Hello, my name is Jada Holley, I'm currently a first-year student at Ohio University majoring in Chemistry on the pre-med route following through with my great interest in science. I’m a passionate, respectful, and efficient leader that aspires to make the world a better place for generations to come. I would like to thank you for taking the time to read my application. The smile on someone’s face, the peppy walk, and the overall mood booster that appears on the face of others when I’m more involved in my community and help someone out. It truly feels good to help uplift someone else and provide an outlet of support for someone in need, that’s what truly inspires me to get involved in my community. Giving something to someone or helping them out is the real gift that keeps giving as you have just made a lasting impact on them. My late grandma was someone I watched give the clothes off her back to the next person so they would feel conferrable. The late Ms. Williams helped every soul she interacted with by cooking meals or even providing a place to stay for a few days, she taught me the greater meaning of what it means to be selfless, and that image is what puts the battery in my back to stay involved in bettering my community. It’s important to leave a lasting impact on someone so they will gain the spirit to keep giving, which could create a more accepting and inclusive society! That’s important to spread on for generations to come. I have worked in many ways to bring about change in my community and communities around me. During my last year of high school, I worked as a free tutor for students struggling in math, science, psychology, their writing skills, and in social studies. I was able to forge connections with my peers while also help uplift the student’s emotional well-being by providing encouragement and steadily improving their academic performance. I have also worked the last few years at the recently closed Champions in the Making daycare in Wilmington, Ohio. I got the chance to volunteer and poor greatness into our youth by pushing the kids to better themselves in many aspects and I was an additional support system for the students. I got to read the children books, listen to the kids express themselves, and even mentor as a “big sister”. I enjoyed seeing the smiles on the kids’ faces when they saw me and yelled “Ms. Holley”. I find value in setting up the youth up for success as kids are affected the most by problems of older generations and people don’t realize the toll it can take on them in their early years of development. In addition, a touching experience I had while volunteering was at St. Vincent De Paul homeless shelter for women and families. During thanksgivings and Christmases, I volunteer there in the kitchen prepping food and making plates. The people there are so grateful for my attendance and thank me and conversate with me the whole time. Moments like those encourage clarity and really teach you the lesson of selflessness that needs to be spread around the world to create a more caring society!

Hello, my name is Jada Holley, I'm currently a first-year student at Ohio University majoring in Chemistry on the pre-med route following through with my great interest in science. I would like to thank you for taking the time to read my application. Passion. Selflessness. Drive. Creative & focused. Those are all traits I feel you must embody as someone who wants to pursue a medical career. The medical field is a career path that is constantly evolving due to never-ending research, while also getting to improve the health of the world around you and that is what is so captivating about it. From a young age, I have known I wanted to work in the medical field and have many plans for myself. I plan on becoming a surgical oncologist who can make an impact in cancer research by advocating for more light to be shed on holistic approaches before my patient has to be put on the operating table. In addition, I would like to "heal the gut" by contributing to microbiology research and furthering our knowledge of the human microbiome, which contributes to autoimmune diseases and mental illness. It’s important we heal our community mentally and physically from the inside out! I have larger aspiration to help other aspiring African American doctors such as opening my own practice that creates the jobs for other minorities that have faced the struggles and sometimes doubt of joining a career pathway that is predominantly white. My late grandma has greatly inspired my ambition to become an oncologist, as she passed from cancer when I was in 5th grade, and I find it important to carry on her love for others and help take care of others and potentially add on to the research for the overall new pathways for the cure for cancer. It’s dear to me that I help others not experience the pain she faced and save as many lives as possible! In a world that can make it hard for African Americans to prevail and make a more successful life for themselves and their families, it’s crucial that I help increase racial diversity in healthcare. About five percent of doctors are black compared to other races tripling their presence in the medical field. If I can increase racial diversity not only in healthcare but in the world of STEM, then I can create a more inclusive environment for minorities as well as open doors for future generations to come. Moreover, I have heard horror stories of how African Americans get treated in the healthcare system due to racism from their own doctors, which puts their own life at danger. More diversity and inclusion could greatly benefit minorities as they get treated by people who look just like them and care for them on a deeper level. There are strength in number helping potential increase that five percent would raise the eyes of other healthcare professions and would enforce the acceptance of people of color taking over positions such as head surgeon, or lead nurse in their hospital, which is something I hope to see soon. All in all, the medical field is something I’m truly focused on, and I have so many goals set for myself to help others and improve the treatment of minorities, so they feel safe when they go to the doctor to get treated.

Hello, my name is Jada Holley, I'm currently a first-year student at Ohio University majoring in Chemistry on the pre-med route following through with my great interest in science. I would like to thank you for taking the time to read my application. Passion. Selflessness. Drive. Creative & focused. Those are all traits I feel you must embody as someone who wants to pursue a medical career. The medical field is a career path that is constantly evolving due to never-ending research, while also getting to improve the health of the world around you and that is what is so captivating about it. From a young age, I have known I wanted to work in the medical field and have many plans for myself. I plan on becoming a surgical oncologist who can make an impact in cancer research by advocating for more light to be shed on holistic approaches before my patient has to be put on the operating table. In addition, I would like to "heal the gut" by contributing to microbiology research and furthering our knowledge of the human microbiome, which contributes to autoimmune diseases and mental illness. It’s important we heal our community mentally and physically from the inside out! I have larger aspiration to help other aspiring African American doctors such as opening my own practice that creates the jobs for other minorities that have faced the struggles and sometimes doubt of joining a career pathway that is predominantly white. My late grandma has greatly inspired my ambition to become an oncologist, as she passed from cancer when I was in 5th grade, and I find it important to carry on her love for others and help take care of others and potentially add on to the research for the overall new pathways for the cure for cancer. It’s dear to me that I help others not experience the pain she faced and save as many lives as possible! In a world that can make it hard for African Americans to prevail and make a more successful life for themselves and their families, it’s crucial that I help increase racial diversity in healthcare. About five percent of doctors are black compared to other races tripling their presence in the medical field. If I can increase racial diversity not only in healthcare but in the world of STEM, then I can create a more inclusive environment for minorities as well as open doors for future generations to come. Moreover, I have heard horror stories of how African Americans get treated in the healthcare system due to racism from their own doctors, which puts their own life at danger. More diversity and inclusion could greatly benefit minorities as they get treated by people who look just like them and care for them on a deeper level. There are strength in number helping potential increase that five percent would raise the eyes of other healthcare professions and would enforce the acceptance of people of color taking over positions such as head surgeon, or lead nurse in their hospital, which is something I hope to see soon. All in all, the medical field is something I’m truly focused on, and I have so many goals set for myself to help others and improve the treatment of minorities, so they feel safe when they go to the doctor to get treated.

Hello, my name is Jada Holley, I'm currently a first-year student at Ohio University majoring in Chemistry on the pre-med route following through with my great interest in science. I’m a passionate, respectful, and efficient leader that aspires to make the world a better place for generations to come. I would like to thank you for taking the time to read my application. I’m a very driven and efficient person which has pushed me to find as many outlets as possible to help support me in attending college, which can sometimes be seen as an unachievable dream for young men and women in the black community due to the cost to attend a university. I’m planning/ working to address my current and future student loan debt by staying faithful and using research to find grants and scholarships that will ease the burden of accumulating debt. I currently maintain a job during all college breaks and weekends I happen to be home by working at my externship at Clinton Memorial Hospital as a patient care tech. The job allows me to gain experience in the medical field, a pathway I’m truly passionate about. I’m able to gain some income although inconsistent once I return to school from breaks. I also have a work-study where I work at my school’s Multicultural center as a receptionist, which allows me to make connections with my peers that look like me. My work study allows me to get money biweekly although, in very low portions, I can save from time to time to put up and pay towards my tuition. I have also filled out my FASAS early so that I can get the best chance of receiving the maximum Pell grant! Moreover, I maintained a 4.3 GPA in high school which allowed me to gain scholarships from my current university and as a first year I achieved a 4.0 GPA while being named on the dean’s list, which allows me to maintain my scholarships. I have also had meetings with my financial aid advisor and applied for my universities upperclassmen scholarships to hopefully get my tuition balance reduced for my sophomore year of college to continue my studies to one day become a future oncologist. I have applied to as many outside scholarships as possible to hopefully reach someone who sees my great potential and helps ease the worry of debt. I currently live in a one-parent household and my mom will also be going back to school to better herself and I would like to help ease her mind so she can also focus on her studies!

One specific experience that I have faced that I feel has shaped me as a teen is dealing with mental health as a young black woman. Mental health in the black community throughout generations has been seen as an uncomfortable topic that is avoided. A feeling of being anxious and feeling highs and lows are all things I didn’t know how to deal with, and I recognized that it was a problem for myself. African Americans are a group that has been oppressed for many years even up until now, and many of us are taught to show no weakness, that we have to stay strong. It is an idea instilled into our heads at a young age. We have always been taught that our people survived slavery and that the trials that Blacks are facing now are those that we need to be able to deal with and rise above, especially in the mental health area. With all those emotions of being a teen and having a lot of other internal and external pressures, I was scared to ask for help. I have family members that say depression isn’t a “thing”. After all our people have gone through, they say that those concepts of struggling mentally are nothing. That pushed me away from speaking up, and that was something new for me. Letting things bottle up and manifest themselves in a negative light isn’t good, and I realized that. I had to pivot and open up about what I was going through to my mom. We both dove into the field of mental health and learned more about it. My mom helped me find coping techniques. She reminded me to take a breath and step back from intense and stressful situations. I have learned so much from that time and I have grown so much from it as well. As I’m growing into an adult, I’m seeing it's very important to reflect, so I use a journal, and seeing the words before my eyes empower me. I see that this shows strength within. Since opening up more about my mental health, I’m seeing what an impact it can make on my peers of any color. People are afraid and don’t know how to overcome mental health setbacks. I realized there was something going on with me, and I couldn’t stick to the stigma of avoiding that. I didn’t want this ethic to keep being drilled into young black kids’ minds; it's something that must be seen in a neutral light so everyone feels comfortable expressing themselves. The idea of this generational problem can’t continue. If I spoke up this could really make a difference. I will continue to preach the importance of African American mental health. I hope to start an organization for young black kids so they can learn about mental health. I want them to know it's okay to be vulnerable as a black person in today's society. Every obstacle comes with responsibility, being uncomfortable, and pushing myself to overcome it. Moments like these have opened my eyes. Asking for help can be difficult for certain people and having an outlet helps ease people into speaking about issues. I am someone who has seen the result of what the difficulty of opening up is like. Finally expressing myself was one of the best experiences I encountered from my obstacle.

One specific experience that I have faced that I feel has shaped me is dealing with mental health as a young black woman. Mental health in the black community throughout generations has been seen as an uncomfortable topic that is avoided. A feeling of being anxious and feeling highs and lows are all things I didn’t know how to deal with, and I recognized that it was a problem for me. African Americans are a group that has been oppressed for many years even up until now, and many of us are taught to show no weakness, that we have to stay strong. It is an idea instilled into our heads at a young age. We have always been taught that our people survived slavery and that the trials that Blacks are facing now are those that we need to be able to deal with and rise above, especially in the mental health area. With all those emotions of being a teen and having a lot of other pressures while not knowing what to do with them, I was scared to ask for help. I have family members that say depression isn’t a “thing”. They say that after all our people have gone through, those concepts of struggling mentally are nothing. That pushed me away from speaking up, and that was something new for me. Letting things bottle up and manifest themselves in a negative light isn’t good. I had to pivot and open up about what I was going through to my mom. My mom was saddened by what I had expressed, but glad I opened up to her. We both dove into the field of mental health and learned more about it. My mom helped me find coping techniques and acknowledge sometimes I need an “unloader” day to reflect and grow from what I faced that week or even month. She reminded me to take a breath and step back from intense and stressful situations. I have learned so much from that time and I have grown so much from it as well. As I’m growing into an adult, I’m seeing it's very important to reflect, so I use a journal, and seeing the words before my eyes empower me. I see that this shows strength within. Since opening up more about my mental health, I’m seeing what an impact it can make on my peers of any color. People are afraid and don’t know how to overcome setbacks involving mental health. I realized there was something going on with me, and I couldn’t stick to the stigma of avoiding that. I didn’t want this ethic to keep being drilled into young black kids’ minds; it's something that must be seen in a neutral light so everyone feels comfortable expressing themselves. The idea of this generational problem can’t continue. If I spoke up this could really make a difference. I will continue to preach the importance of African American mental health. I hope to start an organization for young black kids so they can learn about mental health. I want them to know it's okay to be vulnerable as a black person in today's society. Every obstacle comes with responsibility, being uncomfortable, and pushing myself to overcome it. Moments like these have opened my eyes. Asking for help can be difficult for certain people and having an outlet helps ease people into speaking about issues. I am someone who has seen the result of what the difficulty of opening up is like. Finally expressing myself was one of the best experiences I encountered from my obstacle.

1. I’m a minority so this is reparations and I just need the money for free college ! 2.I want to become a surgical oncologist to help cancer patients because my grandma someone I was very close with died from cancer. Also, the medical field bring in the big money $$$$ 3.Mental health is a topic not discussed in the black community because we don’t want to be seen as weak. I have found coping methods and reached out for help to deal with my mental health and I’m currently kicking anxiety’s a$$.

One specific experience that I have faced that I feel has shaped me as a teen is dealing with mental health as a young black woman. Mental health in the black community throughout generations has been seen as an uncomfortable topic that is avoided. A feeling of being anxious and feeling highs and lows are all things I didn’t know how to deal with, and I recognized that it was a problem for me. African Americans are a group that has been oppressed for many years even up until now, and many of us are taught to show no weakness, that we have to stay strong. It's an idea instilled into our heads at a young age. We have always been taught that our people survived slavery and that the trials Blacks are facing now are those that we need to be able to deal with and rise above, especially in the mental health area. With all those emotions of being a teen and having a lot of pressure while not knowing what to do with them, I was scared to ask for help. I felt pushed away from speaking up, and that's new for me, since I'm a very outgoing person. Letting things bottle up and manifest in a negative light isn’t good. I had to pivot and open up about what I was going through to my mom. She was saddened by what I had expressed, but glad I opened up. My mom helped me find coping techniques and acknowledge sometimes I need a day to reflect on what I faced that week. She reminded me to take a step back from intense situations. As I’m growing into an adult, I’m seeing it's very important to reflect, so I use a journal, and seeing the words before my eyes empower me. I see that this shows strength within. Since opening up more about my mental health, I’m seeing what an impact it can make on my peers. People are afraid and don’t know how to handle their mental health. I realized there was something going on, and I couldn’t stick to the stigma of avoiding that. I didn’t want this ethic to keep being drilled into black children's minds; it's something that must be seen in a neutral light so everyone feels comfortable expressing themselves. The idea of this generational problem can’t continue. If I spoke up this could really make a difference. I will continue to preach the importance of African American mental health. I hope to start an organization for black teens so they can learn about mental health. I want them to know it's okay to be vulnerable as a black person in today's society. Asking for help can be difficult for certain people and having an outlet helps ease people into speaking about issues. I'm someone who has seen the result of what the difficulty of opening up is like. Finally expressing myself was one of the best experiences I encountered from my obstacle.

I aspire to change the world by being a positive role model for minorities such as young black men and women. I want to work in the STEM field as a surgical oncologist where I want to help develop further research on cancer and find less painful ways of curing cancer. My grandmother passed away from cancer when through radiation, and it was painful having to watch her suffer as she lost herself. I want to advance the research on more natural and holistic ways of curing cancer. My efficient work skills and great work ethic will allow me to do so while also being a positive figure for African Americans. In the STEM field, there is not only a large gap between men and women but also between people of color as the numbers of African Americans in the field are very low. I want to work on expanding that and allowing people to know there are so many opportunities in the world that allow you to help others and be a part of something greater than themselves. Being seen as a minority because the color of my skin has made me want to be the voice for so many like me that experience the same situations in today's society. A topic of concern of mine that has became more into light is the subject of mental health for black men and women. Mental health in the black community is topic that is consistently downplayed, especially by elders. I have had many talks about mental health with my older family members that kids in my generation should not be stressed, anxious, or depress because of what our ancestors have dealt with from slavery to the civil rights movement. As a teen I have had my experiences with mental health which wasn't my best moments such as anxiety and feeling highs and lows and I felt I could not open up about it. I'm a very strong-willed person as well as I have always liked to speak my mind and not being able to open up felt very limiting to me. I saw that this is an issue for my peers and I could make a pivotal change in the black community. I talked to my mom about what I had been dealing with and she was sadden but also help me cope with what I was experiencing. That specific situation has made me stronger in belief of I need to advocate for mental health for young African American men and women. I want to start an organization to teach not only black teens but even grown men and women about mental health and stop this generational idea of the unimportance of taking care of ourselves mentally. I'm going to make an enormous impact on my people and help create stronger and more mentally inclined people. The need for shedding light on mental health so that African Americans feel comfortable with being vulnerable with a society we already feel is against us. Everyday I aspire to create plans that I can use in the future to make a difference in the world around me to impact us all for the better.

1. I grew up with a loving and very supportive family that pushed me to do anything I put my mind to I have always valued education and the presence I make academically as well as the impression I leave on others. I want to continue in the footsteps and make an example of a strong black woman for others. I want to inspire others and leave a mark on them to help uplift them. I'm motivated by my mom and my grandmother who are the backbone of my family and continue to show me what a kind and selfless person is like. My mother is in the medical field which sparked my interest at a young age and allowed me to have a support system to continue to grow my knowledge on the subject of matter. That also played a part in my wanting to become a surgical oncologist to make a difference in cancer research. My late grandmother passed away from cancer and my part in the field would allow me to honor her passing. I want to find new approaches that would allow cancer patients to go through less stress and pain when getting treated, that is my major goal at heart because I watched the toll it took on my grandmother. I aspire to use my medical degree and go further on with opening my medical practice so I can take a step in closing the gap of diversity in the STEM field. 2. The STEM field is constantly growing and it's a line of work that creates critical thinkers. I am most excited about all the skills I will gain as a part of the STEM field. I am a visual person and being able to be so hands-on in this field will be my favorite part. I will be able to grow to be my most innovative and hard-working self to help with research to help others. STEM has so many high-paying rewards such as being able to help others and being a part of cutting-edge work. In this field, it is very competitive and will keep me and my colleagues to stay up to par by pushing each other to be the very best we can be in our line of work. A fascinating part of this is how much of a role the STEM field plays all around the world and knowing I could change research and technology around the world is amazing. I want to be able to create a more efficient system to possibly change medicine forever. I'm working toward less harmful medicine practices such as radiation. Furthermore, I would be able to touch technology and create faster processes in the medical field that would demonstrate my strong skill sets not only to myself but to others around me. I want to be able to break gender roles as well as close the wage gap between not only men and women but also minorities of color. 3. As a young black woman in America I am a minority when it comes to a lot of certain aspects in life, and I have never let those put me down. As I am developing I'm facing certain challenges but one specifically that I would say was my greatest challenge would be on the topic of mental health and how to properly deal with it. In the black community mental health is often a topic that is disregarded and downplayed in our society. Many of my older relatives have voiced to me that I should be strong-willed because I have never faced anything close to what my ancestors have endured. The consistency of that being preached scared me away from talking about my feelings of highs and lows as well as anxiety. I'm a very social person that has never been afraid to speak my mind so keeping what I was going through to myself, while also not understanding what's going on and how to deal with it was extremely difficult. I realized I didn't want to keep pushing on with the weight of it so I finally opened up to my mom, someone who was very saddened to hear what I was going through. My mom helped me immensely by finding coping methods such as using a journal to express myself, which was empowering to see all my words before me. I also tried "unloader days" where I did self-care and just reflected on everything I had been going through. Being able to open up was one of the best feelings and I regained my strength back mentally as well as emotionally.

STEM is an umbrella term used for a group of academic disciplines, and in my case, the subject of science is what I am most passionate about. I am someone who truly enjoys expanding my knowledge about biology, physics, chemistry, etc. From a young age, I have been fascinated by the idea of science and how it opens the door for the exploration of the world around me. Before me, there is a wide list of scientists that have created a path for future research, and it is amazing to see. In addition, as a young black female, the field of STEM seems like a place with small possibilities. Only 11% of people working in the field are black and that goes along with a major reason why I am so passionate about it. I want to work in the field of medicine as an oncologist and this can be my opportunity to be a trailblazer for other young African American's to see they can make a path in any career field even if it seems the odds are against them. I am looking to expand the diversity as well as close the economic gap for black women in the STEM field to create a fair world for the next generation of scientists, mathematicians, engineers, and tech workers. To add to my love for science I want to dive into the field of entrepreneurship. Once I gain my degree and become a surgical oncologist I would like to open up a practice as well. I can be a strong front for women and inspire them to go out there and get what they want. The importance of opening up my practice and becoming my boss is major. I hope to hire other headstrong women in the field of medicine and keep expanding on with an all-women practice. Additionally, with the funds, I make from my practice I hope to start an organization to help teach young African Americans how to deal with the topic of mental health, which is something that is greatly ignored in black communities. I want to make the world a more open place for black kids to be vulnerable and feel accepted. By making kids feel open about talking about their feelings we are creating stronger young men and women that will be the next forefronts in so many job positions. All in all, my passion for STEM and entrepreneurship expands larger than just myself, I want to reach people around me to help them gain interest in those fields and better themselves.

STEM is an umbrella term used for a group of academic disciplines, and in my case, the subject of science is what I am most passionate about. I am someone who truly enjoys expanding my knowledge about biology, physics, chemistry, etc. From a young age, I have been fascinated by the idea of science and how it opens the door for the exploration of the world around me. Before me, there is a wide list of scientists that have created a path for future research, and it is amazing to see. In addition, as a young black female, the field of STEM seems like a place with small possibilities. Only 11% of people working in the field are black and that goes along with a major reason why I am so passionate about it. I want to work in the field of medicine as an oncologist and this can be my opportunity to be a trailblazer for other young African American's to see they can make a path in any career field even if it seems the odds are against them. I am looking to expand the diversity as well as close the economic gap for black women in the STEM field to create a fair world for the next generation of scientists, mathematicians, engineers, and tech workers. To add to my love for science I want to dive into the field of entrepreneurship. Once I gain my degree and become a surgical oncologist I would like to open up a practice as well. I can be a strong front for women and inspire them to go out there and get what they want. The importance of opening up my practice and becoming my own boss is major. I hope to hire other headstrong women in the field of medicine and keep expanding on with an all-women practice. Additionally, with the funds, I make from my practice I hope to start an organization to help teach young African Americans how to deal with the topic of mental health, which is something that is greatly ignored in black communities. I want to make the world a more open place for black kids to be vulnerable and feel accepted. By making kids feel open about talking about their feelings we are creating stronger young men and women that will be the next forefronts in so many job positions. All in all, my passion for STEM and entrepreneurship expands larger than just myself, I want to reach people around me to help them gain interest in those fields and better themselves.

My name is Jada Holley and I am currently a senior at Wilmington high school. I recently turned 18 and I am excited to venture out into the world and make an impact upon others, and college is where I see fit on starting. I plan on attending an HBCU to further my education where I will major in biology for Pre-medicine and minor in business. I chose my field of study because of my grandma who passed away due to cancer which inspired me to become a surgical oncologist. My grandma was someone very dear to me and she taught me a lot about being a young black woman and how to navigate the world. My mother who works in the medical field is also someone that has inspired me to keep pushing forward in perusing this career of science and health. In addition, I have always been interested in the medical field from a young age and I have taken steps such as taking classes at Southern State Community College to get a step ahead in the field of medicine. As a driven, hard-working, and student that is always willing to expand my knowledge, I think the field of medicine will be perfect for me. I am not a first-generation college student because my mom and older brother have both attended college and set examples for me for what being ambitious is like. In order for me to broaden my knowledge at an HBCU, I would need this scholarship to help me with my journey. I live in a single-mother household with me and my younger sister, and this scholarship would provide an opportunity for me to earn my next level of education at a university. My chosen field will help the people around me by creating a healthier community. I want to take care of others and provide a new light of faith. African Americans have set many trailblazing impacts in the medical field and I would like to honor my ancestors by carrying that on. The medical field needs more diversity and I would be setting an example for other young black women in my career, and that’s exactly what I want to do. Once I gain my degree I will go onto medical school and hopefully become an oncologist in a hospital where I want to bring more of a holistic/natural approach to treating diseases such as cancer. My education in the health field will also allow me to open up a non-profit organization for black men and women where I can teach them more about mental health, which is a topic in the black community that is downplayed. I want to become a role model for others and make an impact on everyone I come in contact with to show how powerful black women are.

Gratitude and appreciation are both things a person should give, receive, and acknowledge in their lifetime to make personal growth. I grew up in a household where these values were taught and I feel like I am someone who expresses my gratitude and appreciation. For example, I volunteer at a kitchen for a homeless shelter in a city nearby me. In my experience at St. Vincent de Paul homeless shelter, I have gained more appreciation for the situation I am in life because people are struggling all around the world. I am thankful I can help out a community and gain personal connections with the people who are currently residing at the shelter. I try to practice mindfulness of my actions, thoughts, and words. I am someone who believes in reflecting upon myself and so I keep a journal where I can do that. I can go back on situations and appreciate how lucky I am or how I can change my approach to show gratefulness. As I mature I am seeing that life deals a lot with personal connections and relationships you make with the peers around you. Things such as giving someone a phone call, saying "Please and thank you", and just writing a simple note to show someone that 'you see them' can make all the difference in someone's life. The gratification I feel from doing the small things to help make someone's day just slightly better has allowed me to be more appreciative of the time I have with people. To bring it all back, I feel appreciation and gratitude are major aspects of life and that is why I try to demonstrate those traits in my everyday life.

One specific experience that I have faced that has shaped me as a teen is dealing with mental health as a young black woman. Mental health in the black community throughout generations has been seen as an uncomfortable topic that is avoided. A feeling of being anxious and feeling highs and lows are all things I didn’t know how to deal with, and I recognized that it was a problem for myself. African Americans are a group that have been oppressed for many years even up until now, and many of us are taught to show no weakness, that we have to stay strong. It is an idea instilled into our heads at a young age. We have always been taught that our people survived slavery and that the trials that Blacks are facing now are those that we need to be able to deal with and rise above, especially in the mental health area.With all those emotions of being a teen and having a lot of other pressures while not knowing what to do with them, I was scared to ask for help. I have family members that say depression isn’t a “thing”. They say that after all our people have gone through, those concepts of struggling mentally are nothing. That pushed me away from speaking up, and that's something new for me, since I am a very outgoing person. Letting things bottle up and manifest itself in a negative light isn’t good, and I realized that. I had to pivot and open up about what I was going through to my mom. My mom was saddened by what I had expressed, but glad I opened up to her. My mom helped me find coping techniques, and acknowledge sometimes I need an “unloader” day to reflect and grow from what I faced that week or even month. She reminded me to take a breath and step back from intense and stressful situations. I have learned so much from that time and I have grown so much from it as well. As I’m growing into an adult, I’m seeing it's very important to reflect, so I use a journal, and seeing the words before my eyes empowers me. I see that this shows strength within. Since opening up more about my mental health, I’m seeing what an impact it can make on my peers of any color. People are afraid and don’t know how to overcome setbacks involving mental health. I realized there was something going on with me, and I couldn’t stick to the stigma of avoiding that. I didn’t want this ethic to keep being drilled into young black kids’ minds; it's something that must be seen in a neutral light so everyone feels comfortable expressing themselves on. The idea of this generational problem can’t continue. If I spoke up this could really make a difference. I will continue to preach the importance of African American mental health. I hope to start an organization for young black kids so they can learn about mental health. I want them to know it's okay to be vulnerable as a black person in today's society. Every obstacle comes with responsibility, being uncomfortable, and pushing myself to overcome it. Moments like these have opened my eyes. Asking for help can be difficult for certain people and having an outlet helps ease people into speaking about issues. I am someone who has seen the result of what the difficulty of opening up is like. Finally expressing myself was one of the best experiences I encountered from my obstacle.

One specific experience that I have faced that I feel has shaped me as a teen is dealing with mental health as a young black woman. Mental health in the black community throughout generations has been seen as an uncomfortable topic that is avoided. A feeling of being anxious and feeling highs and lows are all things I didn’t know how to deal with, and I recognized that it was a problem for myself. African Americans are a group that have been oppressed for many years even up until now, and many of us are taught to show no weakness, that we have to stay strong. It's an idea instilled into our heads at a young age. We have always been taught that our people survived slavery and that the trials Blacks are facing now are those that we need to be able to deal with and rise above, especially in the mental health area. With all those emotions of being a teen and having a lot of pressures while not knowing what to do with them, I was scared to ask for help. I felt pushed away from speaking up, and that's new for me, since I'm a very outgoing person. Letting things bottle up and manifest in a negative light isn’t good. I had to pivot and open up about what I was going through to my mom. She was saddened by what I had expressed, but glad I opened up. My mom helped me find coping techniques, and acknowledge sometimes I need a day to reflect on what I faced that week. She reminded me to take a step back from intense situations. As I’m growing into an adult, I’m seeing it's very important to reflect, so I use a journal, and seeing the words before my eyes empowers me. I see that this shows strength within. Since opening up more about my mental health, I’m seeing what an impact it can make on my peers. People are afraid and don’t know how to handle their mental health. I realized there was something going on, and I couldn’t stick to the stigma of avoiding that. I didn’t want this ethic to keep being drilled into black children minds; it's something that must be seen in a neutral light so everyone feels comfortable expressing themselves. The idea of this generational problem can’t continue. If I spoke up this could really make a difference. I will continue to preach the importance of African American mental health. I hope to start an organization for black teens so they can learn about mental health. I want them to know it's okay to be vulnerable as a black person in today's society. Asking for help can be difficult for certain people and having an outlet helps ease people into speaking about issues. I'm someone who has seen the result of what the difficulty of opening up is like. Finally expressing myself was one of the best experiences I encountered from my obstacle.