As a first-generation, low-income student studying Psychology and Philosophy, I have observed that mental health is rarely discussed openly in many Asian families, including my own. While my family does not entirely ignore mental health, it is often considered a private or taboo subject. Because of this, many individuals feel they must face mental health challenges alone. When I transferred to Georgetown University in my sophomore year, mental health was a significant factor in my decision. I was going through a difficult time and recognized that I needed to be in an environment where I could receive better support. Since conversations about mental health were limited at home, I sought help through free online therapy resources available to students. Although these resources were helpful, I realized they have limitations. Online therapy can only go so far, especially when it does not fully address someone’s cultural background or the unique pressures they face. This realization inspired me to work toward making mental health resources more accessible and sensitive to Asian American experiences. No one should feel isolated or compelled to hide their struggles. During this period, I volunteered as a Crisis Counselor for the Crisis Text Line. This role allowed me to support others experiencing emotional crises. The work was challenging but deeply rewarding. It strengthened my determination to advocate for improved mental health resources and to help reduce stigma in communities like mine. I am also passionate about disability advocacy, particularly related to developmental psychology and behavior technician work. I have actively sought opportunities at autism charter schools and ABA centers to gain relevant experience, but many of these positions are unpaid. This creates a significant barrier for me because I need paid work to support myself. This scholarship would help me overcome that obstacle and allow me to gain the experience necessary to work directly with children and families affected by developmental disabilities. Supporting families with disabilities in the Asian American community is just as important to me as mental health advocacy. Disability can carry stigma and misunderstanding, and many families lack access to appropriate information or services. By working as a behavior technician, I aim to ensure that families receive support that respects their culture and language. Receiving this scholarship would make a substantial difference in helping me achieve my goals. It would alleviate financial stress so I can focus on internships, training, and other opportunities that enhance my skills in both mental health and disability advocacy. My goal is to apply the knowledge and experience I gain to create meaningful change for Asian American communities. I want to contribute to a movement that normalizes conversations about mental health and reduces stigma. I also aspire to help families affected by disabilities obtain better access to care that meets their unique needs. For me, mental health and disability advocacy are deeply personal. They stem from my own challenges and the difficulties I have witnessed in my community. I am committed to using my education and voice to make it easier for others to seek help and feel supported. Thank you for considering my application. This scholarship would empower me to continue pursuing my goals and to make a positive impact in the lives of many people in the Asian American community.

Mental health has been a passion of mine for many years, shaped by my personal experiences and identity as a first-generation, low-income Asian American student. Growing up, mental health was rarely discussed in my family or community. While it was not completely ignored, it often felt like a topic that should be kept private or avoided. This silence made it clear to me how important it is to create safe and welcoming spaces where people can talk openly about mental health without fear or shame. My commitment to mental health deepened when I transferred to Georgetown University in my sophomore year. At that time, I was struggling with my own mental health and needed a better environment to heal and thrive. Since conversations about mental health were limited at home, I sought help through free online therapy resources for students. While these services provided some support, I quickly realized their limits. Online therapy can only go so far, especially when it does not fully understand or reflect the cultural backgrounds and pressures faced by Asian Americans. This experience motivated me to work toward making mental health care more accessible, affordable, and culturally sensitive for underserved communities like mine. My academic path in Psychology and Philosophy has helped me better understand mental health and human behavior. These subjects encourage me to think about how culture, society, and ethics affect well-being and the way care is provided. I have also volunteered as a Crisis Counselor for the Crisis Text Line, supporting people during emotional crises. This work was challenging but rewarding, reinforcing my desire to help those who are struggling in silence. My career goal is to become a mental health professional who increases access and inclusion for diverse communities, especially Asian Americans and other marginalized groups. I want to reduce stigma around mental health and create programs that respect cultural values while offering effective care. I hope to work closely with families to educate and empower them to support their loved ones’ mental health. Advancing diversity and inclusion in mental health means more than expanding access. It means changing how care is delivered. Many mental health services do not reflect the cultures or languages of the people they serve. This can leave people feeling misunderstood or excluded. I want to promote training for mental health providers to better understand cultural differences. I also want to advocate for policies that support diverse hiring and community-based services. My background as a first-generation Asian American and my academic studies have given me insight into the barriers many face when seeking mental health support. I have experienced these barriers myself, and I want to use my story to create change. This means listening carefully to what the community needs, working together with others, and always remembering the people behind the statistics and diagnoses. In addition to mental health, I am passionate about disability advocacy, especially in developmental psychology. I have searched for opportunities to work with children with developmental disabilities, but many roles are unpaid or not financially feasible for me. This has strengthened my commitment to making advocacy and care more accessible for both those receiving support and those providing it. I want to help families navigate disability with respect, understanding, and culturally appropriate resources. Ultimately, my passion for mental health and my commitment to diversity and inclusion come from my own experiences and those around me. I am determined to build a career that supports individual healing and challenges systemic barriers. I want to help create a future where mental health care is fair and welcoming, where everyone feels seen, heard, and supported.

Mental health has been a passion of mine for many years, shaped by my personal experiences and identity as a first-generation, low-income Asian American student. Growing up, mental health was rarely discussed in my family or community. While it was not completely ignored, it often felt like a topic that should be kept private or avoided. This silence made it clear to me how important it is to create safe and welcoming spaces where people can talk openly about mental health. My commitment to mental health deepened when I transferred to Georgetown University in my sophomore year. At that time, I was struggling with my own mental health and needed a better environment to heal and thrive. Since conversations about mental health were limited at home, I sought help through free online therapy resources for students. While these services provided some support, I quickly realized their limits. Online therapy can only go so far, especially when it does not fully understand or reflect the cultural backgrounds and pressures faced by Asian Americans. This experience motivated me to work toward making mental health care more accessible, affordable, and culturally sensitive for underserved communities like mine. My academic path in Psychology and Philosophy has helped me better understand mental health and human behavior. These subjects encourage me to think about how culture, society, and ethics affect well-being and the way care is provided. I have also volunteered as a Crisis Counselor for the Crisis Text Line, supporting people during emotional crises. This work was challenging but rewarding, reinforcing my desire to help those who are struggling in silence. My career goal is to become a mental health professional who increases access and inclusion for diverse communities, especially Asian Americans and other marginalized groups. I want to reduce stigma around mental health and create programs that respect cultural values while offering effective care. Advancing diversity and inclusion in mental health means more than expanding access. It means changing how care is delivered. Many mental health services do not reflect the cultures or languages of the people they serve. This can leave people feeling misunderstood or excluded. I want to promote training for mental health providers to better understand cultural differences. I also want to advocate for policies that support diverse hiring and community-based services. My background as a first-generation Asian American and my academic studies have given me insight into the barriers many face when seeking mental health support. I have experienced these barriers myself, and I want to use my story to create change. This means listening carefully to what the community needs, working together with others, and always remembering the people behind the statistics and diagnoses. In addition to mental health, I am passionate about disability advocacy, especially in developmental psychology. I have searched for opportunities to work with children with developmental disabilities, but many roles are unpaid or not financially feasible for me. This has strengthened my commitment to making advocacy and care more accessible for both those receiving support and those providing it. I want to help families navigate disability with respect, understanding, and culturally appropriate resources. Ultimately, my passion for mental health and my commitment to diversity and inclusion come from my own experiences and those around me. I am determined to build a career that supports individual healing and challenges systemic barriers. I want to help create a future where mental health care is fair and welcoming, where everyone feels seen, heard, and supported.

As a first-generation, low-income student studying Psychology and Philosophy, I have seen how mental health is rarely talked about in many Asian families, including mine. While my family does not completely ignore mental health, it is definitely something that is often treated as a private or even taboo topic. Because of this, many people feel like they have to deal with mental health struggles on their own. When I transferred to Georgetown University in my sophomore year, my mental health was a big reason why I made that decision. I was going through a really tough time and knew I needed to be in a place where I could get better support. Since mental health conversations were limited at home, I turned to free online therapy resources for students. While those helped, I also realized they have limits. Online therapy can only do so much, especially when it does not fully consider someone’s cultural background or the pressures they face. That is why I want to work toward making mental health resources more accessible and sensitive to Asian American experiences. People should not feel like they are alone or that they have to hide their struggles. During this time, I also volunteered as a Crisis Counselor for the Crisis Text Line. It was a way I could support others going through emotional crises. The work was challenging but rewarding. It made me even more determined to advocate for better mental health resources and to help break the stigma around these issues in communities like mine. I am also deeply interested in disability advocacy, especially related to developmental psychology and behavior technician work. I have spent a lot of time looking for autism charter schools or ABA centers where I can gain experience, but many of these opportunities are unpaid. That makes it really hard for me to take part because I need paid work to support myself. This scholarship would help me overcome that barrier. It would give me the chance to get the experience I need to work directly with children and families affected by developmental disabilities. I believe that supporting families with disabilities in the Asian American community is just as important as mental health advocacy. Disability can also carry stigma or misunderstanding, and many families do not have access to the right information or services. By working as a behavior technician, I want to help make sure families can get support that fits their culture and language. This scholarship would make a big difference in helping me reach my goals. It would ease the financial stress so I can focus on internships, training, and other opportunities that build my skills in both mental health and disability advocacy. My goal is to use what I learn from my studies and experiences to create real change for Asian American communities. I want to be part of a movement that makes talking about mental health normal and reduces stigma. I also want to help families with disabilities get better access to care and support that understands their unique needs. For me, mental health and disability advocacy are personal. They come from my own struggles and the challenges I have seen in my community. I want to use my education and my voice to make it easier for others to get help and to feel supported. Thank you for considering my application. This scholarship would help me keep moving forward with my goals and give me the chance to make a real difference in the lives of many people in the Asian American community.