I am a Black, biracial, bisexual, cis-woman who is passionate about creating accessible mental wellness services specifically for youth of color. I am the first to graduate college in my family and consider myself a strong youth advocate. My formal diagnoses consist of PTSD, type-B personality disorder (I believe Borderline Personality Disorder), depression, anxiety, ADHD, and narcolepsy without cataplexy. I also heavily resonate with symptoms related to autism, but have not been formally evaluated. As you can imagine, each of my diagnoses can influence the other. When I'm too exhausted from having a 'sleep attack', I tend to get more emotional. When I'm overstimulated and can't focus, it can begin to feel emotionally and physically exhausting. It's been incredibly difficult to find an employer and internship that can fully support my ability needs without suspicion of being 'unprofessional', 'lazy', or being 'too emotional' for the role. The biggest frustration I face is that despite the complexity of these symptoms, it has been affirmed that I have been a strong leader that continues to meet (and sometimes even exceed) the responsibilities I am tasked with meaning: it's not because I'm not good at my job, but rather an inconvenience to the workplace. My ability to build authentic relationships and sustainable outcomes are possible because of the empathy, resources, and tools I have needed for my own personal barriers. To understand something that cannot be seen is a strength of mine; even when I haven't experienced it myself, I am grateful for my skills that can allow others to feel heard in a society that does everything it can to silence them. I was first employed with a local sexual violence agency to provide prevention services. This required me to not only facilitate workshops, discussions, presentations, and curriculums, but also have availability to be 'on-call' for hospital room accompaniment during forensic exams and for the 24/7 hotline. Although I wasn't categorized under direct services, I have shared space with several people of nuanced identities that changed my life. I initially wanted to start working in the field to provide the representation that is so desperately needed for young Black girls, but there was so much more that was needed. The most impactful experiences I have shared involved me simply providing space for someone to talk unapologetically and without judgement. From here, the reassurance that everything will be okay because of their own resilience was the only thing I felt like I could provide. I quickly learned the systemic challenges that we faced whether it be workplace discrimination, inequitable policy, excessive gaslighting, and the overwhelming objectification of someone's identity and thus experience. I decided to continue pursuing this work by starting my MSW and finding out more about myself. While taking on roles in domestic violence prevention, body image empowerment, and confidential advocacy, I found myself learning how to care for every part of me including the parts that brought me shame. I have fought hard to have my different abilities be acknowledged and accepted in the workplace, not because of my own accessibility needs but because I see it as a fight for something bigger than myself. This scholarship will be a tremendous help for me to provide the accessible spaces I know intersectional identities need because I know what it's like to live without them. To feel physically and emotionally safe requires acknowledgement and conversations that don't have to be labeled as 'difficult'. Thank you for considering my application so that I can become a comprehensive social worker that can effectively establish safety and true advocacy.