Over the past few years, things have been exceedingly rough for me and I have lost a lot of myself and pieces I am still searching for. What I can absolutely say that I can take great pride in is my resilience to overcome anything that comes my way. I no longer run from difficult situations, I run towards them with confidence and the ability to know I can make it through anything that is thrown in my direction. When there is a will there is definitely away. This is a very valuable trait for me because I used to be so afraid of change and challenges, but when you have no other way when fear backs you into a corner your only way out is to fight instead of run. I am thankful for the hardships in my life as they have molded me into the woman I have become today. I will always be ready for whatever comes next.

"Life isn't about finding yourself, life is about creating yourself." - George Bernard Shaw This is one of my personal favorite quotes and it's because it speaks the real truth and the answer to one of the most frequently asked questions of "Who am I supposed to be?" It is so often that we are always being told that someday we will find who we are, or that even no one will ever know the answer to that question because we are constantly changing just as life itself does. We cannot expect to ever find ourselves with the hopes that one day it will come to us. We our the ones in control, and ultimately it is us that possess the power of creating the life we want and creating the person that we want to be someday. Instead of wondering who we are, it is time to start working within ourselves to create who we want to be. As we all know, life never gives us a direct answer. With that being said, we must create the version of ourselves that we want to be tomorrow, in 5 years or even 20. Change is inevitable and we have the power to use change to create who we want to be.

To always appreciate what you have, because tomorrow is never promised for any of us. I have recently lost my mom to cervical cancer in 2016, and one of my biggest regrets is that I wish I had spent more time with her in her final weeks. We didn't expect her to pass away when she did, but it has certainly taught me leaps and bounds about appreciating the little things in life like just talking to my mom after a rough day at school, or going through my first heartbreak. Losing my mother, if anything, has made me develop a greater appreciation for life and not let the bad days outweigh the good ones. Tomorrow always has a chance of being a better day or even the best day of our lives. Change is inevitable and all we can do is embrace it, and keep trucking forward. The sun will still rise in the morning regardless of what we're going through. Your mind is the most powerful tool, and with that, we have the power to make the bad times better and the good times even greater.

Every student, regardless of who they are or what background they come from, is absolutely entitled to receive the resources they need so they graduate ready and prepared for success after high school. For most of our lives from pre-school up until 12th grade, we all have to attend school until we have met the requirements to receive a high school diploma. However, I have seen many unqualified and inexperienced teachers over the course of years since I graduated from high school. You will always see teachers that will favor students, make sure they are praised, and have the proper resources they need to be motivated and knowledgeable after high school. On the other hand, I have seen more than anything that teachers seem to have become almost careless by teaching only for the first few minutes of class and then having the rest of the class time be a "break" period. It is very important we focus on and improve these issues, as after high school when the time for college comes around, we know the bare minimum about the classes we were taking for years in school due to lack of resources, unfair treatment to students which will cause a decline in grades, and above all else some kids have no one to guide them or teach and/or mentor them besides going to school. We rely on these things in order to be the best versions of ourselves though it may not seem like it at the time.

I think there are many ways to leave a positive impact on the world such as giving back to your community, being a mentor for someone, and helping others. I used to be involved in a military program called the United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps, and through this program I have learned many important values and leadership abilities as well as how to give back to the community, especially our veterans who have served in the armed forces. A few times out of the year we would go to our local VFW and work as a team to clean up the outside area and making it look presentable in honor of our veterans. We would also do a burning of the flags memorial at the VFW out of respect to retire the old flags and render a salute. This is a common respectful memorial service that was conducted yearly and to remember the lives of those lost. Each year our unit also used to hold ceremonies at local cemeteries and lay down small American flags on the graves of service members who have given the ultimate sacrifice. During my time in this program I have learned that through small acts, we make the biggest difference just by simply helping out and giving back to our community. Honor, Courage, and Commitment as our morals have taught me that there is no greater gift than giving back to your community and making an everlasting impact through acts of kindness and respect.

The most inspiring book I've read and my personal favorite would be The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom. This book really changed my life and I remember it being a high school assignment my freshman year. This book really touched my soul and it goes into detail about the many people you meet throughout life and how they have impacted you in certain ways. This book teaches you life lessons such as; everything happens for a reason, sacrifices make an impact in the lives of other people, forgiveness, the essence of love, and how every human life has a purpose. Those are the 5 lessons that the main character of the book, Eddie, learns from the 5 different people he met in heaven. However, these people weren't just who had an impact on him, but the lives he has impacted as well during his time on Earth. It is such a moving and inspirational book and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading as it captures the idea that we all leave an impact on one another though we may not realize it at the time.

My dream life would be knowing that I've made a positive change in the lives of those who are suffering with mental illness. The thing I want the most out of this life is the satisfaction that comes with helping others through difficult times in their lives and developing healthy coping mechanisms. When I hear "dream life" I am not one who thinks of things materialistically, but rather more on a spiritual level where I am happy with the choices I've made and the impact I've had on other people. That to me is the greatest gift I could ask for, whether it be 10 or 20 years down the road I want to be satisfied with the choices I've made that brought me to a sense of feeling happy, content, and satisfied in my life thus far. Money could never put a price on the impact you could make on someone's life, especially knowing that they will benefit from the things you've taught them or helped them with.

The key to staying true to yourself is an answer that varies for many of us. Personally, I always remain resilient and optimistic when faced with difficult and/or challenging situations. We never know what life will throw our way next, and staying true to yourself and doing things that keep you grounded will always help remind you of who you are when difficulties arise in life. I enjoy reading books with a theme or category that I am passionate about which would be Psychological Thrillers or anything that involves Psychology since that is the path I wish to pursue in life. Reading books is a way I stay true to myself because it keeps me motivated of my goal in life, which is to pursue an education in Psychology and help other people in the future. Of course, we all have different personalities and will have our own ways to stay true to ourselves. Whichever that may be, what matters the most is that it helps remind us of what makes us happy in life, and why we should continue to do these things in order to stay true to ourselves.

Most definitely your credit score. When I was 18 I decided to open my first credit card, and nearly immediately maxed it out. I had no one there to teach me about what credit is and how it impacts your entire future and things you will need it for down the road. I am 23 years old and applying to King's College in Wilkes-Barre PA and I am hoping I'll even be considered for a loan due to my past experiences with how bad my credit is/was. Credit is something that needs to be taught in all local and public highschool so we understand just how important it is in our future to make open a credit card and make payments on time, spend it only when you need to, and keep track of all of your bills so nothing is a late payment or fee. If I could go back in time I would do more research about how important it is to build your credit score. I am still trying to fix mine but I know through hard work I will eventually get out of the ditch I dug myself into.

Remaining optimistic at the hardest times in your life is certainly challenging, but never impossible. When you stay optimistic in these times of your life it teaches you so much about yourself that the fairly easy times never can. I have learned strength, resilience, and motivation through the events that have occurred in the past few years of my life. With that being said, it is still no simple thing to do but it will undoubtedly improve your confidence, give you a stronger sense of self, and remind you that if you can get through this you will be able to get through anything that life throws your way. This is no overnight process and it takes a while to realize the value of optimism and just how far it can get you when you apply it to the tough times of your life. I believe we are all optimists it's just a matter of when the time is right for it to come forward and be a light to help the next person struggling.

I wish to make others believe that they are capable of achieving whatever they put their mind to through hard work, determination, courage, and hope above all else. I know that life gets rough and debilitating at times and this can cause us to stop the pursuit of our happiness, hopes, and dreams. It is in the most difficult times of our lives that we discover the most about ourselves and the strength of our characters. Sometimes we need to go through rough patches to get where we are supposed to be. If I had an impact on a group of people or just one individual, that is the best reward of all knowing that I was able to provide hope and support for others to never stop pursuing their wildest dreams or what they wish to achieve in life. It's okay to hit rock bottom, if none of us ever have we wouldn't be able to appreciate the beautiful view from the top, where all of our hopes and dreams lie. We all have the power to be who we want to be, I wouldn't know this if I hadn't had wonderful mentors In my lifetime. Everything will work out, and we will all eventually be on the road that takes us to our final destination.

Speaking from my own personal experience the first step you absolutely need to take, and the hardest, is reaching out to a loved one or someone you trust. Life gets so busy sometimes that we often forget to take care of ourselves, resulting in everything getting pushed down or to the side to focus on the tasks at hand. Reaching out to someone may be the most difficult thing you can do but don't forget it's also the most courageous. Talking about things the moment you realize its bothering you is the right time to reach out to someone who you know is willing help you through it. Another solution for this is for those WE reach out to, and what we need is for someone to really listen to what we are saying. Struggling with mental health issues is no joke and is certainly not something that should be considered as being "overly-dramatic". If we feel like no one is really listening or taking us seriously, thats when we start to bottle it up until we explode. We need compassion, empathy, and support in these times. Someone that truly listens and wants to help us when we feel like theres no escape. In conclusion, reaching out is the most practical solution for the ones that are struggling with their mental health, please remember it may take us time until we really feel like we can open up to you. It takes time and patience and we know that feeling more than anyone else. However, the most practical solution for loved ones is to be readily available to truthfully listen to us when we speak. Having someone there to lend an ear goes further than you may think.

I would love to see a change in the way people treat one another. Ever since the impact of COVID-19 most social skills have been impaired, and the way people view each other is different. There is a lack of empathy and sympathy and an over abundance of impatience and fear. Together we can change this by having support groups in our community for those struggling with the post-covid effects that COVID had on the world. We can start rebuilding our confidence, social skills, and hope that one day masks will be a thing of the past and we can move forward as a community. There is so much animosity strangers have with each other because we are all afraid of COVID. I personally believe that there should be support groups in state-wide local communities to help people find their way back to who they once were before the virus hit. Restoring our confidence and social skills will help decrease the ability to want or have to stay home due to COVID. Individuals are afraid to return to work because they are either afraid or have become accustomed to the saftey of their home. Once we overcome this fear, I strongly believe that we can slowly make progress in heading towards a brighter future despite the circumstances of the 2020 pandemic but we need to come together in order to do so. Community groups held at a local church weekly or monthly to work on certain issues people are struggling with, in my opinion, would be the first step in the right direction.

I recently lost my mom to cancer in 2016, ever since then my life has been a roller-coaster of ups and downs and not knowing where to turn to next. My mom was my rock and my entire support system and always encouraged me to pursue my goals in life no matter what anyone else thinks. My mom believed that happiness is the best gift life can give you, and finding it within yourself is the first step. We are all human and have made mistakes, and I will be the first to admit that I have made many after her passing. Right now after all this time I am finally getting to where i'm supposed to be in life. My father offers no financial support for me and I feel like a responsibility to him more than anything. It is very difficult to stumble throughout life without the guidance of someone who was your safe haven and mentor throughout everything. I have been fighting this battle alone since she has passed away, and I am proud to say i'm finally taking my life back. I am choosing to pursue a career in Psychology as I want to help those who feel or have felt the same way I do. I want to make other people realize that every ending is also a new beginning, and ultimately we are the ones that decide to remain in the past or keep trucking through the future. There will always be hope, and when there is hope, there is always a chance for a better life. After losing my mom I have learned that you need to appreciate what you have while you have it because tomorrow is never promised. Life is too short to let fear hold us back, and hope will always overcome fear.

Speaking from personal experience with mental health, my disorders have impacted my entire life. Jobs, relationships, friendships, and my everyday life. At times it can certainly be debilitating to where I have trouble going to work or even at times afraid to leave the house. There is absolutely a stigma against mental health to those who are not educated fully about it. I have unstable relationships with my friends/family and struggle to maintain jobs. The thing about mental illness is that it comes and goes when it wants to, and in those moments we find out the most about our character and ability to overcome difficult situations in which your own mind is against you. In all aside, I will always fight back everyday because no matter what that sun will still rise in the morning and its a chance to get back up and try again. I am choosing to pursue and education in Psychology to help those who have felt the same way I have my entire life. I want to be the person who makes someone realize there will always be hope even the darkest of days, I want to see people overcome their mental illness and not let it define who they are and what they have the potential to be. It's important to remain resilient and always hope for better days to come, and with that being said, they certainly will.

Being independent gives us not only a sense of self, but a sense of accomplishment as well. Individuals that are independent often are seen as leaders, mentors, and guiders. This has impacted me in many ways over the years just from meeting certain people. Coworkers, friends, even family members. I have been to rock bottom and my independence is what got me to the point I am at today. No one ever starts at the top, we start from the bottom and work our way up, which in my personal opinion is the best way to learn about yourself as a person and finding a will and a way to overcome anything that comes your way. this impacts me in my everyday life because I know now there is light in the darkest of days and in those times we surpass our own expectations.

Mental Health Awareness, there is such a stigma against those suffering in silence because others do not recognize the early warning signs of mental illness. My only goal in this life is the reach out a hand to help someone when life knocks them on the ground. I want to make others realize that there still is and always will be hope, and we as a team can figure out a high functioning routine that gets people out of the mindset of feeling hopeless. I wish to be a Psychologist Major at King's College (PA) and strive to be the very best version of myself. Together as one we can raise awareness for Mental Health Awareness, and finally put and end to the stigma as well as overcoming the fear of talking about things we choose to bury deep within ourselves.