My name is Desiah Foster and I am currently an undergraduate student at the University of Texas at San Antonio. I would characterize myself as a dedicated and hardworking individual who has no hesitation in doing what it takes to achieve my goals. I love to talk and interact with people, so I would say that I am a pretty outgoing person. My heart's desire is to work as a child psychiatrist. It is important to me to become a child psychiatrist since many children suffer from mental health conditions. I believe that children's mental health is frequently overlooked since they do not have "real problems," but this mentality contributes to why many children suffer mentally. This can lead to a child believing that their feelings are unimportant. As a legal adult today, I still struggle with the notion that my struggles are not valid, since my parents occasionally made my problems seem insignificant as compared to theirs. Feeling like this is not enjoyable, and I want to ensure that no child exhibits these emotions. I believe that having a strong and healthy mental health while you are younger can help ease mental hardships in adulthood. Every summer, I like to lend a helping hand and volunteer at my local community center as a camp counselor. It is a very rewarding experience for me to work with the children and contribute to them having fun while at camp. I enjoy making new bonds and strengthening the bonds I already have with my fellow campers. Volunteering at the Platou Community Center allows me to provide a fun and positive experience for the campers as well as teach the children how to solve any disputes they may have with one another. This is an essential role I have because the children must know how to resolve any disagreements with one another to prevent them from escalating because understanding how to deal with problems at a young age can be beneficial in adulthood. Volunteering here allows me to become better at noticing when a child is feeling down or dealing with an issue by noticing body language and how they interact with their peers. By studying psychology, I am able to apply what I learn during lectures to the real world by identifying certain behaviors in the children I work with at the community center where I volunteer. Though I am not a professional, I am becoming better at recognizing when a child requires additional assistance that others may have overlooked. I enjoy assisting children in overcoming challenges because this allows them to have a better and carefree childhood and just be kids.

My name is Desiah Foster and I am currently an undergraduate student at the University of Texas at San Antonio. I am studying psychology to pursue my goal of becoming a child psychiatrist. I would characterize myself as a dedicated and hardworking individual who has no hesitation in doing what it takes to achieve my goals. I love to talk and interact with people, so I would say that I am an outgoing person. My heart's desire is to work as a child psychiatrist. It is important to me to become a child psychiatrist since many children suffer from mental health conditions. I believe that children's mental health is frequently overlooked since they do not have "real problems," but this mentality contributes to why many children suffer mentally. This can lead to a child believing that their feelings are unimportant. As a legal adult today, I still struggle with the notion that my struggles are not valid, since my parents occasionally made my problems seem insignificant as compared to theirs. Feeling like this is not enjoyable, and I want to ensure that no child exhibits these emotions. I believe that having a strong and healthy mental health while you are younger can help ease mental hardships in adulthood. Every summer, I like to lend a helping hand and volunteer at my local community center as a camp counselor. It is a very rewarding experience for me to work with the children and contribute to them having fun while at camp. I enjoy making new bonds and strengthening the bonds I already have with my fellow campers. Volunteering at the Platou Community Center allows me to provide a fun and positive experience for the campers as well as teach the children how to solve any disputes they may have with one another. This is an essential role I have because the children must know how to resolve any disagreements with one another to prevent them from escalating because understanding how to deal with problems at a young age can be beneficial in adulthood. Volunteering here allows me to become better at noticing when a child is feeling down or dealing with an issue by noticing body language and how they interact with their peers. By studying psychology, I am able to apply what I learn during lectures to the real world by identifying certain behaviors in the children I work with at the community center where I volunteer. Though I am not a professional, I am becoming better at recognizing when a child requires additional assistance that others may have overlooked. I love supporting the campers in overcoming challenges because it helps them to have a more carefree childhood and simply be children.

My name is Desiah Foster and I am an undergraduate student at the University of Texas at San Antonio. I would characterize myself as a dedicated and hardworking individual who has no hesitation in doing what it takes to achieve my goals. I love to talk and interact with people, so I would say that I am a pretty outgoing person. My main hobbies include walking trails, watching movies, and trying new foods. I love to be in nature because it allows me to disconnect and process my thoughts and feelings. I have an abnormal obsession with watching movies; I enjoy watching films from different eras to understand how cinematography evolved with time. I also enjoy trying dishes from different cultures since it allows me to learn about them. My heart's desire is to work as a child psychiatrist. It is important to me to become a child psychiatrist since many children suffer from mental health conditions. I believe that children's mental health is frequently overlooked since they do not have "real problems," but this mentality contributes to why many children suffer mentally. This can lead to a child believing that their feelings are unimportant. As a legal adult today, I still struggle with the notion that my struggles are not valid, since my parents occasionally made my problems seem insignificant as compared to theirs. Feeling like this is not enjoyable, and I want to ensure that no child exhibits these emotions. I believe that having a strong and healthy mental health while you are younger can help ease mental hardships in adulthood. I deserve this scholarship because once I want something, I will not stop until I have achieved my goal, so I know for a fact that this scholarship will not go to waste. My goal to help children heal is my ultimate goal, and this scholarship will help me get to my goal. I will work tirelessly to achieve my dream and this scholarship can help make the dream of being a pediatric psychologist become reality. I believe that I will make a valuable contribution to my community by helping many children with their mental health hardships. This scholarship will be extremely beneficial to me because I do not want to be in debt for thousands of dollars before even beginning my career. My mom has racked up thousands of dollars in debt in trying to pursue a higher education. I have watched her struggle to clear her student loan debt, and I do not want to experience this struggle.