I have an adverse childhood event score of 10, which can be found at www.acesaware.org . I battled with suicide from the age of 7 to 12 years old. I finally found stability when my grandparents took physical custody. Both had criminal past. Both were immigrants. My grandfather started methadone therapy when I was born. It was the safest place in life. I served in the Army as a combat medic. I was stationed in Germany, where I assisted in multiple missions throughout Western and Eastern Europe, as well as Africa. My time in Germany also included assisting with combat medical evacuations into Germany, stabilization, and evacuation further to the states. I treated American service members, as well as local nationals and allies. Next, I was stationed at Fort Richardson Alaska. Within 3 months of my permanent change of station and 2 days after receiving promotable status, a man in the strategic level chain of command climbed through a window of my home and assaulted me. He served a 6 month probation period, at which point his record was expunged. This event greatly impacted the lives of my entire Battalion, which was predominantly male. All 600+ soldiers were briefed I was one of them. Higher level command targeted all of us for about a year. It was a transformational time for my military career. I earned my paratrooper and jumpmaster badge in that year. I earned the next leadership rank. I deployed to Pakistan, in support of the sentinel event in 2011, as the only woman on the team gathering intel. I stood in front of many young girls and women being abused, in a role they were being told was impossible for a woman. I later became the Battalion Senior Medic, supervising 3 men of higher rank and time in service. All my experiences shaped my current goals to NEVER allow trauma to mask one's tremendous ability. As I navigated nursing school, I became aware the healthcare system can be a source of institutional betrayal. I relied heavily upon the disability services director and the student veteran alliance, as multiple instructors sought to remove combat veterans from the campus as dangerous and lazy. My transition was full conflict, different than combat but equally full. I am continuing my education goals at Nursing Collective, in order to obtain board certifications in psychiatry, nurse coaching, and holistic nursing. This empowers my practice to expand my current work. I own Bellona Temple, an organization ever evolving to the mental health needs of our community. Last year, we provided ketamine treatment for women veterans in only-woman spaces. 85% of our participants stated the program led to growth they have been unable to find in traditional mental health facilities. We donate 15% of our event seats to women and veterans attending local colleges, in collaboration with campus mental health professionals to ensure benefit. Our events are peer support based concepts, such as trail walk trauma dump or scream sessions at the stars, alongside experiential education on real life tools, such as vagal tone breathing or somatic exercise. My return to academia for board certifications in holistic nursing, psychiatric nursing, and nurse coaching empower Bellona Temple to continue work with acute psychiatric moments. The scholarship will assist Bellona Temple in operating a housing facility, open to women and veterans not meeting hospitalization criteria AND in need of a mental health respite surrounded by peers with appropriate experiences to support. I extend so much love and empathy to the calling for open and honest dialogue in dark moments. I honor the opportunity to apply for financial support in expanding this calling.