I have always been in the lower income bracket. Sometimes we had to eat minimal food so that the whole family could eat; I have had to sleep on a couch for over seven years during my developing childhood because our apartment was too small for any other beds. Also I have had to deal with a family member with a lifelong mental illness through late nights, having to sleep at later hours then having to go to school exhausted. These are just a few of the obstacles I have had to face as a child going on to a teenager. But these challenges have never stopped me from being a good student. I have maintained high grades with an unweighted grade point average of 3.96 and have been formally recognized through middle school and high school. I only plan to continue my achievements. Throughout my time in high school, I have seen many students skipping class and indulging in substances because of a more difficult upbringing; sometimes with a similar home situation as mine. This made me realize that I could have been one of these teens, just trying to make it through life. Living in this situation has made me more resilient and determined to make something of myself. I want to prevent other children from succumbing to these vices like I have. I don't want those younger people to feel like they have no one to go to, no one who could understand their struggles. I won't pretend to understand everything they are going through but I have been in crisis relating to mental health enough to recognize the issues and reasoning for acting in certain ways. Because of this, I wanted to dedicate my life to psychology helping adolescents. Winning this scholarship will help me take a step forward in obtaining my goal of being a therapist for those younger. I've always wanted to work in psychology; I've had a natural pull towards it. As I have aged, my interest hasn't changed but has confirmed what I want to do in life and the reason why I want to do this. I want to be able to create the opportunity for children to feel like they can be open and vulnerable. As someone who hasn't always felt like they can be honest with the people in their life, I want to be a safe place for children who have limited resources.

I have always been in the lower income bracket. Sometimes we had to eat minimal food so that the whole family could eat; I have had to sleep on a couch for over seven years during my developing childhood because our apartment was too small for any other beds. Also I have had to deal with a family member with a lifelong mental illness through late nights, having to sleep at later hours then having to go to school exhausted. These are just a few of the obstacles I have had to face as a child going on to a teenager. But these challenges have never stopped me from being a good student. I have maintained high grades with an unweighted grade point average of 3.96 and have been formally recognized through middle school and high school. I only plan to continue my achievements. Throughout my time in high school, I have seen many students skipping class and indulging in substances because of a more difficult upbringing; sometimes with a similar home situation as mine. This made me realize that I could have been one of these teens, just trying to make it through life. Because of this, I wanted to dedicate my life to psychology helping adolescents. Motivated and high achieving students from disadvantaged backgrounds should get opportunities because they have limited options. Like myself, I would be under the umbrella of disadvantaged. Without these chances like scholarships and grants, I wouldn't be able to pursue my goal of helping the younger generation through times like my own. Living in this situation has made me more resilient and determined to make something of myself. I want to prevent other children from succumbing to these vices like I have. I don't want those younger people to feel like they have no one to go to, no one who could understand their struggles. I won't pretend to understand everything they are going through but I have been in crisis relating to mental health enough to recognize the issues and reasoning for acting in certain ways. Because of this, I wanted to dedicate my life to psychology helping adolescents.

I have always been in the lower income bracket. Sometimes we had to eat minimal food so that the whole family could eat; I have had to sleep on a couch for over seven years during my developing childhood because our apartment was too small for any other beds. Also I have had to deal with a family member with a lifelong mental illness through late nights, having to sleep at later hours then having to go to school exhausted. These are just a few of the obstacles I have had to face as a child going on to a teenager. But these challenges have never stopped me from being a good student. I have maintained high grades with an unweighted grade point average of 3.96 and have been formally recognized through middle school and high school. I only plan to continue my achievements. Throughout my time in high school, I have seen many students skipping class and indulging in substances because of a more difficult upbringing; sometimes with a similar home situation as mine. This made me realize that I could have been one of these teens, just trying to make it through life. I want to prevent other children from succumbing to these vices like I have. I don't want those younger people to feel like they have no one to go to, no one who could understand their struggles. I won't pretend to understand everything they are going through but I have been in crisis relating to mental health enough to recognize the issues and reasoning for acting in certain ways. Because of this, I wanted to dedicate my life to psychology helping adolescents. Winning this scholarship will help me take a step forward in obtaining my goal of being a therapist for those younger. I've always wanted to work in psychology; I've had a natural pull towards it. As I have aged, my interest hasn't changed but has confirmed what I want to do in life and the reason why I want to do this. I want to be able to create the opportunity for children to feel like they can be open and vulnerable. As someone who hasn't always felt like they can be honest with the people in their life, I want to be a safe place for children who have limited resources.

I have always been in the lower income bracket. Sometimes we had to eat minimal food so that the whole family could eat; I have had to sleep on a couch for over seven years during my developing childhood because our apartment was too small for any other beds. Also I have had to deal with a family member with a lifelong mental illness through late nights, having to sleep at later hours then having to go to school exhausted. These are just a few of the obstacles I have had to face as a child going on to a teenager. But these challenges have never stopped me from being a good student. I have maintained high grades with an unweighted grade point average of 3.96 and have been formally recognized through middle school and high school. I only plan to continue my achievements. Throughout my time in high school, I have seen many students skipping class and indulging in substances because of a more difficult upbringing; sometimes with a similar home situation as mine. This made me realize that I could have been one of these teens, just trying to make it through life. Living in this situation has made me more resilient and determined to make something of myself. I want to prevent other children from succumbing to these vices like I have. I don't want those younger people to feel like they have no one to go to, no one who could understand their struggles. I won't pretend to understand everything they are going through but I have been in crisis relating to mental health enough to recognize the issues and reasoning for acting in certain ways. Because of this, I wanted to dedicate my life to psychology helping adolescents. Winning this scholarship will help me take a step forward in obtaining my goal of being a therapist for those younger. I've always wanted to work in psychology; I've had a natural pull towards it. As I have aged, my interest hasn't changed but has confirmed what I want to do in life and the reason why I want to do this. I want to be able to create the opportunity for children to feel like they can be open and vulnerable. As someone who hasn't always felt like they can be honest with the people in their life, I want to be a safe place for children who have limited resources.

I have always been in the lower income bracket. Sometimes we had to eat minimal food so that the whole family could eat; I have had to sleep on a couch for over seven years during my developing childhood because our apartment was too small for any other beds. Also I have had to deal with a family member with a lifelong mental illness through late nights, having to sleep at later hours then having to go to school exhausted. These are just a few of the obstacles I have had to face as a child going on to a teenager. But these challenges have never stopped me from being a good student. I have maintained high grades with an unweighted grade point average of 3.96 and have been formally recognized through middle school and high school. I only plan to continue my achievements. Throughout my time in high school, I have seen many students skipping class and indulging in substances because of a more difficult upbringing; sometimes with a similar home situation as mine. This made me realize that I could have been one of these teens, just trying to make it through life. Because of this, I wanted to dedicate my life to psychology helping adolescents. Winning this scholarship will help me take a step forward in obtaining my goal of being a therapist for children. I have always wanted to work in psychology; I have had a natural pull towards it. As I have aged, my interest has not changed but has confirmed what I want to do in life. I want to be able to create the opportunity for children to feel like they can be open and vulnerable. As someone who has not always felt like they can be honest with the people in their life, I want to be a safe place for children who have limited resources.