Mental health is a vital subject that many tend to disregard because high schoolers just “can’t” be depressed or feel not up to par because of their mental health. High schoolers can most definitely be struggling with their mental health; age does not determine if someone can have mental health problems. Multiple people around me, including myself, have struggled with mental health-related issues that have been completely disregarded because of our ages and the fact that we are still “young” with no “real-world problems”. Throughout my school career, from elementary to high school, I have consistently helped out those around me who have struggled with mental health and bullying. You cannot always know who is going through something that we simply cannot see; many people hide the fact they are struggling and don’t speak out about it out of fear of being ignored or ostracized because they are “different”. The best way to avoid hurting someone struggling is simply by being nice. Even providing simple friendship or a shoulder they can lean on can completely change how they feel for the time being and may help them feel like they have a bigger influence or purpose to be around. I do plan to join clubs in college that advocate for mental health programs and help out children and adolescents who are struggling with these very real problems; one of these clubs is called NAMI-UW at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and I plan to attend the meetings they will be hosting in the fall of 2024. Picture a girl in 4th grade, struggling with her mental health and just not understanding why she is different than everyone else. I have always wondered why my brain works the way it does and I’d love to continue helping others understand what is going on inside their brain and help them realize they aren’t alone. I never want a young child to feel like they don’t belong because they don’t know what’s happening to them; I remember feeling terrible about myself because of the struggles I was going through at such a young age. I don’t want more children facing bullying because they don’t react the same way to things that other kids do; I remember being picked on and told to die because I didn’t quite fit in right. No child deserves to feel like they don’t belong because they do belong and it isn’t their fault they can’t control how their brains are wired.

38.4 million American citizens are diagnosed with diabetes. Nobody can tell if someone has diabetes unless you analyze them extensively to possibly find an insulin pod on their arm. These people with diabetes are just like those who don’t have diabetes, they just have a higher chance of fatal things happening to them if they do not take care of their disease. They may have nutritional restrictions and they may even need to inject themselves with insulin just out and about during the day for their health. Many people within both sides of my family, my mom’s and dad’s, have diabetes. Personally, I have seen the effects of diabetes face-to-face for my entire life. I have watched my aunt slowly get weaker and more ill because of her type II diabetes. My aunt did not take care of her diabetes when she should’ve and that cost her half of her left leg, some toes on her right foot, and her vision. She can no longer drive. She is constantly judged in public for missing half of her leg because of this disease, but she is still her happy-go-lucky self and is still the same loving woman I’ve always known. Also, as I have continued to grow up, my father has developed type II diabetes. My dad never really watched what he was eating and slowly developed this disease because of his diet. He also didn’t exercise the way he should’ve and that led to diabetes. He had gotten quite ill in January of 2023 and almost passed away because of the health problems caused by pneumonia mixed with his diabetes; fortunately, he pushed through and realized he needed to really take care of himself and is now slowly advancing to where his diabetes can go away. Even with just these two personal experiences, they have both shaped my future. For example, my aunt has shown me that, regardless of struggles and lows in life, you can still be a good person who enjoys your life. She still goes out to flea markets with me and my mother and she continues to play with her little dachshund puppies. She continues to push and do what she loves and that is a great inspiration for me because I often let things get me down and her situation has pushed me to realize that I can push through everything and still be happy, even if things don’t go the way I planned. In addition, my father has shown me that paying attention and taking care of yourself is very important. I’ve always focused on my health, but I never actually acknowledged that I could get diabetes if I didn't. I’ve slowly changed how I eat and the amount I exercise; for instance, I go on runs frequently and make sure I consistently have a balanced diet with the proper amount of sleep that my body needs. I believe that I will continue these habits and hopefully teach my future family that diet and exercise are important to staying healthy, not only because of the increased risk of diabetes if we don’t, but also because it’s good for you and make you feel better overall when you’re healthy.