also want to challenge the stigma surrounding mental health, especially in communities where emotional struggles are often minimized or ignored. Current social norms play a major role in shaping my thinking. In many communities, there is still pressure to appear strong and handle problems alone, particularly for young men and people of color. Mental health is sometimes misunderstood or not openly discussed, which can prevent people from seeking help. I feel a responsibility to encourage openness, vulnerability, and emotional honesty. I recognize that society is slowly becoming more accepting of mental health awareness and therapy. I want to contribute to that progress by normalizing conversations about mental health and being someone who helps others feel safe asking for support. Ultimately, I see myself as a positive force by combining empathy, lived experience, education, and service. My goal is to help create a society where people feel heard, supported, and empowered to take care of their mental and emotional well-being without fear or stigma.

Health and wellness have shaped both my personal beliefs and my future career goals. Watching my grandmother battle dementia while my mother fought breast cancer showed me how deeply health challenges can affect not only individuals, but the emotional well-being of an entire family. As you can imagine, I have seen how physical and mental health challenges affect not only individuals, but also the people who love and support them. These experiences inspired me to pursue psychology so I can help others navigate difficult emotional and mental struggles. My interest in mental health became deeply personal when my grandmother began living with dementia. Watching someone you love slowly lose their memory and independence is heartbreaking. It showed me that mental health conditions affect entire families emotionally, socially, and mentally. Seeing my grandmother struggle made me more empathetic and patient, and it pushed me to learn more about how the mind works and how people can be supported through compassion and understanding. Dementia also taught me that mental health issues are not always visible, which is why emotional support is just as important as medical treatment. Health and wellness became even more important to me when my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. Watching her go through treatments and emotional stress showed me how closely physical and mental health are connected. While my family focused on supporting her physically, I also saw the importance of emotional resilience, encouragement, and maintaining hope during difficult times. That experience strengthened my belief that wellness involves caring for both the body and the mind. These experiences motivated me to pursue a career in psychology. In the future, I hope to work with individuals dealing with anxiety, depression, trauma, and cognitive decline, while also supporting the families affected by these challenges. I am especially interested in increasing awareness and access to mental health care, because many conditions are misunderstood or ignored until they become severe. I believe my extracurricular activities have prepared me for this path. Through programs such as EMBODI, HOBY Maryland, and the TCP Young Leaders Program, I developed leadership, communication, and emotional awareness skills. Volunteering with children at church strengthened my patience and empathy, while balancing school and work taught me resilience and the importance of maintaining mental wellness. Studying psychology will allow me to turn my personal experiences into meaningful work that helps others heal, grow, and feel supported during some of the hardest moments of their lives. Thank you for your consideration!

Growth Through Adversity by Christian Bernard I grew up believing that faith meant certainty—that if I believed in God, everything would fall into place. But that belief was tested early in my life. When the world shut down during my sixth-grade year, COVID stripped away the middle school memories I had been looking forward to. Days blurred together as I sat isolated behind a Chromebook, unsure of who I was becoming. During that same time, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. Watching her go through chemotherapy forced me to confront questions I had never asked before. I wondered how something so painful could happen to someone I loved so deeply, and for a while, my faith faded into confusion. Facing isolation while watching my mother fight cancer became one of the greatest challenges I had ever experienced. Not long after starting high school, I experienced another loss when a childhood friend passed away unexpectedly. Losing someone my age made life feel fragile and uncertain. These challenges left me emotionally disconnected and unmotivated. School became something I drifted through rather than committed to. I procrastinated, avoided responsibility, and felt stuck. At times, it felt easier to give up than to keep trying, but deep down I knew that staying stuck would not honor the strength my mother showed every day. What slowly pulled me out of that mindset was watching my mom’s strength. Despite her illness, she continued to pray and stay positive for our family. Through her example, I realized that faith wasn’t about everything going right—it was about continuing forward even when life felt uncertain. I began rebuilding my faith and returning to church while still wrestling with questions. I also started setting small goals and making stronger efforts to hold myself accountable, even though procrastination is still something I continue to work on. By my junior year, I challenged myself with AP classes, forcing myself to confront procrastination and step into my potential. These classes demanded focus and accountability. Maintaining a 3.5 GPA required consistent effort, especially after struggling earlier in high school. I learned that growth doesn’t come from avoiding difficulty, but from pushing through it. Instead of shutting down when work became difficult, I began asking more questions and making stronger efforts to stay on track. From January 2022 through December 2024, I served on the Kids Team at my church as a student volunteer, helping care for young children while their parents attended services. Serving others taught me patience and the importance of showing up for others, even during challenging seasons in my own life. Even though I no longer serve in that role, the lessons I learned continue to shape how I treat others. Looking back, I no longer see my struggles as setbacks but as foundations for growth. The pandemic, my mom’s battle with cancer, and the loss of my friend strengthened my resilience and compassion. As I prepare to attend Salisbury University to study Psychology, I carry with me the ambition to succeed, the drive to keep improving, and the desire to make a positive impact in the lives of others. If I could give advice to someone facing similar adversity, I would tell them not to give up when life feels overwhelming. It is okay to struggle and to take time to grow. Even now, I am still learning how to stay disciplined, but I have learned that progress matters more than perfection.

My experiences with mental health, both personally and in my family, have influenced how I view people, relationships, and the career I hope to pursue after college. Watching loved ones struggle with challenges that are often invisible to others has shown me how complex mental health truly is and how important empathy, patience, and understanding can be. These experiences have helped me realize that mental health affects every aspect of a person’s life, even when those struggles are not immediately obvious to others. My mom has battled anxiety, and seeing her navigate that has taught me how overwhelming everyday situations can feel for someone struggling internally. Things that might seem simple to others can sometimes feel incredibly difficult for someone dealing with anxiety. Watching her push through those moments showed me that strength is not always loud or obvious. Sometimes strength is simply continuing forward despite fear or uncertainty. Her experiences have helped me understand that people often carry invisible battles, and that kindness and patience can make a significant difference in someone’s life. On top of that, my grandmother has been dealing with dementia, and throughout her life, she has struggled with extreme sleep issues and paranoia. Seeing her during holidays and family gatherings and noticing how she slowly changed over time, becoming quieter and less like the person I once knew, has been painful. It is difficult watching someone gradually lose pieces of themselves. At the same time, it has helped me understand how mental and cognitive health affect not only the individual but the entire family around them. These experiences made me realize how important support systems, compassion, and proper care are for people facing these conditions. Because of this, I’ve become more aware of how people around me may be dealing with struggles that aren’t always visible. It has shaped how I approach relationships, encouraging me to listen more carefully, be more patient, and try to understand what others might be going through, even if it is not noticeable at first glance. I have learned that simply being present for someone and showing understanding can make a meaningful impact. These experiences are a large reason why I plan to study psychology. I want to better understand the mind and how people process emotions, trauma, and change. My goal is to build a career where I can help individuals navigate mental health challenges and feel supported rather than isolated. Whether through counseling, community outreach, or mental health advocacy, I hope to contribute to a world where mental health is treated with the same care and attention as physical health. My goal is to make a positive impact by helping others feel understood and supported during difficult moments. The struggles I have witnessed in my own family have not only shaped who I am, but they have also given me a purpose: to become someone who helps others find clarity, strength, and hope during times when they may feel lost.