Since I was in preschool, I have loved learning and gaining as much new knowledge as possible. When it comes to math, I feel as if there is always something new to learn, and I love that aspect of it. I love the challenging aspects of math because it piques my curiosity on a level I did not think was possible. For example, in the Spring 2023 semester, I took Linear Algebra at Napa Valley College. It was an extremely difficult class because of how different it was from any other math class I had taken prior. However, as difficult and as frustrating as the class was, I found myself enjoying each lecture because I was learning something new. I have a strong appreciation for the versatility of mathematics. I love how I use it in my everyday life for simpler tasks, especially at work. For instance, I have been working at Starbucks since I was sixteen, and I have used math when counting the number of milk cartons needed, calculating how much change I need to give a customer, understanding the number of espresso shots added to each drink, and more. I also use more complicated mathematics for school, such as calculating the average lifespan of a muon, determining Gibb's free energy of a reaction, finding the wavelength of a specific wave, etc.

My name is Grace Dwyer, and I am going into my junior year of college in the upcoming Fall 2023 semester. I am from Vallejo, California, and I attended Napa Valley College (NVC) from August 2021 to May 2023. I will be transferring to the University of California, Davis (UCD) in the Fall 2023 semester where I aim to obtain a Bachelor of Science in Physics and possibly minor in Mathematics. I have worked a part-time job at Starbucks since I was sixteen years old and have worked my way up from being a new barista to a trustworthy barista trainer. I have also participated in NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars (NCAS) Program and had an on-campus internship in Particle Physics through NVC. In my free time, I love to read, sing, go on long walks and hikes, and occasionally paint and journal. There are a few ways, on both the larger and smaller scales, that I hope to impact the world through my education. On a larger scale, I hope to show people that it is completely normal to go to community college. When I first started attending, I felt ashamed because most of the people I went to high school with were attending UCs or state schools. Also, the high school I attended never mentioned dual enrollment and pushed attending four-year colleges vigorously. However, I grew to realize that I was not quite ready to attend a four-year university, and I learned to accept that is perfectly okay. On a smaller scale, I hope that my knowledge of physics and mathematics will benefit future research in the study of physics. I have grown extremely passionate about physics, especially particle physics and astrophysics. I hope to become a research physicist in either area and use my knowledge to gain more understanding of our physical world. Growing up, I always had a passion for science and mathematics. I have been an excellent student since I was very young and was curious about the different fields of science. In high school, I had an amazing physics teacher; because of her, I continued to take physics courses at my local community college. Eventually, I changed my major from psychology to physics because I was so drawn to the topic. I also have an interest in Astrophysics because of my appreciation for space and the cosmos. From 2021 to 2022, I participated in the NCAS program, which has been one of the most impactful experiences I have had in my life to this very day. During this time, my interest in the cosmos grew abundantly as I studied in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) capabilities. It caused me to reflect on the idea that we could find a way to use the moon's natural resources to save expenses on the materials required for lunar habitation. I found myself excited to learn as much as I could about the topic!

My experience with mental health has had impacting effects on how I worked towards my goals, maintained relationships, and understood the world's perception of mental health issues. My battle with depression greatly influenced how I pursued life goals. My fight against not letting my anxiety control my life has greatly affected the relationships I have gained over the years. My experience with an eating disorder pushed me to understand why the world holds dangerous stigmas surrounding mental health issues. It took my quite some time to actually believe I could genuinely accomplish the goals I had for my future. I have battled with depression for a few years now, and at my lowest point, I did not think there was much hope for my future. The combination of being severely hard on myself with my depression resulted in a the dangerous and toxic mentality that I had no point in the future and that my dream of going to college, earning a degree, and finding a job that I was passionate about would never happen. I still struggle with depression to this very day, but I am determined to let it get the best of me. It has pushed me to work even harder for my goals, eventually leading me to decide to double major in physics and applied mathematics. My experience with depression has pushed me to work even harder to accomplish my goals, rather than sitting in the darkness and letting it fester. Out of the main three mental health issues I have struggled with in my life, anxiety has been the most prominent. I have struggled with anxiety since I was in middle school and it only got worse with the overwhelming stresses of high school and the pandemic. With my anxiety, I struggled to open up to people; I was genuinely terrified of letting people into my life. I was overthinking whether or not I truly deserved to have close friends or even a romantic partner. I spent the longest time living in anxiety: I refrained from opening up to people and/or letting myself be loved by someone else. However, my experience with anxiety has built up my ability to notice red flags. I decided that if I was going tp be naturally overanxious and overcautious about those I let into my life, I may as well use it to my advantage. Keeping this thought process in mind, I was able to build some of the best relationships I have ever had over the past few years. I have been able to be more open and trusting, while making sure that the people I have by my side are truly good people. My experience with an eating disorder is still very fresh and present in my life. About a year ago, I was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa (AN). I had struggled with my relationship with food for a few years, but the stress and anxiety caused by the pandemic was iceberg to my Titanic. I finally went to see someone and got the official diagnosis. I was in complete denial about it for one main reason: I did not look like the media's definition of someone with AN. The media, especially social media, is a major part of our world today; it has an influence over the way people see certain issues. In my case, I didn't look like someone with AN because I wan't extremely skinny and didn't look malnourished. my experience with AN has helped me understand that there is still so much false information that our world believes to this very day. I wanted to use my experience and story to spread awareness that not all bodies look the same, whether or not they are struggling with an eating disorder. My experience with depression has pushed me to work even harder for my goals, helping shape them into more realistic goals in order to not be as hard on myself. I have been finding ways to use my years-long battle with anxiety to my advantage as a way of building strong and healthy relationships. I'm trying not to let the over anxious mindset taint my desire to open up to people and let myself be loved by others. My current fight against a dangerous eating disorder has opened my eyes to the realization that the world is still very misinformed about the realities of eating disorders and other mental health issues.

I have always been blind to any of the positive qualities I possess. I was more focused on what I did wrong than what I could do right. Recently, because I have had many successes in my education, I finally realized that I am very academically smart. Throughout high school, I was surrounded by people who were on a level of academic brilliance. One of my high school best friends was a co-valedictorian for our class. Another friend of mine took multiple AP and honors classes and kept up their grades. I felt that I was nowhere near their level of academic knowledge because they were going to four-year colleges while I was going to community college. Recently, I was looking back on my high school days and realized this: I had a great GPA, participated in clubs, and had been working since I was 16. The people I was friends with had more time to focus on school because school was their life; they didn't have jobs outside of school. It hit me like a ton of bricks: I was not as "dumb" as I deemed myself to be. Today, I still work and take a full load of units in school. I have now been asked to be an English tutor for my college. I was accepted into the NCAS NASA program. While I may not have been the smartest in the class, I am still smart, and by working through school, I strengthened my time-management and multitasking skills.

I have learned that my physical body is not the most important thing about me. For the longest time, I have put an unhealthy amount of value on what I looked like. I felt like looking a certain way was the most important thing because that is what others focused on. This mindset is what led me to be trapped in the world of diet culture, and eventually, I developed an eating disorder known as anorexia nervosa. I am currently in recovery, and through my recovery, I have learned that my physical body is the least important thing about me. My skills, personality, characteristics, and other qualities are so much more important than whatever size I am. I am constantly reminding myself that, when I die, no one is going to say "She was so curvy"; they're going to say things such as "She had a kind heart!" or "She was a great friend." Learning this and truly understanding it has made my recovery less uncomfortable.

Although I am only eighteen years of age, I have had many different mental health struggles over the past few years. I struggle with anxiety and depression and am currently in recovery from anorexia nervosa. These struggles have pushed me to test different ways to relax and take care of my mental health. I have found a few different activities that have helped me unwind and tend to my mental health. The first thing that has helped me is taking a long, warm bath. The best thing about taking a bath is that you can just recline in the water and simply breathe. Baths have helped me through some of the most stressful events of my life. Sometimes when I take a bath, I make it even more relaxing by putting on a face mask, lighting a candle, and adding some essential oils to the water. Another activity that has helped me both mentally and physically is going on a walk. Slow, long walks are not only relaxing but have also helped me clear my mind of any stress or anxiety. It's also a great way to get physical exercise while also relaxing the mind. The final activity that helps me relax is reading a book, preferably a paper book. Reading has always helped me destress because it takes my mind to a whole other world. Sometimes when life is hitting you harder than normal, you just need a small break from reality. I prefer paper back, hard copies of books because it also gets me to take a break from technology, which is sometimes a major stressor in my life.

My favorite book is would have to be "Winter" from "The Lunar Chronicle" series written by author Marissa Meyer. "The Lunar Chronicles" is a science fiction series with a unique take on some of the classic Grimm's fairytale stories in a dystopian setting. These fairytales include Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, and Snow White. The series itself is in my top five favorite book series, but "Winter" in particular, which is the final book of the series, is my favorite. There are a few reasons why the series in general is my favorite by far. Meyer's writing style is one of my favorite styles I have read in a long time. For example, she includes multiple points of view from the different characters. I enjoy this because it gives more insight into what is occurring in the minds of each character when encountering the same situation. "Winter" in particular is my favorite book ever because it is a great conclusion to the series as a whole. Meyer does an amazing job connecting the characters' plots and detailing even the smallest of events in each chapter. Despite it being a fantasy and science fiction novel, "Winter" includes a lot of important lessons people can use in real life. It teaches positive and uplifting lessons, including learning to trust oneself and having faith in others. It also includes the more realistic and slightly pessimistic lessons, such as being careful about who one can trust and remembering that some things are not always as they seem.

I am extremely passionate about music, especially singing. Ever since I was a child, I was always singing. Whether it was an actual song or just something I had made up on the spot, I would sing whatever was on my mind. It used to be something I did for fun, but once I got entered middle school, I realized that my voice was actually really good. I participated in school concerts and musicals, and sometimes I would even sing a solo. As I got older and entered high school, I focused more on my vocal range, figuring out what songs fit with my voice. I was a member of multiple choirs and was invited to join the Choristers group on a trip, despite being in the lower-level Concert Choir (it was my first year taking a music class). To this very day, I sing on a daily basis: while I'm working on homework, cooking lunch, making drinks at work, whenever! Music has helped me get through some difficult times in my life. It's a hobby I feel has benefited me mentally and socially. Singing has always helped me calm down when I am feeling stressed or anxious about something. It also helps me make conversation with others!

I will admit: I was never really much of a dog person. I had both cats and dogs growing up, and when I was younger I loved dogs. However, I became more of a cat person as I got older. It was hard for me to love dogs the same way because I am not the greatest when it comes to their needy energy. That all changed when I took care of my neighbor's dogs for a few days. I had seen them across the yard, but because they are huge dogs---one is a German Shepherd and the other is a Dobermann---, I kept my distance from the fence. One day my neighbors asked me to watch them over the weekend while they were on a trip. Just those few days with them left major effects on me. The dogs have, in some way, imprinted on me. In a matter of days, the Soto the German Shepherd has become protective of me, and I feel safe when I am around her. Zemo the Dobermann gets so excited every time he sees me in my yard. My neighbor keeps them in the garage when no one is home, but even from there, they recognize my voice. Zemo and Soto have really changed the way that I view dogs. I used to find them to be more annoying than fun. However, after spending time with them, I can see how kind, precious, and loveable they are. I am now more excited when I see a dog in the drive-thru at the Starbucks I work at. I also feel more protected when they are around. I live in a town that has a lot of crime, and sometimes I feel unsafe when going on walks by myself. When I take Zemo with me, I feel safe and secured knowing that he will protect if necessary.

The quality I value most in myself is my hard work ethic. I am a very hard-working woman, and when given a task, I will complete it to the very best that I possibly can. Out of all of my qualities and characteristics, I value this in myself the most because I believe that it makes me someone others can rely on. I work at Starbucks and there are moments that it can be extremely stressful. Many of my coworkers---myself included---can become easily overwhelmed by all the work that we have to do. However, even though those times of stress, I can do my job well. My shift supervisors can rely on me when they need me to get something done at an effective rate but still do it well. This also applies to how I do in school. When given tests, projects, and assignments, I work hard to do my very best on them, even if I am feeling overwhelmed and stressed. I feel that my hard work ethic has also made me a stronger person in my personal life. I am currently in eating disorder recovery, and it has been the most challenging experience I have ever had to deal with. It takes a toll on one's physical and mental health. Because of my hard work ethic, I have pushed myself to continue with my recovery. I have had moments where I want to give up because the little voice in my head-- these irrational thoughts-- tells me that getting better isn't worth it. However, I have pushed past those thoughts every single time because I am determined to get better. I have worked hard every single day since I entered recovery, and I refuse to give up no matter what thoughts enter my mind. My hard work ethic will help me throughout my life journey in a few different ways. One of the main ways my work ethic will benefit me is when I step foot into my career. Employers tend to value those who are hard-working, and I feel that because I am an extremely hard worker, this will be very beneficial. I also think having a hard work ethic will continue to help me push through difficult times. Because I have worked through my anxiety and depression and am currently working through an eating disorder, I feel as if my work ethic will help me push through even more trials and tribulations in the future.

While $1000 may not be a lot for some, it is a large sum of money in my mind. The first thing I would do is put that money in my savings account. I was raised to be very frugal, so I rarely touch the money in my savings. There a a few exceptions for spending my savings, including the basic necessaties of gas, groceries, medication, and clothing. My goal is to transfer to a four-year college once I complete my two years at communtiy college, and I want to save up as much money as I can to pay for books, tuition, housing, and groceries. I want to graduate with least amount of debt as I possibly can so I have less to worry about once I graduate. $1000 would go pretty far in regards to my college funding. If I weren't putting it towards college, I would probably keep that moeny to make up for my recent spendings on my car. Unfortunately, I just recently had to spend $800 on getting a new starter, which really hurt my account. As someone who is a full time student and works a part-time minimum wage job, $800 is the equivelency of two or three paychecks. It was honestly stressful because, with school being my main focus at the moment, I cannot work as much as others. $1000 dollars would make up for that spending and then some.

My experience with mental health has been difficult, to say the least. Although I am only eighteen years of age, I have experience with many different mental health issues. In late middle school, I was made aware that I suffer from anxiety, and I still do to this very day. My senior year of high school, I battled depression, and it took me almsot a year to actually get help and medication. The past couple of years, I have struggled with a restrictive eating disorder, and I am almost a year into eating disorder recovery. My mental health struggles really challenged my beliefs. I am a young Christian woman, but my faith would faulter each time I ran into an obstacle such as these. I was always asking this question: "Why me?" I felt like I must have done something terrible to deserve so many struggles. However, I constantly had to remind myself that these struggles would only make me stronger. I have trust in God that my struggles will only make me even stronger later in life. As I run into more challenges in my life, I am always reminded that I have battled so much more than whatever that challenge may be. My anxiety has made me more aware of my surroundings. My battle against depression has made me stronger and is a great reminder for myself that I can pull through whatever is thrown my way. Because my eating disorder is still very present in my life, it has influenced my beliefs in what is considered a "healthy" body. I was inscure about what I looked like because I am genetically a curvy woman. I had always believed that the skinnier one was, the healthier they were. However, when I was at my smallest, which society would deem my "healthiest" weight, I was in the worst physical and mental state of my life. My physical body was not functioning properly. I was very weak and felt dizzy everytime I stood up. I was irritable from hunger yet panicked everytime I ate. I had lost my menstral cycle, which was a major red flag that my organs weren't doing well. There was so many physical and mental issues, yet I was constantly telling myself it was ok because I looked "good." However, as I go through my recovery, my beliefs in beauty are changing. One doesn't have to be skinny to be deemed healthy. As long as one eats a balanced diet and is in a decent mental state, they can be seen as healthy. My mental health struggles have definitely influenced my relationships. I had to cut some people out of my life, or at least distance myself from them, because they were negatively affecting my mental health. I had a friend in high school that I had to distance myself from because she was untentionally encouraging my eating disorder. Whenever I tried to open up to her about anything, she managed to make it about herself. By distancing myself from her, I can say that it has been for the best. It was a big reminder that sometimes you have to put your needs before others. The darkest moments of my depression affected my relationship with my mom. I used to be very affectionate with her and loved giving her hugs. However, when I was battling my depression, I absolutely despised being touched by anyone, including her. Once I got help, I slowly got better and learned to love physical touch again. This really imporved our relationship and it reminded my mom of her "little Gracie." As a maor in psychology, I can for certain say that my experience with mental health has influenced my career aspriations. I want to research the brain and find out why we think the wat that we do. I want to research ways to help others that are struggling from mental issues and/or mental illness. I especially would love to find new ways to help those in recovery from eating disorders. This is because I can confidentally say that eating disorder recovery has been the most difficult challenge I have ever experienced in my life. It takes a toll on one's mental health just as it does on one's physical body. It is extremely uncomfortable when dealing with one's body changing shape and size. If there was a way to help ease this discomfort, I would love to conduct rsearch and develop a plan to help those struggling with this.

As someone who suffers from anxiety and depression, I often get stressed very easily. I am currently in recovery from an eating disorder, so my mind is often full of irrational throughts. I have referred to my brain as a vortex because these stressful throughts are constantly swirling around in my head like a tornado. Because I have high levels of stress on a daily basis, I have found many different activities to help clear my mind of anxious and irrational thoughts. One of the main tips I have is going on a walk. Whether it is in one's neighborhood or in a different location, going on walks has always helped clear my mind. Feeling the warmth of the sun on my skin, hearing the birds chirping, and seeing the greenery of the trees gives me something to focus on other than whatever is occuring in my mind. It's a great way to just pause whatever stressful event that is occurring in one's life. Sometimes I like to play my favorite music to give myself another positive thing to focus on. In correlation to walking, something that has helped clear my mind is finding a vista spot with a great view. I tend to walk to places like these, but one can drive to them as well. These spots can be a great place to rest, not only physcially but mentally as well. Here, I usually like to practice mindfulness using my Calm or Headspace apps. Mindfullness has always helped clear my mind of whatver stress and anxiety I am feeling. Also, when finding a beautiful view, one can take a pause from everything and just take in the beauty of nature. Another tip I have is journaling with no structure. By this, I mean just scribbling down whatever thoughts one may have at that very moment. It doesn't have to make any sense when looking back at it; just write down every stressful thought that comes to mind. I have found this to be a great way to just get whatever is on my mind out in some physical form. I find that it helps to also throw the piece of paper away after I am done as a reminder that these irrational thoughts I am having are exactly that: irrational. Writing down my thoughts has been one of the most effective ways for me to actually, fully clear my mind because I am actually getting my thoughts out on paper rather than keeping them in my mind. One of my favorite ways to clear my mind is to find something to keep my hands busy. For me, cooking, baking, drawing, and occassionally knitting has really helped me take my mind off of the chaos that is my thoughts. When cooking and baking, I find joy out of searching for new recipes. I will admit that sometimes I have participated in "stress baking," where I am baking something simply because I am stressed. However, the serotonin I get from cooking and baking has always helped me feel more positive and eventually clear my mind of stress. There's also a joy in sharing something I have created with someone else.

There are many solutions for helping more people who struggle with their mental health. However, one important and practicle solution would be to public platforms (i.e. social media) to spread awareness for the differnt types of mental health problems. As someone who has struggled with mental health in the forms of anxiety, depression, and an eating disorder, I can say that, from my experience, there was always this feeling of aloneness. I felt as if no one else would understand what I was feeling. I felt shut out from the world and even though I had people supporting me, I still felt like no one else knew what I was going through. One thing that helped me during this time was, ironically, social media. In all honesty, I am not the biggest advocate of social media platforms such as Tik Tok or Instagram. However, seeing other people talk about how they struggled with similar issues made me feel less alone. I felt heard and understood, and it gave me the courage to discuss imy mental health with my parents. I think it would be practical to get mental health professionals on Instagram and Tik Tok. They could give professional advice and debunk any of the "facts" on mental health issues. They could use their knowledge to help others and remind them that they are not alone in their mental health journey.

Mental health plays a majorly contributed to how I have developed goals, strengthened my relationships, and pursued to understand the world from a new perspective. I have had many obstacles in my life when it comes to my mental health. I will admit that, just as many others are, I am still working on improving the state of my mental health to this very day. My struggle with anxiety has really pushed me to change my perspective on the world. I have dealt. with anxiety since I was in middle school. I was a naturally over-anxious person around people I did not know. I was constantly assuming the worst in people, over-analyzing the little things, and having anxiety attacks over minor inconviences. However, I used my battle with anxiety to force myself out of this mentality. I started to ask myself whether or not what I was anxious about was really worth the stress and panic. While anxiety has caused some panic in my life, my fight against has made me a stronger peerson and forced me to look and understand the world and others from a new perspective. I battled depression a few years after I realized I had anxiety. I became extremely depressed my senior year of high school. I felt like I had this constant heavy weight on me. I found it difficult to smile and show affection. For example, I have a very close relationship with my mother, and while I used to love giving hugs, I was at a point where I absolutely despised even being touched by her in any way. The worst part of it all was that I whole-heartedly loathed myself; I would look in the mirror and show distain toward the girl I saw. Although it was a rough year, I pulled through and I can honestly say that overcoming my depression, with the help of doctors, therapists, and my family, has made me a stronger person. I can finally feel happy and be more affectionate. I've been able to create new relationships with new friends. I'm finally able to hug my mom the way I used to. I believe that climbing over that obstacle has made my mentally prepared for whatever is thrown at me in the future. My most recent and still very present experience with mental health has been my development of an eating disorder. Because of the 2020 quarantine, the end of junior year and most of senior year was online. I had lost some wait from trying a diet but gained it all back plus a little more. At that time, I was in the deepest part of my depression mindset. Therefore, the self-loathing I felt led me to overanalyze every part of my body, and I developed a restrictive eating disorder without my knowledge. Thankfully, I got help before it got too serious (I was not hospitalized), but I was definitely on that path. I am 7 months in my ED recovery, and I can honestly say that it has been both the best and most difficult decission I have ever made in my life. It has completely changed my goals in life. Before, I was so focused on what I looked like physically, ignoring the fact that I was completly falling apart mentally. My goals are to find food freedom (being restriction-free) and be present. I still struggle but nowhere near as bad as I did months ago. I used to constantly focus on what I ate, how much I ate, what the scale said, etc. Now, I am trying to just be present and live my life with my friends, family, coworkers, and pets. My mental health battle has been (and still is) a very rocky road. Anxiety, depression, and an eating disorder are things my younger self would've never thought I'd have to deal with. Yet some good has come out of these struggles. My battle with anxiety has pushed me to understand the world from a new and more perspective. Overcoming depression has helped me improve my old relationships and create new ones. My current fight against an eating disorder has opened my eyes to new, more realistic goals for life. I wouldn't trade my rocky experience with mental health for anything because it has made me a stronger woman than I ever thought I could be.

To be completely honest, if I was asked this question a year ago, I probably wouldn't be able to answer. I living in one of the darkest moments of my life. However, I managed to pull through and I am proud to say that, now, it is hard to think of just one thing that motivates me. My family is a major motivator in my life. They are extremely supportive and have helped me through some tough times. This includes pushing me to face my fears of driving and getting a job and listening to me when I approached them about struggling with my mental health. Everyday I look forward to our conversations and quality time. The biggest thing that motivates me currently is recovery. I am currently in recovery from an eating disorder and it has been the most difficult thing I have every gone through. Having eating disorder is both a physical and mental battle, and while recovery is extremly difficult, I would never go back to my previous eating disorder mindset. Recovery has motivated me everyday to push through the dark thoughts, and I feel that it has forced me to better myself and make my mindset more positve.