My life forever changed when my "Irish Twin" brother Zeb died by suicide. I remember that day so well. I remember racing my way home excited to tell him that the program I was in at school had a spot available and how it would be awesome if he could be in it with me -- something I think could have saved his life. I remember feeling so grateful for the bond we had re-established over the previous few months and how we hadn't fought in months. Losing a sibling to suicide at 17 was difficult for me both at home and at school. None of my friends had known anyone to die by suicide, let alone known anyone as young as 16 dying. My friends didn't know how to support me, how to talk or acknowledge my loss, and I felt bad for them that they had to deal with me. Since my brother was just a grade below me, I also would see his friends in the hallway. One of the people who claimed to be his friend, and who was in the show choir with me would make inappropriate comments about how he died. She would say that her disabled brother was smart enough to not do something like that. She would come up with theories about how or why he did it. It was difficult for me to deal with people's opinions on suicide. But they didn't know his story. They did not know that it was because of his birth mother that he struggled with FASD and language processing disorder. They also did not know that he struggled with impulse control. They did not know that he was often confused. All they knew was that he was the boy who walked around the school on his hands, did flips down the hallway, got around the hallways doing parkour, was very adept at party tricks, and made people laugh. About four years after his death, I learned about the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and I started attending walks. I walked with other people who held orange beads for a sibling loss. I walked with others who had lost loved ones. I walked in alone but walked out with others. I have attended walks since then and have been able to raise money for the cause. I am a committed advocate for suicide prevention and often share stories of my brother. I have had others come to me and tell me that my sharing stories of my brother has saved them as they realize how much suicide impacts others. One of the challenges as a suicide loss survivor which has impacted me has been having suicidal thoughts myself, but it is also something that has saved me. I remember what it felt like going through that grief, and it has helped me process my thoughts. Though it is something I have mainly been able to get through, I still suffer from depression and anxiety. I am in school now pursuing my Bachelor's Degree in Marriage and Family Studies. I hope to become a Child Life Specialist and support families with children going through their hospital experience. I would also support families through the process of grief. I have also considered going into child bereavement, as I remember the support groups helping me and my eight-year-old sister. I would be honored to be granted this scholarship because of the loss of my dear brother Zeb, and I plan on using my degree to help children and families going through loss, grief, and trauma just as I have.

I would be a good candidate for Dylan's Journey Memorial Scholarship because I have been affected by Neurofibromatosis and I am interested in continuing higher education. One of the areas that NF has affected me is with learning disabilities. At the age of two, I started in speech and occupational therapy, which I stayed in until my sixth/seventh-grade year. I was also on an IEP all through school. As a child, my parents, teachers, doctors, and even I thought I would never be able to live alone. After graduating from high school, I moved 2,400 miles away to Seattle, surprising everyone with my independence and determination. I taught preschool for three years while attending a community college in the evenings to study Early Childhood Education. During the pandemic in 2020, I switched to being a nanny, where I learned my love for supporting families. During that time, I received my associate's degree in ECE. I nannied for 4 years and decided to switch my major to Marriage and Family Studies, hoping to become a child life specialist to support families in the hospital. Growing up with NF, I had many doctor's visits in the hospital, and I remember a Child Life Specialist coming in and playing with me. It made that appointment less scary. It wasn't always easy going to the hospital, and I was lucky enough that I rarely needed overnight hospital stays. After my brother died unexpectedly when I was 17 and watching my 8-year-old sister navigate her grief deepened my commitment to supporting families through difficult times. In addition to supporting children who are patients in the hospital, as a Child Life Specialist, I could help siblings understand and cope with the patient's medical issues and possibly their death while providing emotional support to the whole family. I am very active in the NF community and attended NF camp for a couple of years as a teenager. I met other children with NF and learned how NF impacts us each differently. I have also attended a few NF walks in Seattle and was nominated as the spotlight for adults with NF in 2020. And this year I was chosen to be featured on a billboard promoting awareness for NF. I am deeply passionate about pursuing this career path and feel I deserve this scholarship because of my connection to the hospital experience and empathy for others. My journey with NF has shaped my resilience and my commitment to helping others through difficult moments in their lives.