Mental Health. Some people cringe at the sound of the phrase. Thankfully, my generation will be the one to erase the stigma. And that’s important to me because my mental health is a significant part of overall health – a realization that has become more emphasized in the last few years. You see, during the Covid pandemic, I was a high school student doing on-line learning while separated from all of my friends, activities and the “normal” high school experience. It was an extremely difficult time for me and I began to feel anxious and depressed. No, that is not exactly right as these were not just feelings, but they permeated my body and mind nonstop. I no longer felt joy or contentment and it took excessive effort to even get out of bed. I would read pages of a book and have no idea what I read. I would doom scroll on my phone but still feel lonely and bored. I simply did not feel right and there was little I could do about it. I could not just “snap out of it” and weekly online therapy did not seem like enough. I was coasting into a dark place and was unable to stop it from happening. It turned out I was one of the hundreds of thousands of teens diagnosed with acute anxiety and major depressive disorder. My therapist referred me to a psychiatrist for evaluation. His evaluation concluded with a recommendation for antidepressants. For some people, that would be the start of a story of how they found treatment and overcame their struggle with mental illness, but for me, it was the start of a very long, very painful chapter in my life and the greatest challenge I have faced. Medications were trial and error with multiple new side effects that made me physically ill. Then came mood swings, difficulty controlling my impulses and emotions, and anger. I could not manage relationships because they were primarily virtual, so all sense of normalcy was gone. As the pandemic raged on, I just felt empty and alone. By the late fall of 2020, my parents checked me in to a hospital for more intensive care. While there, I was diagnosed with BPD – Borderline Personality Disorder. I remember the first time the doctor said the words and I struggled to understand them. Did this mean I was on the border of sanity? Did it mean I had no personality or that my personality was not good enough? What is BPD? And more importantly, how do I get rid of it and just go back to normal. Thankfully, no, I am not on the border of sanity. But I do show symptoms of the disease. This diagnosis can impact my academic performance and personal life when I do not take the time to slow down and respond to situations instead of reacting to them. In the past, I jeopardized friendships due to my BPD impulsiveness. So now I am taking positive steps to manage my mental health that include time with a fantastic therapist and practicing DBT (dialectical behavioral therapy) skills. Some days are better than others, but most days are far better than where I was during the pandemic. I am working to regulate my emotions on my own and have a series of coping skills that I can use when things seem overwhelming.

“‘Well then, are those any better than blind men who are in truth deprived of knowledge of what truly each thing is? - who have no bright-shining pattern in the soul; who cannot fix their eyes on the truest, like painters, always referring to it and beholding it most exactly, and only thus lay down ordinances here as regards what is beautiful and just and good, if that is necessary, and preserve and keep safe those already laid down?’” Plato. “Book VI” The Republic. Translated by Eric H. Warmington, New American Library, 1956. Ancient philosophical thought is often dismissed by 21st century society as just that – ancient. The modern teenager could not differentiate between the works of Aristotle and Aquinas, in addition to disregarding the importance of being able to do so. Although times have obviously changed over the course of history, there are many lessons taught by observing the thought processes of the earliest great thinkers. The contemporary notion that ancient philosophy is irrelevant, dated, and worthless almost directly reflects the assertion made by Plato in Book VI of The Republic: “‘...are those any better than blind men who are in truth deprived of knowledge of what truly each thing is?’” The societal views of philosophy in the Hellenistic period mirror our own in such a specific way that it is slightly frightening. While this era is often associated with an explosion in logic and reasoning, the common Athenian man may have frowned upon such scandal. For example, Socrates, a figure known for significantly influencing modern thought, was arrested, convicted, and executed for his crimes. Ultimately, ancient society persecuted a philosopher because he was questioning everything, as a philosopher does, causing social upheaval and threatening the coherence that was Athenian society. This draws parallels to the present-day notion that questioning authority is “disrespectful,” as if a mere question of “why?” from a toddler will cause the utter collapse of civilization. With age, the response, “Because I said so!” eventually becomes, “Because that’s just the way it is!” which leaves questions central to our being unanswered. This societal norm we cling to has become a comfort, because finding out the answers may disturb us. This denotes an active decision of choosing not to expand one’s worldview, which is a common theme among Platonic works, such as the quote referenced above. Plato alludes to the idea that elective deprivation of knowledge is similar to one’s blindness. This is a common practice in modern society in which people choose not to ask uncomfortable questions so as to prevent any feelings of distress or break the comfort of the status quo. If themes of willful ignorance as reflected in Athenian society are often found within Platonic writings, and if it is also a frequent practice within society today, that means the ideas that Plato put forth still hold relevance today and ultimately creates a clear paradox within society: the claim that philosophy is irrelevant is itself a philosophical stance. In both 21st century Western culture and Ancient Athens, the average man would choose not to learn philosophy, nor ask questions, nor expand their perceptual understanding of reality. Because both a person in 2025 A.D. and one in 375 B.C. might claim philosophy is irrelevant, this creates a paradox in which philosophy must inherently be relevant. There are many lessons that members of modern society can learn from ancient philosophers, but one cannot learn them without making the active choice to do so. An individual who forgoes philosophy, including that of the ancients, remains ignorant and thus proves the relevancy of engagement with philosophy. In a world that values convenience more than contemplation, the wisdom of thinkers like Plato may provide more solutions to modern problems than we care to admit, making the study critical to the acceleration of our society. The quote I chose came as a result of Plato asking who should rule a city. He asked if those who understand what is beautiful, just and good do a better job of guarding the laws and the people. Earlier in the text, he wanted to know, “is it obvious whether it is a blind man or a keen-sighted man who should keep watch over something?’ Clearly, those who can “see” make better guardians and rulers. This age-old truth is even reflected in the adage, “There are none so blind as those who will not see.” It seems this proverb comes from John Heywood in 1546 who wrote, “Who is so deafe, or so blynde, as is hee, that wilfully will nother heare nor see.” This provides an interesting link in the question of the relevancy of learning and philosophy. No one person can force another to learn, yet the most learned are those who are best suited for being guardians of humanity. And so, centuries after Plato, asking the same questions and striving to educate people in the ways of ancient thought so that some can be relevant thinkers - and leaders - today is as crucial now as it was then.

President Ronald Reagan once said, “America is too great for small dreams.” The mere idea of an American dream is enough for people to leave their homes, families, belongings - everything - in its pursuit. That’s why I choose to have an enormous dream – that all human life will be valued, protected and cherished. It is why I am in college to lay the foundation to make that dream reality. As a Political Science major, I am learning how to work within the political and legal systems to create laws that defend the preborn, the disabled, and the elderly. Ultimately, my dream and fervent prayer is for a personhood amendment that protects all human life. I have been pro-life for my entire life. I’ve been marching for life since before I could walk. As a child, my mom and I were founding member of Northwest Families for Life. In high school, that organization presented me their "Just Like Joe" award in honor of the late Joe Scheidler and the work I do to carry on his legacy. I was a Crusader for Life from age 13-19, founded the pro-life club at my school, worked for Coalition Life as a sidewalk counselor in Carbondale, IL, and I am currently the VP of Life on Campus and President of our Turning Point USA chapter. Through these pro-life activities, I have seen both the enormous power of prayer and also how our duties as pro-lifers are lived. Of course, we have a duty to pray for babies and mothers, and we also have a civic duty to defend them. This means calling our politicians to educate them about policies and the impact of their votes on legislation and also asking them to represent us by voting for life. In addition, we have to get out to vote in all elections to be the voice for the voiceless and help ensure people of good will take office. I live my faith by trying to find ways to put it into action. By caring for others and trying to make a difference in the world. I strive to recognize those on the margins, and it is my faith that is directing my future career goals to be a champion for those who cannot defend themselves. I realize that political activism (in addition to my social activism) is a unique approach for such a young person to take to work to end abortion. Yet I must do my part to bring change and defend the preborn. I will always vote pro-life and will also work to help cultivate future leaders and politicians who will use the power of their offices to be the voice for the voiceless.

President Ronald Reagan once said, “America is too great for small dreams.” The mere idea of an American dream is enough for people to leave their homes, families, belongings - everything - in its pursuit. That’s why I choose to have an enormous dream – that all human life will be valued, protected and cherished. It is why I am in college to lay the foundation to make that dream reality. As a Political Science major, I am learning to work within the political and legal systems to create laws that defend the preborn. Ultimately, my dream is a personhood amendment that protects life in the womb. I have been pro-life for my entire life. As a child, my mom and I were founding member of Northwest Families for Life. In high school, that organization presented me their "Just Like Joe" award in honor of the late Joe Scheidler and the work I do to carry on his legacy. I was a Crusader for Life from ages 13-19, founded the pro-life club at my Catholic school, worked for Coalition Life as a sidewalk counselor in Carbondale, IL, and I am currently the VP of Life on Campus at my university and President of our Turning Point USA chapter. Through these activities, I have seen how our duties as pro-lifers are lived. We have to defend mothers and babies. This might mean calling our legislators to educate them and asking them to defend life. And it necessitates voting for life in elections. I realize that political activism (in addition to my social activism) is a unique approach for such a young person to take to work to end abortion in America. Yet I must do my part to bring change and defend the preborn and their mothers. I will always vote pro-life and will also work to help cultivate future leaders and politicians who will use the power of their offices to be the voice for the voiceless and create policies that promote life and defend children. My prolife argument is that life begins at fertilization and ends at natural death. This position has been shaped by my prolife experiences and solidified by the research of my friend, Dr. Steve Jacobs. Dr. Jacobs wrote a thesis called The Scientific Consensus on When a Human’s Life Begins. In his research, he found that 5,337 biologists representing over 1000 academic institutions across the globe support the view that life begins at fertilization. That was 96% of all biologists in his study (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36629778/). What is interesting is that Dr. Jacobs found the majority of responding biologists were men who were non-religious and tended to be liberal and pro-choice. This helps us use his work on college campuses because it removes religious and political bias about the topic to discuss the science of protecting human life in the womb. As Dr. Jacobs wrote, “This paper . . . necessitates the position ‘a fetus ought to be considered a person worthy of legal consideration’ (https://www.bioeticaweb.com/wp-content/uploads/SSRN-id3211703.pdf). I agree and I pledge to spend my life helping to make it so.

I have been prolife for as long as I can remember. It is important to be a voice for the voiceless because we are all created in the image of God and given immeasurable worth and dignity from God at the moment of conception. Life matters. Because of my faith, I know that each child created is unique and absolutely unrepeatable. I live my faith and prolife commitment in many ways. As a child, my mom and I were founding members of Northwest Families for Life which is a group in suburban Chicago that peacefully prays outside of abortion clinics and offers information about pregnancy care centers to abortion-minded women. In high school, I started the Prolife Club at my school and was also a member of the Crusaders for Life through my church. Through the Crusaders, I was able to march for life in Washington DC, Chicago and St. Louis. As a teen, I worked for 2 years at a facility that provided care to developmentally disabled women. During covid when other staff were quitting, I chose to live at the facility to provide extra help while taking my classes remotely. In my first year of college, I worked for Coalition Life as a sidewalk counselor and saw firsthand how I was able to save the lives of three precious children by offering compassion, support, and resources to frightened moms. Now while at another university, I work for the Center for Students with Disabilities to help my peers who need alternative media to be able to learn and I also volunteer to lead activities with the residents at a local nursing home. It's just what I do to protect, help, and support the most vulnerable because I believe all of these people are precious to God and deserving of my time. I am studying political science. I believe God is calling me to go on to law school, practice law, and enter politics so I can enact laws that protect and defend life. In my home state of Illinois, the pro-abortion, pro-death laws are outrageous. The only "choice" is for children to be slaughtered for free but there is nothing for mothers who choose life in terms of state-funded prenatal or post-natal care. On the other end of the spectrum, our legislature is considering allowing assisted suicide for the terminally ill, the elderly, and the disabled. The utter disregard for life is sickening. I will work to change that. I pray the legacy of sweet Natalie Joy Poremski will live on in me and other prolifers whose lives reflect that every life is precious.