One night, I was doing a homework assignment for a health class when I got a phone call from my best friend. I thought it would be just how our regular phone calls would go. We would joke or talk about how our lives were going. Rather that be our latest crush or how we hated high school for its tedious workload. When I picked up the phone I was met with a word no one wants to hear. “Goodbye” was just one of the final words my friend said to me before telling me he was going to kill himself. He told me he couldn’t take much more of his life anymore and then he hung up. I called multiple times and sent hundreds of text messages but there was nothing I could do. He had blocked me on everything. He was going to kill himself and there was nothing I could do, nothing I could say to help him. That night I cried so much and for so long that my eyes were puffy the next morning. Rightfully, my parents caught wind of my grief and how my mental state was plummeting by the second. I had to talk to a therapist about my mental health. With the looming thought that my best friend could be dead, I was struggling to find the motivation to keep living. After months of grieving, I got a text message from my best friend. He told me he was in a mental health hospital for trying to commit suicide and was doing better. I don’t talk to him much anymore but I know that he’s been doing so much better after he tried to take his own life. After going through the pain of almost losing my friend, I realized that he was going through so much I could never imagine until that phone call. The children of this world are the voices of tomorrow. They hold the world in their hands and yet most children are hurting. They are going through all the trials of this world before they are old enough to vote. Children have given us so much. Love, laughter, imagination. They taught us about what the world is like through their eyes and helps remind us of the joy life can bring. Even with the gifts children have given us, we have yet to give back to them. We have failed them in so many ways when they trusted us to love and protect them. I am determined to become a therapist for children. I want to help the teenagers in mental health hospitals fighting with themselves. I want to help foster children suffering abuse in homes every day. I want to help the children that hold in so much anger because of the justice they never received. I want this world to be full of love where everyone is accepted for their differences but how will we be able to create a world like that if our children know nothing but this pain that we've all experienced? How do we expect these children to grow to love others if we have not shown them that love? This is what I was meant to do because nothing is more important than pulling these children out of the darkness of their minds. I am helping the world one day at a time starting with the children. I know my best friend is proud of me for creating a world that is full of love, the same kind of love he wished was shown to him as a child.

One night, I was doing a homework assignment for a health class when I got a phone call from my best friend. I thought it would be just how our regular phone calls would go. We would joke or talk about how our lives were going. Rather that be our latest crush or how we hated high school for its tedious workload. When I picked up the phone I was met with a word no one wants to hear. “Goodbye” was just one of the final words my friend said to me before telling me he was going to kill himself. He told me he couldn’t take much more of his life anymore and then he hung up. I called multiple times and sent hundreds of text messages but there was nothing I could do. He had blocked me on everything. He was going to kill himself and there was nothing I could do, nothing I could say to help him. That night I cried so much and for so long that my eyes were puffy the next morning. Rightfully, my parents caught wind of my grief and how my mental state was plummeting by the second. I had to talk to a therapist about my mental health. With the looming thought that my best friend could be dead, I was struggling to find the motivation to keep living. After months of grieving, I got a text message from my best friend. He told me he was in a mental health hospital for trying to commit suicide and was doing better. I don’t talk to him much anymore but I know that he’s been doing so much better after he tried to take his own life. After going through the pain of almost losing my friend, I realized that he was going through so much I could never imagine until that phone call. The children of this world are the voices of tomorrow. They hold the world in their hands and yet most children are hurting. They are going through all the trials of this world before they are old enough to vote. Children have given us so much. Love, laughter, imagination. They taught us about what the world is like through their eyes and helps remind us of the joy life can bring. Even with the gifts children have given us, we have yet to give back to them. We have failed them in so many ways when they trusted us to love and protect them. I am determined to become a therapist for children. I want to help the teenagers in mental health hospitals fighting with themselves. I want to help foster children suffering abuse in homes every day. I want to help the children that hold in so much anger because of the justice they never received. I want this world to be full of love where everyone is accepted for their differences but how will we be able to create a world like that if our children know nothing but this pain that we've all experienced? How do we expect these children to grow to love others if we have not shown them that love? This is what I was meant to do because nothing is more important than pulling these children out of the darkness of their minds. I am helping the world one day at a time starting with the children. I know my best friend is proud of me for creating a world that is full of love, the same kind of love he wished was shown to him as a child.

One night, I was doing a homework assignment for a health class when I got a phone call from my best friend. I thought it would be just how our regular phone calls would go. We would joke or talk about how our lives were going. Rather that be our latest crush or how we hated high school for its tedious workload. When I picked up the phone I was met with a word no one wants to hear. “Goodbye” was just one of the final words my friend said to me before telling me he was going to kill himself. He told me he couldn’t take much more of his life anymore and then he hung up. I called multiple times and sent hundreds of text messages but there was nothing I could do. He had blocked me on everything. He was going to kill himself and there was nothing I could do, nothing I could say to help him. That night I cried so much and for so long that my eyes were puffy the next morning. Rightfully, my parents caught wind of my grief and how my mental state was plummeting by the second. I had to talk to a therapist about my mental health. With the looming thought that my best friend could be dead, I was struggling to find the motivation to keep living. After months of grieving, I got a text message from my best friend. He told me he was in a mental health hospital for trying to commit suicide and was doing better. I don’t talk to him much anymore but I know that he’s been doing so much better after he tried to take his own life. After going through the pain of almost losing my friend, I realized that he was going through so much I could never imagine until that phone call. The children of this world are the voices of tomorrow. They hold the world in their hands and yet most children are hurting. They are going through all the trials of this world before they are old enough to vote. Children have given us so much. Love, laughter, imagination. They taught us about what the world is like through their eyes and helps remind us of the joy life can bring. Even with the gifts children have given us, we have yet to give back to them. We have failed them in so many ways when they trusted us to love and protect them. I am determined to become a therapist for children. I want to help the teenagers in mental health hospitals fighting with themselves. I want to help foster children suffering abuse in homes every day. I want to help the children that hold in so much anger because of the justice they never received. I want this world to be full of love where everyone is accepted for their differences but how will we be able to create a world like that if our children know nothing but this pain that we've all experienced? How do we expect these children to grow to love others if we have not shown them that love? This is what I was meant to do because nothing is more important than pulling these children out of the darkness of their minds. I am helping the world one day at a time starting with the children. I know my best friend is proud of me for creating a world that is full of love, the same kind of love he wished was shown to him as a child.

One night, I was doing a homework assignment for a health class when I got a phone call from my best friend. I thought it would be just how our regular phone calls would go. We would joke or talk about how our lives were going. Rather that be our latest crush or how we hated high school for its tedious workload. When I picked up the phone I was met with a word no one wants to hear. “Goodbye” was just one of the final words my friend said to me before telling me he was going to kill himself. He told me he couldn’t take much more of his life anymore and then he hung up. I called multiple times and sent hundreds of text messages but there was nothing I could do. He had blocked me on everything. He was going to kill himself and there was nothing I could do, nothing I could say to help him. That night I cried so much and for so long that my eyes were puffy the next morning. Rightfully, my parents caught wind of my grief and how my mental state was plummeting by the second. I had to talk to a therapist about my mental health. With the looming thought that my best friend could be dead, I was struggling to find the motivation to keep living. After months of grieving, I got a text message from my best friend. He told me he was in a mental health hospital for trying to commit suicide and was doing better. I don’t talk to him much anymore but I know that he’s been doing so much better after he tried to take his own life. After going through the pain of almost losing my friend, I realized that he was going through so much I could never imagine until that phone call. The children of this world are the voices of tomorrow. They hold the world in their hands and yet most children are hurting. They are going through all the trials of this world before they are old enough to vote. Children have given us so much. Love, laughter, imagination. They taught us about what the world is like through their eyes and helps remind us of the joy life can bring. Even with the gifts children have given us, we have yet to give back to them. We have failed them in so many ways when they trusted us to love and protect them. I am determined to become a therapist for children. I want to help the teenagers in mental health hospitals fighting with themselves. I want to help foster children suffering abuse in homes every day. I want to help the children that hold in so much anger because of the justice they never received. I want this world to be full of love where everyone is accepted for their differences but how will we be able to create a world like that if our children know nothing but this pain that we've all experienced? How do we expect these children to grow to love others if we have not shown them that love? This is what I was meant to do because nothing is more important than pulling these children out of the darkness of their minds. I am helping the world one day at a time starting with the children. I know my best friend is proud of me for creating a world that is full of love, the same kind of love he wished was shown to him as a child.

One night, I was doing a homework assignment for a health class when I got a phone call from my best friend. I thought it would be just how our regular phone calls would go. We would joke or talk about how our lives were going. Rather that be our latest crush or how we hated high school for its tedious workload. When I picked up the phone I was met with a word no one wants to hear. “Goodbye” was just one of the final words my friend said to me before telling me he was going to kill himself. He told me he couldn’t take much more of his life anymore and then he hung up. I called multiple times and sent hundreds of text messages but there was nothing I could do. He had blocked me on everything. He was going to kill himself and there was nothing I could do, nothing I could say to help him. That night I cried so much and for so long that my eyes were puffy the next morning. Rightfully, my parents caught wind of my grief and how my mental state was plummeting by the second. I had to talk to a therapist about my mental health. With the looming thought that my best friend could be dead, I was struggling to find the motivation to keep living. After months of grieving, I got a text message from my best friend. He told me he was in a mental health hospital for trying to commit suicide and was doing better. I don’t talk to him much anymore but I know that he’s been doing so much better after he tried to take his own life. After going through the pain of almost losing my friend, I realized that he was going through so much I could never imagine until that phone call. We all have struggled. It's something everyone has in common. We all have shed enough tears to fill swimming pools while others have cried enough to fill an ocean. We all have grown more frustrated from life's unfavorable trials. Some of us have lost everything and have grieved enough to span many lifetimes. All of us have grown up in a world that has not loved us as it should have. Some of us have grown to expect the frigid touch of death instead of the warmth that comes with a new life. We have all been scarred by a world that has given us every reason to hate it and as we decide to have children of our own we hope to protect them from the same pain that we have experienced. The children of this world are the future. They are the voices of tomorrow. They hold the world in their hands and yet most children are hurting just as much as an adult. They are going through all the trials the world has to offer before they are even old enough to vote. Children have given us so much. Love, laughter, imagination, and maybe a little attitude. They teach us so much about what the world is like through their eyes and help remind us of the joy life can bring. Even with the gifts children have given us, we have yet to give back to them. We have failed them in so many ways when they trusted us to take care of them, to protect them. I am determined to become a therapist for children that have lost everything to this world. I want to help the teenagers in mental health hospitals, fighting with themselves. I want to help foster children, suffering abuse in homes every day. I want to help the children that hold in so much anger because of the justice they never received. I want this world to be full of love where everyone is accepted for their differences so how will we be able to create a world like that if our children have known nothing but this pain that we've all experienced? How do we expect these children to grow to love others if we have not shown them that love? This is what I was meant to do because nothing is more important than pulling these children out of the darkness of their minds. We must show them the same light they've given to us for so long. I want to share my labors of love with every inch of the world so that no child will ever have to feel unloved, forgotten, or lost. I am helping the world one day at a time starting with the children that will grow to make this world better than how we'll all leave it. I know my best friend is proud of me for creating a world that is full of love, the same kind of love he wished was shown to him as a child.

Gun violence has been a pressing issue in the United States. People's ability to gain access to military-grade weapons is absurd especially if these are the same people who are a part of the hate groups that terrorize people they consider so different from them. I never knew that being different could cause so much discourse and unrest that the only way for people to feel comfortable is through murder. The problem is not with guns but with the people that have access to them. Almost every day, there is a public shooting in the United States. In two weeks, we have more mass shooting deaths than most countries have in a year. My school has received a school shooting scare. If the administrative team didn't catch word of the student's intention quickly enough, then there would have been yet another school being published in the new articles about the number of people injured or dead. There have been so many gun-related instances that I have had to walk through metal detectors and have my bags searched every single day. I'm required to carry a clear bookbag to school to ensure the safety of my fellow classmates but at the expense of my privacy. Unfortunately, Politicians would rather focus on the right to abortions than handle the matter of gun violence in our country. Statemen would rather ban gender-reaffirming care than ever consider making policies toward stricter gun policies. People are more considered with children having access to the truth about racism in the United States than their children feeling safe going to school. I am on a mission to help every child grow into their greatest potential and the best way I've started is by volunteering at a donation center. They are known as Bloom or Bloom Our Youth. They have clothes, tutoring opportunities, and different supplies they may need for school. They provide everything a foster child will need to succeed. While I am volunteering there, I still plan on becoming a children's therapist and part of my job will be providing support to children that have suffered from the horrible effects of gun violence. Helping the younger generation become healthy-minded adults will lessen the chances of the next school shooter being a student. No child should see their friends killed at the hands of another classmate which is why it's so important to lay a strong foundation for the betterment of children. Trauma from a school shooting can change your life forever and I want to make sure that no child will have to suffer the long-term effects of school shootings. No child should have to ever fear going to school because of the mental unrest of this country.

When we think of our health, we usually only take into consideration our physical health. We tend to forget the importance of a sound body and a sound mind. Our state of mind can greatly contribute to how we build relationships, how we apply our motivations and contributes to our quality of life. Just as you've needed to heal from a broken arm, the same needs to be applied to your mental health. No one would actively go to work with a broken foot so why are we excepted to do the same with a broken mind? Americans are struggling enough with the expenses of health care. Even though taxes are lower than in other countries, a large portion of that money goes to the country's defense. Other countries may have higher tax rates but that money covers health care and even university schooling. Health care insures that when you are sick or if you are hurt you are getting the help you need. Unfortunately, for many Americans that's not a reality. Having a baby in the United States could mean spending up to 20,000 dollars while in other countries it could be less than a thousand. Insulin prices in the United States are usually triple the amount compared to other countries. The health care expenses also apply to access to therapy services. If your health insurance doesn't cover therapy, it could mean paying thousands of dollars out of pocket for help. Usually, this means people put off therapy just like how some people will put off going to the doctor because of the outrageous medical prices. To improve the mental health of American citizens, the government needs to make health care more affordable. Mental health needs to be more of a priority, especially children's mental health. Parents and adults in the United States don't take a child's mental health as seriously as they should. Too many times have I seen children's cries for help be dismissed as being "overdramatic". Children are learning to process emotions and if they are coming to us, telling us that there is something wrong then we should believe them 100% of the time. If children and teenagers were able to gain access to therapy without hurting their parent's wallets, then they would be able to get the help they need sooner instead than later. This would truly help create a new generation of adults that can learn to continue to have not only a healthy body but a healthy mind as well.

I have the personality of a toddler. I love SpongeBob, dino nuggets, animal onesies and early 2000s games I played when I was a kid. I love being able to just relive all the games I used to play and watch all the shows I woke up early just to watch. My childhood was full of so many amazing memories that I revisit them often to indulge myself in the nostalgia. I miss those days when life wasn't so stressful and the day-to-day didn't drain me so much. I missed building forts in my living room or making "Together Breakfast" from Steven Universe. Life was less complicated and when I feel the weight of the day laying too heavy on my shoulders, I always make time for a few episodes of Adventure Time. Another attribute that contributes to my unique personality is how emotional I can be. I have always been a very sensitive child so much so that people believed I was being "overly dramatic" because of it. I was a child that literally cried over spilled milk and would constantly find myself in situations where I couldn't control my emotional state. Even though my sensitivity was inconvenient, it gave me the biggest heart. I'm a very generous person along with being an empath. When I was younger, I would give all of my Christmas money to donation boxes. I used to steal canned goods from the cabinets in my house to donate them to food drives. I would give away a large amount of my clothes to donation centers. As a child, I was aware of the living situations of other kids my age. I felt a lot of guilt and shame about being able to indulge in items other children couldn't have. That level of empathy I showed as a child has made me the generous person I am today. Now, I've learned to not give everything I can but I still do what I can to give more. Due to my generous nature, I volunteer at a donation center. They help provide foster children will clothes, school supplies, and even toys. I'm even going to college to major in psychology so I can become a children's therapist. I believe the best way to help more people is by starting with the world's children. I am so happy just to be able to help and even when I'm in another city for college, it won't stop me from continuing to help out the children in my community.

The day I came out of my mother's womb, I had no idea what life would have in store for me. None of us ever do but if we did would we still want to be born? If we could see what our lives would be like before we are born would we still choose to come into the world? As just a teenager, I have experienced enough pain to last me a lifetime, went through a period of confusion about who I was meant to be and feared the world that I used to believe in. I used to wonder if living was worth the small moments of happiness that would come and go. As young as I am, there are people way younger than me that are struggling just as much or even worse than I have. When we are born, we never expect life to be this difficult nor do we expect to have to live through its trials. Some children are born to neglectful parents, have poor living situations, and have physical health problems. Some children will have to deal with the loss of their classmates in school shootings. Some children will have to deal with their friends being taken from their homes, just to wonder if they'll ever make it back to school. Some children will have to forever deal with the trauma given to them by the people that have promised to protect them. Some children never get to experience better parts of life because they were taken from the world too soon because of the selfishness of humanity. For years, I have seen the struggles children have to go through. Most children are lucky just to get to eat every day, have clothes to wear, or a house to live in. Most children are lucky just enough to never suffer abuse from their families. I have felt their pain and have wept for their broken hearts. I have seen their scars and have heard their cries for help. They are not promised a childhood where they are free to be curious or to find a smile in the day. They are not promised love or comfort from the people that gave them life. I am passionate about psychology. I even hope to become a therapist that works with children. I want to be able to provide a way for every child and teenager to gain access to the help they need. I want to fix the foster care system that has been a true disservice to our children. The world is in ruin and our only hope of saving it is through our children so I will fight for them because they are the future. They are our hope and it will be lost if they are constantly fighting with themselves. I want to make this world better than what it is and I believe the best way to do that is if we help the younger generation become healthy-minded adults.

The day I came out of my mother's womb, I had no idea what life would have in store for me. None of us ever do but if we did would we still want to be born? If we could see what our lives would be like before we are born would we still choose to come into the world? As just a teenager, I have experienced enough pain to last me a lifetime, went through a period of confusion about who I was meant to be and feared the world that I used to believe in. I used to wonder if living was worth the small moments of happiness that would come and go. As young as I am, there are people way younger than me that are struggling just as much or even worse than I have. Some children are born to neglectful parents, have poor living situations, and have physical health problems. Some children don't even make it to experience their first breath of life. When we are born, we never expect life to be this difficult nor do we expect to have to live through its trials. Some children will have to deal with the loss of their classmates in school shootings. Some children will have to deal with their friends being taken from their homes, just to wonder if they'll ever make it back to school. Some children will have to forever deal with the trauma given to them by the very people that have promised to protect them. Some children never get to experience better parts of life because they were taken from the world too soon because of the selfishness of humanity. For years, I have seen the struggles children have to go through. Most children are lucky just to get to eat every day, have clothes to wear, or a house to live in. Most children are lucky just enough to never suffer abuse from their families. I have felt their pain and have wept long for their broken hearts. I have seen their scars and have heard their cries for help. They are not promised a childhood where they are free to be curious or to find a smile in the day. They are not promised love or comfort from the people that gave them life. They are not promised anything better than the events that play out in their early years. I am very passionate about psychology. I even hope to become a therapist that works with children. I want to be able to provide a way for every child and teenager to gain access to the help they need. I want to fix the foster care system that has been a true disservice to our children. The world is in ruin and our only hope of saving it is through our children so I will fight for them because they are the future. They are our hope and it will be lost if they are constantly fighting with their mental health. I want to make this world better than what it is and I believe the best way to do that is if we help the younger generation become healthy-minded adults.

Writing is everything to me. I write every day of the year and not just for scholarships, class assignments or college essays. I write about how I feel, my political views, and for everyone I love. I live in the similes and metaphors of my poetry and I get lost in the paragraphs of my essays. Writing allows me to scream to the world, "I am only human and I love that I am" because I am a mess. I have made so many mistakes in my lifetime and I will never be perfect because I am human. When life gets a little too hard, writing helps soothe the pain of today just so I have the courage to wake up tomorrow. Writing is my voice. It speaks my truth when I can not speak myself. It tells my story to the world when I can't be there to tell it myself. Writing is my escape. When I'm feeling weak, I write a poem where my strength comes from my weakness. When I'm upset, I write a story where the main character is still hopeful even when they are hurting. When I am angry or frustrated, I write the truth to ease the tension in my heart from the injustice that exists in our society. A storm could brew in my head and writing my way of out it would help me see the sun again. I've invoked tears in my audience. I have given cause to my truth and have sparked discussions that would have been kept silent. I have spread love, kindness and hope all with just a simple poem. I have shared empathy with my audience and have shaken the Earth with the uproar I have caused by simply speaking from my heart. I have been able to connect with so many people through my writing and every day I feel a little closer to them with each new project I come up with. When I get older, I plan on writing a book. A poetry book that I hope others will find joy in reading. A poetry book I hope everyone will find will show them love and compassion in a world that has been so cold. I hope my book allows people to see that hope can prevail when faced with the strides of life. I hope the books I write help people heal from their trauma and I hope my writing helps people become brave enough to feel more of their emotions because that is what makes us all human. Writing is who I am, it's my life. Without it, I'm not sure who I would be.

Sunflower The sun is setting for the day But I’m still hoping for you to stay I’ll miss your company Your words dipped with honey I’ll miss your smile And your laugh that rang out for miles I’ll miss the way your lips melted into mine I’ll miss you with every passing minute As time goes by The night sky rises above our head Fields of flowers becomes our new bed From Sunrise to Sunset We dwell in each other’s eyes We relish in our slow goodbyes We come to terms with our regrets Looking forward to a present we haven’t seen yet. Your voice calls my name And I’m hoping it stays that way Your voice replaces the melody of the wind And sings to me the songs you send I bathe in these moments with you I just wish I knew About all the pain you were going through My will bends and breaks While I live in the agony of my own mistakes The past haunts me The future terrifies me But the present brings me the peace I never knew I needed You’re my sunshine When the sun hasn’t rised You’re my moonlight In the dead of night Won’t you stay To light my way To lead me out of the dark When things are getting too hard I hope you’ll see How much you mean to me And how you’ve become my light When the sun was too hard to find

We all have struggled. It's something everyone has in common. We all have shed enough tears to fill swimming pools while others have cried enough to fill an ocean. We all have grown more than frustrated from life's unfavorable trials. Some of us have lost everything and have grieved enough to span many lifetimes. All of us have grown up in a world that has not loved us as it should have. Some of us have grown to expect the frigid touch of death instead of the warmth that comes with a new life. We have all been scarred by a world that has given us every reason to hate it and as we decide to have children of our own we hope to protect them from the same pain that we have experienced. The children of this world are the future. They are the voices of tomorrow. They hold the world in their hands and yet most children are hurting just as much as an adult. They are going through all the trials the world has to offer before they are even old enough to vote. Children have given us so much. Love, laughter, imagination, and maybe a little attitude. They teach us so much about what the world is like through their eyes and help remind us of the joy life can bring. Even with the gifts children have given us, we have yet to give back to them. We have failed them in so many ways when they trusted us to take care of them, to protect them. I plan on studying child psychology. I am determined to become a therapist for children that have lost everything to this world. I want to help the teenagers that are in mental health hospitals because they were struggling so much they tried to commit suicide. I want to help the foster children that are suffering abuse in their homes every day. I want to help the children that hold in so much anger because of the justice they never received. I want this world to be full of love where everyone is accepted for their differences so how will we be able to create a world like that if our children have known nothing but this pain that we've all experienced? How do we expect these children to grow to love others if we have not shown them that love? I plan on caring for every child I see in my profession. I plan on helping every child heal from the hurt caused by their family and the people they've chosen to trust. I want to help the children on the verge of losing themselves to their minds. I want to help the children that are here and the ones that have already passed on into the next life. I want to help the children that we have already lost. This is what I was meant to do and I hope everyone will understand the importance of what it means to pull these children out of the darkness of their minds. We must show them the same light they've given to us for so long. I want to share my labors of love with every inch of the world so that no child will ever have to feel unloved, forgotten, or lost. I am helping the world one day at a time starting with the children that will grow to make this world better than how we'll all leave it.

I am Jameria Bridges. A black woman that is a part of the LGBT community. A pansexual woman who proudly shows her love for people regardless of gender identity. I have done nothing but live my truth and show the world that I am not afraid of being who I am. I was born this way and yet people will hate me for it. I have been called confused, accused of having sexual relationships with animals and have had my sexuality dismissed. "Aren't you bisexual?" they ask me. "You sound confused. There are only two genders and there's no way you could love anyone outside of those two genders," they tell me. "It's basic biology, a man should be a with a woman and vice versa", they preach. Gender identity and sexuality have always been fluid so why must we put boundaries on who we choose to love? Most people see the world only in black and white when it's in an assortment of greys. We can never assume that everything is as ridge as people want to believe. Even while the world is full of greys, the people that make up the world can add a symphony of vibrant colors to it. People's differences help us create a better world that allows us to see every color of the rainbow. It doesn't matter who you choose to be but it matters how you choose to treat others, choose to help others that matter the most to bring more color to this world stuck in a greyscale painting. I love humanity. I love it so much that I continue to stand up for the people that are constantly at risk of being prosecuted for the color of their skin, their culture or even who they choose to love. I am helping the children of the younger generation learn the importance of love. I am helping create a new generation of adults that love without fear and that will stand for others when they cannot. I am helping build a new world where new adults can help make as much of a difference as I am. I plan on becoming a children's therapist. I plan on helping children overcome difficulties when it comes to their mental health and providing them with better-coping mechanisms. I want to help the children stuck in foster care, help the children dealing with homelessness, and help the children suffering abuse but who can not get the help they need. I plan on majoring in psychology and getting my doctorate in psychology. I plan on helping every child that desperately needs help. I plan on giving love to every child in the world so they may continue making the world a place full of love even after I am gone. I will leave a legacy of adults that learn to love each other for who they are and not who they choose to love.

I am Jameria Bridges. A black woman that is a part of the LGBT community. A pansexual woman who proudly shows her love for people regardless of gender identity. I have done nothing but live my truth and show the world that I am not afraid of being who I am. I was born this way and yet people will hate me for it. I have been called confused, accused of having sexual relationships with animals and have had my sexuality dismissed. "Aren't you bisexual?" they ask me. "You sound confused. There are only two genders and there's no way you could love anyone outside of those two genders," they tell me. "It's basic biology, a man should be a with a woman and vice versa", they preach. Gender identity and sexuality have always been fluid so why must we put boundaries on who we choose to love? Most people see the world only in black and white when it's in an assortment of greys. We can never assume that everything is as ridge as people want to believe. Even while the world is full of greys, the people that make up the world can add a symphony of vibrant colors to it. People's differences help us create a better world that allows us to see every color of the rainbow. It doesn't matter who you choose to be but it matters how you choose to treat others, choose to help others that matter the most to bring more color to this world stuck in a greyscale painting. I love humanity. I love it so much that I continue to stand up for the people that are constantly at risk of being prosecuted for the color of their skin, their culture or even who they choose to love. I am helping the children of the younger generation learn the importance of love. I am helping create a new generation of adults that love without fear and that will stand for others when they cannot. I am helping build a new world where new adults can help make as much of a difference as I am. I plan on becoming a children's therapist. I plan on helping children overcome difficulties when it comes to their mental health and providing them with better coping mechanisms. I want to help the children stuck in foster care, help the children dealing with homelessness, and help the children suffering abuse but who can not get the help they need. I plan on majoring in psychology and getting my doctorate in psychology. I plan on helping every child that desperately needs help. I plan on giving love to every child in the world so they may continue making the world a place full of love even after I am gone. I will leave a legacy of adults that learn to love each other for who they are and not who they choose to love.

Pillow Thoughts II: Healing the Heart by Courtney Peppernell. We've all loved before, have lost everything in a single moment, and found a way to overcome it all to heal the mess some people leave behind. Everyone needs love and sometimes love hurts more than it should but this book will help you through the healing process. This book has given me a way to heal myself from the heart break and lost of so many people. If you're missing someone, falling in love, hurting, or just want to make your heart happy then this books will do the job. Healing the Heart is a book that helps remind me that I am worthy of love, that the pain I'm feeling is normal. Every time I open the pages, I feel loved and listened to. I feel the most at peace getting lost in the stanzas and so I want others to feel the kind of tranqulity associted with every page of this book. As strong as we are, sometimes we all just need a moment to feel vulnerable. There is a line in one of the poems: "I know you have struggled; so have I. I know that things are hard on you; me too. But it doesn't change how big your heart is..." It reminds me that even though I have been hurt, life will never stop my heart for being as generous as it is to others. I just hope other can be reminded of that as they read the book with an open heart.

As a teenager, life starts to become confusing when you're trying to figure out who you are meant to be. "Am I meant to be a doctor, a police officer, or a teacher? Am I meant to be kind towards others, to be selfless in every social setting, or to fight my mind when it's hurting me?" We ask ourselves a lot of questions about who we're meant to be. Most people find themselves unhappy with their lives and only find comfort in the paycheck they earn for a job that doesn't bring them any solace. People work so hard just to live and when you've realized that your life feels meaningless then the weight of the world becomes so much heavier. I am lucky enough to know what I was meant to do and who I am supposed to be right now. My parents have been one of my greatest blessings because my hardships never came from needing food or a place to stay but how I was going to pass my Pre-Calculus final. I never had to suffer like some of my friends had to. I'm thankful that I was able to find myself in an environment as accepting as mine. Most people my age don't even know what they're going to eat for dinner or where they're going to sleep tonight. My sense of self always shines through when I'm in a psychology class or when I'm at the donation center I work. My heart is full of compassion and determination. Compassion for the younger generation, struggling as we all have and determination to give more to their lives. All I want to do with my life is life in the service of others and help those who need it the most. I am determined to learn everything I can to become an amazing therapist, open my own protection, to love every child that I provide care for. I want to fix the foster care system, to help the younger generation gain access to affordable mental health care, and to help the younger generation gain the knowledge they need to become healthy-minded adults. I want to show the world the importance of children just to show that with the right tools they can make a difference in the world too. They can find who they are and create a world that continues to grow into something beautiful.

I went through so many career ideas before finally finding the perfect career for me. I wanted to be a music producer, a songwriter, an author, or even a chemist when I was in elementary school. While thinking of these careers, all I could think about is how can I connect myself to others? How can I create a strong connection to people through my work? For a long time, music was that gateway for me to do that but soon enough I realized something else. Going to school made me realize how many teenagers are struggling. Some of them had depression or general anxiety. I’ve known people that struggled with Schizophrenia and took medication for it. I’ve had friends that have spoke up about the trauma that they endured while they were in foster care. I’ve seen all my friends at their lowest and all I wanted to do was help them. All I’ve ever wanted to do with my life is help others overcome their challenges. I wanted to give a helping hand to the people that have lost hope in the world or the people that haven’t seen the light at the end of the tunnel in so long. At first, I wanted to start helping people through my love of music but I found my passion for psychology and decided to pursue that instead. I wanted to learn all I could about the human consciousness. That’s when I realized I wanted to help people through therapy. From there, I worked hard in every aspect of school to chase my dreams of becoming a therapist but not just any therapist. I want to become a therapist that specializes in helping the youth and adolescent children. Our childhood reflects who we become as adults. Our brains are still trying to soak in our environment and if we aren’t given the care we need then we start holding trauma in our body. It can also lead to other mental health issues like Borderline Personality Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Dissociative Identity Disorder, and maybe even Antisocial Personality Disorder. I’ve witnessed first hand the lack of resources there are for children and teenagers. Most families can’t afford therapy, don’t have insurance to cover the cost, or simply dismiss the child’s feelings. I plan on changing the foster care system to better help the children there. I plan to make mental health resources more available to the younger generation and help parents raise a kid that can fight against their mental health illnesses. I plan on having my own clinic where youth from all around the country can come to get the help they need. I plan to give the world more hope then we could have ever imagined and I want to start with the children of the world. I want to continue fighting for the younger generation, to bring them all to a new place of hope for a better life. I want to help them keep that determination to get better, to feel better again before they were hurt by the world. I love children and all I want to do is help them grow into healthy minded adults that can too make a difference in the world around them.

Going to college is the first step to creating a new society with healthy minded adults. I’ll have access to all the knowledge I need to create headway to helping children in the United States and then everywhere else. The children of the world are still learning, still exploring what this world has to offer and all I wish to do is help them. I want to guide these children to a path that helps them deal with complex emotions, understand themselves better, and create health habits that they can pass down to their children when they get older. In college, I’ll be giving so much of myself to my studies just to be able to help children with my degree. I’ll become a therapist that works children and teenagers, I’ll work hard to get my own place of practice, and I’ll work even harder to advocate for children’s mental health. For centuries, children have only been given life but has never truly been shown what it means to be alive. With a college degree, I’ll be able to give the world a new generation of adults that don’t necessarily need therapy. A generation that I’ll fight for a better society like I have been fighting for. A generation that will want better, and will continue to create a world where everyone is accepted regardless of their differences. A generation were their children will be heard and loved so they too can continue to grow into people that make a difference. Sometimes children can teach us more about the world than what we have experienced. They can love in its purest forms, appreciate moments we’ve never thought twice about and see the world in a way most adults have never seen before. Children give so much to us and remind us of what the world should be instead of what it could be. When given this gift, wouldn’t it make sense to give a gift back? The gift of knowledge, kindness, patience, understanding and most importantly love. That is what I want to do for every child that has yet to receive the gifts after we have taken theirs.

I think what hurts the most about having a mental illness is that most of the time you’re stuck in this state of confusion. It’s this feeling of never really knowing what’s wrong or how to fix it. You have to figure it out through a lot of research but even then you don’t know for sure until you get a diagnosis. A diagnosis can feel as if a weight has been lifted off your shoulders while, at the same time, crushing you under its weight. Hearing that there’s something wrong with your head can make anyone break down. Coming face to face with the truth is never pretty. It comes with so many tears and sleepless nights. All of the question you had were answered but deep down you never wanted it to be true. You spend so much time reflecting on everything you’ve done in your life so far just to make sense of it all. Having a mental illness means you have to be strong, not only for yourself but for the people that depend on you. If you’re a mom, you have to be strong for your kids because they need you more than anymore. If you’re a teenager, you need to be strong for the connections you make now and into the future. If you’re a part of the elderly community, be strong for a community of people that’ll need your wisdom. We live through each other and a mental illness diagnosis shouldn’t stop us. Most adults have trauma associated with their childhood and so that’s where I want to start. I want to help children gain the resources they need to cope with complex emotions. I want to protect the children in foster care because they are having a hard time as it is losing their home. I want to help the teenagers and family that can’t afford therapy or a mental illness diagnosis. I want to be able to write children’s books on coping mechanisms, teach parents how to better help their children express complex emotions, and help teenagers get the help they need even if their family doesn’t support them. I plan on becoming a children’s therapist by getting my PHD in psychology but until then I plan on holding fundraisers to help the younger generation in my community get the help they need. I plan on connecting with the teenagers at my school to ensure that they can get the support they need. I even hope to gain my own therapy office so I can be able to expand my mission across the country so that way every child and teenager can grow into healthy minded adults.