Depression is a silent killer that can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, or social status. For young people at their prime in life, the experience of depression can be particularly devastating as they navigate through the challenges of growing up and finding their place in the world. For me, the battle with depression became the catalyst for discovering my inner strength and a passion for championing public health issues. Growing up, I always felt a constant struggle to fit in and find my place in school and sometimes with my family. I felt isolated and alone, and when the Global Pandemic shut down access to the world outside of my bubble, these feelings of loneliness and insecurity quickly turned into depression. I found myself withdrawing from the people and activities I once loved, and my relationships with my family began to suffer. The outlet I had once found with my friends was suddenly gone and my mental health declined rapidly. I felt like there was no escape from the dark cloud that was constantly hanging over my head. As a black woman, I came to realize that the subject of mental health is not really talked about in my community. Often times mental health is perceived as a weakness and shrouded as an inability to handle your problems. To talk about your problems out loud is stigmatized and we surely do not publicize the need for help. Breaking free of these constraints was hard. I realized that I needed to take control of my life and fight back against my depression. The first step was seeing a therapist and opening up about my struggles. With the help of the therapist and my family, I began to understand that I was not alone and that there were resources available to help me as I struggled to connect. I also learned how to challenge my negative thoughts and develop coping skills to manage my symptoms. As I started to feel better, I also discovered a new sense of purpose. I became passionate about public health and the importance of addressing mental health issues, especially for young people. As we came out of the pandemic and my family started expanding our bubble, I realized that I had a unique perspective and a valuable voice in my community, and I felt compelled to use my experiences to help others. Adversity has a profound impact on shaping human existence. It challenges people to face their fears and limitations, helps them to grow and develop in ways that they never thought possible, and has forged a pathway for me as a new goal. Through adversity, I’ve developed resilience and strength, and am able to gain a deeper understanding of myself and my place in the world. Through my personal struggle, I had to learn how to cope with difficult situations and emotions. Each week, my sessions focused on helping me to face challenges and find new ways to manage my thoughts and feelings, and to develop a sense of inner strength. As time lapsed, I became more self-reliant and independent, and pretty soon I was starting to develop a greater sense of personal responsibility. I know it is possible to grow through mental illness. I entered the pandemic as a junior in high school and through the fog of depression I found myself a freshman in college. As I reflect on the time lost, I realize just how important those years are for many more in my community. Coming back to school and seeing my peers also opened my eyes to the fact that so many others experienced their own storms during the lockdown. Some shared, others did not, but we all felt a need to have someone listen. The pandemic has changed me. I missed out on what most people consider the most important years in high school and was forced to get used to a new normal. I have since decided to pursue a career in public relations, and aspire to become an advocate for mental health awareness. It is only through dialogue that we heal. I’ve built a platform for myself via social media and have used my platform as an outlet during the height of the pandemic to promote mental well-being. I along with many young people find joy in music and share that joy in a fandom. I am the resident counselor for my friend group and I use my experiences to connect with others to help them navigate their own mental health journeys. I know how important it is to just listen and so I am just that, a listener. Through my hard work and dedication to getting back to good health, I know that I not only overcame depression but have also found a calling in life. I realized that the struggles made me stronger and that I have the power to make a difference in my world and in the world. The silver lining of the battle with depression was that it gave me a new perspective and a drive to spread joy, champion mental health issues, and help others who are struggling. This personal journey from depression to advocacy serves as a powerful reminder that no matter how difficult life may seem, it is possible to overcome adversity and find a new sense of purpose. The struggle has shaped me to see the importance of seeking help when struggling and has pushed me to fight for our mental well-being and the health of my community.

If I had $1,000 right now, I could think of a number of things I could do. I could blow it all in one sitting by buying concert tickets to every show my favorite artist has near me, or I could go on a shopping spree at the nearest mall. Financial literacy has taught me that these options do not last and do not invest in my educational goals. If I were fortunate enough to receive $1,000 now I would take one of the following courses of action. I would invest the funds in a Roth account to grow interest while I am in school to cover my educational expenses. While enrolled at my four-year institution, I’ve had to finance my education by taking out student loans. $1,000 growing interest would put me in a better place upon graduation to pay down my debt. Paying down my debt would put me in a better position to afford buying a car. As an Early Childhood Education major at Salisbury University, I will matriculate into the professional program courses for internship in Fall 2022. The internship requirements entail me traveling to local schools while attending college courses during the week. When I begin my internship process and go into schools I gain experience and credit hours. Having a car would allow me to spend time studying and servicing schools rather than in a lengthy commute using public transportation.

Growing up, I always wanted to become an educator. For as long as I can remember, I was always able to see myself being a teacher. Both my parents are teachers, so me growing up to be an educator only felt right. Watching my parents build lifelong relationships with their students and their families, I just knew that I wanted to be a part of a community like that. If I had to pinpoint one moment that really sparked my ambition to become an educator though, it was probably when I was in first grade and I had an amazing teacher, Ms. Vereb. She always knew how to make learning fun and I really looked up to her as a person and as a teacher. Just like Marva Collins, Ms. Vereb ran her classroom with care. She was one of the most caring people I'd ever met and she always encouraged us to do our best. Not only did I feel that she genuinely cared, but I was always excited to go to school just because she was my teacher. To this day, several years later, she stands out in my memory as the most favorite teacher I've ever had. In my educational career when I have had some “not-so-great” teachers it and was the memories of Ms. Vereb’s class that reminded me to keep trying. I know from experience that “not-so-great” teachers can negatively impact students. Marva Collins inspired her students in the same way. Her impact on her students taught them perseverance and her story sparks the ambition in me to grow as a person to be the educator students need. As I matriculated to high school, I was selected to attend a specialty program designed for future teachers. I was given the opportunity to begin my college-level education classes as a high schooler and this gave me the opportunity to earn credits and experience professionally focused courses in school that would fuel my passion for teaching. That time investment led me to begin my time at a four-year university as a second-semester sophomore. These collective experiences have shaped my thinking and have ignited the motivation to serve just like Ms. Marva Collins and Ms. Vereb. The state of education today needs more people like them. Learners need caring teachers who can inspire hope and the next generation of teachers. The journey to becoming an educator has continuously opened my eyes to the realization that compassion fuels more learners than sometimes books. I can see myself growing in the field and eventually leading other educators for a long time. Educators like my parents are my biggest inspiration. They've always been my biggest support system and have always shown me how to use the tools I need to succeed. As a future educator, I'd like to do the same for my future students and help them find the tools for success and to be their biggest support systems. I'd like to be their Ms. Vereb and make such an impact on their lives that they remember me well into college and maybe even further down the line as well.

Growing up, all I wanted to was teach. Both of my parents are teachers, so teaching is practically in my blood. When I was younger, I had a fake class, but I made sure this class was as realistic as possible. I had a class roster list, I had a ClassDojo setup, I even had a classroom layout all for my imaginary students. There were times when I strayed away from wanting to go into teaching. There was a point in time where I wanted to work in the music industry, and there was also a point in time where I wanted to be a baker and own a bakery franchise, but I always found my way back to teaching. I ultimately chose to go into teaching because I love helping people and I work well with kids. I have an understanding of what type of teacher I wouldn't want to be and the type of teacher that I would like to be. I see teaching as a way to give back to the community in the sense that I would be shaping the minds of the next generation. This is a way to send more educated children into the world and be a part of creating a better tomorrow. I know that I can create a safe space for students to learn, experience new things, and so much more. A classroom is a place of discovery for most children, especially when they're introduced to this new space at a young age. This is why I want to work with the younger kids when it comes to teaching. I am majoring in Early Childhood Education and possibly Elementary Education so I could take part in setting children on the path to success. I want to be the teacher that I never had, a fun, caring, and effective teacher. If I make a positive impact in any way, I feel that my job is well done. Essentially, I realized education would be the right career path for me pretty early on. Most kids grow up thinking they wanna be a doctor, which I'll admit I did have that phase as well, but some decide not to because of the lengthy amount of school time or they just realize they have a different calling. However, I knew my calling was, and still is, to teach. My calling is to be a guide to students and help them realize their true potential, even if it is just reading or writing above grade level. I always knew I wanted to be a teacher. As I grew up, I grew more passionate about teaching and once I got to high school, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. And that is to teach. The classes that I've taken thus far to pursue that have been difficult, but I know that it'll all be worth it in the end. I know I'll love my job, no matter how hard it gets.

My name is Olivia Rose and I am a small business owner. My business was created in July of 2020, and I sell bracelets and necklaces that are customizable to consumers. I created the business when I was 17 and I am 18 now, and I'm working on rebranding the business. A little background about myself is that I love going to concerts and traveling. However, both of those things are extremely expensive. In 2019 alone, I spent over $500 on concerts. My plan for 2020 was to get a job and save up enough money to be able to go to more concerts. Babysitting brought in some money, but I still wanted to get a job to save more. After sending in application after application, and realizing nowhere would hire me, I decided to hire myself. I spoke to my mom about wanting to create a business to make some money on the side while continuing to look for work. She supported me and invested in my business. When I first started out, I was selling so much, and business was booming. I was able to pay off the investment my mom made within the first month after launching. After the first month or two, business kind of died down. I had to switch my selling platform because I could no longer afford the one I launched on, and I realized the business was costing me more than it was making me. I begin to think of ways I could sell what I have, so I could make more items available that would interest more customers. I started back at square one, and started to redesign my logo, and give my items a new look. My business is currently called SimplyLivbyDesign, however, I am planning on changing the name of the store and completely starting a new brand that would appeal to customers more. I will continue to sell custom jewelry, just in a new way. I am still in the process of rebranding that business and I can't wait for the relaunch that I am planning. I am hoping to be able to share my relaunch by the summer, however, I have to commit to putting more work in to make an appeal to paying customers. Once school started, my focus shifted a bit. I couldn't give my business 100% of my attention because I was, and still am, working on completing my senior year. I am currently still working on rebranding my business and giving everything a new look, but it's gotten difficult to balance everything with school. I can't blame everything on school though, I have to admit that after sales started to slow down, I got a little discouraged and didn't promote as much. I chose to allow school to shift my focus and I chose to not pay as much attention to my business. I am giving as much attention to it as can now, but I am also trying my best to give my all in every area of my life. My hopes for the business is to be able to give it as much attention as I did for the launch, and get sales back up. I plan to sell what I currently have so that I could afford to sell new products and ask my customers what they'd be interested in seeing. I have tons of ideas, but not enough money to fund them. Once I am able to sell out of my current stock, I'd love to share my new ideas with my customers and have that same appeal I had on launch day. I will continue to work on rebranding and rebuilding, to gain more attraction, in hopes that I'll be able to offer more items in my store.

I think I want to study education in college because I want to be a teacher when I'm older. Growing up, both my parents were educators. I watched as they built these lifelong bonds and helped be a guide or a role model to their students and I knew I wanted to do the same when I grew up. When I was younger, I had my own play class. I had set up a ClassDojo, stations for the students, and a class roster. I was committed to making school for my imaginary students fun. Ever since I was little, becoming a teacher was always a big dream of mine and now that I'm older and get to decide what I go to school for, I know what I want to study. Now that I'm beginning to think of what I want to do as a long-term career, it's teaching. I plan on studying early childhood education and elementary education while in college to prepare for my career. My parents were high school teachers, so they were being a guide and creating bonds with teenagers. I would like to work with younger children. I know I have the patience to help younger children learn while also being "the fun teacher". I would want my students to know they can come to me with anything and I can be a role model for them. I want to be an educator because I want to give back to the community. The best way, in my mind, to give back to the community is to educate the children and send positive minds into the world. Children are our tomorrow, and if I can help in shaping young minds to create a better tomorrow, I would love to do all I can. My ultimate goal is to serve as a compassionate Elementary educator for young people and make an impact at the foundational level. I recognize that through each phase of my educational career, a caring educator was there to support me, while that caring educator was my parents, I want to be a part of the ecosystem. I know I can be my students' guide as they begin to grow and get exposed to more in the world, and I know that I can educate them and send them into the world, more specifically the community, with new information every day. I can encourage them to ask questions and learn from any experience. I want to study education to be the teacher I never had.

My mom is one of my biggest inspirations. She's one of the biggest reasons I've chosen to study for a career in education. Ever since I was little, becoming a teacher was always a big dream of mine. My mom works in education and growing up, I looked up to her. I saw how she was creating lifelong relationships and making such a big impact on students’ lives and I knew that I wanted to be able to make impacts on students’ lives as well. Now that the students my mom has taught in the past have grown up, they always invite my mom to family functions and her former students are invited to ours. Witnessing the relationships with these students has inspired me to go into the education field myself. In her own way, she supported the social and emotional needs of her school community inspiring me at a young age to create my own imaginary class. I was hooked. As a 4th grader, I would dress up as a teacher for career day and share my imaginary class stories with my real classmates. I shared how I used technology tools like ClassDojo, and how I even created activities for the “students” to rotate around. To say that I am ready to lead a classroom of my own is an understatement. My ultimate goal is to serve as a compassionate Elementary educator for young people and make an impact at the foundational level. I recognize that through each phase of my educational career, a caring educator was there to support me and I want to be a part of the ecosystem. My mom has always been my biggest supporter and I admire how she always puts her best foot forward to achieve her goals. Watching from the sidelines, I notice how my mom never lets anything tear her down. I will try my best to take the quality and use it for myself. I will continue to try again until I get it, just like my mom does for herself. After viewing how she continued to apply herself over and over again until she reached her goal, I plan to do the same for myself and do what's best for myself. In the teaching field, work can pile up pretty quickly. In order to stay on top of everything, I will do what my mom does and put things in her calendar or take notes to remember everything that I need to complete. This way I will be a good teacher for my students and I will be able to have moments where I can relax.