First and foremost, I want to thank you for considering me for the Deanna Ellis Memorial Scholarship. My name is Gracie Maston. I am currently a senior at Dunlap High School in Illinois and plan to attend college in the fall to major in psychology with the intention of obtaining my master’s in counseling. There is a history of substance abuse on my dad’s side of the family. My dad has told me stories of how alcohol has had a negative impact on his life. Such stories include my grandpa drinking to the degree that he wasn’t able to drive. My dad’s mom would him go out and find him to bring him home. This all happened when he was a teenager. I am thankful that my parents did not struggle with alcoholism like my grandpa did. I believe my parents have been positive role models for me. They’ve been open about how alcohol impacted them and made it easy for us to have conversations about alcohol as I have continued to grow up. I have overcome a significant challenge when I sought counseling after being in an abusive relationship with my boyfriend of three years. It took others pointing out the abuse for me to realize what I was experiencing, as I often made excuses and minimized its emotional impact. He had struggles with alcohol as did his dad. It was confusing to me because he would treat me somewhat decently when he was not drinking, but he was super mean when he drank. There were many times when I felt disconnected from myself and believed I had lost who I once was. Counseling helped me recognize that the way I was treated was unacceptable and guided me towards rebuilding my self-worth. I'm thankful my parents encouraged me to seek therapy. I am happy to say I am no longer in a relationship with him. From now on, I want to be in a relationship with someone that does not use alcohol as I don’t see any benefits that come from drinking. Like I mentioned earlier, I am pursuing a career in counseling. I know the importance of helping people live a sober life. I would like to one day obtain my CADC (certified alcohol and drug counselor). With this certification I will be able to help provide counseling and prevention services to help those strive for recovery. In the meantime, I am looking forward to getting involved on my college campus to help spread awareness and take a stand for a sober life. College campuses are known for students partying and underage drinking. I am hoping to make a difference and lead by example of a sober lifestyle. Thank you again for considering me for this scholarship. If selected, I will work hard in my studies to pursue a career in mental health and give back, knowing firsthand the value of counseling.

I would like to first express my gratitude for the consideration for the Tammurra Hamilton Legacy Scholarship. My name is Gracie Maston. I am a senior at Dunlap High School in Illinois, preparing to start college this fall as a psychology major with plans to earn a master’s degree in counseling. My interest in the counseling profession goes back many years. Growing up, I often heard my mom, who works as a mental health counselor, share stories about the different ways she’s been able to counsel and help others. She has always been someone I deeply admire and is among the most influential people in my life. A particular interest of study within counseling that I am drawn to is helping others who have been impacted by suicide and domestic violence. I overcame a significant challenge when I sought counseling after being in an abusive relationship with my boyfriend of three years. It took others pointing out the abuse for me to realize what I was experiencing, as I often made excuses and minimized its emotional impact. There were many times when I felt disconnected from myself and believed I had lost who I once was. I was in a depressive state for quite some time. Suicidal thoughts consumed me. Counseling helped me recognize that the way I was treated was unacceptable and my counselor guided me towards rebuilding my self-worth. I'm thankful my parents encouraged me to seek therapy. I am happy to say I am no longer in a relationship with him. I've personally experienced how much counseling and support can change lives, and I hope to help others on their own journeys as well. Mental health and suicide prevention is extremely important for teens and young adults. Research consistently shows that this age group reports more anxiety, depression, and feelings of hopelessness than in past decades. There are so many life stressors that they face such as grades, college plans, peer relationships, romantic relationships, financial stress, identity issues to name a few. Suicide is one of the leading causes of death as well. These facts make it crucial that education, prevention services and support be readily available. I believe that since I have firsthand experience with the counseling process, I will be in a better position to help support others and generate awareness for mental health. Some practical ways I can do this is by educating others about the importance of mental health. I can do this through student led organizations on campus and openly discussing my personal story to reduce stigma. I hope that I will be able to be a positive influence that helps point others to getting valuable mental health help. Another way I can bring awareness is through social media and promoting mental health organizations and volunteer opportunities. One opportunity that has been great in my community is Whitney’s Walk that raises money and awareness for suicide prevention. I am happy to get involved this fall when I join my college campus to help raise awareness and I’m looking forward to getting involved. Thank you again for considering me for this scholarship. If I win, I promise to do my best in my studies so that I can one day be able to work in the mental health field and give back as I know the positive impact counseling has had for me.

I would like to first express my gratitude for the opportunity for the Ethel Hayes Destigmatization of Mental Health Scholarship. My name is Gracie Maston. I am a senior at Dunlap High School in Illinois, preparing to start college this fall as a psychology major with plans to earn a master’s degree in counseling. My interest in the counseling profession goes back many years. Growing up, I often heard my mom, who works as a mental health counselor, share stories about the different ways she’s been able to counsel and help others. She has always been someone I deeply admire and is among the most influential people in my life. A particular interest of study within counseling that I am drawn to is helping others who have been impacted by domestic violence. I overcame a significant challenge when I sought counseling after being in an abusive relationship with my boyfriend of three years. It took others pointing out the abuse for me to realize what I was experiencing, as I often made excuses and minimized its emotional impact. There were many times when I felt disconnected from myself and believed I had lost who I once was. I was in a depressive state for quite some time. Counseling helped me recognize that the way I was treated was unacceptable and my counselor guided me towards rebuilding my self-worth. I'm thankful my parents encouraged me to seek therapy. I am happy to say I am no longer in a relationship with him. I've personally experienced how much counseling and support can change lives, and I hope to help others on their own journeys as well. I believe that since I have firsthand experience with the counseling process, I will be in a better position to help support others and generate awareness for mental health. Some practical ways I can do this is by educating others about the importance of mental health. I can do this through student led organizations on campus and openly discussing my personal story to reduce stigma. I hope that I will be able to be a positive influence that helps point others to getting valuable mental health help. Another way I can bring awareness is through social media and promoting mental health organizations and volunteer opportunities. One opportunity that has been great in my community is Whitney’s Walk that raises money and awareness for suicide prevention. I am happy to get involved this fall when I join my college campus to help raise awareness and I’m looking forward to getting involved. I love Maya Angelou’s quote, “People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel.” To me, I want to live by Maya’s words. Thank you again for considering me for this scholarship. If I win, I promise to do my best in my studies so that I can one day be able to work in the mental health field and give back as I know the positive impact counseling has had for me.

I would like to first express my gratitude for the opportunity for the Mental Health Profession Scholarship consideration. My name is Gracie Maston. I am a senior at Dunlap High School in Illinois, preparing to start college this fall as a psychology major with plans to earn a master’s degree in counseling. My interest in the counseling profession goes back many years. Growing up, I often heard my mom, who works as a mental health counselor, share stories about the different ways she’s been able to counsel and help others. She has always been someone I deeply admire and is among the most influential people in my life. A particular interest of study within counseling that I am drawn to is helping others who have been impacted by domestic violence. I overcame a significant challenge when I sought counseling after being in an abusive relationship with my boyfriend of nearly three years. It took others pointing out the abuse for me to realize what I was experiencing, as I often made excuses and minimized its emotional impact. There were many times when I felt disconnected from myself and believed I had lost who I once was. I was in a depressive state for quite some time. Counseling helped me recognize that the way I was treated was unacceptable and my counselor guided me towards rebuilding my self-worth. I'm thankful my parents encouraged me to seek therapy. I am happy to say I am no longer in a relationship with him. I've personally experienced how much counseling and support can change lives, and I hope to help others on their own journeys as well. I believe that since I have firsthand experience with the counseling process, I will be in a better position to help support others and generate awareness for mental health. Some practical ways I can do this is by educating others about the importance of mental health. I can do this through student led organizations on campus and openly discussing my personal story to reduce stigma. I hope that I will b able to be a positive influence that helps point others to getting valuable mental health help. Another way I can bring awareness is through social media and promoting mental health organizations and volunteer opportunities. One opportunity that has been great in my community is Whitney’s Walk that raises money and awareness for suicide prevention. I am happy to get involved this fall when I join my college campus to help raise awareness and I’m looking forward to getting involved. Thank you again for considering me for this scholarship. If I win, I promise to do my best in my studies so that I can one day be able to work in the mental health field and give back as I know the positive impact counseling has had for me. ~Gracie Maston

I would like to first express my gratitude for the opportunity for this scholarship consideration. My name is Gracie Maston. I am a senior at Dunlap High School in Illinois, preparing to start college this fall as a psychology major with plans to earn a master’s degree in counseling. My interest in the counseling profession goes back many years. Growing up, I often heard my mom, who works as a mental health counselor, share stories about the different ways she’s been able to support others. She has always been someone I deeply admire and is among the most influential people in my life. A particular interest of study within counseling that I am drawn to is helping others who have been impacted by domestic violence. I overcame a significant challenge when I sought counseling after being in an abusive relationship with my boyfriend of three years. It took others pointing out the abuse for me to realize what I was experiencing, as I often made excuses and minimized its emotional impact. There were many times when I felt disconnected from myself and believed I had lost who I once was. Counseling helped me recognize that the way I was treated was unacceptable and guided me towards rebuilding my self-worth. I'm thankful my parents encouraged me to seek therapy. I am happy to say I am no longer in a relationship with him. I've personally experienced how much counseling and support can change lives, and I hope to help others on their own journeys as well. Since my mom has been a highly influential person in my life, I really want to follow in her footsteps. She started her own private practice in counseling about 4 years ago. I would one day like to also start my own private practice in counseling. In order to do that, I will need to do the basic requirements to obtain my LCPC (licensed clinical professional counselor) as well as be familiar with running a business to attract clients. I would like to work as a counselor in my community to gain experience and build a client base before pursuing private practice. An important social issue within the field of counseling that I would like to address in my career would be access to mental health care. For many people it can be extremely difficult to obtain counseling services due to a variety of reasons. These can include lack of or unreliable transportation, cost for services, childcare issues, and cultural stigma to name a few. Depending on where I live and work one day, I would like to be able to use my social awareness of these issues to help those in need. One way to do this would be to help offset the cost of counseling for those who have no insurance so it can be affordable to them. I would use a sliding scale and consider client's overall extenuating circumstances. I would not want lack of money be the reason that people could not receive counseling services. For me, leading a successful life isn’t just about earning money, it’s about making a positive impact on others, especially through the mental health field. I love Maya Angelou’s quote, “People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel.” To me, that would be a successful life. Thank you for this scholarship consideration.

I would like to first express my gratitude for the opportunity for this scholarship consideration. My name is Gracie Maston. I am a senior at Dunlap High School in Illinois, preparing to start college this fall as a psychology major with plans to earn a master’s degree in counseling. My interest in the counseling profession goes back many years. Growing up, I often heard my mom, who works as a mental health counselor, share stories about the different ways she’s been able to support others. She has always been someone I deeply admire and is among the most influential people in my life. A particular interest of study within counseling that I am drawn to is helping others who have been impacted by domestic violence. I overcame a significant challenge when I sought counseling after being in an abusive relationship with my boyfriend of three years. It took others pointing out the abuse for me to realize what I was experiencing, as I often made excuses and minimized its emotional impact. There were many times when I felt disconnected from myself and believed I had lost who I once was. Counseling helped me recognize that the way I was treated was unacceptable and guided me towards rebuilding my self-worth. I'm thankful my parents encouraged me to seek therapy. I am happy to say I am no longer in a relationship with him. I've personally experienced how much counseling and support can change lives, and I hope to help others on their own journeys as well. Since my mom has been a highly influential person in my life, I really want to follow in her footsteps. She started her own private practice in counseling about 4 years ago. I would one day like to also start my own private practice in counseling. In order to do that, I will need to do the basic requirements to obtain my LCPC (licensed clinical professional counselor as well as be familiar with running a business to attract clients. I would like to work as a counselor in my community to gain experience and build a client base before pursuing private practice. I believe that others might be as successful starting a private practice in counseling if they have not taken the steps to secure a proper reputation in the community and experience. I will be successful in my entrepreneurial business because I know what is required to run a successful private practice after having my mom successfully have her own business. I am aware that in addition to being trained in my clinical skills as a counselor, having a successful entrepreneurial career will also include managing all aspects of revenue, expenses, branding and growth. I may consider hiring other counselors to work under my company and potentially increase my income. For me, leading a successful life isn’t just about earning money, it’s about making a positive impact on others and surrounding myself with loved ones. I also believe that true success is reflected in how people feel about me after we’ve spent time together. I love Maya Angelou’s quote, “People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel.” To me, that would be a successful life. Thank you for this scholarship consideration.

I would like to first express my gratitude for the opportunity for this scholarship consideration. My name is Gracie Maston. I am currently a senior at Dunlap High School in Illinois and plan to attend college in the fall to major in psychology with the intention of obtaining my master’s in counseling. I am involved with many events at school and outside of school. One event I am proud to participate in is my local community’s St. Jude Run. I raised over $2500 by holding a lemonade stand and doing garage sales. I plan to participate for my third year before leaving for college this summer. I also have participated in cheerleading and young life ministries. Cheer has been a fun extracurricular activity and I’ve enjoyed participating in that. Young Life has been a ministry that has helped shape my spiritual life. It has been through some of the young life staff and friends that had encouraged me to look closely at my mental health as it once was not in a great spot. I overcame a significant challenge when I sought counseling after being in an abusive relationship with my boyfriend of three years. It took others pointing out the abuse for me to realize what I was experiencing, as I often made excuses and minimized its emotional impact. There were many times when I felt disconnected from myself and believed I had lost who I once was. Counseling helped me recognize that the way I was treated was unacceptable and guided me towards rebuilding my self-worth. I'm thankful my parents encouraged me to seek therapy. If I were to establish my own charity someday, my goal would be to create an organization that supports individuals affected by domestic violence. I feel deep compassion for those who have suffered abuse from people they once trusted and loved. I would like to be able to provide education, advocacy services and counseling to those in need. Domestic violence affects people of all demographics. Survivors are left to deal with facing physical danger, financial instability, emotional trauma, housing insecurity and legal challenges to name a few. Because shame is a major issue for many survivors, supportive people are essential since survivors often feel isolated. This charity would specifically support programs such as crisis support and safety planning, emotional support and peer advocacy, education and prevention, and practical life-stability assistance. Volunteers would be essential to make this charity successful. They would be properly trained to meet the needs of those affected by domestic violence. Their training would be in trauma informed care, confidentiality, boundaries and domestic violence awareness. Volunteers would be able to choose in which way(s) that they would feel most comfortable in assisting. These volunteer positions would include emotional support, crisis line support, advocacy and resource navigation support, practical support such as offering childcare during support groups or appointments, transportation, helping those transition to job readiness support, educating on healthy relationships and raising awareness in the community. There would also be a need for administration and operations for volunteers that would prefer a behind the scenes type of contribution. I would hope that this charity would be able to increase survivor access to support, reduce isolation, rebuild trust in themselves and find stability.

First, I’d like to express my gratitude for being considered for this scholarship. My name is Gracie Maston and I am working toward a career in counseling. Currently, I am a high school senior with a strong passion for helping others. I am also the only daughter among my family of six. My mom works as a mental health counselor, and I greatly admire her. She has inspired my desire to study counseling. Growing up, I often asked her about her experiences helping people in her daily work, and I was impressed by how she combined empathy with clinical expertise to truly impact others’ lives. I am involved with many events at school and outside of school. One event I am proud to participate in is my local community’s St. Jude Run. This run helps raise money for children who have cancer. The city I liv in has a sister affiliate to the main St. Jude hospital in Memphis, TN. I have helped raise money for the last two years, since the minimum age to participate in running is sixteen. I raised over $2500 by holding a lemonade stand and doing garage sales. I plan to participate for my third year before leaving for college this summer. I also have participated in cheerleading and young life ministries. Cheer has been a fun extracurricular activity and I’ve enjoyed participating in that. Young Life has been a ministry that has helped shape my spiritual life. It has been through some of the young life staff and friends that had encouraged me to look closely at my mental health as it once was not in a great spot. I overcame a significant challenge when I sought counseling after being in an abusive relationship with my boyfriend of three years. I had anxiety and depression, but it took others pointing out the abuse for me to realize what I was experiencing, as I often made excuses and minimized its emotional impact. There were many times when I felt disconnected from myself and believed I had lost who I once was. Counseling helped me recognize that the way I was treated was unacceptable and guided me towards rebuilding my self-worth. I'm thankful my parents encouraged me to seek therapy. I am happy to say I am no longer in a relationship with him. I now know what to look for in a relationship and have healthy boundaries. Thank you again for considering me for this scholarship. If I win, I promise to do my best in my studies so that I can one day be able to work in the mental health field and give back as I know the positive impact counseling has had for me.

Four out of five tradespeople (82%) say they have experienced stress, anxiety and mental ill health because of their work, a poll has suggested. The Mental Health in the Trades: 2024 Report survey for Ironmongery Direct also found more than a quarter of those polled (27%) were reporting symptoms every week and two in five (40%) every two weeks. More than half (56%) said they experienced work-related stress at least once a month. Upon further research, younger generations are more likely to face these challenges, with 93% of millennials (25-34 years old) reporting some form of mental health issue and 91% of Gen Z (18-24). However, it was those aged 35 to 44 who struggled with mental health most frequently, with one in eight (13%) being affected daily. My name is Gracie Maston and I’m pursuing a career in counseling. I have a passion for helping others and specifically those in trades. My grandpa was a man who worked his whole life as a boil maker. He experienced mental health challenges for many years, primarily dealing with depression. Depression played a significant role in his death. Although I had suspected this while growing up, my conversations with my grandma provided further insight into how deeply depression affected him. My Uncle Steve was a 911 operator. He also struggled with mental health, specifically anxiety and depression. Unlike his dad, my uncle sought counseling services and was open to talking about how significant counseling made in his life. After completing my education, I intend to contribute to my community by providing mental health services. My goal is to offer counseling on a sliding scale, recognizing that many individuals may lack mental health benefits. By making these services more accessible and affordable, I aim to alleviate the financial burden associated with choosing between necessary mental health support and other essential expenses. I overcame a significant challenge when I sought counseling after being in an abusive relationship with my boyfriend of three years. It took others pointing out the abuse for me to realize what I was experiencing, as I often made excuses and minimized its emotional impact. There were times when I felt disconnected from myself and believed I had lost who I once was. Counseling helped me recognize that the way I was treated was unacceptable and guided me towards rebuilding my self-worth. I'm thankful my parents encouraged me to seek therapy. I want to offer mental health services to others, especially those in trades, so they can benefit from counseling as I have. Thank you for this scholarship opportunity and condolences on the death of your dad.

When I think about writing I start to think of the endless ways I use it to express myself and the emotion I feel throughout. My love for writing started when I began taking writing classes my junior year of high school. I didn’t think much of the class because I just needed to take a class to fill up my schedule for the semester. I was not expecting to have as much of a passion for writing as I do now. In my senior year of high school I enrolled myself in a creative writing class which is writing poems and short stories. At first I was unfamiliar with the idea of writing poems and short stories as I did not have as much experience with writing those kinds of stories in previous years of school. I was a little unsure of the stuff I was writing about and the way my poems sounded until I wrote a poem about something sad I went through personally. I was never the type to write sad poems because I never thought that would be something I would be good at since I never really bring up the stuff I went through in my life, I was always the type to stay in my own lane and never bring up stuff that I know others wouldn’t find very interesting or important to them. When I wrote about the sad day I went through from the day my childhood dog died it felt like all of my emotions and all of the feelings from that day were coming up again and it made me sad while writing it. I didn’t think that a little writing class would cause me this much emotion while working on an assignment. When I finished up my poem I came home and read my poem out loud to my mom. I never read the poem out loud until that moment. I could see the tears falling from my mom’s cheek and then I suddenly started to choke up while reading. I laughed while crying saying how it feels so weird to be feeling so emotional over a piece of writing I made while in class. I finished reading the poem to my mom and she was astonished, sad, but astonished. I was surprised that she was so in awe of my writing. I have never written something so powerful and emotional before and it made me realize how much I love showing emotion and sharing stories from my life in poem form. I plan on continuing my love for writing in college by taking more writing classes and really diving deeper into the emotion of writing. I fell in love with writing poems ever since that one assignment and it really changed the way I look and feel about writing. Writing is no longer just something I would just add to fill up a spot in my schedule, it is now something I make space for in my schedule because of how much love I now have for writing.

“Pie in the sky” I think of Christ and how he has died for everyone’s sins. He died for me, you, the person next to you, and everyone else in this world. I see the Lord as the most powerful and selfless creation ever created. I read about all of the things that he has done for humans and the power that he holds. I truly believe that we as humans were placed on this Earth to serve him and to give him all the glory so that one day we could have a chance at all rejoicing to him in heaven as he planned. My Pie in the sky would be that everyone can see what I see and feel how I feel about Jesus. When I went to a youth for christ camp over the summer I learned more and more about Jesus and everything that he went through for us out of the love that he has. While I was at camp we had a nightPie in the sky,” when I think of the stong meaningful phrase I am immediately drawn to the idea I have so thoughtfully created in my head of how I want this world that I live in and I think of what I wish the world would come to. I am a believer toward the end of our stay at the camp where we sat under the stars for fifteen minutes just praying and talking to God. In those fifteen minutes it really hit me that I want to see everyone in heaven someday, wheather that be my best friend or my biggest enemy I still want to see them rejoicing to our God in heaven when the time comes. I know that this dream and that this idea of mine is very unrealistic because there are many people out in our world who do not believe in the same things that I believe in and that is okay. Everyone has their own dreams and their own, “pie in the sky,” but this is my pie in the sky. When I returned back to my cabin after spending fifteen minutes under the stars chatting with God about my dreams and my hopes for me and everyone else in this world to become closer than ever with him I quickly got to brainstorming. I thought and I thought of many ways I could capture people’s emotions and somehow show them that this man we call God has so much everlasting love for all of us. I discussed with my camp counsellor who I grew closer with during my stay at camp. I asked her in what ways can I make people around our world see how good of a god we have. My counsellor threw out the idea of a missions trip and my brain sprouted with excitement. The new idea of traveling the world and talking to as many people as I possibly could about my God brought joy to my heart because I want everyone to feel the love I feel and the joy I feel with Jesus in my heart. While this may be a crazy and out of reach for many, I have a strong feeling in my heart that this is the path I am supposed to follow in my life