Mental health was something that was never talked about in my household growing up. We hardly even spoke our feelings out loud. And that didn't change in 2018 when my school fell victim to a school shooter. In my sophomore year of high school, on May 18th, the fire alarm was pulled in the first-period class; I was in chemistry. We all mosied outside since we thought it was a drill. It wasn't until we got outside and heard the gunshots that we realized what was happening. Almost instantly, everyone ran to get behind the mechanic shop across the street. It was chaos when we finally got to the back; nobody could comprehend what was happening, so I remained calm. I remained calm because someone needed to when everything else was so uncontrollable. During all this, I called several friends and received calls from others except one, who was my best friend for many years. I called and called and got nothing, but she wasn't good at answering her phone anyway, so I focused on those around me. Eventually, we could leave and go to the student collection point at the elementary school; this is where students were being bused to get home. We waited for hours, and there was no sign of my best friend. Finally, the last bus came. Then, the list came out. The list was the names of the students who were in the two rooms that were targeted. Her name was on the list, and she was on her way to the hospital. Her family, our friends, and I ran to the car to get to the hospital, and when we arrived, they told us the status. She was in the ICU in a drug-induced coma and had been resuscitated. I left the room we were in to get some air because everyone around me was falling apart, but I felt that I couldn't. As I left the room, I watched as they rolled her past me, moving her to her ICU room, completely swollen and blood-stained. I went home that night, waited until I was alone, and cried. I had no idea how much of a toll "being strong" took on me. Every day after that, I was at the hospital, and when she was released months later, I was at her house every day "being strong." A few months later, I was back inside the school and supported those around me doing the same thing. I thought I was okay. Fast forward to 2021, I graduated in 2020, and though I had thought about the incident and had dreams about it, I thought that was normal. In February 2021, I joined the Marine Corps. Since I was so good at "being strong," I figured it would be a perfect fit. And it wasn't until it became so hard to sleep well that I stayed awake. I eventually had someone tell me to go to mental health and talk. I was later diagnosed with PTSD. I couldn't believe the diagnosis. Ultimately, this experience has changed so much for me. It changed my goals at the time and my relationships with people around me since I felt that I couldn't trust anyone and I couldn't tell anyone how I felt about what happened. It made me understand that the world is unforgiving, but I can't be mad at the world for the acts of one person. Though I still find it hard to talk about, I can now use it to help others who have been through something similar and need guidance.

Mental health was something that was never talked about in my household growing up. We hardly even spoke our feelings out loud. And that didn't change in 2018 when my school fell victim to a school shooter. In my sophomore year of high school, on May 18th, the fire alarm was pulled in the first-period class; I was in chemistry. We all mosied outside since we thought it was a drill. It wasn't until we got outside and heard the gunshots that we realized what was happening. Almost instantly, everyone ran to get behind the mechanic shop across the street. It was chaos when we finally got to the back; nobody could comprehend what was happening, so I remained calm. I remained calm because someone needed to when everything else was so uncontrollable. During all this, I called several friends and received calls from others except one, who was my best friend for many years. I called and called and got nothing, but she wasn't good at answering her phone anyway, so I focused on those around me. Eventually, we could leave and go to the student collection point at the elementary school; this is where students were being bused to get home. We waited for hours, and there was no sign of my best friend. Finally, the last bus came. Then, the list came out. The list was the names of the students who were in the two rooms that were targeted. Her name was on the list, and she was on her way to the hospital. Her family, our friends, and I ran to the car to get to the hospital, and when we arrived, they told us the status. She was in the ICU in a drug-induced coma and had been resuscitated. I left the room we were in to get some air because everyone around me was falling apart, but I felt that I couldn't. As I left the room, I watched as they rolled her past me, moving her to her ICU room, completely swollen and blood-stained. I went home that night, waited until I was alone, and cried. I had no idea how much of a toll "being strong" took on me. Every day after that, I was at the hospital, and when she was released months later, I was at her house every day "being strong." A few months later, I was back inside the school and supported those around me doing the same thing. I thought I was okay. Fast forward to 2021, I graduated in 2020, and though I had thought about the incident and had dreams about it, I thought that was normal. In February 2021, I joined the Marine Corps. Since I was so good at "being strong," I figured it would be a perfect fit. And it wasn't until it became so hard to sleep well that I stayed awake. I eventually had someone tell me to go to mental health and talk. I was later diagnosed with PTSD. I couldn't believe the diagnosis. Ultimately, this experience has changed so much for me. It changed my goals at the time and my relationships with people around me since I felt that I couldn't trust anyone and I couldn't tell anyone how I felt about what happened. It made me understand that the world is unforgiving, but I can't be mad at the world for the acts of one person. Though I still find it hard to talk about, I can now use it to help others who have been through something similar and need guidance.

Barrel racing has always been something I have loved doing, a sport that relies on a team of two. Not a dictatorship, or a boss and employee but a true partnership. I took that very seriously and assisted with every treatment Senor had to maintain his physical and emotional fitness. I never knew how much that bond we had would come in handy until the summer of 2013. While I was practicing for the upcoming summer season, my neighbor's horse got a bit territorial and bit the back of my leg as I was on Senor. To my surprise, he remained perfectly still as I was falling. I caught myself with the saddle horn with my left hand inside my leg. I was in complete shock, I never imagined that my horse would keep me as safe as he did. Every day during my recovery, I stayed with him outside as much as possible so he would know that it wasn't his fault. Unfortunately, in January of the following year, he passed away from old age. From that moment on I felt that I owed so much of my future to protecting animals just as much as he protected me. I decided then I wanted to be a veterinarian. I had no idea how I would pay for college to do this, but I was determined. In 2018 my school had a shooting occur and I had my answer: the military. Not only would I be a part of the very entity that keeps this country safe, but, with an added bonus, I'd be able to pay for school. So, three years in, and tuition assistance doesn't cover as much as I thought it might. However, that hasn't changed my mind. No matter what I face I know that there are so many animals out there that need someone to connect to, someone that can come in and take care of them but to be kind to them when nobody else will and to protect them. Though my goal is still to become a veterinarian, it has changed a little. Currently, I am ambitiously researching how I can open a non-profit clinic and animal shelter with my husband so that I may help those who are in serious need. I want others to be able to connect with their best friend in the same way that I did and so that some may find theirs. Senor’s legacy follows me in everything I do. From animal shelter to animal shelter he is my inspiration in everything.

Barrel racing has always been something I have loved doing, a sport that relies on a team of two. Not a dictatorship, or a boss and employee but a true partnership. I took that very seriously and assisted with every treatment Senor had to maintain his physical and emotional fitness. I never knew how much that bond we had would come in handy until the summer of 2013. While I was practicing for the upcoming summer season, my neighbor's horse got a bit territorial and bit the back of my leg as I was on Senor. To my surprise, he remained perfectly still as I was falling. I caught myself with the saddle horn with my left hand inside my leg. I was in complete shock, I never imagined that my horse would keep me as safe as he did. Every day during my recovery, I stayed with him outside as much as possible so he would know that it wasn't his fault. That was his legacy. Unfortunately, in January of the following year, he passed away from old age. From that moment on I felt that I owed so much of my future to protecting animals just as much as he protected me. I decided then I wanted to be a veterinarian. I had no idea how I would pay for college to do this, but I was determined. In 2018 my school had a shooting occur and I had my answer: the military. Not only would I be a part of the very entity that keeps this country safe, but, with an added bonus, I'd be able to pay for school. So, three years in, and tuition assistance doesn't cover as much as I thought it might. However, that hasn't changed my mind. No matter what I face I know that there are so many animals out there that need someone to connect to, someone that can come in and take care of them but to be kind to them when nobody else will and to protect them. Though my goal is still to become a veterinarian, it has changed a little. Currently, I am ambitiously researching how I can open a non-profit clinic and animal shelter with my husband so that I may help those who are in serious need. I want others to be able to connect with their best friend in the same way that I did and so that some may find theirs.

Barrel Racing has always been something I have loved doing, a sport that relies on a team of two. Not a dictatorship, or a boss and employee but a true partnership. I took that very seriously and assisted with every treatment Senor had to maintain his physical and emotional fitness. I never knew how much that bond we had would come in handy until the summer of 2013. While I was practicing for the upcoming summer season, my neighbor's horse got a bit territorial and bit the back of my leg as I was on Senor. To my surprise, he remained perfectly still as I was falling. I caught myself with the saddle horn with my left hand inside my leg. I was in complete shock, I never imagined that my horse would keep me as safe as he did. Every day during my recovery, I stayed with him outside as much as possible so he would know that it wasn't his fault. Unfortunately, in January of the following year, he passed away from old age. From that moment on I felt that I owed so much of my future to protecting animals just as much as he protected me. I decided then I wanted to be a veterinarian. I had no idea how I would pay for college to do this, but I was determined. In 2018 my school had a shooting occur and I had my answer: the military. Not only would I be a part of the very entity that keeps this country safe, but, with an added bonus, I'd be able to pay for school. So, three years in, and tuition assistance doesn't cover as much as I thought it might. However, that hasn't changed my mind. No matter what I face I know that there are so many animals out there that need someone to connect to, someone that can come in and take care of them but to be kind to them when nobody else will and to protect them. Though my goal is still to become a veterinarian, it has changed a little. Currently, I am ambitiously researching how I can open a non-profit clinic and animal shelter with my husband so that I may help those who are in serious need. Ultimately, I want others to be able to connect with their best friend in the same way that I did and so that some may find theirs.

Barrel Racing has always been something I have loved doing, a sport that relies on a team of two. Not a dictatorship, or a boss and employee but a true partnership. I took that very seriously and assisted with every treatment Senor had to maintain his physical and emotional fitness. I never knew how much that bond we had would come in handy until the summer of 2013. While I was practicing for the upcoming summer season, my neighbor's horse got a bit territorial and bit the back of my leg as I was on Senor. To my surprise, he remained perfectly still as I was falling. I caught myself with the saddle horn with my left hand inside my leg. I was in complete shock, I never imagined that my horse would keep me as safe as he did. Every day during my recovery, I stayed with him outside as much as possible so he would know that it wasn't his fault. Unfortunately, in January of the following year, he passed away from old age. From that moment on I felt that I owed so much of my future to protecting animals just as much as he protected me. I decided then I wanted to be a veterinarian. I had no idea how I would pay for college to do this, but I was determined. In 2018 my school had a shooting occur and I had my answer: the military. Not only would I be a part of the very entity that keeps this country safe, but, with an added bonus, I'd be able to pay for school. So, three years in, and tuition assistance doesn't cover as much as I thought it might. However, that hasn't changed my mind. No matter what I face I know that there are so many animals out there that need someone to connect to, someone that can come in and take care of them but to be kind to them when nobody else will and to protect them. Though my goal is still to become a veterinarian, it has changed a little. Currently, I am ambitiously researching how I can open a non-profit clinic and animal shelter with my husband so that I may help those who are in serious need. I want others to be able to connect with their best friend in the same way that I did and so that some may find theirs.

Growing up, I never wanted to be the center of attention or the first person people went to for advice; however, that all changed when I was in fifth grade. Every school I’ve ever attended has a program specifically for those with disabilities, but for this particular school, they allowed students to go to classes with students without disabilities. My best friend ended up being Willum, a student with disabilities who didn’t let that stop him and was in every class I had. Not everyone liked that he got to be in our classes and labeled him “slow,” “dumb,” or “gross,” but he was a better person than them. He loved everyone no matter what and taught me how not to judge people regardless of their background. I finally started learning to be someone people could lean on when they needed support. Fast forward to my sophomore year of high school, there was a terrible shooting during which my best friend, Sarah, was shot. By the grace of God, she survived, but it was a long road to recovery for her. I helped her every step of the way, from protecting her from the media to making food that she was able to eat. I never thought I’d be in a situation where I needed to help someone to that extent. However, having gone through that, I learned how to communicate without speaking, tell when someone was in need, and have teamwork, assertiveness, and confidence within myself. Having such important people in my life has helped me develop my ability to help people far beyond what I ever believed I could do. Currently, I am using those skills and more in the military. I am a Non-Commissioned Officer in the Marine Corps. I have had the privilege of helping marriages last, helping marines find their passion, and assisting marines in recovering from trauma, financial hardship, and leadership problems. Mentoring marines so they can have the tools to better themselves has been a fantastic opportunity, not only to learn and grow myself but also to see the growth in others. In short, it has been other people and my faith to whom I should give credit for my growth and opportunities to be the person people need me to be. I still have so much more to learn, and I will never be done learning, but I will forever be grateful to those in my life who have given me the passion I have for helping those around me.

Barrel Racing has always been something I have loved doing, a sport that relies on a team of two. Not a dictatorship, or a boss and employee but a true partnership. I took that very seriously and assisted with every treatment Senor had to maintain his physical and emotional fitness. I never knew how much that bond we had would come in handy until the summer of 2013. While I was practicing for the upcoming summer season, my neighbor's horse got a bit territorial and bit the back of my leg as I was on Senor. To my surprise, he remained perfectly still as I was falling. I caught myself with the saddle horn with my left hand inside my leg. I was in complete shock, I never imagined that my horse would keep me as safe as he did. Every day during my recovery, I stayed with him outside as much as possible so he would know that it wasn't his fault. Unfortunately, in January of the following year, he passed away from old age. From that moment on I felt that I owed so much of my future to protecting animals just as much as he protected me. I decided then I wanted to be a veterinarian. I had no idea how I would pay for college to do this, but I was determined. In 2018 my school had a shooting occur and I had my answer: the military. Not only would I be a part of the very entity that keeps this country safe, but, with an added bonus, I'd be able to pay for school. So, three years in, and tuition assistance doesn't cover as much as I thought it might. However, that hasn't changed my mind. No matter what I face I know that there are so many animals out there that need someone to connect to, someone that can come in and take care of them but to be kind to them when nobody else will and to protect them. Though my goal is still to become a veterinarian, it has changed a little. Currently, I am ambitiously researching how I can open a non-profit clinic and animal shelter with my husband so that I may help those who are in serious need. I want others to be able to connect with their best friend in the same way that I did and so that some may find theirs.