Throughout the years of my adolescence, I've had many dreams that have come and gone. However, the one that has always stuck around is my goal of becoming a clinical psychologist. It has become my dream career because of my personal experience with mental disorders. A clinical psychologist is someone who offers counseling services to diagnose and treat mental and behavioral issues. I enjoy helping people and want to provide and safe space for those who are struggling mentally. In Arkansas alone, 27 in every 100,000 people commit suicide (cdc.gov.) It is also the 3rd leading cause of death for people ages 10-24 in Arkansas (CAMS-care.) Counseling provides a space for those who are struggling to ask for help and receive the resources they need. Almost half of the people in therapy have reported a positive impact on their suicidal thoughts. Becoming a clinical psychologist is my main goal not only because I want to help people, but because of personal experiences. Throughout my childhood, I was very poor and also experienced unexplained periods of severe sadness. I also developed severe general and social anxiety. I was diagnosed at the age of 13 and entered counseling. I could immediately tell that it was helping me because I became less sad and anxious all the time. It was comforting to know that I had someone to talk to about my issues or even just vent about my day to. I developed anxiety around money too because I didn't have any growing up and counseling helped me manage that as well. I was 14 when the pandemic hit and I wasn't able to see my therapist. I became extremely depressed due to being at home and also developed health anxiety. I experienced suicidal thoughts because I was terrified of what the future held for me. I went back to school in 2021 and my anxiety was at an all time high. By sophomore year, I started isolating myself from everyone because I was too anxious to go outside. I didn't want to ask for help for my depression because I didn't want to be a burden on people. Finally, I reached a breaking point and told my mom everything. I started going to therapy again. It was hard to be honest about my issues at first, but I felt a weight lifted off of my shoulders when I finally told my therapist. It felt so freeing to be able to vent and talk about how I felt and receive feedback and advice. My senior year has been very good for me mentally and while I do still have bad days, I'm definitely very happy. In conclusion, my goal is to become a clinical psychologist in order to help people and because of my personal experiences. It's been a hard journey, but I'm ready to go off to college and start my path towards helping others.