As I look toward graduation I can see my future career within reach. The problem becomes that the road toward graduation is paved with obstacles, but money should not be one of these. The fact that I am able to support myself and my family through school is an amazing experience, but it can be a challenge as I have to limit credit hours and semesters to match with federal funding. My current plan is to attend graduate school and perform research. This will allow me to transition into the workforce working at an observatory. Working in an observatory will be essential in peeling back the mysteries of the universe. Finding the answers to questions like how did the Earth get here, how did the universe start, and ultimately, where will it all go. With my current plan, I will be graduating in 2026. With additional funding of a scholarship, I will be able to work toward graduation more quickly. Being able to take an additional 3 to 4 credit hours per semester and work through the summer semester would assist me in achieving my goals much quicker than could be previously thought.

Mental health affects your role in the world. The entry point into reality is through the mind, so any alterations of this can be profoundly impacting. My struggles with depression and anxiety have changed the way that I operate in daily life, sometimes for a positive but can spiral into negativity if left unchecked. Struggling through doctors and therapists has helped me cope with these changes, but they always linger and I must be proactive in treatment. My earliest memories of living with depression changed the course of my life. Attempting to deal with issues related to that time caused me to become a worse student and ultimately deterred me from entering college with my peers. This has lead to bouncing from jobs and career paths while never being satisfied living through, what I perceive, as my ultimate purpose. From working with exceptional health care providers, I have learned to control the problems that are caused by anxiety and depression. With the help that has been provided to me, I have been able to move forward and make positive impacts on my and my family's lives. I can recall my strength from my best times during my worst times, but I have learned that it is impossible to overcome the struggle and stigma of mental illness alone. The lessons from my mental health journey have shown me some of the lowest points in myself but the utmost kindness that can be found in others. Without the help of others, my friends, family, my doctors, and even strangers, I would not have been able to recover from the lowest points of my mental illness. My mission, moving forward, is to ensure that I am always available to engage in positive ways to assist anyone that I may be fortunate enough to help.

My favorite film is The Matrix. The way that it explores how reality is not always what is experienced and how so much of what is perceived within that reality is shaped by your own experience. This theme helped me as I grew into accepting the nature of my mental illness; the way that your mind can be so powerful over your own world and life.