TRAUMA EXPERIENCES When I was about seven years old, my parents began abusing narcotics. Being that I was so young, the only thing I understood was that my parents began to act differently. It wasn’t until my parents became abusive towards each other, and towards me, that I began to understand how bad the situation really was. It got to the point that my parents were deemed unfit to care for me, and I was supposed to be placed into foster care. However, my Lita decided she would take me in instead. She went to court and explained that she would care for me until my parents got their lives together. She kept me until my dad was able to pass his drug test. Once he finally did, he was then granted custody of me. However, it wasn’t long before my dad was drinking heavily, and began to be physically and verbally abusive towards me. It again got to the point that he would leave for days and leave me alone in a room with nothing but cup-a-noodles to eat. After some time, my Lita stepped in again and took me back to live with her. Although my dad had custody of me, he didn’t put up a fight. I think he knew he was in no position to take care of me. I lived with my grandma for a few years. She was not the most nurturing woman, but she did what she could to put food on the table and make sure we always had what we needed. When I was approximately 12 years old, I went to visit my mom in South Dakota where she had gone to live a few years prior. What was supposed to be a 3 week summer vacation, turned into a 1 ½ long battle, in which my mother refused to send me back home. The courts said this was “kidnapping” since she hadn’t had any custody rights for years. During this time, I was not allowed to go home, or talk to my dad/ his side of the family. After a long and tense court battle, my mom was forced to return me home. I rarely tell people this or any of the other difficulties I’ve experienced in my life because I refuse to have people see me with pity in their eyes. However, it is true that I have had my fair share of difficulties in life because of the traumas that I've experienced. For one, I experience significant struggles with my physical (migraines, constant pain, etc.), and mental health (Anxiety, depression, panic attacks, and occasionally SI). Although there are ever-present struggles in my life, I try my hardest to not let them hold me back. Over the years, I have worked hard to not let my mental health struggles hold me back. I have pursued personal counseling to address my issues, I regularly go out into nature to help my soul heal, and I volunteer regularly. I also try to be open to learning new things. When times get rough, I focus on the simple enjoyments that life has to offer me. I try to be appreciative of all the blessings I’ve been, and continue to be given, as I walk through this continuous healing process. I also recognize that these very experiences have made me into the: determined, kind, hard working, empathetic woman I am today. CURRENT/FUTURE GOALS Currently, a 2nd year students in the School of Behavioral Health at Loma Linda University. I am enrolled in the Masters in Social Work (MSW) program, where I hope to learn the tools and skills necessary to support those that need it most. As of the Summer quarter, I was recognized as being a part of the Dean's List, for having a 3.94 GPA. Although very rewarding, it was extremely difficult since I also worked fulltime, and not including my internship hours. Also, I hadn't told anyone how often I was having suicidal ideations due to the constant pressure and stress. As a result, I decided to resign from work, so I can solely focus on my educational development, as well as my mental/physical health, during my final year of the program. After I complete my final year in the MSW program, I hope to become an Associate Social Worker (ASW). Once all my formal exams are completed, I will look to find a program where I can complete my 5,000 required hours in order to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). Once I have finally completed my hours, which should take me anywhere from 3-5 years, I want to return to the homeless services field (where I had been previously employed), to provide therapeutic services as a LCSW. I want to work with this population in particular because I feel like it is a population that often lacks the needed resources and support. Likewise, I also feel like helping others is an essential part of who I am, and what I stand for. This is why I decided to pursue my Masters in Social Work in the first place. I want to be able to help others in their pursuits of a better life. Eventually, I would like to move into more of a Supervisory/Educator position, where I can assist our future generations of Social Workers to come. CONCLUSION When you go through dark and difficult times, it is easy to feel like there is no end to it. However, having a strong support network (even if not from your bio family), and faith in yourself, can go a long way. I have come to realize it is 'okay' to ask for help, so that we can continue pursuing our own dreams of helping others. Although I would never wish anyone else to go through what I have. I am also grateful for the lessons that I’ve had the opportunity to learn along the way.

Personally, I grew up with zero financial guidance and/or support. I started working at 16 and did what I could just to pay my basic bills. All throughout college, I barely made ends meat to support myself. I had no information on investing, savings, etc. When I turned 23, I was massively in credit card and student loan debt. I decided this was not the path for me. I did lots of research and began saving, investing, and paying off debts. I was often discouraged by the success of others, who had already been doing all these things at a much younger age. However, a wise person once told me it is important not to compare ourselves to others on this journey. We all start in different places and come from different financial backgrounds. Rather than compare ourselves to others, look to them as motivation for what could be. Although this is tip that addresses more of the psychological aspect of investing, it is one that completely changed the way I looked at investing, and moving towards my financial goals. It can be often so easy to see others 'doing better' than us, and feel envious. However, we all start at different points on this journey, and at the end of the day, this is a marathon, not a sprint. The important thing is that we focus on what we want, what we can do, and how we are going to make it happen. Rather than be envious or discouraged by someone else's success, look to them as motivation to keep on your path towards financial advancement.

As an aspiring social worker, we promote self-care with our client's on a daily basis. However, it is often difficult to take our own advise. Personally, I have a difficult time setting aside time for myself without feeling guilty. Yet, as I get older, I also realize it is an essential aspect of a healthy and happy lifestyle. That being said, I have recently take a step back from working, so I can focus my attention on giving myself more self-care time, in some of the areas that I think are most important to be. These include: 1) Hiking/being in nature. I absolutely love being out in nature, and yet never seemed like I had enough time to do it. So, now that I have stopped working, I have made venturing off into nature one of my main areas of development when it comes to self-care. 2) Reading. I have always enjoyed reading. However, when I was working fulltime and doing grad school, I often lacked the time to do much reading for personal leaser. So, this is another one of the areas that I working on developing. 3) Family time. I am a huge home-body. I just love spending quality time with my family. This is another aspect of my self-care that has often been put on the backburner. However, I have made this one of the most important items of self care that I'm striving for, since it is the one that brings me the most happiness. These are just a few of the many self-care practices I engage, in and definitely want to engage in more. Personally, I do not believe self-care has to been incredible luxurious or anything like it, it just has to be very simple actions/activities that bring us peace and happiness.