1. Community Impact (300 words or less) Throughout my career, I have dedicated myself to creating safe and empowering spaces for individuals, couples, and families to heal and grow. As a mental health therapist, I serve diverse communities—people who often come from backgrounds where mental health care is stigmatized, under-resourced, or entirely inaccessible. Many of my clients are navigating trauma, systemic inequities, and the weight of unhealed generational wounds. Equitable access to mental health care matters to me because I grew up in an environment where help was neither encouraged nor available. I understand how isolation, cultural stigma, and economic hardship can delay healing. This understanding fuels my commitment to make mental health care approachable, compassionate, and rooted in dignity. My work with BetterHelp allows me to reach individuals who may otherwise face barriers to accessing therapy—whether due to transportation challenges, scheduling conflicts, privacy concerns, or stigma. The platform provides clients with a confidential, user-friendly space where they can be matched with someone who genuinely cares. By meeting clients where they are, I help normalize mental health support and encourage people to prioritize their well-being without shame. I believe healing is both personal and communal. Each individual I support creates ripple effects of wellness within their families, communities, and workplaces. Providing equitable access to care means removing barriers and giving people the chance to become the healthiest version of themselves. My role as a therapist is not just to help individuals heal, but to help communities thrive. 2. Financial Need (250 words or less) As a young mom with no parents in the home and little guidance, I entered higher education without a clear understanding of the financial implications of my choices. I accrued significant student loans pursuing degrees that I believed would secure a better future for my family. While those degrees allowed me to serve others, the financial burden has remained a constant weight. These loans have required me to work longer hours and focus on financial survival rather than fully leaning into my calling—to use my skills and training to help heal others. I have spent over 20 years serving in nearly every facet of the mental health field, and my passion has only grown stronger. However, the economic strain has limited the freedom to expand my impact, pursue additional certifications, or invest in creative therapeutic approaches that reflect my vision as a clinician. Receiving this student loan repayment grant would be life-changing. It would not only relieve a financial burden but also give me more space to focus on my clients, further my education in creative arts therapy, and expand access to services for underserved communities. This opportunity would allow me to stand more firmly in my purpose and continue offering healing without the constant weight of debt shaping my professional choices.

Growing up in the Bronx without both parents and being raised by my grandmother in an environment marked by violence and instability deeply impacted how I viewed the world and myself. At just sixteen, becoming a teen mom brought its own emotional weight—fear, shame, and the pressure to survive. For years, my mental health journey was one of learning to push through trauma, isolation, and self-doubt while striving to build a future for my child and myself. Education became both my lifeline and my way of rewriting the narrative I inherited. Over the years, I earned my associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees, and even pursued a graduate degree in creative writing in hopes of finding a path that aligned with my passion. When those doors didn’t open, I found purpose in serving others. I’ve worked in nearly every facet of the mental health field—shelters, detox programs, rehabilitation centers, supportive housing, in-home services, vocational and career programs—and for the last 13 years, as a mental health therapist. These roles have given me a front-row seat to human suffering, resilience, and transformation. My personal battles with adversity, including surviving colon cancer in 2020, have deepened my understanding of pain and healing. They have taught me to see the world as a place where we can exist as unique individuals yet remain profoundly connected. Each person carries wounds, but we also carry the capacity to heal—both ourselves and one another. This belief guides how I show up for my clients, colleagues, community, and creative work. Through these experiences, I’ve learned that compassion isn’t just a feeling; it’s a practice. It is listening without judgment, holding space for someone else’s pain, and believing in their capacity to grow even when they cannot see it for themselves. My journey has shaped me into a therapist, a creative, a survivor, and a woman committed to making a difference. Receiving this scholarship would allow me to expand my ability to bring healing through the creative arts, uniting my professional experience with the passion that has always lived in me.