As a person of color currently working through my own mental health struggles, I have come to know just how isolating it can be. It is difficult for people of my culture to fully understand and support my mental health. I have found that many communities of color often times do not take mental health seriously and overlook it as something that is made up. In addition to my own experiences, I have gotten to witness and discuss the experiences of other people of color surviving mental illness. I have seen the reactions of their families and have been in support groups where they talk about how difficult it is to feel supported in their community. However disheartening this may be, it is also crucial to acknowledge that the stigma against mental health is a learned, generational behavior. My parent's struggle to understand my adversities because they have been taught to see it as weakness, to push it down instead of addressing it. My grandparent's struggle even more, as they could not afford to worry about the state of their mental health, having to worry about survival. It's not just my family with this story; it's many families of every cultural community. As the new, rising adults of this era, it is our responsibility and privilege to break this learned behavior. It is necessary to fight the mental health bias and be proud to seek help if needed. We must break the cycle by encouraging our peers to prioritize their mental health. We must normalize mental health care such as therapy, psychiatry, and social work, that way the children of today will learn that it is okay to get treatment for their struggles. We will break the cycle and replace it with a new one that promotes empathy and understanding, particularly within POC communities. Speaking personally, I am determined to break the cycle by becoming a clinical counselor to aid others in their journey. I want to treat patients of all backgrounds, and I want to help those in marginalized communities by normalizing treatment. My goal is to specialize in working with young adults and adolescents, so I will help them connect with their families so they may understand their need for treatment. By helping this age group, I can also break the cycle by helping them break their own cycles. If I can provide them with a positive and caring experience, then they may also want to advocate for mental health care. Soon enough, a day will come when people of color will comfortably receive the treatment they need, without fearing for what others may say. My only hope is to be able to positively contribute to this day.

My parents never got the opportunity to get a higher education, as from the moment they were old enough, they began to work. Because of what they endured in their years, I now have the privilege of attending university and pursuing my dream career. I am currently a junior studying psychology in the hopes of becoming a licensed clinical counselor. I have always known I wanted to attend college, and have always enjoyed learning, which is why I am eternally grateful to have this opportunity. My wish is that everyone, including first-generation students like myself, are able to pursue the education they would like. I believe the biggest way I encourage other first-generation students is through my work. As an after-school program leader, I work every day with elementary aged children. The children that I work with specifically are 4-5th grade, meaning a few of them are already maturing into their preteen years, preparing to go into middle school. I know a lot of them are like me, first-generation students, many also students of color. I like to talk to them about what I'm studying and what I'm learning at the moment, which often catches their interest. Many of them ask me more about what it's like to go to college, showing interest in my education. I always engage with them, making sure to motivate them to pursue their own education once they graduate. A lot of them also ask me how they specifically can achieve their dream jobs, to which I give them individual advice and suggestions. Their interest and feedback to my college stories makes me think I've done an alright job of inspiring them to also pursue higher education. Since I enjoy learning, I am constantly suggesting to my friends and family to also pursue higher education, if possible. Even through community college courses, I believe a lot can be learned and can benefit everyone if they tried. I myself went the community college route before transferring to university, and a lot of my favorite classes have been there. There is always so much to learn, and the great thing about higher education is that you can choose what you want to learn. I think a lot of people believe that college is like high school, and that discourages them from attending. And while I do believe that the workload in university is bigger, I also believe it's much more enjoyable than high school. If anyone is unsure or simply has a fascination with learning, like me, I will always suggest they go to college. There is nothing more valuable in this world than knowledge, and everyone should be able to access it, no matter what generation.

Not all the care you receive during a mental health crisis is equal. Receiving immediate care after my mental health plummeted at just 11 years old saved my life, but the quality of it was still incredibly low. During that time, I had begun to self-harm, which led to my first hospitalization. My time in that hospital was underwhelming, to say the least. It made me scared that the care I was set to receive once I was discharged would be just as bad. Although it wasn't awful, the therapy I had could've been better. My second visit to the hospital was when I learned that mental health hospitals could actually be impactful. Needless to say, it was much better than the first and helped me push through my struggles a lot more. All the professionals that helped me after, the therapists, the psychologists, and the psychiatrists, inspired me to help others, like they were helping me. As of now, I have chosen to go back to therapy, in order to help me overcome the challenges of being a young adult. My therapist is my biggest inspiration at the moment. She helps me grow and makes me feel heard, all while keeping everything professional. I've had therapists who seem intimidating, almost robotic in their attempts to be professional. In my opinion, that only makes it harder to open up to them. My wish is to become someone that can keep sessions professional, while also being myself and being able to seem human to my clients. I also wish to open my own private practice, where I will be understanding towards different financial situations, so that everyone that needs help will be able to receive it. I want to become someone that can save a person's life by giving them the proper attention and resources they need. I want to ensure that no one else has to feel like they aren't getting enough help. Most importantly, I want to listen. I want to listen to the hardships people are facing and be able to help them work through them. That is why I have chosen to pursue a career as a clinical counselor. I know what it's like to get care that is inadequate, and to feel like you have to be thankful for it because at least it's something. I don't want anyone to have to settle for the care they receive. I want everyone to be able to receive exactly the help they need, how they need it, and when they need it. I believe it is a human right to receive that care, and I will be happy to be the one to provide it.