An integral part of a healthy lifestyle is maintaining strong mental health. Mental health care is integral to the basic well-being of the body and mind, and needs to go beyond just those who can afford them through insurance. There is a strong importance in receiving accessible and high quality mental health care throughout individuals’ lives, especially in childhood. As a child psychologist, I want to increase access to high quality mental health services by ensuring there are enough affordable practitioners in the area. This extends to spreading awareness about mental health care, and working to end the stigma around seeing mental health professionals. Educating people about the signs of struggling with mental health is critical in changing the culture in our society which devalues spending time and money on mental health. Furthermore, working to eradicate the stigma around mental health allows for greater community acceptance and involvement, which fosters productivity and relationship growth. It can encourage people to ask for the accommodations necessary for them to live comfortable lives. Social media has begun to increase acceptance, but there is a long way to go. With widespread movements to normalize mental health care, more families will be able to help their loved ones and can support their treatment. Additionally, incorporating families into psychological treatment leads to more compliance with treatments in the home and more positive family outlooks on therapy. By helping children when they are young, I can make a difference in their entire lives. In my own life, I care for my mental health by taking care of several dimensions of wellness. I care for my physical body with healthy eating, a sleep schedule, and regular exercise. I also ensure my social and emotional health by spending time with my friends and family, and practicing self care. As a practitioner of mental health, it is important to maintain my own well-being in order to help others. It is my mission to help people with mental illnesses to live long and happy lives. Specifically, I am pursuing a doctoral degree in clinical psychology at Pace University to work with children who have mental illnesses in school and hospital settings. As I enter my second year in this doctoral program, I have already begun to see patients to learn clinical skills and see the true difference that therapy can make in people’s lives. This degree requires warmth, empathy, and the determination to make a difference in others' lives, which I have demonstrated throughout my life. Early intervention in childhood leads to positive later life outcomes, potentially alleviating more severe symptoms or intense need for psychological services in the future. If awarded this scholarship, it would go directly to fund my education to learn to serve children and their families, and make a positive impact in their lives and mental health.

At two years old, I sat in a high chair with my family around the dinner table. I reached for my uncle’s colorful peanut m&m, and rapidly began to have an allergic reaction. Although this was my first notable allergic reaction, I was often sick when I ate at restaurants as an infant. From there, my parents brought me to an allergist who diagnosed me with allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, fish, and sesame. I visited the allergist once or twice a year, but I mostly remember the required blood draws which came along with the appointments. Throughout my life, both my food allergies and needles caused anxiety, but with the support of my family and teachers I was able to eat safely in most scenarios. I was even able to experience a ‘food challenge’ in the eighth grade, in which I consumed my allergens to test the severity of my reactions. Oftentimes, trying new foods is scary and anxiety provoking due to the potential for an allergic reaction. Through this personal understanding of anxiety, I felt motivated to gain a deeper understanding of mental health and help others who need mental health services. In this investigation, I learned that mental health care is integral to one’s basic well-being, and needs to go beyond privileged individuals. There is a strong importance in receiving accessible and high quality mental health care throughout individuals’ lives, especially in childhood. Therefore, I am studying to be a school-clinical child psychologist, to help children and families with their own mental health journeys. As a child psychologist, I want to increase access to high quality mental health services by ensuring there are enough affordable and accessible practitioners. This extends to spreading awareness about mental health care, and working to end the stigma around seeing mental health professionals. Educating people about the signs of struggling with mental health is critical in changing the culture in our society which devalues mental health. Furthermore, working to eradicate the stigma around mental health allows for greater community acceptance and involvement, which fosters productivity and relationship growth. Social media has begun to increase acceptance, but there is a long way to go. With widespread movements to normalize mental health care, more families will be able to help their loved ones and can support their treatment. Incorporating families into psychological treatment leads to more compliance with treatments in the home and more positive family outlooks on therapy. By helping children when they are young, I can make a difference in their entire lives. It is my mission to help people live long, happy lives. Specifically, I am pursuing a doctoral degree in clinical psychology at Pace University to work with children who have mental illnesses in school and hospital settings. As I enter my second year in this doctoral program, I have already begun to see patients to learn clinical skills and see the true difference that therapy can make in people’s lives. This degree requires warmth, empathy, and the determination to make a difference in others' lives, which I have demonstrated throughout my life. I learned many of these lessons through my experience with food allergies, as I understood the importance of caring for others and others caring for me. In childhood, mental health care leads to positive later life outcomes, potentially alleviating more severe symptoms or intense need for psychological services in the future. If awarded this scholarship, it would go directly to fund my education to learn to serve children and their families, and make a positive impact in their lives and mental health.

I am driven every day by my desire to help others become their best selves. I find joy in helping others and have always had a strong connection to other people's emotions, so I knew a helping profession was the path for me. Based on my empathy for others and my passion for mental health, I am improving myself by studying in the School-Child Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program at Pace University. This program has allowed me to find joy in helping children and their families to better their mental health through psychological services. Through this program, I will participate in a range of clinical experiences, including working in the psychological clinic at Pace, gaining practicum experiences in schools and hospitals, and training with peers and mentors. Beyond these clinical experiences, I will also participate in research to create evidence-based treatments for people who need mental health services. Utilizing research and positive messaging can allow for the stigma around mental health care to dissipate so that people can get the mental health care they need. I am motivated to use these learning experiences to end the stigma around mental health care and to create evidence-based treatments to help others, in order to make psychological services accessible to and beneficial for everyone. I am confident that with the support of this program, I will develop my skills of empathy to make a meaningful difference in the lives of children and their families. My passion can truly help someone to change their own life and better themselves. My goal is to become the best school-child clinical psychologist possible, in order to make my community a more positive place to live.

I am driven every day by my desire to help others become their best selves. I find joy in helping others and have always had a strong connection to other people's emotions, so I knew a helping profession was the path for me. Based on my empathy for others and my passion for mental health, I am improving myself by studying in the School-Child Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program at Pace University. This program has allowed me to find joy in helping children and their families to better their mental health through psychological services. Through this program, I will participate in a range of clinical experiences, including working in the psychological clinic at Pace, gaining practicum experiences in schools and hospitals, and training with peers and mentors. Beyond these clinical experiences, I will also participate in research to create evidence-based treatments for people who need mental health services. Utilizing research and positive messaging can allow for the stigma around mental health care to dissipate so that people can get the mental health care they need. I am motivated to use these learning experiences to end the stigma around mental health care and to create evidence-based treatments to help others, in order to make psychological services accessible to and beneficial for everyone. I am confident that with the support of this program, I will develop my skills of empathy to make a meaningful difference in the lives of children and their families. My passion can truly help someone to change their own life and better themselves. I find joy in helping others through bettering mental health, thus joy means finding one's best, most authentic self and having the ability to help others.

I am driven every day by my desire to help others become their best selves. I find joy in helping others and have always had a strong connection to other people's emotions, so I knew a helping profession was the path for me. Based on my empathy for others and my passion for mental health, I am improving myself by studying in the School-Child Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program at Pace University. In this program I help children and their families to better their mental health through psychological services. Through this program, I participate in a range of clinical experiences, including working in the psychological clinic at Pace, gaining practicum experiences in schools and hospitals, and training with peers and mentors. Beyond these clinical experiences, I will also participate in research to create evidence-based treatments for people who need mental health services. Utilizing research and positive messaging can allow for the stigma around mental health care to dissipate so that people can get the mental health care they need. I am motivated to use these learning experiences to end the stigma around mental health care and to create evidence-based treatments to help others, in order to make psychological services accessible to and beneficial for everyone. I am confident that with the support of this program, I will develop my skills of empathy to make a meaningful difference in the lives of children and their families. My passion can truly help someone to change their own life and better themselves. My goal is to become the best school-clinical child psychologist possible, to make the world a more positive place to live.

I am driven every day by my desire to help others become their best selves. I find joy in helping others and have always had a strong connection to other people's emotions, so I knew a helping profession was the path for me. Based on my empathy for others and my passion for mental health, I am improving myself by studying in the School-Child Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program at Pace University. This program has allowed me to find joy in helping children and their families to better their mental health through psychological services. Through this program, I will participate in a range of clinical experiences, including working in the psychological clinic at Pace, gaining practicum experiences in schools and hospitals, and training with peers and mentors. Beyond these clinical experiences, I will also participate in research to create evidence-based treatments for people who need mental health services. Utilizing research and positive messaging can allow for the stigma around mental health care to dissipate so that people can get the mental health care they need. I am motivated to use these learning experiences to end the stigma around mental health care and to create evidence-based treatments to help others, in order to make psychological services accessible to and beneficial for everyone. I am confident with the support of this program, I will develop my skills of empathy to make a meaningful difference in the lives of children and their families. My passion can truly help someone to change their own life and better themselves. I find joy in helping others through bettering mental health, thus joy means finding one's best, most authentic self and having the ability to help others.

My best skill is empathizing with others. I have always had a strong connection to other people's emotions, so I knew a helping profession was the path for me. Based on my empathy for others and my passion for mental health, I am improving myself by studying in the School-Child Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program at Pace University. Through this program, I will participate in a range of clinical experiences, including working in the psychological clinic at Pace, gaining practicum experiences in schools and hospitals, and training with peers and mentors. In these experiences, I have direct impacts on the surrounding community, so I can positively affect the mental health of children and families around me. Beyond these clinical experiences, I will also participate in research to create evidence-based treatments for people who need mental health services. Utilizing research and positive messaging can allow for the stigma around mental health care to dissipate so that people can get the mental health care they need. I am confident with the support of this program, I will develop my skills of empathy to make a meaningful difference in the lives of children and their families. My passion can truly help communities to gain access to high quality mental health care and help to reduce the stigma associated with caring for one's mental health.

My goal is to become a school-clinical child psychologist, in order to help educate children about mental and emotional health. This education will reach far beyond the school building, and into the child's family and social lives. Learning about how to maintain mental and emotional health is important to social and academic success. I aim to teach classes which educate students on kindness, self-care, and anti-bullying. Another important initiative is helping both students and parents to recognize the signs of mental health disorders and distress. Early recognition and quick, effective treatment of mental health struggles is the key to ensuring a happy and healthy life for the child. This recognition includes debunking the stigma around mental health care and struggles, so that it is accessible to everyone without any negative emotions. Caring for one's mental health is just as important as caring for one's physical health. Psychology is the science of the mind, and emotional learning is a facet of science which is applicable to real life. Emotional learning allows labeling of emotions, which can enhance one's ability to appropriately label and display emotions. Furthermore, it can aid people in forming relationships because they will be more in tune with others' emotions. This creates empathy, and a bond of caring friendship and intimacy. Teaching children about psychology and mental health is one of the most important science classes they will ever take. Winning this award would be incredibly meaningful to me in the pursuit of becoming a psychologist and educating children. I am currently pursuing my doctorate in school-clinical child psychology at Pace University. While this degree will help me achieve my dream of helping students to live mentally healthy, fulfilling lives, it is extremely expensive. During the doctoral program, I will take out hundreds of thousands of dollars in student loans in order to pay tuition, rent, and grocery bills. I will gain a vast amount of unpaid clinical experience in the program in schools and mental health clinics, as well as taking classes during this full time program. This is a five year program, during which I will learn how to best help children and their families. Winning this award would enable me to focus on my psychological studies without worrying about financial matters which constantly plague my mind. My dream is to educate and help children to better their psychological well-being. I hope that you will consider the science of psychology and mental health to be a worthy cause for your scholarship.

I am driven every day by my desire to help others become their best selves. I have always had a strong connection to other people's emotions, so I knew a helping profession was the path for me. Based on my empathy for others and my passion for mental health, I am improving myself by studying in the School-Child Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program at Pace University. Through this program, I will participate in a range of clinical experiences, including working in the psychological clinic at Pace, gaining practicum experiences in schools and hospitals, and training with peers and mentors. Beyond these clinical experiences, I will also participate in research to create evidence-based treatments for people who need mental health services. Utilizing research and positive messaging can allow for the stigma around mental health care to dissipate so that people can get the mental health care they need. I am motivated to use these learning experiences to end the stigma around mental health care and to create evidence-based treatments to help others, in order to make psychological services accessible to and beneficial for everyone. I am confident with the support of this program, I will develop my skills of empathy to make a meaningful difference in the lives of children and their families. My passion can truly help someone to change their life and better themself.

My best skill is empathizing with others. I have always had a strong connection to other people's emotions, so I knew a helping profession was the path for me. Based on my empathy for others and my passion for mental health, I am improving myself by studying in the School-Child Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program at Pace University. Through this program, I will participate in a range of clinical experiences, including working in the psychological clinic at Pace, gaining practicum experiences in schools and hospitals, and training with peers and mentors. Beyond these clinical experiences, I will also participate in research to create evidence-based treatments for people who need mental health services. Utilizing research and positive messaging can allow for the stigma around mental health care to dissipate so that people can get the mental health care they need. I am confident with the support of this program, I will develop my skills of empathy to make a meaningful difference in the lives of children and their families. My passion can truly help someone to change their life and better themself.

My best skill is empathizing with others. I have always had a strong connection to other people's emotions, so I knew a helping profession was the path for me. Based on my empathy for others and my passion for mental health, I am improving myself by studying in the School-Child Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program at Pace University. Through this program, I will participate in a range of clinical experiences, including working in the psychological clinic at Pace, gaining practicum experiences in schools and hospitals, and training with peers and mentors. Beyond these clinical experiences, I will also participate in research to create evidence-based treatments for people who need mental health services. Utilizing research and positive messaging can allow for the stigma around mental health care to dissipate so that people can get the mental health care they need. I am confident with the support of this program, I will develop my skills of empathy to make a meaningful difference in the lives of children and their families. My passion can truly help someone to change their life and better themself.

I was a counselor at an inclusion camp the summer before I began college. The first night is always filled with a few tears and anxiety for the seven-year-old campers. By the second day, though, the girls quickly warm up to camp and forget they were ever missing home. However, there was one camper whose anxiety persisted beyond day two. I had previously spoken with the Camper Inclusion Team about her anxiety, so I expected to be challenged, as this is not something I had dealt with before. Helping her navigate the unpredictable camp environment sparked my interest in helping children with anxiety enjoy the experiences that make childhood magical. This experience, along with my research, time in clinical settings, and academics have driven me to become a child psychologist. My main career interests lie in researching the etiology, diagnosis, and treatment of childhood disorders. I want to practice as a clinician, teaching children coping skills to enhance their lives- giving them a positive childhood and a bright future. Many of these children face barriers to care including lack of providers, which I will work to solve as both a researcher and clinician. While there is no cure for most psychological disorders, there are ways for children to grow and thrive in addition to having a psychological disorder. Helping children has been the highlight of my clinical experiences, research training, and coursework. Graduate training at Pace University over the next 5 years will provide a critical foundation where I can hone my clinical, research, and interpersonal skills. I am ready to apply my own research to help children heal and become the best versions of themselves. My clinical experiences were deeply impactful in my decision to be a child psychologist. In the summer of 2019, I was a student volunteer in the psychology department at Mount Washington Pediatric Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, under the supervision of Dr. Bradley Schwimmer. I shadowed psychologists in the Feeding Day Treatment Program, Individual and Family Therapy clinic, and Autism Spectrum Center. I not only watched these professionals help children who desperately needed support, but I played an active role in helping psychologists prepare to treat their patients by entering preliminary evaluation information into analytical computer software. My most memorable experience was working with psychologists to test children for Autism Spectrum Disorder. I saw the entire evaluation process, from diagnostic tests through the clinician discussing next steps with the family. Observing the family’s simultaneous relief and confusion upon how to react to their child’s diagnosis spurred my desire to help children succeed. I applied the wealth of experience I gained from the hospital to my own work as a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) at STEPS Behavioral Health clinic. In this role, I actively made a difference for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder by providing behavioral therapy. Watching my clients learn new skills and improve their behavior was incredibly rewarding. My mentors guided me to use skills and techniques I had never thought of, opening my eyes to another side of psychology. I learned so much from my supervisors and my clients, including strengthened patience, empathy, and desire to help others. I practiced Applied Behavioral Analysis therapy for a year, and I plan to use this experience to continue to use positive behavior supports during my time as a psychologist. For two and a half years, I worked as a Research Assistant (RA) in Dr. Melanie Killen’s Social and Moral Development Lab at the University of Maryland. Under Dr. Killen, I have assisted in developing and administering protocols for a wide range of studies aimed at investigating children’s understanding of fairness and inequality. For example, I contributed to study implementation for a school-based intervention aimed to increase children’s acceptance of others, and was the lead coder for a project investigating children’s gender biases in science contexts. Building on my passion for research on children, I joined the Center for Early Childhood Education and Intervention as a Research Assistant. There, I have worked on a project-based curriculum for 4-year-old children to encourage exploration and knowledge discovery. Furthermore, I completed a literature review to develop an evidence-based reading program for preschool aged children and compiled relevant data on Maryland school districts’ inclusion programs. The data on these programs made me curious to investigate how psychologists could build a stronger relationship with schools to deliver more effective inclusion programs for children. Through both of my research lab opportunities, I understood how important it is to reinforce inclusion for people with developmental disabilities. I want to continue this research in my future career to best serve children and their families. Throughout all of these experiences, I built a passion for psychology. I am currently a first year student at Pace University in the School-Child Clinical Psychology Doctoral (PsyD) program. I will use my wealth of experience to become the best clinician possible, but I will most incorporate the lessons and skills I learned from being a Behavior Technician practicing ABA. I want to help all of my future clients grow in the same way that my past clients have, which includes using many behavioral principles and having a growth mindset. Earning this scholarship would greatly further my doctoral education to take me one step closer to making a positive impact in the fields of School and Clinical Child Psychology. I am supporting myself while I work towards my dream of becoming a psychologist, so this would make a magnanimous impact on my life and the lives of my future clients. I know that I have the power to facilitate positive growth for children, families, school systems, and communities through working as a psychologist.

Amid the many pandemics occurring in our world right now, the biggest problem facing our world is health. Both physical and mental health are in jeopardy when facing Covid-19, racial injustice, and environmental decline. Most obviously, people are struggling to access health care, to keep their jobs, to stay safe from the virus, and to put food on the table. Underneath these physical necessities are mental health struggles. People are separated from loved ones, they cannot attend in-person school or work, and the rates of mental illness are increasing. Although these myriad of problems cannot be solved with just one solution, greater access to health care and health services would alleviate some of the burden. Predominantly, quality health care allows people to prevent illness and recover from illness. Quality health care needs to be more affordable, accessable, and patient informed. Policies need to be established to remove socioeconomic barriers which prevent people from receiving the health care they desperately need. Furthermore, the stigma around mental health care needs to be changed. Caring for one's mental health is just as important as physical health, therefore it needs to be just as mainstreamed to discuss. In my future career as a psychologist, I aspire to do these things. I want to make mental health care more widely available and to remove the stigma that comes with it. Health is the biggest problem facing our society today, and we all need to work together to allow everyone to utilize both physical and metal health services which are devoted to serving patients.

As a future psychologist, the importance of being involved in one's community cannot be understated. Firstly, there are social and mental health benefits that come from building a sense of community. This is amplified if one gives back to their community, because the sense of productivity and ability to work towards something for the greater good creates a positive sense of self. Beyond the traditional service experiences, I will connect health and wellness in communities to my education and career. Psychological services inherently serve the community by improving the mental health of its citizens, provided the services are accessible to all who could benefit from them. Mental health care is integral to the basic well-being of the body and mind, and need to go beyond just those who can afford them through insurance. As a child psychologist, part of my mission is to increase access to high quality mental health services. This would mean ensuring that there are enough practitioners in the area and they are charging a rate that everyone can afford to pay, possibly using a sliding scale range of fees for clients of different socioeconomic statuses. Additionally, this means a commitment to training the next generation of psychologists, while instilling within them the drive to serve their communities as well. Also, I want to educate others about the mental health field to erase the stigma about seeking mental health care. This is critical for caregivers to be informed of when and where to seek help for their children. Beyond cost and access, the stigma surrounding mental health care is a huge barrier. I will help to reduce this barrier by increasing educational opportunities for parents and educators to learn about mental health. It is further important for children to understand that there is nothing wrong with asking for mental health help, because caring for the mind is as important as caring for the body. I have already begun to connect my work in the field of psychology to outside community engagement. My work as a Registered Behavior Technician served the Baltimore community in a concrete way. I travelled to client’s houses who could not otherwise make the drive to the clinic to obtain behavioral therapy. I helped children with Autism Spectrum Disorder to build on their existing skills, learn new things, and decrease maladaptive behaviors. Without a commitment to serve others outside of the traditional therapy clinic, I may not have been willing to drive long distances to reach my clients. The ability to serve others in my community as a psychologist was an incredibly rewarding experience. I intend to incorporate all of these aspects into my work as a child psychologist to connect to all people in the mental health community beyond traditional psychotherapy.

In this image, I stood in Interlaken, Switzerland during my semester abroad. Before this semester, I struggled with the idea of travelling far from home, but I embraced the multicultural experience that I knew would help me in my future career as a child psychologist. This photo was taken a week prior to being sent home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Initially, this made me regret my bold decision to vary my educational experience. However, after adapting to the difficulties of the pandemic, I realized that the decision to better myself was the boldest choice I could have made.