Thirteen years old. I was only thirteen when I first started noticing signs of depression and bipolar disorder in myself. Eighth grade is already a challenging time of change for many teenagers, but I felt like I was on a constant rollercoaster with the highs and lows of my emotions increasing beyond what was considered "normal." While my classmates were dealing with typical adolescent experiences, I was struggling with mood swings, manic and depressive episodes, and a growing sense of isolation. This is when I was officially diagnosed with bipolar 2 and depression. My early experiences with bipolar disorder and depression were overwhelming. The stigma surrounding mental illness at the time made it difficult to talk about my feelings openly. I struggled in silence, unsure of how to express the chaos I was experiencing internally. However, as the years went by, I found strength in understanding that seeking help wasn’t a weakness but a form of resilience. That’s when I began to go to therapy and was prescribed medications to help with my disorders. This therapy and medication, along with a strong support system became the pillars that helped me stabilize and thrive. The process of learning how to manage my symptoms helped me gain insight into the value of mental health care, and it inspired my desire to help others in similar situations. As I grew older, I began to see my experiences more as growth opportunities rather than burdens. There were setbacks, and there still are moments when the weight of my condition feels heavy. But I’ve come to appreciate the importance of persistence, self-compassion, and, most of all, the support of others. These principles have carried me through tough times and pushed me to be proactive about my mental well-being. I learned to embrace vulnerability as strength, and through this, I became more aware of the struggles others face. These experiences have deeply influenced my passion for mental health advocacy and my goal to become a youth mental health therapist. I believe that my journey with mental health disorders has equipped me with a special perspective that will allow me to understand my future clients on a deeper level. Mental health is a challenging battle for anyone, especially for young people who may not fully understand what they’re going through. I want to be a resource for them, someone who can listen without judgment, offer guidance, and help them navigate their path to healing…just like my own therapist did for me. The idea of working with young people, particularly those who are just beginning to understand their mental health challenges, excites me because I know just how important early intervention and support can be. My educational goals are centered around becoming the best therapist I can be. I am committed to earning my master’s degree in psychology with a focus on mental health counseling, and I plan to specialize in working with youth, ages 18 and under. Through my education, I want to deepen my understanding of mental health disorders, therapy techniques, and the best practices for providing compassionate and effective care. My goal is not only to master the academic side of psychology but also to continue growing as a person so that I can relate to my future clients and help them feel understood. Having a healthy support system, including friends, family, and medical professionals, remains a key part of my recovery. I am also committed to regularly assessing my mental health and taking proactive steps to ensure I stay balanced. This means being open to adjusting my treatment plans when necessary, seeking help when things feel overwhelming, and practicing self-compassion when I encounter setbacks. One of my long-term strategies for managing my mental health is to stay involved in activities that bring me joy and purpose outside of my professional work. Reading, listening to music, helping others through volunteering, and singing are a few ways that I maintain simple happiness in my life. My journey with bipolar disorder and depression has shaped me into a stronger, more empathetic person. It has given me the resilience to face challenges, the understanding to help others, and the motivation to pursue a career in youth mental health therapy. I am confident that my firsthand experiences, combined with my educational goals and commitment to mental wellness, will allow me to make a meaningful impact in the lives of young people facing their own mental health battles. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share my story and express my passion for mental health advocacy. Your support would greatly assist me in pursuing my educational and career goals, allowing me to continue my journey toward becoming a youth mental health therapist.

Love is necessary at all levels. Infants require love to thrive and survive. Families require love to remain intact. Our communities require love to become cohesive and successful. Our world is starving for love as we witness tragedies, hunger, war, and all varieties of loneliness and fear. Our need for love is outpaced by our lack of sharing love. Scholarships such as this Loxie Burckhard Scholarship exemplify sharing love. My mom loves kids' books with messages, and she filled my childhood full of books and messages! “Have You Filled a Bucket Today” by Carol McCloud was such a favorite book that she even gifted it to my homeroom teacher each year and reminded me (more than) daily to fill others' buckets with love and kindness. The message still sticks with me as I finish my senior year of high school. Love is the most powerful gift. It brings hope, beauty, unity, and joy into one’s life. Also, it brings pain and heartache if neglected. There are many different forms of love -for example, the love for a parent for a child, which is unconditional but has challenges of ups and downs. The love shared with friends, that is built upon getting to know a person and slowly caring for them, and sacrificing anything in your life for them. Regardless of the type of love shown, love brings people together in ways unexpected. Love is to be respected, it is forever, and that love is essential to life. Love is to be respected and protected. As 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 states,” Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.” I have been taught to replace the above scripture word of “love” with my name, “Liz”, to remind me to be patient, kind, serve others, and forgive, among the other admonishments. I will use my gifts to “fill others' buckets'' with love and, in turn, fill my own bucket with blessings. Helping others see their potential and feel love, love is given freely and unexpectedly, provides strength in me. I would like to pursue a career in psychology. I would like to provide counseling and support to children with mental illnesses. Children with mental illnesses are frequently viewed as “bad kids'' and are left only to fulfill that description. This world is full of so many challenges, and children with a psychiatric diagnosis and/or challenges at home and school need to feel the same love of “normal kids''. Your support financially would help me achieve my goal to become a licensed counselor. Thank you for considering me for Mrs. Burckhard’s generous gift of love.