Perseverance of a Single Teen Mother My name is Isabella Mimms. I am a 17 year old graduating senior from Georgia Chaffee T.A.P.P. I aspire to be a therapist and mental health advocate in order to make significant changes in my community. I’ll be attending Simmons College of Kentucky for 2 years to get my Associate's Degree in Applied Psychology, and then transferring to University of Louisville to get my Bachelor's. My greatest strength is my charisma and the fact that I am a natural born leader. I have had many opportunities to develop my leadership skills throughout my high school journey. I hope to continue to develop these skills in college in order to succeed in my career. Throughout my journey I have had to overcome many challenges. At 14 years old, I became pregnant with my son and my life changed drastically. Before this pivotal moment I was just a young girl who was struggling with my own mental health. I was failing every single class, I had no motivation, and ultimately was in the worst position in my life. Once I transferred to T.A.P.P. my concept of education changed. I wanted to be the best mother I could be for my son. In order to do that I had to put in effort in my education. I started off in the RES (Racial Equity Scholars) Club as soon as I came to T.A.P.P. Through RES I have had the opportunity to be a leader. I was elected President of RES my second year at T.A.P.P. As president, I helped plan our school's Black History Month programs. I delivered a speech addressing anti-DEI and Senate Bill 93. At T.A.P.P. This leadership role has helped me gain confidence in my speaking and confirmed my desire to be an advocate for people. I have had the opportunity to meet with career mentors who are mental health professionals. They have helped guide me in pursuit of this career path and fostered my passion for entering the mental health field. I want to be an advocate for people of color and women struggling with mental health. The reason why I want to be a therapist is because this is personal to me. I've always been the person to help people when they need it but never received the same back. There is a lot of stigma surrounding mental health in my community. There isn't a lot of information or resources available. I want to close this gap and do my part in order to support the people of my community. I see a lot of violence in my community. Many are struggling mentally and resorting to violence instead of learning to cope with their problems. My hope is to become a mental health counselor who can provide the necessary guidance for those young people in my community who need it. Earning this scholarship will provide me with the help I need in order to reach my goals in college and beyond. I want to prove to the world that being a teen mother does not mean that I am destined to fail in life. I have high hopes and dreams and plan to achieve those goals. I want to be a good role model for my son. I want him to grow up and see that his mother overcame enormous odds in order to realize her potential. I will work to ensure that my son grows up in a community where support is available and mental health is not stigmatized.