I would use my college education to give back to the community and teach the youth what it means to be educated and fruitful. There's so much to learn and so much to live for. Since I am currently an Exercise Science major, I can help the youth to be more active in sports which can help with depression and anxiety. I would be able to help those who want to work out and live a happier and healthier life. With that information given, it could be passed down to friends and family to get together and be more satisfied in life. It's a sad life we live in where there is gun violence everywhere. It's sadder to know that kids are more susceptible to gun violence in this day and age. Kids need to learn how to be kids and have fun, live long prosperous lives, and learn how to be healthy, not only physically, but mentally and emotionally. Every day we should not live in our community with the fear that someone is out to get us to shoot us or will get shot by a random gunman at any point in our lives. I, myself, have lost a couple of people to gun violence. I lost a cousin and I lost my grandfather to gun violence. I wasn't as close to my cousin as we should have been, but he was still a family member of mine who did not deserve the kind of fate he received. Unfortunately, I never had the chance to meet my maternal grandfather because he was shot and killed years before I was born. We all go through our own sessions of "what if?" questions going through our minds from time to time. "What if my loved one was still here today?" "How would my life be today if he/she was still alive today?" "What if I got to hold them and tell them 'I love them' one more time?" Personally, I ask myself "How would my life be today if my grandfather was alive today?" "Would I be living a better life than I am today?" "Why did my family have to fall victim to gun violence?" Like everyone who has been affected by gun violence, we all want it to stop for good. We understand death is part of the circle of life, but taking the lives of others and living with pain and despair is not the best quality of life we all deserve. We should all be living long, healthy, and happy lives.

Take a day at a time. Focus on what makes you happy and what can possibly keep your mind busy. It gets harder every day when you get stuck within your own struggle. Have faith in yourself despite not seeing any potential in yourself at the moment. Every day is different so tackle what makes you struggle with your mental health. I struggle with my mental health every day. Sometimes I feel everything does not matter or no one truly cares about me. I know I am wrong for thinking like this knowing it doesn't make anything better, but there are days when I don't want to deal with anything. Whenever you find yourself lost in your depression, find that book you love to read, go online and watch your favorite Youtube videos, go to a gym and workout for an hour, or even call a friend or family member to spend some time with them. You have an array of options to not focus on the struggle that comes with your mental health. Tell yourself that you are worthy of anything and you can conquer your fears. Do not let the past affect your future because every day we may not wake up and achieve our goals in life. Appreciate that we have been given any chance to live another day because there are too many people dying due to COVID. It's a scary world out there, but find the beauties in life that would want you to get up every morning expecting another good day. We have to be strong and diligent and focused on what we want for ourselves. Don't live your life with the "glass is half empty" mentality. Open your mind to new things. You never know what will help you get through the day.