When I think of struggle or adversity, the idea of family is usually not the first thing I want to come to mind. I want to hope that struggles can be found in tandem with support from family and friends, a network of loved ones in a time of need. What happens more often than not, however, is that familial relationships heighten the shortfalls of humanity, both physically and behaviorally. For me, a big struggle came along in the middle of COVID year in late 2020. My grandfather, who was diagnosed with cancer a couple of years prior, and my uncle, who is disabled and his live-in companion, came to stay with my family long-term. This big move came after a long period of consideration and a lack of help in Florida. After moving them to my home in Maryland, my mother took on most of Grandfather's near round-the-clock care. This was already a year of intense change, as it was for many who think of 2020. I had just transferred from homeschooling to public school for the first time, and COVID was beginning to affect the country and our home was shutting down. Working to help my mother and adapting to a new learning environment, all while watching my grandfather dying in my living room, was an unexpected hardship, to say the least. My Aunt and Uncle were nearly no help to my mother, with my uncle battling Schizophrenia and symptoms worsened by stress, and my aunt worrying about her own family as a single mother and partially estranged from my grandfather. It became my responsibility, as well as my father and siblings to help when she couldn’t. This went on until May when he passed on our pull-out couch. I just remember my mom that day. She was distraught but also relieved, in a way. In loving my grandpa as best we could, while in our home and during the years previous, we all experienced a different kind of sacrifice—his struggle exasperated by relationship stress, and our grief healed by the same family. I have done volunteer work before, with churches and friends, raking leaves and rebuilding fences. But service paired with grief and a bittersweet love is a different type of labor, healing the other people in my family, beyond my grandfather’s health. While the money and the impending pandemic did act as a major stressor, the way my family’s relationships developed during the same time stood out. Time has passed, and we have healed, but I will always see the way my mother served as a motivation for how I choose to love others selflessly. Similarly, my grandfather's life shines on as an example of persevering through struggle, and it brought us together. These characteristics are some of the many that the rest of the family chose to embody as we all sacrificed to care for one another. My grandfather was no longer around, but the rest of us now needed to love my mother and her emotional needs even more. With plenty of grace, empathy, and conversation we could work past the burnout and frustration that comes with grief. My advice, whether it is for my past or someone else's present, is that it is not easy, but we can all take with us the fact that service and struggle are not about the individual, but about how we all fit within this network of life, and the ways that we can all lift each other.

As a student, I experience the same need to achieve and get the best of the best education as the rest of the world. The international understanding of "best” has significantly changed meanings over the years as the generations and values evolve. At first, my idea of success, or “best”, included social and professional success right out of college, something in the research, legal, or medical sphere, but recently, I have been more open to the “best” being a life that is spent learning and loving others. I want to do this by becoming a Law Enforcement Ranger through the National Park Service, working within the community to understand human behavior in the context of deviance and the environment. Growing up, I was always fascinated with the way people interact in movies and other forms of media, and why they make the choices they make in social situations. This reflects what I’m studying through my psychology and sociology majors. The core concentration of my schooling includes the neuroscience and biology of psychology, as well as the economic history of sociology and the interaction of a population within the parameters of societal expectations and norms, especially in the context of crime and deviance. In years previous, deviance and mental health were taboo topics in the media, and the crimes that ran rampant in the national parks were left unchecked. But with the recent rise in psychological and economic education, we can better understand why people commit crime and how to better protect our communities. Historically, psychology and sociology have been the foundation of many subjects studied today. In fact, the social science fields in general encompass and are intertwined with the developments of modern medicine, religion, government, and economics, from the works of Morelli’s moral statistics, and Freud’s human development theories, to stages of population growth and viable therapy options. Especially as mental health issues become associated with addiction and heavy drug use, many feel that it is pointless to even try to parse what they feel and why they cope with it in certain ways. Thanks to the more recent public shift of opinion that mental health is important and does affect our everyday lives, it is easier to empathize with, understand, and implement. My educational background gives me a unique understanding of the experiences of those living out the social problems we hear about in aggregate in the news. If I want to pursue a career in law enforcement successfully and maintain justice, my goals should also align with the welfare of the people. This calls for literacy in the lives of my community, and active participation in organizations that seek to understand and solve problems such as homelessness, the environment, hunger, and deviation in the youth while seeing the wider possible causes of broken homes, divorce, and the division of the nation. With my studies of intersocietal interactions, environmental conservation, and biology, I have the knowledge and motivation to maintain justice as a voice for the voiceless for both people and our national parks. My neurobiological education will give me a distinctive and useful point of view on crimes and society that not many in law enforcement have, especially as the education requirements for many police applications have gone down. I want to make a difference in how people treat one another and the planet through the love of social and physical sciences in communities.

Trying to understand the world around me through the lens of poor mental health is like trying to drive through fog. Sometimes the hindrance to driving is great as the fog settles in, feet from my car. Other times the fog is light, and I can almost forget it as I appreciate the mountain views. Fog also has a tendency of making you feel alone as you drive or walk, blocking out light and the road ahead. The difference between the mind and fog is that fog has consistent rules. The function of the cognitive mind has only recently been truly studied and begun to be understood. Playing a silent role throughout history, mental health in the social science fields encompass and are intertwined with the developments of modern medicine, religion, government, and economics. It has also shown up in the works of Morelli’s moral statistics, and Freud’s human development theories, to stages of population growth and viable therapy options. Especially as mental health issues become associated with addiction and heavy drug use, many feel that it is pointless to even try to parse what they feel and why they cope with it in certain ways. Thanks to the more recent public shift of opinion that mental health is important and does affect our everyday lives, it is easier to understand. Everything about mental health is transitioning to something positive, representing human diversity. Even with such a deep history, it is still relatively new and always changing. Underdeveloped study of the mind has led many to conclude that anything that is new and unknown can be perceived as dangerous or bad, but the pursuit of better mental health is seeking to combat that attitude. Through my personal experience with anxiety, depression, ADHD, and OCD, as well as the support of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia in extended family, I know how easy it is to get lost in the fog. For a long time, I didn’t understand the rules of these low flying clouds that blocked out my friends, family, and all the activities I enjoyed. Eventually, I did not even realize that the fog was outside at all, and it became a part of my life. After living with poor mental health, everything lovely did not exist beyond the sea of gray. But, just like the fog, I had a period that it all lifted. I realized that the fog was not me and there is hope. My goals went from how do I get from one mile to the next without falling off some cliff to what is the best route to the beach, knowing that it's only 20 miles until I’m off this mountain and with loved ones who cheered me on. Mental struggle pushed me towards a short-term me-focused mentality. With healing, I used long-term others-oriented lifestyle changes that helped to clear the fog. Healing is not easy, and neither is accepting help. When you’re lost and alone, anything you hear apart from what you tell yourself in the fog seems to be an illusion. But sometimes this voice is a call from someone who cares and wants to walk with you on the way out. Whether it be a friend or a family member, a shower, or a church community, you can’t hear and appreciate that there is something that helps. It is a continually isolating cycle of isolation and negative self-talk. My experience with religion also helped to shape my mental health experience, as well as begin to heal it. With a warped value system for life, I did not appreciate that I was made special and loved. It didn’t make sense that I was feeling so lonely and numb while someone also cared enough to give the birds song and petals color. Truly where my radical change occurred was when I was carried out in the loving arms of God, totally selflessly and lovingly counter to my own attitude. Healing was furthered by the gentle guidance of loved ones and challenge of others. Sometimes this meant taking a different route or a road buddy to pass the travel time. This didn’t mean bad weather was unavoidable, but that it was no longer endless and void. If I want to pursue a career involving mental health, this calls for literacy in the lives of my community, and active participation in organizations that seek to understand and solve problems. In my everyday life, I can be someone who empathizes with a friend’s struggle, cares for the less fortunate, is active in my church, and shares the benefits of seeking help for mental struggle. As someone who has previously struggled with mental health, I know how scary it can be. Thanks to kind people and knowledgeable teachers, I now know more about why my brain reacts the way it does to stress. This can be the testimony of many others, but most will not have access without misinformation and fearmongering to work with their brain, not against it. I want to make a way for others to understand with words and tools that make it manageable and accessible. Through my experience with mental challenges, I am able to better empathize with those who also struggle and be a witness that braving the fog is possible. The vast gray isn't gone, but the world is big and beautiful and bright, and the fog is just a cloud.

For someone to be an influential figure, or a role model, they need to innately display three qualities. The first of which is the ability to lead. This can look different depending on their leadership style such as leading by example or servant leadership. Oftentimes, leadership includes the innate qualities of empathy and people skills, as well as a mentality of power under control. The second is ambition and a good work ethic. The drive to work hard is fueled by a vision for the future. When one is an influence and an inspiration, they have a responsibility to those they mentor to be an example of planning for the future and responsibility. Finally, and most importantly, influential figures should be creative, curious, and have a love for learning. Whether it be academic material as teachers, leaders of a community and their charges, artists and students. All of these relationships require someone who is passionate about learning and curious about their environment. This curiosity is the drive for their leadership and ambition, which in turn serves those who are under them by teaching them how to live well in work. When leaders love what they do, they inspire others to take pride in their work and better care for others. All of these qualities are essential for effective role models and influential figures. The person who has been supremely influential in my life is my dad. He is an engineer, father, casual comedian, and leader. He may not be in law enforcement; however, he exemplifies all the characteristics of a good role model and a community leader. Through my dad consistently serving and guiding my family through life, he has shown a natural inclination towards loving through all circumstances and making the tough decisions that best serve the family. With his leadership style of authoritative parenting and teaching, I have been inspired to lead similarly. My philosophy for enforcing the law would include the mindset that the power I possess comes with the responsibility for the safety and care of my community, making tough and informed decisions, and having integrity with how I treat others. It also includes understanding my responsibility to do what is right and to help others do the same. My dad also taught my siblings and I the importance, wisdom, and benefit of hard work, as well as planning well for careers within my interests. My dad also is one of the most creative and curious people I know. As a mechanical engineer, not only does he love to formulate building plans and foresee future problems, but he also realizes that solutions are not always right before your eyes and sometimes need out of the box thinking. My dad showed me how vital it is to avoid getting stuck in my ways, but to be open-minded towards people and problems. My dad is also a life-long learner. His creativity does not stop at the office but in our own home as he learns new ways to improve our energy footprint or who sings his new favorite song on the radio. I have learned more about the Argentine leader Eva Peron than when listening to Evita with him. My dad has shown me what a privilege it is to be able to serve others, and his integrity and strength inspires me to do the same.

Mental health has affected more of history than one might think. In fact, the social science fields in general encompass and are intertwined with the developments of modern medicine, religion, government, and economics, from the works of Morelli’s moral statistics, and Freud’s human development theories, to stages of population growth and viable therapy options. Especially as mental health issues become associated with addiction and heavy drug use, many feel that it is pointless to even try to parse what they feel and why they cope with it in certain ways. Thanks to the more recent public shift of opinion that mental health is important and does affect our everyday lives, it is easier to understand. Everything about mental health is transitioning to something positive, representing human diversity. Even with such a deep history, it is still relatively new and always changing. The pursuit of a degree in the mental health field is a noble endeavor that can have a profound impact on the lives of others. The mental health field encompasses a wide range of specializations, including clinical psychology, counseling, social work, and psychiatry, among others. Mental health professionals play a crucial role in addressing the growing need for comprehensive and effective mental health services, each offering unique outlooks and support. Anything that is new and unknown can be perceived as dangerous or bad, but the pursuit of better mental health is seeking to combat that attitude. Those who struggle financially, those with addictions, youths in stressful homes, and so many others are able to be reached and know more about the causes and solutions to mental tensions. Research and assistance can do so much for those who struggle to pursue jobs and build families, affecting both our social structure and fiscal success as a country. By being a part of this research and by providing opportunities for widely available education, mental health does not have to be something that brings fear and shame, but diversity. Studying Psychology, Sociology, and Criminal Justice, my academic focus has thus far been on the interaction of a population within the parameters of societal expectations and norms, especially in the context of neurobiology and the history of human interaction. My educational background gives me a unique understanding of the experiences of those living out the social problems we hear about in aggregate in the news. If I want to pursue a career involving mental health, this calls for literacy in the lives of my community, and active participation in organizations that seek to understand and solve problems such as homelessness, hunger, and deviation in the youth while seeing the wider possible causes of broken homes, youth drug addiction, divorce, and the division of the nation. All of these have positive correlations with poor mental health. With this knowledge, I can approach research and create programs that seek to address these issues. In my everyday life, I can be someone who empathizes with a friend’s struggle, cares for the less fortunate, is active in my church, and shares the benefits of seeking help for mental struggle. As someone who has previously struggled with mental health, I know how scary it can be. Thanks to kind people and knowledgeable teachers, I now know more about why my brain reacts the way it does to stress. This can be the testimony of many others, but most will not have access without misinformation and fearmongering to work with their brain, not against it. I want to make a way for others to understand with words and tools that make it manageable and accessible.

Studying Psychology, Sociology, and Criminal Justice, my academic focus has thus far been on the interaction of a population within the parameters of societal expectations and norms, especially in the context of crime and deviance. I am passionate about the theory and evidence behind what drives people to crimes. The first class in Criminal Justice that I took during my freshman year was taught by a Mercer County police officer. He brought all of my sociology studies to life with his first-hand experience working with a community. Through him, our class learned the real-life consequences of certain police styles and reactions of the people. His passion for the safety of his community and commitment to educated policing was a huge inspiration and catalyst for my own desire for police work. One school of thought that my professor covered was the correlation between conditions and criminality, such that those who need social services or are in an unlivable environment will seek to attain these things in any way they think is an available avenue to them. This observation aligns with Strain theory, saying that most people have similar goals in quality of life, although there is a national inequality in opportunity to achieve things such as affordable healthcare, education, and cost of living. Because the institutions put in place to make these things widely accessible by legal means, many feel as though the only way to achieve this shared goal of a quality life is through deviance and criminality. This is in line with Positivism and Social Disorganization theory, which expects that the breakdown of social institutions will result in criminality as people seek to support themselves in response to their environment. Although these are just a few of the theories and observations many sociologists have made on crime in America, there seems to be a compelling correlation between crime and those in need. My educational background gives me a unique understanding of the experiences of those living out the social problems we hear about in aggregate in the news. If I want to pursue a career in law enforcement successfully and maintain justice, my goals should also align with the welfare of the people. This calls for literacy in the lives of my community, and active participation in organizations that seek to understand and solve problems such as homelessness, hunger, and deviation in the youth while seeing the wider possible causes of broken homes, divorce, and the division of the nation. The injustices that plague the states are what have inspired me to pursue a career in law enforcement. With my studies of intrasocietal interactions and my experiences with prejudice and discrimination, I have the knowledge and motivation to maintain justice as a voice for the voiceless. My education will give me a distinctive and useful point of view on crimes and society that not many in law enforcement have, especially as the education requirements for many police applications have gone down. This is not to say that the police nowadays are without valuable life experience and intuition, however, the difference in my contribution to the workforce would supplement and exceed the efforts of law enforcement with an empathy that is wholly unseen in America's law enforcement presence. Enforcing laws and protecting the community go hand in hand with being a visible and active member of the community, being generous, and maintaining integrity. It is crucial to be an example of lawfulness so that if I want to keep crime out, I need to nurture the community within.

I first noticed how abortion has become so desensitized through media when my high school history teacher asked the class the ways that the Holocaust and abortion in America are similar. At first, many students were outraged and offended by the very existence implication of such a question. I also found my opinion to follow this train of thinking until my teacher began to list out some of the disturbing and enlightening similarities. All at once, it became clear to my class and I how even in pro-life circles, the weight of abortion in America has been so minimized that the tragedy of a dwindling populous is forgotten. The pro-life pro-choice debate has found its way beyond the conversation of female health and whether life starts at conception. In fact, it has become apparent that the value of human life, in general, has been denigrated in worth entirely. Through the over-the-top violence in media, especially in the U.S., to the sheer disrespect we have for our fellow countrymen, it is no surprise that the value of life has been lowered to less than a cluster of cells. Even those who say they are pro-life are not for the lives of children once they have been birthed and are placed into foster care or other abusive systems. As soon as these children are born, the very same people who shamed women and girls in difficult situations to follow through to term, no longer offer them support as soon as the baby is born. I no longer want this to be a reality. As I have transitioned into my time in college, I have been blessed with classes in sociology and psychology. In these classes, I have learned about and discussed how the life of human beings has slowly been devalued by the media and news, showing a dismal picture of the effects of abortion on society. The devaluation of human life does not stop at the abortion clinic, it affects our entire criminal justice system, international adoption, and even how we treat one another in day-to-day life. A lack of respect for a fellow human being should not be the case in any of these cases. In my classes and through my professors’ encouragement, I have been part of discussions on abortion and its actual effects on women and the family, and what constitutes life and when. My faith as a Christian has been an integral part of my belief that human life begins at conception and has innate value. Whether I am in a courtroom, speaking with an adoption agency, educating women making tough choices at the clinic, or talking with friends I want to be an active, educated voice for babies, women, and children at all stages of life. The number one reason most couples or single mothers seek abortion as an option is a financial barrier to raising them. I want mothers to be able to see that choosing the life of their child does not have to feel hopeless or unsupported and that there are resources and education available to give mothers and their children every opportunity to live fulfilling lives.

The dream version of my future self is a law enforcement ranger, spending my days outside and stewarding creation and the people who love it, and at night enjoying homemade meals with my family, and I am content.

My name is Hannah, and I am a quarter-Korean psychology and sociology student at Grove City College. The idea of race has always been a fascinating topic to me and my studies of in and out-group relationships. My relationship with Korean culture has always been one of fascination and hesitation as I question whether I am Korean enough. Korea is a highly nativist and traditional society with strong in-group ties. While this phenomenon is generally found in the older generations, as Korea's younger population has increased intercultural relations, the exclusionary attitude has persisted in many Asian-American families. To preserve the culture that her mother instilled in her, my mother put me and my siblings into the local Korean school. My experiences there, while helpful in learning the language, also lead to feelings of dissonance between my wholly American experience and my desperate want to be a part of a culture that had somewhat abandoned my family. Because of my dominant white/native genetics, I do not distinctly look the part. Many of my Korean family members are either back in Korea or do not keep in contact with the family. Due to unfortunate circumstances, my mother was unable to learn the language to a functional level, and thus neither were we. It felt as though I had no claim to the culture besides the food, or that my experiences with my genetics were not excepted by either side; A little too different to fit in in Pennsylvania, but way too white to be acceptable in Korea or to Korean Americans. As I have grown and learned more about my culture and history, I no longer want to be the cookie-cutter mold of either race. I no longer resent my heritage or want to reject one to fit in with the other, but I want to accept myself as mixed and wonderful. But, I understand that with recent Asian hate crimes, I have been able to stay under the radar with my lack of obvious Asian features. My family members who did receive these genetic indicators have not had the same experience. The injustices that plague the states are what have inspired me to pursue a career in law enforcement. With my studies of intrasocietal interactions and my experiences with prejudice and discrimination, I have the knowledge and motivation to maintain justice as a voice for the voiceless. My education will give me a distinctive and useful point of view on crimes and society that not many in law enforcement have, especially as the education requirements for many police applications have gone down. This is not to say that the police nowadays are without valuable life experience and intuition, however, the difference in my contribution to the workforce would supplement and exceed the efforts of law enforcement with an empathy that is wholly unseen in America's law enforcement presence. I want to make a difference in how people treat one another, and I hope that no one would ever feel ashamed to be themselves.