As a child, I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and falling into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I competed and excelled, and now I am realizing my dream to become a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Over the last 4 years, I have taken several steps to help others in my community find their way through mental health issues in my school and my community. I am on my school’s SADD committee and in my time, I have brought mental health issues to the forefront. This group had always discussed drugs and alcohol, but I felt like the missing piece was mental health. By talking openly to my classmates about mental health, and tearing down the negative stigmata surrounding the topic, I hope that we can heal people before they turn to drugs and alcohol as a way out. I have spent countless nights on the phone with students I barely know talking to them and letting them know someone cares. It is known in my school that I am always available to talk and that I am passionate about helping my peers. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of my school's Fellowship of Christian Athletes. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago where I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youths. Our meetings give us a haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. Through my experience, I have realized that not all counselors can relate to youth about their struggles. A lot of counselors tried to “change” me instead of listening and formulating a plan based on me. I was fortunate to find a counselor who had gone through some of the same things I was experiencing and that was when I opened up and started making strides to heal. I want to be that relatable figure in young people’s lives who can listen and help guide them to a brighter future. My life will succeed if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because that is the path to the light. This scholarship would be my first step in changing the world!

As a child, I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and falling into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I competed and excelled, and now I am realizing my dream to become a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Over the last 4 years, I have taken several steps to help others in my community find their way through mental health issues in my school and my community. I am on my school’s SADD committee and in my time, I have brought mental health issues to the forefront. This group had always discussed drugs and alcohol, but I felt like the missing piece was mental health. By talking openly to my classmates about mental health, and tearing down the negative stigmata surrounding the topic, I hope that we can heal people before they turn to drugs and alcohol as a way out. I have spent countless nights on the phone with students I barely know talking to them and letting them know someone cares. It is known in my school that I am always available to talk and that I am passionate about helping my peers. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of my school's Fellowship of Christian Athletes. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago where I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youths. Our meetings give us a haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. Through my experience, I have realized that not all counselors can relate to youth about their struggles. A lot of counselors tried to “change” me instead of listening and formulating a plan based on me. I was fortunate to find a counselor who had gone through some of the same things I was experiencing and that was when I opened up and started making strides to heal. I want to be that relatable figure in young people’s lives who can listen and help guide them to a brighter future. My life will succeed if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because that is the path to the light. This scholarship would be my first step in changing the world!

When someone asks about a role model that has impacted my life I have to stop and think. I have been blessed with so many great examples of faith, courage, love, compassion, and strength in my life that picking one is hard. I do however have one man that has always been my biggest fan and role model. This man is my Grandpa Sashi, or Pawpaw as he is affectionately called. Sashi was born in Okinawa, Japan to a Japanese mother and an American Navy cook. Not long after his birth his father abandoned him and returned to the States. In the 1950 and 60s in Japan, children of mixed race were looked down upon and singled out as lesser humans. From an early age, he had to fight just to walk down the street or shop in the market. His mother turned to alcohol shortly after giving birth to my Uncle Billie and the tailspin continued for young Sashi as he was now a 7-year-old guardian. This life continued until, at the age of 9, his mother met another serviceman and relocated the family to the United States. Upon arriving in the States, the cycle of violence and being the little "Jap boy" started all over again. Speaking no English, trying to help raise his brother, and dealing with an abusive and alcoholic home-home life turned to the only thing he knew to survive, his fists. Fighting quickly led him to group homes and constant trouble with the law. His life seemed to have lost any hope of normal until one day my grandma Suzy took a shine to him. My grandma had a close, catholic family and she was everything Pawpaw was not. Good in school, never in trouble, and on the path to success, Grandma slowly started to change my grandpa's view of the world. At 16 a new challenge was about to present itself in the form of a child, my mom. Knowing this was his chance to chase the American dream and better his life he began to work in various fields as an apprentice and worked overnight cleaning a local orthotics shop. One day the owner of the shop noticed how hard he worked and ask if he would be interested in learning the orthotics trade. This was the moment that changed not only his life but also my mom’s life and ultimately our whole family’s trajectory. Fast forward 40 years later he retired as one of the top orthodontists in the country and has left a legacy of perseverance and strength that we are so proud of. Another reason he is my role model is that no matter what I have been going through he is always my biggest fan. As a child, I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and falling into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and my Pawpaw. He was always a phone call away or a short trip for a visit to talk and help me see my worth. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I am going to school to become a counselor to help others and I know my biggest fan will be there every step of the way.

As a child, I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and fell falling into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I competed and excelled, and now I hope to become a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Today I maintain my mental health in several ways. I am not ashamed to say that I see a counselor and I take medicine for my anxiety. Seeing a counselor is something that I use to fight, however, over time, it had become a safe place to talk and release things that are causing me stress and anxiety. I have found that it is healthy to talk to someone that is unbiased and that can just listen. I also continue to wrestle and pour my soul into the sport. This is a way to vent and allow my mind to lock in on my training, blocking out the things that are negatively affecting me. Exercise keeps my body strong, but it also strengthens my mind. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in my school. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago I enjoyed how I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youths. Our meetings give us a haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to study Psychology and achieve my master’s degree so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light.

As a child, I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and falling into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I competed and excelled, and now I am realizing my dream to become a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Over the last 4 years, I have taken several steps in helping others in my community find their way through mental health issues in my school and my community. I am on my school’s SADD committee and in my time, I have brought mental health issues to the forefront. This group had always discussed drugs and alcohol, but I felt like the missing piece was mental health. By talking openly to my classmates about mental health, and tearing down the negative stigmata surrounding the topic, I hope that we can heal people before they turn to drugs and alcohol as a way out. I have spent countless nights on the phone with students I barely know talking to them and letting them know someone cares. It is known in my school that I am always available to talk and that I am passionate about helping my peers. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of my school's Fellowship of Christian Athletes. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago where I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youths. Our meetings give us a haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. I have realized through my own experience that not all counselors can relate to youth about our struggles. A lot of counselors tried to “change” me instead of listening and formulating a plan based on me. I was fortunate to find a counselor who had gone through some of the same things I was experiencing and that was when I opened up and started making strides to heal. I want to be that relatable figure in young people’s lives that can listen and help guide them to a brighter future. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light. This scholarship would be my first step in changing the world!

As a child, I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and falling into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I competed and excelled, and now I am realizing my dream to become a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Over the last 4 years, I have taken several steps in helping others in my community find their way through mental health issues in my school and my community. I am on my school’s SADD committee and in my time, I have brought mental health issues to the forefront. This group had always discussed drugs and alcohol, but I felt like the missing piece was mental health. By talking openly to my classmates about mental health, and tearing down the negative stigmata surrounding the topic, I hope that we can heal people before they turn to drugs and alcohol as a way out. I have spent countless nights on the phone with students I barely know talking to them and letting them know someone cares. It is known in my school that I am always available to talk and that I am passionate about helping my peers. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of my school's Fellowship of Christian Athletes. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago where I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youths. Our meetings give us a haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. I have realized through my own experience that not all counselors can relate to youth about their struggles. A lot of counselors tried to “change” me instead of listening and formulating a plan based on me. I was fortunate to find a counselor who had gone through some of the same things I was experiencing and that was when I opened up and started making strides to heal. I want to be that relatable figure in young people’s lives that can listen and help guide them to a brighter future. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light. This scholarship would be my first step in changing the world! Thank you for your consideration and God bless.

As a child, I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and falling into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I competed, excelled, and I have realized my dream to wrestle at the collegiate level for Missouri Valley College. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Over the last 4 years, I have taken several steps in helping others find their way through mental health issues in my school and my community. I am on my school’s SADD committee and in my time, I have brought mental health issues to the forefront. This group had always discussed drugs and alcohol, but I felt like the missing piece was mental health. By talking openly to my classmates about mental health, and tearing down the negative stigmata surrounding the topic, I hope that we can heal people before they turn to drugs and alcohol as a way out. I have spent countless nights on the phone with students I barely know talking to them and letting them know someone cares. It is known in my school that I am always available to talk and that I am passionate about helping my peers. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in my school. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago I enjoyed how I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youths. Our meetings give us a haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light.

As a child, I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and falling into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I competed, excelled, and I have realized my dream to wrestle at the collegiate level for Missouri Valley College. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Over the last 4 years, I have taken several steps in helping others find their way through mental health issues in my school and my community. I am on my school’s SADD committee and in my time, I have brought mental health issues to the forefront. This group had always discussed drugs and alcohol, but I felt like the missing piece was mental health. By talking openly to my classmates about mental health, and tearing down the negative stigmata surrounding the topic, I hope that we can heal people before they turn to drugs and alcohol as a way out. I have spent countless nights on the phone with students I barely know talking to them and letting them know someone cares. It is known in my school that I am always available to talk and that I am passionate about helping my peers. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in my school. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago I enjoyed how I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youths. Our meetings give us a haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light.

As a child, I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and falling into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I competed, excelled, and I have realized my dream to wrestle at the collegiate level for Missouri Valley College. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Over the last 4 years, I have taken several steps in helping others find their way through mental health issues in my school and my community. I am on my school’s SADD committee and in my time, I have brought mental health issues to the forefront. This group had always discussed drugs and alcohol, but I felt like the missing piece was mental health. By talking openly to my classmates about mental health, and tearing down the negative stigmata surrounding the topic, I hope that we can heal people before they turn to drugs and alcohol as a way out. I have spent countless nights on the phone with students I barely know talking to them and letting them know someone cares. It is known in my school that I am always available to talk and that I am passionate about helping my peers. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in my school. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago I enjoyed how I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youths. Our meetings give us a haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light.

As a child, I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and falling into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I competed and excelled, and now I am realizing my dream to become a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Over the last 4 years, I have taken several steps in helping others in my community find their way through mental health issues in my school and my community. I am on my school’s SADD committee and in my time, I have brought mental health issues to the forefront. This group had always discussed drugs and alcohol, but I felt like the missing piece was mental health. By talking openly to my classmates about mental health, and tearing down the negative stigmata surrounding the topic, I hope that we can heal people before they turn to drugs and alcohol as a way out. I have spent countless nights on the phone with students I barely know talking to them and letting them know someone cares. It is known in my school that I am always available to talk and that I am passionate about helping my peers. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of my school's Fellowship of Christian Athletes. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago where I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youths. Our meetings give us a haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. I have realized through my own experience that not all counselors can relate to youth about our struggles. A lot of counselors tried to “change” me instead of listening and formulating a plan based on me. I was fortunate to find a counselor who had gone through some of the same things I was experiencing and that was when I opened up and started making strides to heal. I want to be that relatable figure in young people’s lives that can listen and help guide them to a brighter future. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light. This scholarship would be my first step in changing the world! Thank you for your consideration and God bless.

As a child, I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and falling into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Over the last 4 years, I have taken several steps in helping others in my community find their way through mental health issues in my school and my community. I am on my school’s SADD committee and in my time, I have brought mental health issues to the forefront. This group had always discussed drugs and alcohol, but I felt like the missing piece was mental health. By talking openly to my classmates about mental health, and tearing down the negative stigmata surrounding the topic, I hope that we can heal people before they turn to drugs and alcohol as a way out. I have spent countless nights on the phone with students I barely know talking to them and letting them know someone cares. It is known in my school that I am always available to talk and that I am passionate about helping my peers. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of my school's Fellowship of Christian Athletes. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago where I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youths. Our meetings give us a haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. I have realized through my own experience that not all counselors can relate to youth about our struggles. I want to be that relatable figure in young people’s lives that can listen and help guide them to a brighter future. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. This scholarship would be my first step in changing the world!

As a child, I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and falling into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I competed and excelled, and now I am realizing my dream to become a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Over the last 4 years, I have taken several steps in helping others in my community find their way through mental health issues in my school and my community. I am on my school’s SADD committee and in my time, I have brought mental health issues to the forefront. This group had always discussed drugs and alcohol, but I felt like the missing piece was mental health. By talking openly to my classmates about mental health, and tearing down the negative stigmata surrounding the topic, I hope that we can heal people before they turn to drugs and alcohol as a way out. I have spent countless nights on the phone with students I barely know talking to them and letting them know someone cares. It is known in my school that I am always available to talk and that I am passionate about helping my peers. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of my school's Fellowship of Christian Athletes. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago where I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youths. Our meetings give us a haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. I have realized through my own experience that not all counselors can relate to youth about our struggles. A lot of counselors tried to “change” me instead of listening and formulating a plan based on me. I was fortunate to find a counselor who had gone through some of the same things I was experiencing and that was when I opened up and started making strides to heal. I want to be that relatable figure in young people’s lives that can listen and help guide them to a brighter future. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light. This scholarship would be my first step in changing the world!

As a child, I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and falling into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I competed and excelled, and now I am realizing my dream to become a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Over the last 4 years, I have taken several steps in helping others in my community find their way through mental health issues in my school and my community. I am on my school’s SADD committee and in my time, I have brought mental health issues to the forefront. This group had always discussed drugs and alcohol, but I felt like the missing piece was mental health. By talking openly to my classmates about mental health, and tearing down the negative stigmata surrounding the topic, I hope that we can heal people before they turn to drugs and alcohol as a way out. I have spent countless nights on the phone with students I barely know talking to them and letting them know someone cares. It is known in my school that I am always available to talk and that I am passionate about helping my peers. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of my school's Fellowship of Christian Athletes. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago where I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youths. Our meetings give us a haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. I have realized through my own experience that not all counselors can relate to youth about our struggles. A lot of counselors tried to “change” me instead of listening and formulating a plan based on me. I was fortunate to find a counselor who had gone through some of the same things I was experiencing and that was when I opened up and started making strides to heal. I want to be that relatable figure in young people’s lives that can listen and help guide them to a brighter future. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light. This scholarship would be my first step in changing the world!

As a child, I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and falling into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I competed and excelled, and now I am realizing my dream to become a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Over the last 4 years, I have taken several steps in helping others in my community find their way through mental health issues in my school and my community. I am on my school’s SADD committee and in my time, I have brought mental health issues to the forefront. This group had always discussed drugs and alcohol, but I felt like the missing piece was mental health. By talking openly to my classmates about mental health, and tearing down the negative stigmata surrounding the topic, I hope that we can heal people before they turn to drugs and alcohol as a way out. I have spent countless nights on the phone with students I barely know talking to them and letting them know someone cares. It is known in my school that I am always available to talk and that I am passionate about helping my peers. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of my school's Fellowship of Christian Athletes. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago where I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youths. Our meetings give us a haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. I have realized through my own experience that not all counselors can relate to youth about our struggles. A lot of counselors tried to “change” me instead of listening and formulating a plan based on me. I was fortunate to find a counselor who had gone through some of the same things I was experiencing and that was when I opened up and started making strides to heal. I want to be that relatable figure in young people’s lives that can listen and help guide them to a brighter future. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light. This scholarship would be my first step in changing the world!

As a child, I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and falling into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I competed, excelled, and I have realized my dream to wrestle at the collegiate level for Missouri Valley College. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Over the last 4 years, I have taken several steps in helping others find their way through mental health issues in my school and my community. I am on my school’s SADD committee and in my time, I have brought mental health issues to the forefront. This group had always discussed drugs and alcohol, but I felt like the missing piece was mental health. By talking openly to my classmates about mental health, and tearing down the negative stigmata surrounding the topic, I hope that we can heal people before they turn to drugs and alcohol as a way out. I have spent countless nights on the phone with students I barely know talking to them and letting them know someone cares. It is known in my school that I am always available to talk and that I am passionate about helping my peers. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in my school. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago I enjoyed how I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youths. Our meetings give us a haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light. Thank you for your consideration and God bless.

As a child, I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and falling into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I competed and excelled, and now I am realizing my dream to become a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Over the last 4 years, I have taken several steps in helping others in my community find their way through mental health issues in my school and my community. I am on my school’s SADD committee and in my time, I have brought mental health issues to the forefront. This group had always discussed drugs and alcohol, but I felt like the missing piece was mental health. By talking openly to my classmates about mental health, and tearing down the negative stigmata surrounding the topic, I hope that we can heal people before they turn to drugs and alcohol as a way out. I have spent countless nights on the phone with students I barely know talking to them and letting them know someone cares. It is known in my school that I am always available to talk and that I am passionate about helping my peers. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of my school's Fellowship of Christian Athletes. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago where I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youths. Our meetings give us a haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. I have realized through my own experience that not all counselors can relate to youth about our struggles. A lot of counselors tried to “change” me instead of listening and formulating a plan based on me. I was fortunate to find a counselor who had gone through some of the same things I was experiencing and that was when I opened up and started making strides to heal. I want to be that relatable figure in young people’s lives that can listen and help guide them to a brighter future. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light. Thank you for your consideration and God bless.

As a child, I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and falling into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I competed, excelled, and I have realized my dream to wrestle at the collegiate level for Missouri Valley College. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Over the last 4 years, I have taken several steps in helping others find their way through mental health issues in my school and my community. I am on my school’s SADD committee and in my time, I have brought mental health issues to the forefront. This group had always discussed drugs and alcohol, but I felt like the missing piece was mental health. By talking openly to my classmates about mental health, and tearing down the negative stigmata surrounding the topic, I hope that we can heal people before they turn to drugs and alcohol as a way out. I have spent countless nights on the phone with students I barely know talking to them and letting them know someone cares. It is known in my school that I am always available to talk and that I am passionate about helping my peers. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in my school. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago I enjoyed how I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youths. Our meetings give us a haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light.

As a child, I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and falling into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I competed, excelled, and I have realized my dream to wrestle at the collegiate level for Missouri Valley College. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Over the last 4 years, I have taken several steps in helping others find their way through mental health issues in my school and my community. I am on my school’s SADD committee and in my time, I have brought mental health issues to the forefront. This group had always discussed drugs and alcohol, but I felt like the missing piece was mental health. By talking openly to my classmates about mental health, and tearing down the negative stigmata surrounding the topic, I hope that we can heal people before they turn to drugs and alcohol as a way out. I have spent countless nights on the phone with students I barely know talking to them and letting them know someone cares. It is known in my school that I am always available to talk and that I am passionate about helping my peers. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in my school. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago I enjoyed how I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youths. Our meetings give us a haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to get my masters degree in Psychology so that I can become an adolescence counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light.

As a child, I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and falling into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I competed and excelled, and now my dream of wrestling collegiately is becoming a reality. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. The sport of wrestling helped to change and mold my eating habits. In wrestling, weight is one of the important aspects of the sport as you can't compete if you can't maintain your weight. In my first year, I wrestled at 220 lbs. and realized that I wanted to become leaner and that dropping weight would increase my speed. I hit the weights and ramped up my cardio only to be disappointed at my weight loss. Muscles and stamina were building, but the body fat percentage was static. This is where I started to study eating habits, good/ bad carbs, and protein, and how my body reacted to certain foods. The first thing I did was to cut out sugar and foods with high fructose syrup. Next, I started following a diet of lean meats, vegetables, and fruits. Once habits began to form, I started learning about macros. Macronutrients or 'Macros' are a group of nutrients found in food that give us energy. The three macronutrients are Protein, Carbohydrates & Fat. No matter what training plan, lifestyle, or diet you have, all three are essential in our diets for a healthy, happy life. I have been on this journey for 4 years now and last year I wrestled as a state qualifier at 175 pounds. I am lean (13.2% body fat) and strong, and my body always has the fuel it needs to operate at peak performance. Another amazing result of cutting out unhealthy, processed foods was my mental state improved. I now have a clear mind and a life with very little anxiety. My mental health and my physical health feed each other and my choice to eat healthily and exercise are the building blocks for my success. I have also recently started incorporating yoga and meditation into my routine. This has further calmed my mind and centered my spirit. The sport of wrestling has taught me that no matter what life throws at me, I can overcome anything. It has taught me to be mentally tough and that you can train your mind, body, and spirit to do amazing things. The confidence and self-worth that wrestling has provided me will last a lifetime and help me not only reach my goals but exceed my wildest expectations.

I was born with a disability that made me differnet from other kids. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and falling into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I competed and excelled, and now I am realizing my dream to become a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Over the last 4 years, I have taken several steps in helping others find their way through mental health issues in my school and my community. I am on my school’s SADD committee and in my time, I have brought mental health issues to the forefront. This group had always discussed drugs and alcohol, but I felt like the missing piece was mental health. By talking openly to my classmates about mental health, and tearing down the negative stigmata surrounding the topic, I hope that we can heal people before they turn to drugs and alcohol as a way out. I have spent countless nights on the phone with students I barely know talking to them and letting them know someone cares. It is known in my school that I am always available to talk and that I am passionate about helping my peers. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of my school's Fellowship of Christian Athletes. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago where I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youths. Our meetings give us a haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. I have realized through my own experience that not all counselors can relate to youth about our struggles. A lot of counselors tried to “change” me instead of listening and formulating a plan based on me. I was fortunate to find a counselor who had gone through some of the same things I was experiencing and that was when I opened up and started making strides to heal. I want to be that relatable figure in young people’s lives that can listen and help guide them to a brighter future. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light.

I am going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor to help children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues see that this world can be a beautiful place for everyone to thrive and be accepted.

As a child, I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and falling into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I competed and excelled, and now I am realizing my dream to become a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Over the last 4 years, I have taken several steps in helping others find their way through mental health issues in my school and my community. I am on my school’s SADD committee and in my time, I have brought mental health issues to the forefront. This group had always discussed drugs and alcohol, but I felt like the missing piece was mental health. By talking openly to my classmates about mental health, and tearing down the negative stigmata surrounding the topic, I hope that we can heal people before they turn to drugs and alcohol as a way out. I have spent countless nights on the phone with students I barely know talking to them and letting them know someone cares. It is known in my school that I am always available to talk and that I am passionate about helping my peers. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of my school's Fellowship of Christian Athletes. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago where I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youths. Our meetings give us a haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. I have realized through my own experience that not all counselors can relate to youth about our struggles. A lot of counselors tried to “change” me instead of listening and formulating a plan based on me. I was fortunate to find a counselor who had gone through some of the same things I was experiencing and that was when I opened up and started making strides to heal. I want to be that relatable figure in young people’s lives that can listen and help guide them to a brighter future. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light. Thank you for your consideration and God bless.

As a child, I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and falling into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I competed, excelled, and I have realized my dream to wrestle at the collegiate level for Missouri Valley College. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Over the last 4 years, I have taken several steps in helping others find their way through mental health issues in my school and my community. I am on my school’s SADD committee and in my time, I have brought mental health issues to the forefront. This group had always discussed drugs and alcohol, but I felt like the missing piece was mental health. By talking openly to my classmates about mental health, and tearing down the negative stigmata surrounding the topic, I hope that we can heal people before they turn to drugs and alcohol as a way out. I have spent countless nights on the phone with students I barely know talking to them and letting them know someone cares. It is known in my school that I am always available to talk and that I am passionate about helping my peers. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in my school. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago I enjoyed how I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youths. Our meetings give us a haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light.

As a child, I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and fell falling into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I competed and excelled, and now I hope to become a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Today I maintain my mental health in several ways. I am not ashamed to say that I see a counselor and I take medicine for my anxiety. Seeing a counselor is something that I use to fight, however, over time, it had become a safe place to talk and release things that are causing me stress and anxiety. I have found that it is healthy to talk to someone that is unbiased and that can just listen. I also continue to wrestle and pour my soul into the sport. This is a way to vent and allow my mind to lock in on my training, blocking out the things that are negatively affecting me. Exercise keeps my body strong, but it also strengthens my mind. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in my school. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago I enjoyed how I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youths. Our meetings give us a haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to study Psychology and achieve my master’s degree so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light.

When everyone talks about carbon footprint and living sustainably, they immediately think about cars, industrial pollution, and fossil fuel consumption. I, on the other hand, feel that everyone has an individual part to play by doing daily, earth-friendly things. At home for me is where it all starts. By making small changes they can add up and make a huge impact. Listed are some of the things I suggest and encourage my family and friends to do the same. • A house with a furnace is like a car that idles all day. Swap your furnace for a heat pump, which extracts heat from one location and transfers it to another. • Install a programmable thermostat. This allows you to set away the temperature and monitor your home closely. • Swap your gas stove for an electric stove, which will also lower indoor air pollution. • Unplug computers, TVs, and other electronics when you’re not using them. • Wash clothes in cold water. Hang dry your clothes when you can and use dryer balls when you can’t. • Look for the Energy Star label when buying new appliances. This will ensure you are running your appliances at the optimal energy-saving mode. • Winterize your home to prevent heat from escaping and try to keep it cool in the summer without using the air conditioner. • Change to energy-efficient LED light bulbs. • Get a home or workplace energy audit to identify where you can make the most energy-saving gains. Another thing you can do is, plant a tree! Whether you plant trees around your home and property, in your community, or in our national forests, they help fight climate change. Through the natural process of photosynthesis, trees absorb CO2 and other pollutant particulates, then store the carbon and emit pure oxygen. Here are some other ways planting trees help fight climate change. • Deciduous trees, planted on the south and west sides, will keep your house cool in the summer and let the sun warm your home in the winter, reducing energy use. • Just three trees around a house can save up to 30% of energy use. • Trees or shrubs planted to shade air conditioners help cool a building more efficiently, using less electricity. A unit operating in the shade uses as much as 10% less electricity than the same one operating in the sun. • Neighborhoods with well-shaded streets can be up to 6–10° F cooler than neighborhoods without street trees and reduce energy needs. • Shaded parking lots keep automobiles cooler, reducing emissions from fuel tanks and engines, and helping reduce the heat-island effect in communities. These may seem like small things, and they may not be earth-shattering, however, if everyone does their part and focuses on everyday things that can be done, we will have a HUGE impact. Activism and changing legislation take time, sometimes years. By staying vigilant and working every day we can sustain our wonderful world and have a lasting impact for generations to come.

As a child, I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and falling into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I competed and excelled and hope to become a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Over the last 4 years, I have taken several steps in helping others find their way through mental health issues in my school and my community. I am on my school’s SADD committee and in my time, I have brought mental health issues to the forefront. This group had always discussed drugs and alcohol, but I felt like the missing piece was mental health. By talking openly to my classmates about mental health, and tearing down the negative stigmata surrounding the topic, I hope that we can heal people before they turn to drugs and alcohol as a way out. I have spent countless nights on the phone with students I barely know talking to them and letting them know someone cares. It is known in my school that I am always available to talk and that I am passionate about helping my peers. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in my school. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago I enjoyed how I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youths. Our meetings give us a haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light.

As a child, I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and falling into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I competed and excelled and hope to become a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Over the last 4 years, I have taken several steps in helping others find their way through mental health issues in my school and my community. I am on my school’s SADD committee and in my time, I have brought mental health issues to the forefront. This group had always discussed drugs and alcohol, but I felt like the missing piece was mental health. By talking openly to my classmates about mental health, and tearing down the negative stigmata surrounding the topic, I hope that we can heal people before they turn to drugs and alcohol as a way out. I have spent countless nights on the phone with students I barely know talking to them and letting them know someone cares. It is known in my school that I am always available to talk and that I am passionate about helping my peers. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in my school. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago I enjoyed how I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youths. Our meetings give us a haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light. Thank you for your consideration and God bless.

As a child, I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and falling into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I competed and excelled and hope to become a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Over the last 4 years, I have taken several steps in helping others find their way through mental health issues in my school and my community. I am on my school’s SADD committee and in my time, I have brought mental health issues to the forefront. This group had always discussed drugs and alcohol, but I felt like the missing piece was mental health. By talking openly to my classmates about mental health, and tearing down the negative stigmata surrounding the topic, I hope that we can heal people before they turn to drugs and alcohol as a way out. I have spent countless nights on the phone with students I barely know talking to them and letting them know someone cares. It is known in my school that I am always available to talk and that I am passionate about helping my peers. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in my school. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago I enjoyed how I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youths. Our meetings give us a haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light. Thank you for your consideration and God bless.

As a child, I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and falling into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I competed and excelled, and now I hope to become a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Over the last 4 years, I have taken several steps in helping others find their way through mental health issues in my school and my community. I am on my school’s SADD committee and in my time, I have brought mental health issues to the forefront. This group had always discussed drugs and alcohol, but I felt like the missing piece was mental health. By talking openly to my classmates about mental health, and tearing down the negative stigmata surrounding the topic, I hope that we can heal people before they turn to drugs and alcohol as a way out. I have spent countless nights on the phone with students I barely know talking to them and letting them know someone cares. It is known in my school that I am always available to talk and that I am passionate about helping my peers. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of my school's Fellowship of Christian Athletes. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago I recalled how I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youths. Our meetings give us a haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light. Thank you for your consideration and God bless.

As a child, I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and fell falling into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I competed and excelled, and now I hope to become a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. The sport of wrestling helped to change and mold my eating habits. In wrestling, weight is one of the important aspects of the sport as you can't compete if you can't maintain your weight. I have been on this journey for 4 years now and last year I wrestled as a state qualifier at 175 pounds. I am lean (6.2% body fat), and strong, and my body always has the fuel it needs to operate at peak performance. A healthy diet and good habits help my overall personal wellness and allows me to have a focused mind, body, and a centered spirit. I continue to wrestle and pour my soul into the sport. This is a way to vent and allow my mind to lock in on my training, blocking out the things that are negatively affecting me. Exercise keeps my body strong, but it also strengthens my mind. Today I maintain my mental health in several ways. I am not ashamed to say that I see a counselor and I take medicine for my anxiety. Seeing a counselor is something that I use to fight, however, over time, it had become a safe place to talk and release things that are causing me stress and anxiety. I have found that it is healthy to talk to someone that is unbiased and that can just listen. I have also recently started incorporating yoga and meditation into my routine. This has further calmed my mind and centered my spirit. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in my school. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago I enjoyed how I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youths. Our meetings give us a haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to study Psychology and achieve my master’s degree so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light.

As a child, I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and falling into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I competed and excelled, and now I hope to become a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help and become a community leader in the mental health field. I feel leadership takes action. Over the last 4 years, I have taken several steps in helping others find their way through mental health issues in my school and my community. I am on my school’s SADD committee and in my time, I have brought mental health issues to the forefront. This group had always discussed drugs and alcohol, but I felt like the missing piece was mental health. By talking openly to my classmates about mental health, and tearing down the negative stigmata surrounding the topic, I hope that we can heal people before they turn to drugs and alcohol as a way out. I have spent countless nights on the phone with students I barely know talking to them and letting them know someone cares. It is known in my school that I am always available to talk and that I am passionate about helping my peers. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of my school's Fellowship of Christian Athletes. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago I recalled how I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youths. Our meetings give us a haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I have also been awarded Notre Dame Regional High Schools highest service award for over 200 hours of community service. I am going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light. Thank you for your consideration and God bless.

As a child, I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and falling into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I competed and excelled, and now I hope to become a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Over the last 4 years, I have taken several steps in helping others find their way through mental health issues in my school and my community. I am on my school’s SADD committee and in my time, I have brought mental health issues to the forefront. This group had always discussed drugs and alcohol, but I felt like the missing piece was mental health. By talking openly to my classmates about mental health, and tearing down the negative stigmata surrounding the topic, I hope that we can heal people before they turn to drugs and alcohol as a way out. I have spent countless nights on the phone with students I barely know talking to them and letting them know someone cares. It is known in my school that I am always available to talk and that I am passionate about helping my peers. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of my school's Fellowship of Christian Athletes. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago I recalled how I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youths. Our meetings give us a haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light. Thank you for your consideration and God bless.

As a child, I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and falling into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I competed and excelled, and now I hope to become a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Over the last 4 years, I have taken several steps in helping others find their way through mental health issues in my school and my community. I am on my school’s SADD committee and in my time, I have brought mental health issues to the forefront. This group had always discussed drugs and alcohol, but I felt like the missing piece was mental health. By talking openly to my classmates about mental health, and tearing down the negative stigmata surrounding the topic, I hope that we can heal people before they turn to drugs and alcohol as a way out. I have spent countless nights on the phone with students I barely know talking to them and letting them know someone cares. It is known in my school that I am always available to talk and that I am passionate about helping my peers. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of my school's Fellowship of Christian Athletes. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago I recalled how I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youths. Our meetings give us a haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light. Thank you for your consideration and God bless.

As a child, I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and falling into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I competed and excelled, and now I hope to become a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Like children with mental health issues, gifted children also face challenges that can affect their well-being and mental health in a negative way. My goal now is to obtain my master’s in psychology and clinical counseling so I can help other children battling mental illness, abuse, and trauma as I was once helped. If I can save one life in the future and help others understand that there is help my life will be a success. I want to use my education to develop a platform where we can destigmatize mental health and gifted children labeled as "different" and bring it to the forefront of society. I want the world to see that we need to embrace people who are gifted and people that have mental health issues and not shy away from being part of the healing process. Using my education, I want to start a counseling clinic that caters to gifted children, children with special needs, and children battling mental health disorders. I have an autistic cousin who has shown me firsthand how special children with gifted conditions truly are. If everyone thought and loved like these individuals what a world, we would live in. I hope one day to expand my local communities knowledge, acceptance, and attitude toward our wonderfully gifted and special children. This is my first step in changing the world. Thank you for your consideration.

As a child, I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and falling into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I competed and excelled and hope to become a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Over the last 4 years, I have taken several steps in helping others find their way through mental health issues in my school and my community. I am on my school’s SADD committee and in my time, I have brought mental health issues to the forefront. This group had always discussed drugs and alcohol, but I felt like the missing piece was mental health. By talking openly to my classmates about mental health, and tearing down the negative stigmata surrounding the topic, I hope that we can heal people before they turn to drugs and alcohol as a way out. I have spent countless nights on the phone with students I barely know talking to them and letting them know someone cares. It is known in my school that I am always available to talk and that I am passionate about helping my peers. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in my school. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago I enjoyed how I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youths. Our meetings give us a haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light. Thank you for your consideration and God bless.

As a child, I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and falling into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I competed and excelled and hope to become a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Over the last 4 years, I have taken several steps in helping others find their way through mental health issues in my school and my community. I am on my school’s SADD committee and in my time, I have brought mental health issues to the forefront. This group had always discussed drugs and alcohol, but I felt like the missing piece was mental health. By talking openly to my classmates about mental health, and tearing down the negative stigmata surrounding the topic, I hope that we can heal people before they turn to drugs and alcohol as a way out. I have spent countless nights on the phone with students I barely know talking to them and letting them know someone cares. It is known in my school that I am always available to talk and that I am passionate about helping my peers. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in my school. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago I enjoyed how I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youths. Our meetings give us a haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light. Thank you for your consideration and God bless.

As a child, I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and fell falling into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I competed and excelled, and now I hope to become a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Today I maintain my mental health in several ways. I am not ashamed to say that I see a counselor and I take medicine for my anxiety. Seeing a counselor is something that I use to fight, however, over time, it had become a safe place to talk and release things that are causing me stress and anxiety. I have found that it is healthy to talk to someone that is unbiased and that can just listen. I also continue to wrestle and pour my soul into the sport. This is a way to vent and allow my mind to lock in on my training, blocking out the things that are negatively affecting me. Exercise keeps my body strong, but it also strengthens my mind. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in my school. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago I enjoyed how I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youths. Our meetings give us a haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to study Psychology and achieve my master’s degree so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. I believe that by being able to share my personal experience I can get people to open up and discuss the issues they are having. Talking and feeling someone cares and understands can be all the difference someone needs. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light.

As a child, I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and falling into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I competed and excelled, and now I hope to become a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Today I maintain my mental health in several ways. I am not ashamed to say that I see a counselor and I take medicine for my anxiety. Seeing a counselor is something that I use to fight, however, over time, it had become a safe place to talk and release things that are causing me stress and anxiety. I have found that it is healthy to talk to someone that is unbiased and that can just listen. I also continue to wrestle and pour my soul into the sport. This is a way to vent and allow my mind to lock in on my training, blocking out the things that are negatively affecting me. Exercise keeps my body strong, but it also strengthens my mind. Over the last 4 years, I have taken several steps in helping others find their way through mental health issues in my school and my community. I am on my school’s SADD committee and in my time, I have brought mental health issues to the forefront. This group had always discussed drugs and alcohol, but I felt like the missing piece was mental health. By talking openly to my classmates about mental health, and tearing down the negative stigmata surrounding the topic, I hope that we can heal people before they turn to drugs and alcohol as a way out. I have spent countless nights on the phone with students I barely know talking to them and letting them know someone cares. It is known in my school that I am always available to talk and that I am passionate about helping my peers. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in my school. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago I enjoyed how I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youths. Our meetings give us a haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to obtain my master's degree in Clinical Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child.

As a child, I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and falling into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I competed and excelled, and now I hope to become a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Over the last 4 years, I have taken several steps in helping others find their way through mental health issues in my school and my community. I am on my school’s SADD committee and in my time, I have brought mental health issues to the forefront. This group had always discussed drugs and alcohol, but I felt like the missing piece was mental health. By talking openly to my classmates about mental health, and tearing down the negative stigmata surrounding the topic, I hope that we can heal people before they turn to drugs and alcohol as a way out. I have spent countless nights on the phone with students I barely know talking to them and letting them know someone cares. It is known in my school that I am always available to talk and that I am passionate about helping my peers. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of my school's Fellowship of Christian Athletes. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago I recalled how I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youths. Our meetings give us a haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light. Thank you for your consideration and God bless.

As a child, I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and falling into depression. Through the help of my family, doctors, and God I fought out of the darkness with a desire to help other people through service and volunteering. I became a member of the Boy Scouts where I learned the importance of making your community a better place by becoming involved and making a difference. One person with the passion to help can change the mindset of others and the mindset of the community. My family has also been a part of the Feed My Starving Children program and the Toys for Tots initiative for many years. Helping the needy has taught me so much about grace and compassion and I see the change in the people we help as we give them hope. I achieved Notre Dame Regional High Schools’ highest service award honor by completing over 150 service hours during high school. Working with youth in my community allows me to teach and help our young people how to be good stewards of our community and how to become future leaders. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of my school's Fellowship of Christian Athletes. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago I enjoyed how I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youths. Our meetings give us a haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. I would like to start my own charity called, Out of Darness, where I can share stories of healing and triumph with schools and youth across the country. I hope to remove negative stigmas on mental health from every community I am in. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light.

When someone asks about a role model that has impacted my life I have to stop and think. I have been blessed with so many great examples of faith, courage, love, compassion, and strength in my life that picking one is hard. I do however have one man that has always been my biggest fan and role model. This man is my Grandpa Sashi, or Pawpaw as he is affectionately called. Sashi was born in Okinawa, Japan to a Japanese mother and an American navy cook. Not long after his birth his father abandoned him and returned to the states. In the 1950 and 60s in Japan, children of mixed race were looked down upon and singled out as lesser humans. From an early age, he had to fight just to walk down the street or shop in the market. His mother turned to alcohol shortly after giving birth to my Uncle Billie and the tailspin continued for young Sashi as he was now a 7-year-old guardian. This life continued until, at the age of 9, his mother met another serviceman and relocated the family to the United States. Upon arriving in the states, the cycle of violence and being the little "Jap boy" started all over again. Speaking no English, trying to help raise his brother, and dealing with an abusive and alcoholic home-home life turned to the only thing he knew to survive, his fists. Fighting quickly led him to group homes and constant trouble with the law. His life seemed to have lost any hope of normal until one day my grandma Suzy took a shine to him. My grandma had a close, catholic family and she was everything Pawpaw was not. Good in school, never in trouble, and on the path to success grandma slowly started to change my grandpa's view of the world. At 16 a new challenge was about to present itself in the form of a child, my mom. Knowing this was his chance to chase the American dream and better his life he began to work in various fields as an apprentice and worked overnight cleaning a local orthotics shop. One day the owner of the shop noticed how hard he worked and ask if he would be interested in learning the orthotics trade. This was the moment that changed not only his life but also my mom’s life and ultimately our whole family’s trajectory. Fast forward 40 years later he retired as one of the top orthotists in the country and has left a legacy of perseverance and strength that we are so proud of. Another reason he is my role model is that no matter what I have been going through he is always my biggest fan. As a child, I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and falling into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and my Pawpaw. He was always a phone call away or a short trip for a visit to talk and help me see my worth. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I am going to school to become a counselor to help others and I know my biggest fan will be there every step of the way.

Being born with this Macrodactyly has not been easy. When I was young, I was viewed as being different and bullied. I had constant questions about what was wrong with me. My family was my lifeline and always had my back however there was one person I could always talk to, God. This may not be the answer you are looking for, but it is the answer I believe the most in. While I was dealing with my disease and the issues that came with it, I knew I could find a quiet place and always reach God through prayer, and he would be there. My disability took me down some dark paths with my mental health. I contemplated suicide, became reclusive, and had no self-worth. One day at my lowest I fell to my knees and through the tears and anxiety, I whispered a prayer begging for help. As I prayed, I heard a knock on my door and heard the voice of my dad. I went to the door and as he came in, I fell into his arms and poured out my heart about my feelings and fears. That conversation spurred the beginning of my healing. I will always believe that God led my dad to that door that day to help me start my journey to a better me. I have since become a varsity wrestler with collegiate aspirations and I also lead my high school’s FCA program. Through every situation, good and bad, I know I have a friend and a savior that I can lean on. He will always show me the way My goal now is to obtain my Master’s Degree in Psychology and Counseling so I can help other children as I was once helped. By using faith, love, and understanding as a healing tool I hope to show our youth that not being ok, is OK! If I can save one life in the future and help others understand that there is help my life will be a success. I want to use my education to develop a platform where we can destigmatize mental health and gifted children labeled as "different" and bring it to the forefront of society. I want the world to see that we need to embrace people who are gifted and people that have mental health issues and not shy away from being part of the healing process. Using my education and my faith, I want to start a counseling clinic that caters to gifted children, children with special needs, and children battling mental health disorders. I have an autistic cousin who has shown me firsthand how special children with gifted conditions truly are. If everyone thought and loved like these individuals what a world, we would live in. I hope one day to expand my local communities knowledge, acceptance, and attitude toward our wonderfully gifted and special children. This is my first step in changing the world. Thank you for your consideration.

As a child, I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and falling into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I competed and excelled, and now I hope to become a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Over the last 4 years, I have taken several steps in helping others find their way through mental health issues in my school and in my community. I am on my school’s SADD committee and in my time, I have brought mental health issues to the forefront. This group had always discussed drugs and alcohol, but I felt like the missing piece was mental health. By talking openly to my classmates about mental health, and tearing down the negative stigmata surrounding the topic, my hope is that we can heal people before they turn to drugs and alcohol as a way out. I have spent countless nights on the phone with students I barely know talking to them and letting them know someone cares. It is known in my school that I am always available to talk and that I am passionate about helping my peers. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in my school. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago I really enjoyed how I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youths. Our meetings give us a haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light. Thank you for your consideration and God bless.

Ok hear me out. You wake up to the most glorious white snow of all time, 9 inches! After bundling up, running outside, and picking the best spot, you start to build. You are going to build the most glorious snowman of all time. For the next hour you roll, pat, and stack the snow into the perfect shape. You are done and now it is time for the details. Hat, check. Scarf, check. Corncob pipe, carrot, eyes, arms, and mouthpiece.... nothing. This is the problem faced by many of sad children every year and I have a plan to end the suffering. I need a blow mold factory, an engineer, and some cash to make this plan a reality. I would first consult with the Mr. Potato Head folks to get ideas on the needed accessories. From there my engineer would create a mold for all the body parts and items we would include in our offering. Machines would be bought for creating plastic molds and a staff would be assembled to start the process. As all this is going on, phase two would begin. My marketing director and sales manager would be creating a website for our company which is now named, Snow Swag, as well as setting up third party e-commerce platforms to sell our items. QVC has agreed to air a segment for us and Wal-Mart has also signed up to be our retail vendor. We have sourced the packaging and it will be arriving any day for us to start packing and shipping units. Commercials will start airing in one month on ESPN, Disney, Nickelodeon and Boom networks to get the kids excited and running to Mom and Dad about this amazing new find! We have solidified great shipping rates with UPS and trucks are on the way. The decisive moment has arrived. Will it be a hit and solve little Cindy and Billy's snowmen problem, or will it fail? The packages arrive and within 2 weeks Snow Swag is sold out and backordered nationwide. New vendors are pounding on the door to get in on the hottest thing since Pokémon and the internet is ablaze with excitement. Pictures are everywhere of snowmen that are alive with our swag and the best part, every kid is smiling in the picture knowing they have created the best snowman on the block. Problem solved. No more quarters for eyes, sticks for arms, rocks for lips, or various garage funk for a nose. The snowman is forever fixed. It is now time to cash in while the fire is hot and ride off into the snow swag covered sunset.

Ethan Jackson January 30, 2023 As a child, I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and falling into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I competed and excelled, and now I hope to become a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Over the last 4 years, I have taken several steps in helping others find their way through mental health issues in my school and my community. I am on my school’s SADD committee and in my time, I have brought mental health issues to the forefront. This group had always discussed drugs and alcohol, but I felt like the missing piece was mental health. By talking openly to my classmates about mental health, and tearing down the negative stigmata surrounding the topic, I hope that we can heal people before they turn to drugs and alcohol as a way out. I have spent countless nights on the phone with students I barely know talking to them and letting them know someone cares. It is known in my school that I am always available to talk and that I am passionate about helping my peers. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in my school. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago I enjoyed how I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youths. Our meetings give us a haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light. Thank you for your consideration and God bless.

As a child, I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and falling into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I competed and excelled, and now I hope to become a collegiate athlete. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. The sport of wrestling helped to change and mold my eating habits. In wrestling, weight is one of the important aspects of the sport as you can't compete if you can't maintain your weight. In my first year, I wrestled at 220 lbs. and realized that I wanted to become leaner and that dropping weight would increase my speed. I hit the weights and ramped up my cardio only to be disappointed at my weight loss. Muscles and stamina were building, but the body fat percentage was static. This is where I started to study eating habits, good/ bad carbs and protein, and how my body reacted to certain foods. The first thing I did was to cut out sugar and foods with high fructose syrup. Next, I started following a diet of lean meats, vegetables, and fruits. Once habits began to form, I started learning about macros. Macronutrients or 'Macros' are a group of nutrients found in food that give us energy. The three macronutrients are Protein, Carbohydrates & Fat. No matter what training plan, lifestyle, or diet you have, all three are essential in our diets for a healthy, happy life. I have been on this journey for 4 years now and last year I wrestled as a state qualifier at 175 pounds. I am lean (6.2% body fat), and strong, and my body always has the fuel it needs to operate at peak performance. Another amazing result of cutting out unhealthy, processed foods was my mental state improved. I now have a clear mind and a life with very little anxiety. My mental health and my physical health feed each other and my choice to eat healthily and exercise are the building blocks for my success. I have also recently started incorporating yoga and meditation into my routine. This has further calmed my mind and centered my spirit.

As a child, I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and falling into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I competed and excelled, and now I hope to become a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Today I maintain my mental health in several ways. I am not ashamed to say that I see a counselor and I take medicine for my anxiety. Seeing a counselor is something that I use to fight, however, over time, it had become a safe place to talk and release things that are causing me stress and anxiety. I have found that it is healthy to talk to someone that is unbiased and that can just listen. I also continue to wrestle and pour my soul into the sport. This is a way to vent and allow my mind to lock in on my training, blocking out the things that a negatively affecting me. Exercise keeps my body strong, but it also strengthens my mind. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in my school. I started counseling youth camps three summers ago. I enjoyed how I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youths. Our meetings give us a haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am excited to be going to college to study Psychology and achieve my Master’s Degree so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. I am also going to wrestle for four more years and I can't wait for that chapter to unfold. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light.

As a child, I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and falling into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I competed and excelled, and now I hope to become a collegiate athlete. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to be a better, healthier me. The sport of wrestling helped to change and mold my eating habits. In wrestling, weight is one of the important aspects of the sport as you can't compete if you can't maintain your weight. In my first year, I wrestled at 220 lbs. and realized that I wanted to become leaner and that dropping weight would increase my speed. I hit the weights and ramped up my cardio only to be disappointed at my weight loss. Muscles and stamina were building, but the body fat percentage was static. This is where I started to study eating habits, good/ bad carbs and protein, and how my body reacted to certain foods. The first thing I did was to cut out sugar and foods with high fructose syrup. Next, I started following a diet of lean meats, vegetables, and fruits. Once habits began to form, I started learning about macros. Macronutrients or 'Macros' are a group of nutrients found in food that give us energy. The three macronutrients are Protein, Carbohydrates & Fat. No matter what training plan, lifestyle, or diet you have, all three are essential in our diets for a healthy, happy life. I have been on this journey for 4 years now and last year I wrestled as a state qualifier at 182 pounds. I am lean (6.2% body fat), and strong, and my body always has the fuel it needs to operate at peak performance. Another amazing result of cutting out unhealthy, processed foods was my mental state improved. I now have a clear mind and a life with very little anxiety. My mental health and my physical health feed each other and my choice to eat healthily and exercise are the building blocks for my success. I have also recently started incorporating yoga and meditation into my routine. This has further calmed my mind and centered my spirit.

As a child, I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and falling into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I competed and excelled, and now I hope to become a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Like children with mental health issues, gifted and abused children also face challenges that can affect their well-being and mental health in a negative way. My goal now is to obtain my master’s in psychology and Counseling so I can help other children as I was once helped. If I can save one life in the future and help others understand that there is help my life will be a success. I want to use my education to develop a platform where we can destigmatize mental health and gifted children labeled as "different" and bring it to the forefront of society. I want the world to see that we need to embrace people who are gifted and people that have mental health issues and not shy away from being part of the healing process. Using my education, I want to start a counseling clinic that caters to gifted children, children with special needs, and children battling mental health and addiction disorders. I have an autistic cousin who has shown me firsthand how special children with gifted conditions truly are. If everyone thought and loved like these individuals what a world, we would live in. I hope one day to expand my local communities knowledge, acceptance, and attitude toward our wonderfully gifted and special children. This is my first step in changing the world. Thank you for your consideration.

As a child, I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and falling into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I competed and excelled, and now I hope to become a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Over the last 4 years, I have taken several steps in helping others find their way through mental health issues in my school and in my community. I am on my school’s SADD committee and in my time, I have brought mental health issues to the forefront. This group had always discussed drugs and alcohol, but I felt like the missing piece was mental health. By talking openly to my classmates about mental health, and tearing down the negative stigmata surrounding the topic, my hope is that we can heal people before they turn to drugs and alcohol as a way out. I have spent countless nights on the phone with students I barely know talking to them and letting them know someone cares. It is known in my school that I am always available to talk and that I am passionate about helping my peers. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in my school. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago I really enjoyed how I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youths. Our meetings give us a haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, substance abuse, and any other issues they may have. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light. Thank you for your consideration and God bless.

To pay off student loan debt one must first understand how to be financially literate. Financial literacy is an understanding of personal finance concepts like budgeting, investing, and managing finances. This includes planning what to do with your money, paying off debt, understanding the time/money trade-off, tracking spending, retirement planning, and more. Earning money won’t get you far if you don’t learn how to manage it. Financially illiterate people can make poor financial decisions that result in losing money or becoming victims of scams. Without understanding the importance of balancing a checkbook, paying off debt, understanding compound interest, and planning for retirement, you can end up living paycheck-to-paycheck and struggling financially. Let's start by breaking down a few of these segments. First, let's look at budgeting. Budgeting is looking at your income and matching that up with your expenses. Simple right? Not if you are factoring in all the variables. Review your bank and credit card statements for the last three months and group the expenses into categories such as groceries, utilities, car-related expenses, and so on. Don’t forget to include less frequent expenses like your property taxes or auto insurance. When you build your budget, allow enough room for saving and investing for the future. This includes setting money aside for emergencies and saving for retirement. All of your expenses, debt repayment, and savings should add up to your total income. If you spend more than you make, you need to make some hard decisions about what expenses to reduce or cut out entirely. The goal is to have financial breathing room so you can pay your bills and feel secure in your financial future. Also remember to always plan for emergencies and have backup funds set aside for things like car repairs, Doctors visits, or home repairs. Next, let's look at investing. Investing is a good way to grow your money and a hedge against inflation. Before you put any of your money in the stock market, it’s important to educate yourself about stocks and bonds. While they can be a good way to grow your money, they come with inherent risks. Retirement is closer than you think. Every dollar you save today is a dollar that helps you live better once you’re no longer able to generate income. If you have a retirement account option through work, this should be your first stop. Many companies offer an employer match to help you stash away money for your golden years. Find out how much your company match is and contribute enough to get the full amount. Retirement accounts such as 401(k)s also offer tax advantages. This will help you save money on your tax bill at the end of the year and let your money grow tax-free until retirement. The more you can save today, the better off you will be in retirement. Finally, let's talk about managing and paying off debt such as student loans. A huge key to financial literacy is learning how to manage your debt. This includes credit cards, auto loans, mortgages, and personal loans. Every debt you owe is money you’ve already spent from your paycheck. It’s important to not take on more debt than you can handle comfortably. Allow enough breathing room in your budget so you can pay your debt and have money left over to save and invest at the end of the month. Make a plan to pay off your debt and reduce your monthly costs. All of these factors will make it easy for a person to comfortably pay off thier student debt.

Being born with this Macrodactyly has not been easy. When I was young, I was viewed as being different and bullied. I had constant questions about what was wrong with me. My family was my lifeline and always had my back however there was one person I could always talk to, God. This may not be the answer you are looking for, but it is the answer I believe the most in. While I was dealing with my disease and the issues that came with it, I knew I could find a quiet place and always reach God through prayer, and he would be there. My disability took me down some dark paths with my mental health. I contemplated suicide, became reclusive, and had no self-worth. One day at my lowest I fell to my knees and through the tears and anxiety, I whispered a prayer begging for help. As I prayed, I heard a knock on my door and heard the voice of my dad. I went to the door and as he came in, I fell into his arms and poured out my heart about my feelings and fears. That conversation spurred the beginning of my healing. I will always believe that God led my dad to that door that day to help me start my journey to a better me. I have since become a varsity wrestler with collegiate aspirations and I also lead my high school’s FCA program. Through every situation, good and bad, I know I have a friend and a savior that I can lean on. He will always show me the way. I am going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I want to start a counseling clinic that caters to gifted children, children with special needs, and children battling mental health disorders. I have an autistic cousin who has shown me firsthand how special children with gifted conditions truly are. If everyone thought and loved like these individuals what a world, we would live in. I hope one day to expand my local communities knowledge, acceptance, and attitude toward our wonderfully gifted and special children. This is my first step in changing the world. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light. Thank you for your consideration.

As a child, I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and falling into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I competed and excelled, and now I hope to become a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Over the last 4 years, I have taken several steps in helping others find their way through mental health issues in my school and in my community. I am on my school’s SADD committee and in my time, I have brought mental health issues to the forefront. This group had always discussed drugs and alcohol, but I felt like the missing piece was mental health. By talking openly to my classmates about mental health, and tearing down the negative stigmata surrounding the topic, my hope is that we can heal people before they turn to drugs and alcohol as a way out. I have spent countless nights on the phone with students I barely know talking to them and letting them know someone cares. It is known in my school that I am always available to talk and that I am passionate about helping my peers. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in my school. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago I really enjoyed how I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youths. Our meetings give us a haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light.

As a child, I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and falling into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I competed and excelled, and now I hope to become a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Over the last 4 years, I have taken several steps in helping others find their way through mental health issues in my school and my community. I am on my school’s SADD committee and in my time, I have brought mental health issues to the forefront. This group had always discussed drugs and alcohol, but I felt like the missing piece was mental health. By talking openly to my classmates about mental health, and tearing down the negative stigmata surrounding the topic, I hope that we can heal people before they turn to drugs and alcohol as a way out. I have spent countless nights on the phone with students I barely know talking to them and letting them know someone cares. It is known in my school that I am always available to talk and that I am passionate about helping my peers. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in my school. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago I enjoyed how I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youths. Our meetings give us a haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light.

As a child I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and fell into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I competed and excelled, and now I hope to become a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Today I maintain my mental health in several ways. I am not ashamed to say that I see a counselor and I take medicine for my anxiety. Seeing a counselor is something that I use to fight however, over time, it had become a safe place to talk and release things that are causing me stress and anxiety. I have found that it is healthy to talk to someone that is unbiased and that can just listen. I also continue to wrestle and pour my soul into the sport. This is a way to vent and allow my mind to lock in on my training, blocking out the things that a negatively affecting me. Exercise keeps my body strong, but it also strengthens my mind. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in my school. I started counseling youth camps three summers ago. I really enjoyed how I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youth. Our meetings give us a haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to study Psychology and achieve my Master’s Degree so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light.

As a child, I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and falling into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I competed and excelled, and now I hope to become a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Over the last 4 years, I have taken several steps in helping others find their way through mental health issues in my school and in my community. I am on my school’s SADD committee and in my time, I have brought mental health issues to the forefront. This group had always discussed drugs and alcohol, but I felt like the missing piece was mental health. By talking openly to my classmates about mental health, and tearing down the negative stigmata surrounding the topic, my hope is that we can heal people before they turn to drugs and alcohol as a way out. I have spent countless nights on the phone with students I barely know talking to them and letting them know someone cares. It is known in my school that I am always available to talk and that I am passionate about helping my peers. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in my school. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago I really enjoyed how I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youths. Our meetings give us a haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light.

As a child, I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and falling into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I competed and excelled, and now I hope to become a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Over the last 4 years, I have taken several steps in helping others find their way through mental health issues in my school and in my community. I am on my school’s SADD committee and in my time, I have brought mental health issues to the forefront. This group had always discussed drugs and alcohol, but I felt like the missing piece was mental health. By talking openly to my classmates about mental health, and tearing down the negative stigmata surrounding the topic, my hope is that we can heal people before they turn to drugs and alcohol as a way out. I have spent countless nights on the phone with students I barely know talking to them and letting them know someone cares. It is known in my school that I am always available to talk and that I am passionate about helping my peers. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in my school. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago I really enjoyed how I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youths. Our meetings give us a haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light.

As a child, I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and falling into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I competed and excelled, and now I hope to become a collegiate athlete. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. The sport of wrestling helped to change and mold my eating habits. In wrestling, weight is one of the important aspects of the sport as you can't compete if you can't maintain your weight. In my first year, I wrestled at 220 lbs. and realized that I wanted to become leaner and that dropping weight would increase my speed. I hit the weights and ramped up my cardio only to be disappointed at my weight loss. Muscles and stamina were building, but the body fat percentage was static. This is where I started to study eating habits, good/ bad carbs and protein, and how my body reacted to certain foods. The first thing I did was to cut out sugar and foods with high fructose syrup. Next, I started following a diet of lean meats, vegetables, and fruits. Once habits began to form, I started learning about macros. Macronutrients or 'Macros' are a group of nutrients found in food that give us energy. The three macronutrients are Protein, Carbohydrates & Fat. No matter what training plan, lifestyle, or diet you have, all three are essential in our diets for a healthy, happy life. I have been on this journey for 4 years now and last year I wrestled as a state qualifier at 182 pounds. I am lean (6.2% body fat), and strong, and my body always has the fuel it needs to operate at peak performance. Another amazing result of cutting out unhealthy, processed foods was my mental state improved. I now have a clear mind and a life with very little anxiety. My mental health and my physical health feed each other and my choice to eat healthily and exercise are the building blocks for my success. I have also recently started incorporating yoga and meditation into my routine. This has further calmed my mind and centered my spirit. Since I started wrestling I have became more confident and I have developed a drive to help others. I want to use my platform in the sport of wrestling to erase the negative stigmata placed on mental health. I am going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child

Financial literacy is an understanding of personal finance concepts like budgeting, investing, and managing finances. This includes planning what to do with your money, paying off debt, understanding the time/money trade-off, tracking spending, retirement planning, and more. Earning money won’t get you far if you don’t learn how to manage it. Financially illiterate people can make poor financial decisions that result in losing money or becoming victims of scams. Without understanding the importance of balancing a checkbook, paying off debt, understanding compound interest, and planning for retirement, you can end up living paycheck-to-paycheck and struggling financially. Let's start by breaking down a few of these segments. First, let's look at budgeting. Budgeting is looking at your income and matching that up with your expenses. Simple right? Not if you are factoring in all the variables. Review your bank and credit card statements for the last three months and group the expenses into categories such as groceries, utilities, car-related expenses, and so on. Don’t forget to include less frequent expenses like your property taxes or auto insurance. When you build your budget, allow enough room for saving and investing for the future. This includes setting money aside for emergencies and saving for retirement. All of your expenses, debt repayment, and savings should add up to your total income. If you spend more than you make, you need to make some hard decisions about what expenses to reduce or cut out entirely. The goal is to have financial breathing room so you can pay your bills and feel secure in your financial future. Also remember to always plan for emergencies and have backup funds set aside for car repairs, doctor visits, or home repairs. Next, let's look at investing. Investing is a good way to grow your money and a hedge against inflation. Before putting any of your money in the stock market, educating yourself about stocks and bonds is important. While they can be a good way to grow your money, they come with inherent risks. Retirement is closer than you think. Every dollar you save today is a dollar that helps you live better once you’re no longer able to generate income. This should be your first stop if you have a retirement account option through work. Many companies offer an employer match to help you stash away money for your golden years. Find out how much your company match is and contribute enough to get the full amount. Retirement accounts such as 401(k)s also offer tax advantages. This will help you save money on your tax bill at the end of the year and let your money grow tax-free until retirement. The more you can save today, the better off you will be in retirement. Finally, let's talk about managing and paying off debt. One key to financial literacy is learning how to manage your debt. This includes credit cards, auto loans, mortgages, and personal loans. Every debt you owe is money you’ve already spent from your paycheck. It’s important to not take on more debt than you can handle comfortably. Allow enough breathing room in your budget so you can pay your debt and have money left over to save and invest at the end of the month. Make a plan to pay off your debt and reduce your monthly costs. This will free up room in your budget for investing, saving for retirement, and building an emergency fund. It will also help you sleep better at night.

"Helping one person might not change the world but it may change the world for one person." As a child, I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and falling into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I competed and excelled, and now I hope to become a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Over the last 4 years, I have taken several steps in helping others find their way through mental health issues in my school and in my community. I am on my school’s SADD committee and in my time, I have brought mental health issues to the forefront. This group had always discussed drugs and alcohol, but I felt like the missing piece was mental health. By talking openly to my classmates about mental health, and tearing down the negative stigmata surrounding the topic, my hope is that we can heal people before they turn to drugs and alcohol as a way out. I have spent countless nights on the phone with students I barely know talking to them and letting them know someone cares. It is known in my school that I am always available to talk and that I am passionate about helping my peers. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in my school. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago I really enjoyed how I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youths. Our meetings give us a haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light. Thank you for your consideration and God bless.

As a child, I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and falling into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I competed and excelled, and now I hope to become a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Over the last 4 years, I have taken several steps in helping others find their way through mental health issues in my school and in my community. I am on my school’s SADD committee and in my time, I have brought mental health issues to the forefront. This group had always discussed drugs and alcohol, but I felt like the missing piece was mental health. By talking openly to my classmates about mental health, and tearing down the negative stigmata surrounding the topic, my hope is that we can heal people before they turn to drugs and alcohol as a way out. I have spent countless nights on the phone with students I barely know talking to them and letting them know someone cares. It is known in my school that I am always available to talk and that I am passionate about helping my peers. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in my school. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago I really enjoyed how I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youths. Our meetings give us a haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light.

As a child, I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and falling into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I competed and excelled, and now I hope to become a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Over the last 4 years, I have taken several steps in helping others find their way through mental health issues in my school and in my community. I am on my school’s SADD committee and in my time, I have brought mental health issues to the forefront. This group had always discussed drugs and alcohol, but I felt like the missing piece was mental health. By talking openly to my classmates about mental health, and tearing down the negative stigmata surrounding the topic, my hope is that we can heal people before they turn to drugs and alcohol as a way out. I have spent countless nights on the phone with students I barely know talking to them and letting them know someone cares. It is known in my school that I am always available to talk and that I am passionate about helping my peers. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in my school. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago I really enjoyed how I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youths. Our meetings give us a haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light.

"Helping one person might not change the world but it may change the world for one person." This has been my motto since my struggle with mental illness as a child. After I healed, I knew my greater calling was to help others deal with the things I went through. To some education and college don’t matter but to me it is everything. I will never view furthering my education as anything but my springboard to get to the place I need to be. After my years long battle with mental illness I could have gave up and used my illness as a crutch. Not me. I pulled myself up by my bootstraps and realized that life had presented me with an opportunity to show others that by having honor and integrity in the face of darkness can get you to a place of peace. At the end of the day when you are looking in the mirror can you honestly say that you are working to be your best self? Are you challenging yourself, are you putting yourself in a good financial position, are you planning your future to chase your dreams? If no is your answer, then I think maybe my story can be an inspiration that hope springs eternal. Personally, if I can use my experience and my education to save one person my life will have been a success.

As a child, I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and falling into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I competed and excelled, and now I hope to become a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Over the last 4 years, I have taken several steps in helping others find their way through mental health issues in my school and in my community. I am on my school’s SADD committee and in my time, I have brought mental health issues to the forefront. This group had always discussed drugs and alcohol, but I felt like the missing piece was mental health. By talking openly to my classmates about mental health, and tearing down the negative stigmata surrounding the topic, my hope is that we can heal people before they turn to drugs and alcohol as a way out. I have spent countless nights on the phone with students I barely know talking to them and letting them know someone cares. It is known in my school that I am always available to talk and that I am passionate about helping my peers. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in my school. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago I really enjoyed how I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youths. Our meetings give us a haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light. Thank you for your consideration and God bless.

As a child, I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and falling into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I competed and excelled, and now I hope to become a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Over the last 4 years, I have taken several steps in helping others find their way through mental health issues in my school and my community. I am on my school’s SADD committee and in my time, I have brought mental health issues to the forefront. This group had always discussed drugs and alcohol, but I felt like the missing piece was mental health. By talking openly to my classmates about mental health, and tearing down the negative stigmata surrounding the topic, I hope that we can heal people before they turn to drugs and alcohol as a way out. I have spent countless nights on the phone with students I barely know talking to them and letting them know someone cares. It is known in my school that I am always available to talk and that I am passionate about helping my peers. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in my school. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago I enjoyed how I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youths. Our meetings give us a haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light. Thank you for your consideration and God bless.

No I was not in the foster system. As a child, I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and falling into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I competed and excelled, and now I hope to become a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Like children with mental health issues, gifted children also face challenges that can affect their well-being and mental health in a negative way. My goal now is to obtain my master’s in psychology and Counseling so I can help other children as I was once helped. If I can save one life in the future and help others understand that there is help my life will be a success. I want to use my education to develop a platform where we can destigmatize the negative ideology surrounding mental health. I want gifted children labeled as "different" to feel normal and accepted and bring this message to the forefront of society. I want the world to see that we need to embrace people who are gifted and people that have mental health issues and not shy away from being part of the healing process. Using my education, I want to start a counseling clinic that caters to gifted children, children with special needs, and children battling mental health disorders. I have an autistic cousin who has shown me firsthand how special children with gifted conditions truly are. If everyone thought and loved like these individuals what a world, we would live in. I hope one day to expand my local communities knowledge, acceptance, and attitude toward our wonderfully gifted and special children. This is my first step in changing the world. Thank you for your consideration.

As a child, I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and falling into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I competed and excelled, and now I hope to become a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Like children with mental health issues, gifted children also face challenges that can affect their well-being and mental health in a negative way. My goal now is to obtain my master’s in psychology and Counseling so I can help other children as I was once helped. If I can save one life in the future and help others understand that there is help my life will be a success. I want to use my education to develop a platform where we can destigmatize the negative ideology surrounding mental health. I want gifted children labeled as "different" to feel normal and accepted and bring this message to the forefront of society. I want the world to see that we need to embrace people who are gifted and people that have mental health issues and not shy away from being part of the healing process. Using my education, I want to start a counseling clinic that caters to gifted children, children with special needs, and children battling mental health disorders. I have an autistic cousin who has shown me firsthand how special children with gifted conditions truly are. If everyone thought and loved like these individuals what a world, we would live in. I hope one day to expand my local communities knowledge, acceptance, and attitude toward our wonderfully gifted and special children. This is my first step in changing the world. Thank you for your consideration.

As an 18 year old student managing finances is sometimes a huge chore. I have learned through business classes and from my family how to be financial literate and here is how. Financial literacy is an understanding of personal finance concepts like budgeting, investing, and managing finances. This includes planning what to do with your money, paying off debt, understanding the time/money trade-off, tracking spending, retirement planning, and more. Earning money won’t get you far if you don’t learn how to manage it. Financially illiterate people can make poor financial decisions that result in losing money or becoming victims of scams. Without understanding the importance of balancing a checkbook, paying off debt, understanding compound interest, and planning for retirement, you can end up living paycheck-to-paycheck and struggling financially. Let's start by breaking down a few of these segments. First, let's look at budgeting. Budgeting is looking at your income and matching that up with your expenses. Simple right? Not if you are factoring in all the variables. Review your bank and credit card statements for the last three months and group the expenses into categories such as groceries, utilities, car-related expenses, and so on. Don’t forget to include less frequent expenses like your property taxes or auto insurance. When you build your budget, allow enough room for saving and investing for the future. This includes setting money aside for emergencies and saving for retirement. All of your expenses, debt repayment, and savings should add up to your total income. If you spend more than you make, you need to make some hard decisions about what expenses to reduce or cut out entirely. The goal is to have financial breathing room so you can pay your bills and feel secure in your financial future. Also remember to always plan for emergencies and have backup funds set aside for things like car repairs, Doctors visits, or home repairs. Next, let's look at investing. Investing is a good way to grow your money and a hedge against inflation. Before you put any of your money in the stock market, it’s important to educate yourself about stocks and bonds. While they can be a good way to grow your money, they come with inherent risks. Retirement is closer than you think. Every dollar you save today is a dollar that helps you live better once you’re no longer able to generate income. If you have a retirement account option through work, this should be your first stop. Many companies offer an employer match to help you stash away money for your golden years. Find out how much your company match is and contribute enough to get the full amount. Retirement accounts such as 401(k)s also offer tax advantages. This will help you save money on your tax bill at the end of the year. The more you can save today, the better off you will be in retirement. Finally, let's talk about managing and paying off debt. One key to financial literacy is learning how to manage your debt. This includes credit cards, auto loans, mortgages, and personal loans. Every debt you owe is money you’ve already spent from your paycheck. It’s important to not take on more debt than you can handle comfortably. Allow enough breathing room in your budget so you can pay your debt and have money left over to save and invest at the end of the month. Make a plan to pay off your debt and reduce your monthly costs. This will free up room in your budget for investing, saving for retirement, and building an emergency fund.

As a child, I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and falling into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I competed and excelled, and now I hope to become a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Over the last 4 years, I have taken several steps in helping others find their way through mental health issues in my school and in my community. I am on my school’s SADD committee and in my time, I have brought mental health issues to the forefront. This group had always discussed drugs and alcohol, but I felt like the missing piece was mental health. By talking openly to my classmates about mental health, and tearing down the negative stigmata surrounding the topic, my hope is that we can heal people before they turn to drugs and alcohol as a way out. I have spent countless nights on the phone with students I barely know talking to them and letting them know someone cares. It is known in my school that I am always available to talk and that I am passionate about helping my peers. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in my school. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago I really enjoyed how I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youths. Our meetings give us a haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light.

As a child I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and fell into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I not only competed but excelled and now I have hopes of becoming a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Over the last 4 years I have taken several steps in helping others find their way through mental health issues in my school and in my community. I am on my schools SADD committee and in my time, I have brought mental health issues to the forefront. This group had always discussed drugs and alcohol, but I felt like the missing piece was mental health. By talking openly to my classmates about mental health, and tearing down the negative stigmata surrounding the topic, my hope is that we can heal people before they turn to drugs and alcohol as a way out. I have spent countless nights on the phone with students I barely know talking to them and letting them know someone cares. It is known in my school that I am always available to talk and that I am passionate about helping my peers. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in my school. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago I really enjoyed how I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youth. Our meetings give us a safe haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light. Thank you for your consideration and God bless.

As a child I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, ADHD, and fell into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I not only competed but excelled and now I have hopes of becoming a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Over the last 4 years I have taken several steps in helping others find their way through mental health issues in my school and in my community. I am on my schools SADD committee and in my time, I have brought mental health issues to the forefront. This group had always discussed drugs and alcohol, but I felt like the missing piece was mental health. By talking openly to my classmates about mental health, and tearing down the negative stigmata's surrounding the topic, my hope is that we can heal people before they turn to drugs and alcohol as a way out. I have spent countless nights on the phone with students I barely know talking to them and letting them know someone cares. It is known in my school that I am always available to talk and that I am passionate about helping my peers. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in my school. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago I really enjoyed how I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youth. Our meetings give us a safe haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I feel that I am a good candidate because I have had fight through ADHD, anxiety, depression, and other issues and because of this I am stronger and more determined than ever to pursue my goals and help others. Thank you for your consideration and God bless.

Being born with this Macrodactyly has not been easy. When I was young, I was viewed as been different and bullied. I had constant questions about what was wrong with me. My family was my lifeline and always had my back however there was one person I could always talk to, God. This may not be the answer you are looking for, but it is the answer I believe the most in. While I was dealing with my disease and the issues that came with it, I knew I could find a quiet place and always reach God through prayer, and he would be there. My disability took me down some dark paths with my mental health. I contemplated suicide, became reclusive, and had no self-worth. One day at my lowest I fell to my knees and through the tears and anxiety I whispered a prayer begging for help. As I prayed, I heard a knock on my door and heard the voice of my dad. I went to the door and as he came in, I fell into his arms and poured out my heart about my feelings and fears. That conversation spurred the beginning of my healing. I will always believe that God led my dad to that door that day to help me start my journey to a better me. Before this day I had struggled academically and had very little ambition to attend college. Once the healing began and, with my family by my side, things began to turn around. My grades began to improve drastically and I started to see a path that I wanted for my life. I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and I have become a varsity wrestler with collegiate aspirations and I also lead my high schools FCA program. I am going to college to study Psychology and obtain my masters degree in clinical counseling. My ultimate goal is to become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. Through every situation, good and bad, I know I have a friend and a savior that I can lean on. He will always show me the way.I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light. Thank you for your consideration and God bless.

I wear this crown of thorns Upon my liar's chair Full of broken thoughts I cannot repair Beneath the stains of time The feelings disappear You are someone else These are the lyrics of "Hurt" by Johnny Cash. These lyrics represent the hard times and mental health issues faced by Johnny and the original vocalist of this song Trent Rezner of Nine Inch Nails. As a child I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and fell into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. One of my escapes was music. My dad was huge music lover and started introducing me to all genres of music from early on in my life. This song moved my soul when I heard it and had so much meaning to not only my struggle with mental illness but also my healing and coming out on the other side. I am now going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. As my dad use to say, "just sit and listen to the music".

As a child I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and fell into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I not only competed but excelled and now I have hopes of becoming a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Over the last 4 years I have taken several steps in helping others find their way through mental health issues in my school and in my community. I am on my schools SADD committee and in my time, I have brought mental health issues to the forefront. This group had always discussed drugs and alcohol, but I felt like the missing piece was mental health. By talking openly to my classmates about mental health, and tearing down the negative stigmata's surrounding the topic, my hope is that we can heal people before they turn to drugs and alcohol as a way out. I have spent countless nights on the phone with students I barely know talking to them and letting them know someone cares. It is known in my school that I am always available to talk and that I am passionate about helping my peers. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in my school. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago I really enjoyed how I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youth. Our meetings give us a safe haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to study Psychology, with a Master's Degree in Clinical Counseling, so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child.

When everyone talks about climate change they immediately think about cars, industrial pollution, and fossil fuel consumption. I, on the other hand feel that everyone has an individual part to play by doing daily, earth friendly things. At home for me is where it all starts. By making small changes they can add up and make a huge impact. Listed are some of the things I suggest and encourage my family and friends to do the same. • A house with a furnace is like a car that idles all day. Swap your furnace for a heat pump, which works by extracting heat from one location and transferring it to another. • Install a programmable thermostat. This allows you to set away temperature and monitor your home closely. • Swap your gas stove for an electric stove, which will also lower indoor air pollution. • Unplug computers, TVs and other electronics when you’re not using them. • Wash clothes in cold water. Hang-dry your clothes when you can and use dryer balls when you can’t. • Look for the Energy Star label when buying new appliances. This will ensure you are running your appliances at the optimal energy saving mode. • Winterize your home to prevent heat from escaping and try to keep it cool in the summer without using the air conditioner. • Change to energy-efficient LED light bulbs. • Get a home or workplace energy audit to identify where you can make the most energy-saving gains. Another thing you can do is, plant a tree! Whether you plant trees around your home and property, in your community, or in our national forests, they help fight climate change. Through the natural process of photosynthesis, trees absorb CO2 and other pollutant particulates, then store the carbon and emit pure oxygen. Here are some other ways planting trees helps fight climate change. • Deciduous trees, planted on the south and west sides, will keep your house cool in the summer and let the sun warm your home in the winter, reducing energy use. • Just three trees, properly placed around a house, can save up to 30% of energy use. • Trees or shrubs planted to shade air conditioners help cool a building more efficiently, using less electricity. A unit operating in the shade uses as much as 10% less electricity than the same one operating in the sun. • Neighborhoods with well-shaded streets can be up to 6–10° F cooler than neighborhoods without street trees and reducing energy needs. • Shaded parking lots keep automobiles cooler, reducing emissions from fuel tanks and engines, and helping reduce the heat-island effect in communities. These may seem like small things, and they may not be earth shattering, however if everyone does their part and focuses on everyday things that can be done, we will have a HUGE impact. Activism and changing legislation takes time, sometimes years. By staying vigilant and working everyday we can sustain our wonderful world have a lasting impact for generations to come.

As a child I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and fell into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I not only competed but excelled and now I have hopes of becoming a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Over the last 4 years I have taken several steps in helping others find their way through mental health issues in my school and in my community. I am on my schools SADD committee and in my time, I have brought mental health issues to the forefront. This group had always discussed drugs and alcohol, but I felt like the missing piece was mental health. By talking openly to my classmates about mental health, and tearing down the negative stigmata surrounding the topic, my hope is that we can heal people before they turn to drugs and alcohol as a way out. I have spent countless nights on the phone with students I barely know talking to them and letting them know someone cares. It is known in my school that I am always available to talk and that I am passionate about helping my peers. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in my school. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago I really enjoyed how I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youth. Our meetings give us a safe haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light. Thank you for your consideration and God bless.

As a child I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and fell into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I not only competed but excelled and now I have hopes of becoming a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. My goal now is to obtain my master’s degree in Psychology and Counseling so I can help other children as I was once helped. If I can save one life in the future and help others understand that there is help my life will be a success. I want to use my education to develop a platform where we can destigmatize mental health and stop seeing gifted children labeled as "different." We need to bring it to the forefront of society. I want the world to see that we need to embrace people who are gifted and people or that have mental health issues and not shy away from being part of the healing process. I want to use my education to help bridge the gap between acceptance and those who don't understand the struggle. Using my education, I want to start a counseling clinic that caters to gifted children, children with special needs, and children battling mental health disorders. I have an autistic cousin who has shown me firsthand how special children with gifted conditions truly are. If everyone thought and loved like these individuals, what a world we would live in. I hope one day to expand my local communities knowledge, acceptance, and attitude towards both mental health and our wonderfully gifted and special children. This is my first step in changing the world. Thank you for your consideration.

As a child I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and fell into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I not only competed but excelled and now I have hopes of becoming a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Over the last 4 years I have taken several steps in helping others find their way through mental health issues in my school and in my community. I am on my schools SADD committee and in my time, I have brought mental health issues to the forefront. This group had always discussed drugs and alcohol, but I felt like the missing piece was mental health. By talking openly to my classmates about mental health, and tearing down the negative stigmata surrounding the topic, my hope is that we can heal people before they turn to drugs and alcohol as a way out. I have spent countless nights on the phone with students I barely know talking to them and letting them know someone cares. It is known in my school that I am always available to talk and that I am passionate about helping my peers. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in my school. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago I really enjoyed how I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youth. Our meetings give us a safe haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light. Thank you for your consideration and God bless.

A dog and his boy. This may sound like a cliché but to me it is truly a story of friendship and healing. As a child I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and fell into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. I felt like the world judged me and everyone looked at me different but there was one friend that didn't, Samson. You see Samson wasn't a teacher, parent, counselor, or even a human for that matter. Samson was a 100lb Akita with a heart of gold. When I was feeling down, Samson knew and would nuzzle up to me and we lay for hours doing nothing. I talked to that big ball of fur like he was going to talk right back. When my mind raced with thoughts and my heart was troubled, a long walk with Samson made the world slow down. We would play catch, go swimming, and set by the BBQ grill while my dad cooked us both a big steak. As time went on, I got better and with the help of my family, begin to heal. I started to realize that life was worth living and that I had a contribution to make in it by helping others. I also had someone else to thank, Samson. We had grown up together and through it all, he was my friend. You see dogs just love. They don't judge, hate, or expect anything from you. By having a dog like Samson, I also learned to love. I learned to love myself, my talents, and my life. Samson is gone now but his mark on my life has been profound and everlasting. Sometimes I will set quietly with his earn and just reminisce. I have since fell in love with the sport of wrestling and I have thrown my whole being into it. I not only competed but excelled and now I have hopes of becoming a collegiate athlete. I am going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I think my oldest friend would approve.

As a child I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and fell into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I not only competed but excelled and now I have hopes of becoming a collegiate athlete. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to live a healthier lifestyle. The sport of wrestling help to change and mold my eating habits. In wrestling weight is one of the important aspects of the sport as you can't compete if you can't maintain your weight. My first year I wrestled at 220lbs and realized that I wanted to become more lean and that dropping weight would increase my speed. I hit the weights and ramped up my cardio only to be disappointed at my weight loss. Muscles and stamina were building, but the body fat percentage was static. This is where I started to study eating habits, good/ bad carbs and protein, and how my body reacted to certain foods. The first thing I did was to cut out sugar and foods with high fructose syrup. Next I started following a diet of lean meats, vegetables, and fruits. Once habits began to form I started learning about macros. Macronutrients or 'Macros' are a group of nutrients found in food that give us energy. The three macronutrients are; Protein, Carbohydrates & Fat. No matter what training plan, lifestyle or diet you have, all three are essential in our diets for a healthy, happy life. I have been on this journey for 4 years now and last year I wrestled as a state qualifier at 175 pounds. I am lean (6.2% body fat), strong, and my body always has the fuel it needs to operate at peak performance. Another amazing result of cutting out unhealthy, processed foods was my mental state improved. I now have a clear mind and a life with very little anxiety. My mental health and my physical health feed each other and my choice to eat healthy and exercise are the building blocks for my success. I have also recently started incorporating yoga and meditation into my routine. This has further calmed my mind and centered my spirit.

As a child I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and fell into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I not only competed but excelled and now I have hopes of becoming a collegiate athlete. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. The sport of wrestling help to change and mold my eating habits. In wrestling weight is one of the important aspects of the sport as you can't compete if you can't maintain your weight. My first year I wrestled at 220lbs and realized that I wanted to become more lean and that dropping weight would increase my speed. I hit the weights and ramped up my cardio only to be disappointed at my weight loss. Muscles and stamina were building, but the body fat percentage was static. This is where I started to study eating habits, good/ bad carbs and protein, and how my body reacted to certain foods. The first thing I did was to cut out sugar and foods with high fructose syrup. Next I started following a diet of lean meats, vegetables, and fruits. Once habits began to form I started learning about macros. Macronutrients or 'Macros' are a group of nutrients found in food that give us energy. The three macronutrients are; Protein, Carbohydrates & Fat. No matter what training plan, lifestyle or diet you have, all three are essential in our diets for a healthy, happy life. I have been on this journey for 4 years now and last year I wrestled as a state qualifier at 175 pounds. I am lean (6.2% body fat), strong, and my body always has the fuel it needs to operate at peak performance. Another amazing result of cutting out unhealthy, processed foods was my mental state improved. I now have a clear mind and a life with very little anxiety. My mental health and my physical health feed each other and my choice to eat healthy and exercise are the building blocks for my success. I have also recently started incorporating yoga and meditation into my routine. This has further calmed my mind and centered my spirit.

As a child I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and fell into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I not only competed but excelled and now I have hopes of becoming a collegiate athlete. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. The sport of wrestling help to change and mold my eating habits. In wrestling weight is one of the important aspects of the sport as you can't compete if you can't maintain your weight. My first year I wrestled at 220lbs and realized that I wanted to become more lean and that dropping weight would increase my speed. I hit the weights and ramped up my cardio only to be disappointed at my weight loss. Muscles and stamina were building, but the body fat percentage was static. This is where I started to study eating habits, good/ bad carbs and protein, and how my body reacted to certain foods. The first thing I did was to cut out sugar and foods with high fructose syrup. Next I started following a diet of lean meats, vegetables, and fruits. Once habits began to form I started learning about macros. Macronutrients or 'Macros' are a group of nutrients found in food that give us energy. The three macronutrients are; Protein, Carbohydrates & Fat. No matter what training plan, lifestyle or diet you have, all three are essential in our diets for a healthy, happy life. I have been on this journey for 4 years now and last year I wrestled as a state qualifier at 175 pounds. I am lean (6.2% body fat), strong, and my body always has the fuel it needs to operate at peak performance. Another amazing result of cutting out unhealthy, processed foods was my mental state improved. I now have a clear mind and a life with very little anxiety. My mental health and my physical health feed each other and my choice to eat healthy and exercise are the building blocks for my success.

As a child I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and fell into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I not only competed but excelled and now I have hopes of becoming a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Today I maintain my mental health in several ways. I am not ashamed to say that I see a counselor and I take medicine for my anxiety. Seeing a counselor is something that I use to fight however, over time, it had become a safe place to talk and release things that are causing me stress and anxiety. I have found that it is healthy to talk to someone that is unbiased and that can just listen. I also continue to wrestle and pour my soul into the sport. This is a way to vent and allow my mind to lock in on my training, blocking out the things that a negatively affecting me. Exercise keeps my body strong, but it also strengthens my mind. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in my school. I started counseling youth camps three summers ago. I really enjoyed how I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youth. Our meetings give us a safe haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light.

As a child I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and fell into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I not only competed but excelled and now I have hopes of becoming a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Today I maintain my mental health in several ways. I am not ashamed to say that I see a counselor and I take medicine for my anxiety. Seeing a counselor is something that I use to fight however, over time, it had become a safe place to talk and release things that are causing me stress and anxiety. I have found that it is healthy to talk to someone that is unbiased and that can just listen. I also continue to wrestle and pour my soul into the sport. This is a way to vent and allow my mind to lock in on my training, blocking out the things that a negatively affecting me. Exercise keeps my body strong, but it also strengthens my mind. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in my school. I started counseling youth camps three summers ago. I really enjoyed how I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youth. Our meetings give us a safe haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light.

My motto is work hard, play hard, and don't take life to serious. In saying that, my favorite Disney character hands down, is Goofy! Goofy and I have a lot in common. Let's start with that southern draw and his charming hospitality. I myself have been raised in southern home and lord knows that I can't hide that draw. While goofy may seem unintelligent and clumsy many may not know that he is an excellent athlete. I am also an elite athlete with college wrestling aspirations. And then there is family. Goofy is extremely supportive and caring towards his loved ones. He tries his best to lighten their spirits when they feel down and selflessly sticks by them when they're in need. Goofy is also charming, somewhat infectiously; often at times when someone meets him for the first time, they are immediately taken by his welcoming aura. Goofy raises Max as a single parent and while his family sometimes becomes disenchanted with his antics, they know they can always depend on goofy. Faith and family are the two most important things in my life also. My family is very close and while we may fight like cats and dogs, we always know we can depend on each other. Goofy was always a good friend. He always had a kind word, an ear to listen, or a shoulder to cry on for anyone close to him. My friends are also important to me. Being a good friend is something that I take great pride in. And let's not forget the most important thing about Goofy, He's GOOFY! He loves life and is always in for a good time. While this may get him into some trouble, he always finds a way out. I also am known for my fair share of shenanigans. While nothing serious, my adventures have also gotten me into some hot water, I have always charmed my way out. Thanks for your consideration and God bless.

As a child I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and fell into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I not only competed but excelled and now I have hopes of becoming a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Today I maintain my mental health in several ways. I am not ashamed to say that I see a counselor and I take medicine for my anxiety. Seeing a counselor is something that I use to fight however, over time, it had become a safe place to talk and release things that are causing me stress and anxiety. I have found that it is healthy to talk to someone that is unbiased and that can just listen. I also continue to wrestle and pour my soul into the sport. This is a way to vent and allow my mind to lock in on my training, blocking out the things that a negatively affecting me. Exercise keeps my body strong, but it also strengthens my mind. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in my school. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago I really enjoyed how I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youth. Our meetings give us a safe haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I will work to continue this program in Collage. I am going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light. Thank you for your consideration and God bless.

As a child I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and fell into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I not only competed but excelled and now I have hopes of becoming a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to learn how to help others. Similar to children with mental health issues, gifted children also face challenges that can affect their wellbeing and mental health in a negative way. My goal now is to obtain my master’s in psychology and Counseling so I can help other children as I was once helped. If I can save one life in the future and help others understand that there is help my life will be a success. I want to use my education to develop a platform where we can destigmatize mental health and gifted children labeled as "different" and bring it to the forefront of society. I want the world to see that we need embrace people who are gifted and people or that have mental health issues and not shy away from being part of the healing process. Using my education, I want to start a counseling clinic that caters to gifted children, children with special needs, and children battling mental health disorders. I have an autistic cousin who has shown me firsthand how special children with gifted conditions truly are. If everyone thought and loved like these individuals what a world, we would live in. I hope one day to expand my local communities knowledge, acceptance, and attitude towards our wonderfully gifted and special children. This is my first step in changing the world. I feel like the field of psychology is one in which I will continue to learn and grow in for the rest of my life. The human mind is always evolving as well as the field of medicine. By using all the tools at my disposal I can continue to help. Thank you for your consideration.

As a child I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and fell into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I not only competed but excelled and now I have hopes of becoming a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Over the last 1-2 years I have taken several steps in helping others find their way through mental health issues in my school and in my community. I am on my schools SADD committee and in my time, I have brought mental health issues to the forefront. This group had always discussed drugs and alcohol, but I felt like the missing piece was mental health. By talking openly to my classmates about mental health, and tearing down the negative stigmata surrounding the topic, my hope is that we can heal people before they turn to drugs and alcohol as a way out. I have spent countless nights on the phone with students I barely know talking to them and letting them know someone cares. It is known in my school that I am always available to talk and that I am passionate about helping my peers. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in my school. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago I really enjoyed how I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youth. Our meetings give us a safe haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light. Thank you for your consideration and God bless.

As a child I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and fell into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I not only competed but excelled and now I have hopes of becoming a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Over the last 4 years I have taken several steps in helping others find their way through mental health issues in my school and in my community. I am on my schools SADD committee and in my time, I have brought mental health issues to the forefront. This group had always discussed drugs and alcohol, but I felt like the missing piece was mental health. By talking openly to my classmates about mental health, and tearing down the negative stigmata surrounding the topic, my hope is that we can heal people before they turn to drugs and alcohol as a way out. I have spent countless nights on the phone with students I barely know talking to them and letting them know someone cares. It is known in my school that I am always available to talk and that I am passionate about helping my peers. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in my school. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago I really enjoyed how I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youth. Our meetings give us a safe haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light. Thank you for your consideration and God bless.

As a child I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and fell into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I not only competed but excelled and now I have hopes of becoming a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Over the last 4 years I have taken several steps in helping others find their way through mental health issues in my school and in my community. I am on my schools SADD committee and in my time, I have brought mental health issues to the forefront. This group had always discussed drugs and alcohol, but I felt like the missing piece was mental health. By talking openly to my classmates about mental health, and tearing down the negative stigmata surrounding the topic, my hope is that we can heal people before they turn to drugs and alcohol as a way out. I have spent countless nights on the phone with students I barely know talking to them and letting them know someone cares. It is known in my school that I am always available to talk and that I am passionate about helping my peers. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in my school. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago I really enjoyed how I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youth. Our meetings give us a safe haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light. Thank you for your consideration and God bless.

As a child I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and fell into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I not only competed but excelled and now I have hopes of becoming a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Similar to children with mental health issues, gifted children also face challenges that can affect their wellbeing and mental health in a negative way. My goal now is to obtain my master’s in psychology and Counseling so I can help other children as I was once helped. If I can save one life in the future and help others understand that there is help my life will be a success. I want to use my education to develop a platform where we can destigmatize mental health and gifted children labeled as "different" and bring it to the forefront of society. I want the world to see that we need embrace people who are gifted and people or that have mental health issues and not shy away from being part of the healing process. Using my education, I want to start a counseling clinic that caters to gifted children, children with special needs, and children battling mental health disorders. I have an autistic cousin who has shown me firsthand how special children with gifted conditions truly are. If everyone thought and loved like these individuals, what a world we would live in. I hope one day to expand my local communities knowledge, acceptance, and attitude towards our wonderfully gifted and special children. This is my first step in changing the world. . I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light. Thank you for your consideration and God bless.

As a child I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and fell into depression. As the years went on I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I not only competed but excelled and now I have hopes of becoming a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Today I maintain my mental health in several ways. I am not ashamed to say that I see a counselor and I take medicine for my anxiety. Seeing a counselor is something that I use to fight however, over time, it had become a safe place to talk and release things that are causing me stress and anxiety. I have found that it is healthy to talk to someone that is unbiased and that can just listen. I also continue to wrestle and pour my soul into the sport. This is a way to vent and allow my mind to lock in on my training, blocking out the things that a negatively affecting me. Exercise keeps my body strong but it also strengthens my mind. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in my school. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago I really enjoyed how I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youth. Our meetings give us a safe haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light.

"Success is earned, not given." This is what my father pounded into my head from a young age. Whether it was playing sports, doing chores, or working at my public jobs, my parents instilled in me the importance of giving 100%. Every since I was little, my dad has had a shadow. He has taught me so many things, the most important is doing a good job and doing things right. "Why do it twice?" he would always say. I got my first job when I was 15, life guarding at a local country club. I have maintained that job along with working several others over the last 3 years. I feel this differentiates me because I know the value and the importance of hard work. I also appreciate things more because I have worked to pay for them. My vision of success is finding a field you love and a job that is challenging and rewarding, I also believe success comes from how you are viewed by others. I hope to be known as honest, trustworthy, dependable, and kind. At the end the day your reputation and how you have conducted yourself will determine how successful you have truly been. I want to be a Psychologist and help children with mental health issues. If I can save one child my life will have been a success.

Out of Darkness The darkness comes I feel the cold I close my eyes and wait for its hold My bodies numb, I cannot speak I try to run but my limbs are weak As the dread wraps around my mortal coil I fight to stay awake, my blood does boil Then off in the distance I see a faint light Ever so dim, my hope does ignite I reach and I claw, I beg for its warmth I yearn to be swallowed and my soul transformed Just as I falter a hand reaches down It grasps my body and pulls me from the ground The glow is around me, the warmth from the sun I stare at the heavens, and I know I have won As the shadow of darkness descends to the deep A new day does dawn and its promise I seek

As a child I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and fell into depression. As the years went on I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I not only competed but excelled and now I have hopes of becoming a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Over the last 4 years I have taken several steps in helping others find their way through mental health issues in my school and in my community. I am on my schools SADD committee and in my time, I have brought mental health issues to the forefront. This group had always discussed drugs and alcohol, but I felt like the missing piece was mental health. By talking openly to my classmates about mental health, and tearing down the negative stigmata surrounding the topic, my hope is that we can heal people before they turn to drugs and alcohol as a way out. I have spent countless nights on the phone with students I barely know talking to them and letting them know someone cares. It is known in my school that I am always available to talk and that I am passionate about helping my peers. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in my school. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago I really enjoyed how I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youth. Our meetings give us a safe haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light. Thank you for your consideration and God bless.

As a child I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and fell into depression. As the years went on I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I not only competed but excelled and now I have hopes of becoming a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Over the last 4 years I have taken several steps in helping others find their way through mental health issues in my school and in my community. I am on my schools SADD committee and in my time I have brought mental health issues to the forefront. This group had always discussed drugs and alcohol, but I felt like the missing piece was mental health. By talking openly to my classmates about mental health, and tearing down the negative stigmata surrounding the topic, my hope is that we can heal people before they turn to drugs and alcohol as a way out. I have spent countless nights on the phone with students I barely know talking to them and letting them know someone cares. It is known in my school that I am always available to talk and that I am passionate about helping my peers. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in my school. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago I really enjoyed how I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youth. Our meetings give us a safe haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can't discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light. Thank you for your consideration and God bless.

As a child I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and fell into depression. As the years went on I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I not only competed but excelled and now I have hopes of becoming a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Similar to children with mental health issues, gifted children also face challenges that can affect their well being and mental health in a negative way. My goal now is to obtain my masters in Psychology and Counseling so I can help other children as I was once helped. If I can save one life in the future and help others understand that there is help my life will be a success. I want to use my education to develop a platform where we can destigmatize mental health and gifted children labeled as "different" and bring it to the forefront of society. I want the world to see that we need embrace people who are gifted and people or that have mental health issues and not shy away from being part of the healing process. Using my education I want to start a counseling clinic that caters to gifted children, children with special needs, and children battling mental health disorders. I have an autistic cousin who has shown me first hand how special children with gifted conditions truly are. If everyone thought and loved like these individuals what a world we would live in. I hope one day to expand my local communities knowledge, acceptance, and attitude towards our wonderfully gifted and special children. This is my first step in changing the world. Thank you for your consideration.

As a child I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and fell into depression. As the years went on I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I not only competed but excelled and now I have hopes of becoming a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health. My goal now is to obtain my masters in Psychology and Counseling so I can help other children as I was once helped. If I can save one life in the future and help others understand that there is help my life will be a success. I want to use my education to develop a platform where we can destigmatize mental health and bring it to the forefront of society. I want the world to see that we need embrace people with mental health and not shy away from being part of the healing process. Thank you for your consideration.

My dream is to obtain my masters degree in Psychology and Counseling. By doing this I will able to help troubled children as I was once helped. If I can save one life my dream will be fulfilled.