My experiences from a young age with mental health have led me to become the person I am today, for better or for worse. There was times where a family member could not distinguish between reality and the world that their brain made them so thoroughly believe was real. Family member and friends who would fall so deeply into depression that they would not leave their rooms let alone speak to you. In all honesty there was quite a few years of my life where I was fearful of those who struggled with their mental health. However as I have grown up and realized my own struggles, I have come to feel a deep sense of empathy for those who have mental health complications. Experiencing the systems in place that are there to help those in need and where they fall short in helping those in need. There was a time where my goal was to become a therapist so that I could help people like those in my family who so desperately needed it. Throughout these years I realized just how deeply the stigmas of mental health went in society and therefore in those I have met over the years. Seeing how othered the world makes those who struggle feel and the outward ostracizing of those who are perceived as unable to be apart of society when all they need is help. However, one thing that has improved due to my experiences is that I have learned where to start when it comes to my own mental health. Witnessing loved ones be consumed by their mental health troubles and refusing to acknowledge their own needs and emotions made me realize that I need to be in tune with myself. In order to improve I need to understand where I am mentally and ways in which I can improve, if that be through my own means or just the willingness to let others help me in my time in need.

Water has been apart of Earth since its creation, and with the existence of water comes with the existence of floods. Floods are a natural disaster that pose significant threats to communities worldwide, causing immense damage to infrastructure, displacing populations, and jeopardizing lives. It is immensely obvious that, as of late, there has been an increase of allegedly 'Once-In-A-Lifetime' flooding occurrences. This phrasing is directly correlated with the fact that our infrastructure is not designed to handle potentially catastrophic flooding on a fairly regular basis. The infrastructure needed to handle flooding is multi-faceted and so addressing the means of handling flooding must also be multifaceted. Alongside changing the base process of renovating and designing infrastructure, I believe that the integration of modern and advancing technology in the current and future infrastructure of our cities is essential to addressing the increasing threats of flooding. In my local community, the Salinas Valley, we experienced flooding that damaged homes, laid waste to crops, and even took lives within our communities. One community that suffered immensely is Pajaro when the Pajaro River Valley was flooded due to a levee breach. However, this devastation is not new to the community of Pajaro, as it has been flooded before. The levee had breached before, and what was done to address this problem? Reconstruct the levee in the same exact manner and allowed to languish until it was once more left in a state where it would easily breach in an extreme flooding scenario. I bring this up as an example of a facet of reform necessary for addressing the flood hazards brought on by climate change. Existing infrastructure must be kept up to date and, if needed, new infrastructure must be at the very least in some form of development. As the years have gone by there are storm water systems that have been left in the 1900's with no immediate plans for repairs or updating. I can imagine resources such as time and money are apart of the conversation as to why stormwater systems in particular are not being repaired or built upon. However, this is where I believe new technology and understanding should be brought into the discussion. Innovative infrastructure solutions, such as green infrastructure and resilient urban planning, offer sustainable alternatives to traditional flood control measures that have proven to fail in many current scenarios. With these new systems come new equipment and tools that can be cost-effective and efficient means of updating current storm damage reduction efforts without complete overhauls. This is alongside new means of repairing concrete, replacing pipes and filtering systems with recycled materials. By embracing new innovations and technology, we can enhance our ability to predict, prevent, and recover from flood disasters. There are also external technological advances in forecasting models, real-time monitoring systems, and early warning mechanisms are also essential to active flood damage mitigation beyond the built-in infrastructure alone. As our climate continues to evolve in new and extreme ways, so too must our systems of handling the ever prevalent natural disasters that threaten our communities and cities. Infrastructure and natural disaster management are multifaceted and complex, however, I believe that the embrace of new technology is a necessary and overarching requirement for improving our infrastructure. Through understanding the need for renovation both physically and systematically we can better handle and reduce the effects of climate change.