My name is Emma Field and I am a sophomore studying psychology at Nebraska Wesleyan University. There are two things about me that are necessary to know about me before I get too far into this. The first of these things is that I have a strong foundation of faith in my life, and the second is that I have never really known where I'm going in life. Now, looking at that second point, this isn't to say I wouldn't like to know where I'm going, I just can't seem to figure it out. For years I have spent time trying to do self-discovery activities, joining different organizations trying to find out what it is that I'm passionate about, but nothing seems to work. I must acknowledge that a large part of my personality is built around always wanting a plan. Last-minute arrangements stress me out immensely, so going through life not knowing what is next has been really hard. My parents have yet to understand that I've been trying for years to figure this out; every time I'd be on the phone with them, either my mom or my dad would have to bring up careers, pathways, or potential options for more discovery activities, and it caused me to always hang up the phone more stressed than before, and oftentimes in tears. But this isn't the case anymore. Starting my sophomore year of college, I started living with my best friend in the dorms. We share our faith and have begun holding one another accountable for the time we spend with God. Ever since we began doing this, I have started to feel a peace I have never felt before. I feel that I finally have accepted that my life is not within my own control. My life is in the hands of a powerful and loving God who knows exactly where I will be going in the future; He knows the plans that He has put before me and that purpose will be accomplished no matter where I end up. This certainly wasn't a change that happened suddenly. There were times along the way when I really struggled with it. To be honest, sometimes I had to remind myself that my life was not meant to be within my control, no matter how badly I want it to be. When I try to take my life back into my own hands, things don't seem to work out in ways that I'd like; but when I give my life back to my Maker, things seem to fall into place. The best part is, the things that happen are things that I have prayed for, but never could have imagined being as good as they are. God is so much more than I could ever ask of Him, and He gives me more than I could ever deserve, so why would I not trust He would do the same with my future?

My name is Emma Field and I am a sophomore at Nebraska Wesleyan University studying in the psychology department. Over the last year, I have had a song that I feel has made a strong impact on the way I've been living; this song is called "Gratitude" by Brandon Lake. I have a strong faith foundation in my life that I try to live by, and I find myself oftentimes trying to prove myself to God. I want to be the best person I can so that I can prove to him that I was worth His sacrifice, but I forget that in reality, I wasn't worthy of what He did for me. I can never prove to Him that I am good, because I'm not. But, this song has a line that says "'Cause all that I have is a hallelujiah, hallelujah. And I know it's not much, but I've nothing else fit for a king, except for a heart singing, 'hallelujah, hallelujah.'" My God does not want perfection; all He wants is my heart. He wants me to be fully pursuing Him. Not only does this help me remember that I have nothing to prove, it also helps me to remember that I am not here to live life for the world. I am here to praise the God that made me and the God that loves me beyond anything I could ever understand, and the only true response to that I can give is to sing "Hallelujah" with my whole heart.

My name is Emma Field and I am a sophomore studying psychology at Nebraska Wesleyan University. Throughout my life, I have always felt a little bit lost. I never knew exactly what I wanted to do with my future career, in fact, I've barely had a foundation to go based on. Over the years, I had become the "therapist" of my friend group. Every night I would have someone reach out to me needing to talk something through, and while it was hard, I learned that the feeling of helping people outweighed the burdens I could be taking on. I may not have known what I want to do, but I have always known one thing: I need to help people. I have made this the basis of my life's purpose. Every day I search for ways that I can help people, whether in a direct or an indirect way. It could be as simple as putting a smile on the face of someone who looks down or listening to someone who is going through something traumatic. I have searched for the perfect career for me for years, but the career that I find the most fitting right now was just brought up to me by my mom. She talked about when my little sister went to therapy as a 4 year old. She began this experience because of her new "hoarding" habit. She would develop an attachment to everything she has seen, from a shirt that doesn't fit her to a used tissue. She couldn't dispose of anything without becoming a sobbing wreck. She began this therapy where she would meet with a child behavior therapist and they simply talked as they would play or do a craft. As time went on, my sister became more and more comfortable and began to open up to this therapist. Within months, my sister was throwing tissues away like a champ! While this situation is likely a little unconventional, I realized how fitting of a career this could be for me! I can help young kids through their social anxieties, maybe developmental delays, help the parents with knowing how to work through it. As I've mentioned already, I don't know they most fitting way for me to help people, but I know that with the proper training, education, and preparation, I'll be able to change people's lives for the better. That is all I really want from life; I want to see that the help I gave made a tangible difference in their life. So, I believe that with the proper help and aid, I will be able to do that with great ability and passion.

I build my life around relationship and development. This means that the things most important to me is growing close to people while watching them grow into who they are meant to be. Because this is so important to me, I volunteer in two ways. The first is simply within my church; I am a middle school girl's small group leader at our weekly youth group and it brings my heart so much joy to watch my girls think deeply about their faith and what that means. Each week I can see the wheels turning in their head as gears begin to click into place. I can already see so much growth in their lives and in their dedication to living out their faith. The second volunteering I do is within an organization called Nebraska Leadership Seminar. This is a four-day leadership camp for incoming juniors in high school to attend to learn how to "lead with their authentic self". Throughout this time, we lead a series of team building and self discovery activities and discussions to allow them to reflect on who they truly are inside and in relation to others. The relationships that I get to watch develop during this time is beautiful. I get to see these kids build ties as they serve the community and discover who they are. But it doesn't end there. I volunteer on the executive board of this organization; on this board we plan quarterly reunions where we volunteer for a few hours within a community and we get a chance to dive deeper in our relationships and meet more people. The entire family of Nebraska Leadership Seminar allows me to see the good in the world and watch as they learn to fill the role they were meant to take on.

A person's mental health impacts every aspect of a person's life. When your mental health is good and strong, it is easier to find the little joys that make life worth living. Personally, I find that my mental health is at its best when I am in nature. I like to believe I have a close relationship with God, and I feel closest with Him when I can be in the natural world that He created for us. It helps me remember that He is bigger than everything I could ever face and that I am never as alone as I may seem. Not to mention, the beauty of the outside world is astronomical from the trees and the sky and everything in between. The freshness of the natural world and the intensity of the love that I feel by God allows me a new beginning to a day when my mental health may be feeling kind of low.

My favorite Disney character was always Mulan. Not only was she strong and independent, she also showed a deep love for her family to the point that she would do absolutely anything to protect them. The Bible states that there is no greater love than to lay down one's life for another, and Mulan made that a possibility. She put her own life at risk so that she could know her family was safe. I want nothing more than to be able to show that kind of love for my family and friends. I want my family and friends to feel the love I have for them, no matter what it takes on my end. So, Mulan's genuine and deep love and determination to show that love has lead her to be my favorite Disney character.

"Behind my Paints" They see my big nose. They see my undersized ears. They see the ratty, old clothes I wear. They see the nails I’ve gnawed raw. They see only the face that’s painted on. But who will see behind my paints? Who will see all my pain? Who will wipe my tears away? Who will offer their hand to hold? Who will love me though I’m old? I want them to see the paints washed away. I want them to see my vibrant, blue eyes. I want them to see the love I hold inside. I want them to see the fears that grip me tight. I want them to see who I truly am now. They only see me so they may laugh, But who will see me for who I am?