Hello, dear reader, Thank you for all you do. Your yearly support makes a huge difference in the lives of every student striving to reach their goals. A little bit about myself: I find great importance and joy in taking care of my mind, body, and soul. I play volleyball, practice yoga, work out, salsa dance, and hike to release any stored energy in my body. I also enjoy journaling, reading, and cooking delicious meals to check in with my mind and soul. These creative outlets have been my saving grace. I am a big fan of Mother Nature, as shown through my collection of rocks, sticks, and plants decorating my home. I believe life is about creating beautiful memories, practicing self-love, and striving to be grateful. In my social work career, I hope to focus on advocating, providing therapy, and educating the youth and their parents on Neurodiversity and Mental Health conditions that affect brain functioning and perception of life. I believe a child's or teen’s childhood and relationship with their parents are extremely important to their overall development, view of themselves, and the world around them. From a very young age, my teachers urged my mom to seek psychiatric and therapeutic services for me because they noticed I learned differently and struggled academically. Due to coming from a Latin background and immigrating to the US from Cali, Colombia, at age 7, my mom didn't believe in mental health disorders. Her focus was on surviving in this new world. I was denied the ability to participate in sports or arts due to my academic struggles, with every failing grade resulting in punishment. I would often cry to my mom, letting her know I was doing the best I could: struggling to read at the speed of my peers, to process information, and that my numbers and letters jumped and switched around. That I struggled to focus and was always the last to finish exams, often guessing and speeding towards the end because I ran out of time. My mom stated these were all normal things and that I just needed to put more effort into my academics. This created feelings of not being good enough and that I had to try harder to fix “the problem,” which I thought was me. Without the necessary support; academics and creating a healthy life balance became excruciating. Over time, my anxieties and stressors escalated, leaving me shattered. The emotions I had suppressed and escaped through unhealthy coping mechanisms erupted like a volcano. Seeking professional help led to my diagnoses, shedding light on my thought patterns and their impacts on my daily life. This enabled me to embrace self-acceptance and adapt healthy coping mechanisms to manage stressors. I acknowledged that sometimes my brain is stronger than my will, and I must be patient with myself. I realized my mother was doing the best she could with the resources and knowledge she was provided. I don't hold any resentment towards her, but rather understand the need for education, resources, and awareness. I saw this repeating pattern occur at my previous jobs; parents blamed their children for their behavior due to not understanding their brain functioning. Generational trauma is passed on from generation to generation due to the lack of resources and education. These experiences made me aware of the lack of education, tools, resources, and awareness about neurodiversity and mental health disorders, particularly in lower-income households. I aim to raise awareness of neurodiversity and mental health disorders so that parents and children can create healthy relationships and lives.