Everything is political. We make art to help make sense of our lives, and no more is this more exemplified than in Wicked. I love Wicked because this story is incredibly real. It mirrors our real-life circumstances and almost acts as a mirror for our current political climate. Wicked tells the story essentially about the rise of fascism in Oz. The all-powerful Wonderful Wizard is admired by all when, in truth holds no power but manages to keep control by gaslighting an entire society into believing that the talking animals that live alongside humans in this society are to blame for this society's woes and not that the all-powerful Wizard is a complete fraud who has no actual power. Does this premise sound familiar? How poignant that the movie Admiration of Wicked was released on the heels of another Trump administration. When life feels incredibly uncertain and scary, especially as we make it through the next four years, I think Wicked is a good reminder and a glimmer of hope and optimism when faced with uncertainty. Elphaba is unapologetically herself even when facing adversity and ridicule from the people around her. For anyone who holds an identity that our society has marginalized, she acts as a fantastic example and reminder that being yourself and embracing what makes you unique, what makes you different, is the best act of rebellion against a system that has been built to try and tear you down constantly. As a gay man who was not born in this country, everything feels very destabilizing right now; I don't know what the future holds when it comes to my rights to exist openly and authentically. My heart hurts for immigrants who are trying to build a better life for themselves, for the trans community who only want to live openly and to be given the same rights that are afforded to everyone else; it truly feels like Wicked is acting as a mirror reflecting our current reality at us. However, even though things may seem very bleak, if we only look towards the western sky and into the future, stay true to who we are, and continue to fight against adversity together, we might be able to defy gravity and change things for good. Wicked acts as that reminder and gives me that glimmer of hope, which is why I love it so much.

I work as a mental health specialist running psycho-educational group therapy in an inpatient psychiatric unit here in Washington State. As someone who is attaining a master's in clinical mental health counseling and aspiring to become a therapist post-graduation, obtaining this experience and exposure to the field has been one of my life's most incredible learning experiences. The groups we run on the unit consist of teaching people about CBT, DBT, self-acceptance, and compassion, how to more assertively communicate, set boundaries, and engage in effective relationship conflict resolution to arm them with skills to help cope with aspects of their life that may be contributing to their mental health. As a life-long learner myself, I believe arming people with knowledge is one of the most compassionate things you can do for someone. Yes, giving people empathy, compassion, and nonjudgmental space to process and openly express their thoughts, emotions, and feelings are all hallmarks of a good therapist. Still, I want to take this a step further and arm people with the tools, skills, and knowledge to feel more equipped to cope with their mental health. This is how we build resilience, which I strive to do as a clinician. As a future therapist, I plan to infuse my sessions with clients with as much psycho-education as possible. I want to pass on the knowledge I have acquired in academia to as many people as possible. It truly is the inner educator in me because, again, I believe knowledge is power, and it helps equip people to go out and become the best versions of themselves. This sentiment will be the driving force of my practice because not only do I want to give my clients the space to process their thoughts and emotions, but I arm them with the knowledge, tools, and coping skills to cope with their mental health. Extending a compassionate hand and building connections with patients, especially this early in my career working at the hospital, is one of the most gratifying experiences of my life. I feel so lucky to be allowed to help adults of all ages achieve a more sound understanding of their mental health. It truly is an experience I will never take for granted and will continue to do as I continue my career as a therapist.

As an open and proud gay man who grew up in small-town conservative Minnesota and was the only gay kid in their graduating class, my personal life and finally building up the courage at 16 to come out is the driving force behind why I decided to major in psychology and attain a master's in clinical mental health counseling. Growing up, I used to pray to God to make me straight; when I look back on my teenage years, there was a time I thought I would never have the courage to live my truth. People kept telling me who I was supposed to be for as long as I can remember. Kids at school made assumptions about my sexuality before I even knew what "being gay" meant. Adults would comment to my parents, saying, "Don't expect any grandchildren from Jason." It was these remarks and the ruthless bullying I encountered that almost drove me to take my own life. However, in some of my darkest moments, I realized I had a choice. I could either succumb to all the shit people from my small town put me through, making me feel like I was a freak for just being who I was, or I could change the narrative and take my power back. When I realized that no one could tell me who I was because the only person who knew me the best was myself, everything changed for me. Like Eleanor Roosevelt said, "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent," I wasn't going to allow other people to have that much power over me. After I found the courage to come out, thanks to a lot of Lady Gaga, it was like a weight was lifted from my shoulders, and I could finally breathe. Nothing is more liberating than accepting and loving yourself for precisely who you are. Now, almost ten years later, about to enter the mental health field as a future therapist, I could not be happier and prouder of the person I have become. As a future therapist, my mission and the heart of my practice are to help inspire others to become more accepting of their sexuality. I want everyone to feel the joy, peace, and radical self-acceptance I have come to cherish as someone who has been out for almost ten years. Now more than ever, the world needs more people living as authentically as possible, for that is where true happiness is derived. When we love and fully accept ourselves, we naturally radiate that energy out into the world, which has a profound ripple effect that can change the world. My high school English teacher once told me, "Our job as advocates is not to change the world by ourselves but to inspire those around us in our corner of the world. You just have to reach one person in your community because hopefully they’ll be inspired to speak out, and then they’ll inspire someone else until you have a ripple effect." I hold these words in my heart as I go out as a young professional trying to make a difference in the world. Mental health, suicide, and the LGBTQIA+ community are all critical topics to me because I have experienced the challenges of each of them, but it is with those challenges that I am the person I am today. I wouldn't be here without what I have faced, and it has made me stronger and more capable of entering the world as someone who wants to inspire as many people to live their truth as possible.

The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess is everything I love about music, and it makes my heart so happy. It's sexy, raunchy, and provocative but also really introspective and emotional. I love the cohesive story she's telling with this album. It is a story of unapologetic exploration of sexual expression and intimate relationship dynamics coupled with soul searching and trying to navigate the world as a young adult out on your own for the first time; wow...how incredibly relatable and relevant on a profoundly personal level. This album pushes boundaries and is honest, raw, and so compelling. Red Wine Supernova is so honest and upfront about being a queer anthem. "You just told me, want me to fuck you, baby? I will 'cause I want to," is so bold and brave to put in a song about a same-sex relationship. It immediately brought me back to when I first heard Poker Face for the first time, and Lady Gaga wrote "bluffing with my muffin" to ever so subtly indicate she was thinking about women when she was making out with her boyfriend. Also, Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl" I remember being a big deal, too, when that came out. Since the dawn of time, heterosexual relationships have been very explicitly described in music, and I remember when Gaga put that lyric in her song, it was talked about on national television, and now we've moved as far as to be able to explicitly sing about queer relationships openly. Naked in Manhattan is my favorite song on the album. Two lyrics stood out to me, specifically when listening to this song. One, "I'd love it if you knew you were on my mind, constant like cicadas in the summertime," is such an intelligent lyric. Also, "Touch me, baby, put your lips on mine. You could go to hell, but we'll probably be fine." Wow...what a simple and possibly glossed-over lyric, but as a queer person, how incredibly impactful. This song and After Midnight, Red Wine Supernova, Guilty Pleasure, and Hot to Go perfectly express the longing and craving for succumbing to your inner desires and fantasies. Significantly as a queer person who's been conditioned to believe that those thoughts are sinful, wrong, disgusting, immoral, etc., if this album came out when I was in my early teens, man, would it have helped me not feel so awful about myself. Pink Pony Club and California kind of go hand in hand for me. It's almost emotional because I'm originally from a small, conservative southern Minnesota town of only about 1,300 people. I never had a chance to freely express myself without judgment or without an obscenity being thrown my way. I had to leave my entire life behind and start over independently of the environment I grew up in because I so desperately wanted to know how I independently operated in the world. Moving to Seattle alone and not knowing a soul was the best thing I ever did for myself. Still, as California points out, it gets incredibly lonely, especially when you go home to an empty apartment every night. But like Pink Pony Club paints, this journey of radical soul searching was the best decision I could have ever made. Chappell Roan's music has had such a heartfelt, deeply emotional, relatable, and profound stamp on my life. The music she is making is what I needed when I was a teenager trying to figure out who I was, terrified to come out and live my truth.

I have always said that providing quality and affordable mental healthcare, especially to underrepresented communities, is an act of social justice activism. Individuals often seek therapy to help make sense of their internal and external worlds and how they intersect with one another to strive and create positive changes within their lives. As clinicians, giving people the space to explore facets of themselves that they may not have been allowed to explore fully is at the helm of the work we should strive to do. As an open and proud gay man, people have been telling me my entire life who I was, or who I was supposed to be, based on different aspects of my personality they deemed as “gay” or “too feminine presenting.” Growing up, especially in a small, very conservative town in southern Minnesota, this created much confusion around my identity, leading me to not honestly know who I was because I was allowing others to hold such power against me instead of going inside myself to discovery who I was at my core. Had I been given the space to explore in a safe, I would have reached a sense of liberation and freedom and not felt so alone. Doing this inner work to get the place that I am now, being completely secure in who I am, which gives me the freedom to live as authentically as possible, has brought me a tremendous amount of inner peace, something I hope everyone should be able to experience, for that is where true happiness comes from. I have always thought of sexuality and gender expression as a blank canvas that we should have the freedom to paint upon. Everyone should be allowed to explore themselves in a safe, brave, nonjudgmental space to live their most authentic lives possible. This sentiment drives my passion for clinical work, inspiring people to live their most authentic lives. It doesn't just apply to the LGBTQ community, however, for there is so much intersectionality that touches every minority group that makes up a community within the United States. As we have seen in recent years, it can be incredibly traumatic to be a part of one, if not all, of these communities. As a future clinician, cultural competence and diversity within the mental health field are crucial. I may not be able to relate to everyone who comes into my office directly, but giving them the space to talk openly and honestly and creating an environment that feels safe enough to unpack the trauma that may be associated with being a part of an underrepresented community is what truly drives my passion for this work. That is the impact I hope to make, to inspire people to live their most authentic lives and to feel safe enough to explore and heal from the inner workings of their reality so they can live the best life possible.

I have always believed that offering quality mental healthcare is an act of social justice activism. Individuals often seek therapy to help make sense of their internal and external worlds and how they intersect with one another to strive and create positive changes within their lives. As clinicians, giving people the space to explore facets of themselves that they may not have been allowed to explore fully is at the helm of the work we should strive to do. Growing up, especially in a small, very conservative town in southern Minnesota, this created much confusion around my identity, leading me to not honestly know who I was because I was allowing others to hold such power against me instead of going inside myself to discovery who I was at my core. Had I been given the space to explore in a safe, I would have reached a sense of liberation and freedom and not felt so alone. As a future clinician in the mental health field, I aim to help as many people as possible experience this sense of liberation. Everyone deserves to live authentically as they choose, which is where true happiness comes from. I have always said that our gender expression and sexuality are like blank canvases that we should all have the freedom to paint upon; creating spaces for individuals to explore these multifaceted identities within them safely will always be at the forefront of my work as a future mental health counselor. My experience with mental health has also instilled in me a level of empathy I never knew I possessed as well. Working in an inpatient psychiatric facility and being allowed to help so many people regularly has helped me develop and discover this passion for truly inspiring and assisting people to live their best lives possible. There is nothing more fulfilling, rewarding, and challenging than this work. Mental health is still so incredibly stigmatized in our society, but I believe that having the courage to raise our hand and say, "I am not okay, and I need help," is one of the bravest things we can do. It's okay not to be OK; helping others navigate the complexities that come along with being human and guiding them to find a life worth living has been one of the most incredible experiences of my professional life, and it will be at the forefront of my career working in the mental health field.

I have always believed that offering quality mental healthcare is an act of social justice activism. Individuals often seek therapy to help make sense of their internal and external worlds and how they intersect with one another to strive and create positive changes within their lives. As clinicians, giving people the space to explore facets of themselves that they may not have been allowed to explore fully is at the helm of the work we should strive to do. Specifically, within the context of sexuality and sex therapy, as an open and proud gay man, people have been telling me my entire life who I was, or who I was supposed to be, based on different aspects of my personality they deemed as “gay,” or “too feminine presenting.” Growing up, especially in a small, very conservative town in southern Minnesota, this created much confusion around my identity, leading me to not honestly know who I was because I was allowing others to hold such power against me instead of going inside myself to discovery who I was at my core. Had I been given the space to explore in a safe, I would have reached a sense of liberation and freedom and not felt so alone. As a future clinician in the mental health field, I aim to help as many people as possible experience this sense of liberation. Everyone deserves to live authentically as they choose, which is where true happiness comes from. I have always said that our gender expression and sexuality are like blank canvases that we should all have the freedom to paint upon; creating spaces for individuals to explore these multifaceted identities within them safely will always be at the forefront of my work as a future mental health counselor. My experience with mental health has also instilled me with a level of empathy I never knew I possessed as well. Working in an inpatient psychiatric facility and being given the opportunity to help so many people on such a regular basis has helped me develop and discover this passion for truly inspiring and helping people live their best lives possible. There is truly nothing more fulfilling, rewarding, and also challenging than this work.

I am passionate about the constitution because censorship runs rampant in the United States. Everywhere you turn, drag shows are being banned; books are being banned; discussions, educational lessons, and literature concerning LGBTQ individuals are being excluded; Jim Crow laws are being implemented in certain areas in the south; Roe v. Wade has been stripped away, among countless other examples, our fundamental human rights, our freedom of speech, of expression, to be who we want to be, to educate, share, learn, grow, love and live are being taken away at such an alarming rate it’s hard to keep track of what attacks our lawmakers are passing into law. As an out and proud gay man, I have consistently grown up with a need to censor myself for fear of being unaccepted, of being bullied, or feeling rejected by my parents, my friends, or my community. Back in 2015, when the Supreme Court decided that my love was a human right, for the first time, I finally felt that our world was changing for the better. We broke through, and now all we can go is up and expand to make this country a better place for everyone. Unfortunately, I was wrong. My life’s purpose is to help every individual live their true authentic selves and to reach a sense of freedom to where they are entirely comfortable in their skin because there is nothing more liberating than showing up to the world as your true self. As a future therapist, this is how I plan to enact this life philosophy. I have always said, “Therapy will always be an act of social justice.” It allows people to have these difficult conversations in a safe, brace, and nonjudgmental environment to empower them to go out and truly live authentically. When people feel empowered, it creates a ripple effect, manifesting into an uprising of people who will not succumb to the appalling attacks our government has committed against every marginalized community in this country. An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us. We cannot; we must all come together, and only then will we feel empowered to make a change. My high school English teacher once said, “We cannot change the world ourselves, for that is impossible. All we can do is focus on our little piece of the world. Spread love, fight for what’s right, and live authentically. You only need to inspire one person; if you do that, hopefully, it will create a ripple effect, and that love and authenticity, and passion for civil rights will spread. That is how we charge the word.” I carry that sentiment with everything I do, for that is how I will change the world, stand up to hate, and fight for equal rights.

“Blessed be the fruit, and may the Lord be open.” If I could have everyone read just one book, it would be The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. I read The Handmaid’s Tale for the first time in junior high school, right after Donald Trump was elected president in 2016. As I was grappling with what this presidency could look like, my English teacher let me her copy and said, “I read this back in the 80s when it first came out; I thought the events in this book would never happen here, now I’m not so sure.” I went home and read it in one night. For anyone who has not read it, The Handmaid’s Tale tells the story of a totalitarian and theocratic state that takes over what once was the United States, now known as The Republic of Gilead. With the use of military force, the president and all members of Congress were assassinated, and the constitution was suspended. This new government does not allow women to own money, property, or hold jobs. Due to climate disasters that lead to low reproductive rates, Handmaids are now forced to bear children for the elite commanders who now run the country and who cannot conceive children on their own. The story is written from Ofred’s perspective, a Handmaid in one of the commander's homes, so the reader gets a first-person view of what life was like before and what eventually led up to Gilead. With the dangerous rhetoric we continuously heard during the Trump administration, to the attack on the Capital, to the overturn of Roe vs. Wade, I, too, thought that the events written in The Handmaid’s Tale would never happen in the U.S either, now, I’m not so sure. Interestingly enough, Atwood has stated that everything written in The Handmaid’s Tale has occurred somewhere in the world at some point in History. In her words, it’s “speculative fiction.” This is precisely why I believe everyone should read this book, as it is a warning sign of what could happen if we don’t all stay vigilant when it comes to human rights violations, dangerous policy changes, and rampant hate speech being spread by not only average citizens but top officials. It is a reminder that small injustices could snowball into dangerous widespread reform if we don’t continue to pay attention and fight for the greater good.

The most impactful way to fight climate change is to VOTE! We need to elect candidates who have climate change written in their agendas. We need widespread legislative change to make an impact on a national level since big corporations are the main contributors to the climate crisis we are in now, so making sure we elect people at the ballot box who want to pass climate change legislation into law is crucial in combating climate change. On a personal level, however, how I fight climate change is living as “green” as possible. I walk as much as possible instead of taking a car, and I recycle and compost. I only support brands making strides to be more eco-friendly since, in a capitalist society, one of our biggest strengths is deciding who to give our money to, and I, again, vote people into office who have climate change on their docket. This is how I fight climate change, no one person can do it all, but if everyone made a more conscious effort to incorporate these small actions into their lives, we could all start making a difference.

After Donald Trump had gotten elected back in 2016, I was feeling hopeless, angry, and distraught and my passion for social justice was reignited. My high school English teacher asked if I had read Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale and I had responded that I had never heard of it. She lent me her copy and I finished it in one night. She explained that back when the novel was published almost 40 years ago now, she thought that this novel was so completely far-fetched. However, given our political trajectory stemming from Donald Trump’s election as President, I felt an even stronger connection to Offred’s story, because I was living in a time that was very quickly mirroring the events of the novel. Now as I write this essay in 2022, I stand by this statement even more. With the rise of extreme right-wing hate groups, the insurrection on the nation’s Capitol in January 2021, and the recent dismantling of Roe v. Wade by The Supreme Court, I can very confidently say we are inching closer to living in The Handmaid’s Tale. I know it might come off as very strange to say that this very dark story is one of my favorite novels, but I look at it as a warning sign, a fuel to fight, and why social justice activism is so important because if we sit back and do nothing, this book could very well become our reality. We’re seeing it start to play out before our very eyes. We are not free until we’re all free. For the betterment of this country and all, its citizens we have to fight for what’s right. That’s why the Handmaid’s Tale is my favorite book.

We need quality and affordable mental healthcare for as many individuals as possible. I’m dedicating my life to providing quality and affordable mental health to as many people as possible. That is why I am pursuing a career as a clinical mental health counselor. There are many barriers to why people do not seek out mental healthcare, such as cost, access, and stigma. My passion lies in trying to alleviate these barriers. I’m pursuing a graduate degree in clinical mental health counseling and hope to go into private practice one day. When this happens, I want to implement a rule that a client's first therapy session be completely free. I believe that people should be able to shop around for their therapists without having to spend hundreds of dollars doing it because you’re not going to connect with every therapist that you come into contact with. That is why offering a first free session would be very beneficial. If we link and you want to continue to do sessions with me, excellent. If we don’t click, I will refer you to someone I feel may be a better fit for you, and you will not have any financial obligations from me whatsoever. This is a strategy that I believe would make therapy not only more accessible but more client-focused as well. I’ve always lived by the mantra, “leave the world a better place than when you came into it.” Making Mental Health more accessible and affordable to not just as many people as I can, but significantly underrepresented communities is the driving force behind my chosen career path.

As an open and proud gay man who has grown up in conservative small-town Minnesota, striving to be my most authentic self in a place that can sometimes be a very hostile environment is how I try and affect positive change in my community. I’ve always tried to live by the mantra “be the person you needed when you were younger.” When I was 12 and struggling with my sexuality, I needed someone as open, fearless, and authentically themselves as I am now. Through this brazen authenticity, I hope to inspire as many people as I can to live their most authentic lives. That is one way how you affect positive change in your community. When we live with authenticity we naturally exude a positive light that makes our community a more loving and accepting place for everyone. This is the mark I want to leave to inspire them to live their truest lives.

As an open and proud gay man who has grown up in conservative small-town Minnesota, striving to be my most authentic self in a place that can sometimes be a very hostile environment is how I try and affect positive change in my community. I’ve always tried to live by the mantra “be the person you needed when you were younger.” When I was 12 and struggling with my sexuality, I needed someone as open, fearless, and authentically themselves as I am now. Through this brazen authenticity, I hope to inspire as many people as I can to live their most authentic lives. That is one way how you affect positive change in your community. When we live with authenticity we naturally exude a positive light that makes our community a more loving and accepting place for everyone. This is the mark I want to leave to inspire them to live their truest lives.

As an open and proud gay man who has grown up in conservative small-town Minnesota, striving to be my most authentic self in a place that can sometimes be a very hostile environment is how I try and affect positive change in my community. I’ve always tried to live by the mantra “be the person you needed when you were younger.” When I was 12 and struggling with my sexuality, I needed someone as open, fearless, and authentically themselves as I am now. Through this brazen authenticity, I hope to inspire as many people as I can to live their most authentic lives. That is one way how you affect positive change in your community. When we live with authenticity we naturally exude a positive light that makes our community a more loving and accepting place for everyone. This is the mark I want to leave to inspire them to live their truest lives.

I’m dedicating my life to providing quality and affordable mental health to as many people as possible. That is why I am pursuing a career as a clinical mental health counselor. Mental health has helped bring more empathy to every personal relationship that I hold dear, it has fueled my career goals by making mental health the focal point of my aspiring work as a therapist, and it has given me a more well-rounded view of the world by making me more aware of the current struggles that a majority of people face in the context of mental health. There are many barriers to why people do not seek out mental healthcare, such as cost, access, and stigma. My passion lies in trying to alleviate these barriers. I’m pursuing a graduate degree in clinical mental health counseling and hope to go into private practice one day. When this happens, I want to implement a rule that a client's first therapy session be completely free. I believe that people should be able to shop around for their therapists without having to spend hundreds of dollars doing it because you’re not going to connect with every therapist that you come into contact with. That is why offering a first free session would be very beneficial. If we link and you want to continue to do sessions with me, excellent. If we don’t click, I will refer you to someone I feel may be a better fit for you, and you will not have any financial obligations from me whatsoever. This is a strategy that I believe would make therapy not only more accessible but more client-focused as well. In my relationships, mental health has taught me to always lead with as much kindness and empathy as possible. Almost everyone is going through something that is mentally taxing, and even if you think you’re alone and no one can understand what you’re going through, it’s a lot more common than you think, so lead with kindness and empathy. I’ve always lived by the mantra, “leave the world a better place than when you came into it.” Making Mental Health more accessible and affordable to not just as many people as I can, but significantly underrepresented communities is the driving force behind my chosen career path. As someone who is openly gay, I have had the privilege of having loved ones that have been so accepting and loving towards me after I came out. I know that’s not the reality for many other people in the LGBTQ community, so if I could beneficially use my privilege to extend love and support to those who unfortunately were not shown any, that would be worth everything in regards to my career.

I’m dedicating my life to providing quality and affordable mental health to as many people as possible. That is why I am pursuing a career as a clinical mental health counselor. Mental health has helped bring more empathy to every personal relationship that I hold dear, it has fueled my career goals by making mental health the focal point of my aspiring work as a therapist, and it has given me a more well-rounded view of the world by making me more aware of the current struggles that a majority of people face in the context of mental health. There are many barriers to why people do not seek out mental healthcare, such as cost, access, and stigma. My passion lies in trying to alleviate these barriers. I’m pursuing a graduate degree in clinical mental health counseling and hope to go into private practice one day. When this happens, I want to implement a rule that a client's first therapy session be completely free. I believe that people should be able to shop around for their therapists without having to spend hundreds of dollars doing it because you’re not going to connect with every therapist that you come into contact with. That is why offering a first free session would be very beneficial. If we link and you want to continue to do sessions with me, excellent. If we don’t click, I will refer you to someone I feel may be a better fit for you, and you will not have any financial obligations from me whatsoever. This is a strategy that I believe would make therapy not only more accessible but more client-focused as well. In my relationships, mental health has taught me to always lead with as much kindness and empathy as possible. Almost everyone is going through something that is mentally taxing, and even if you think you’re alone and no one can understand what you’re going through, it’s a lot more common than you think, so lead with kindness and empathy. I’ve always lived by the mantra, “leave the world a better place than when you came into it.” Making Mental Health more accessible and affordable to not just as many people as I can, but significantly underrepresented communities is the driving force behind my chosen career path. As someone who is openly gay, I have had the privilege of having loved ones that have been so accepting and loving towards me after I came out. I know that’s not the reality for many other people in the LGBTQ community, so if I could beneficially use my privilege to extend love and support to those who unfortunately were not shown any, that would be worth everything in regards to my career.

I was stolen at birth. Of course, I didn’t know this until 17 years later when I found my entire biological family on Facebook. After reaching out to my six older siblings asking them if their mother had given a baby up for adoption in 1999 did I come to find out that after three months in the hospital diagnosed with pneumonia the doctors had forged my biological mother’s signature on the adoption papers, sold me and told her that I had unfortunately passed away. I spent my entire life thinking I wasn’t good enough for my biological mother, but in fact, she never intended to give me up for adoption in the first place. That was one of many challenges life threw at me. I was adopted at 16 months old from Romania. Growing up in a small town in rural Minnesota you may think life can get quite mundane after a while the universe had other plans for my story. A year before finding my biological family over the internet I came out as a gay man. Having to face my truth and choose to live my most authentic life after years and years of self-loathing and wishing that I was “normal” was one of the hardest things I ever had to come to terms with, at least that’s what I thought. They say everything happens for a reason and if anyone needs proof of that they can just look at my life. All of the experiences that I have gone through in my 22 years of life have shaped me into who I am today. A compassionate, empathetic, brave, social justice advocate who is equipped with the tools to peruse a career as a future therapist, so I can make this world a better place. I’m dedicating my life to providing quality and affordable mental health to as many people as possible. That is why I am pursuing a career as a clinical mental health counselor. Mental health has helped bring more empathy to every personal relationship that I hold dear, it has fueled my career goals by making mental health the focal point of my aspiring work as a therapist, and it has given me a more well-rounded view of the world by making me more aware of the current struggles that a majority of people face in the context of mental health. There are many barriers to why people do not seek out mental healthcare, such as cost, access, and stigma. My passion lies in trying to alleviate these barriers. I’m pursuing a graduate degree in clinical mental health counseling and hope to go into private practice one day. When this happens, I want to implement a rule that a client's first therapy session be completely free. I believe that people should be able to shop around for their therapists without having to spend hundreds of dollars doing it because you’re not going to connect with every therapist that you come into contact with. That is why offering a first free session would be very beneficial. If we link and you want to continue to do sessions with me, excellent. If we don’t click, I will refer you to someone I feel may be a better fit for you, and you will not have any financial obligations from me whatsoever. This is a strategy that I believe would make therapy not only more accessible but more client-focused as well. In my relationships, mental health has taught me to always lead with as much kindness and empathy as possible. Almost everyone is going through something that is mentally taxing, and even if you think you’re alone and no one can understand what you’re going through, it’s a lot more common than you think, so lead with kindness and empathy. I’ve always lived by the mantra, “leave the world a better place than when you came into it.” Making Mental Health more accessible and affordable to not just as many people as I can but significantly underrepresented communities is the driving force behind my chosen career path. As someone who is openly gay, I have had the privilege of having loved ones that have been so accepting and loving towards me after I came out. I know that’s not the reality for many other people in the LGBTQ community, so if I could beneficially use my privilege to extend love and support to those who unfortunately were not shown any, that would be worth everything in my career.

“No one person can change the world by themselves, that is impossible,” my high school English teacher had told me freshmen year. I had recently come to her in utter frustration after writing an essay on the Matthew Shepard case. In a rage, I had vented to her that I wanted to do something about LGBTQ-centered hate crimes in this country, because of the brutal way Matthew Shepard was murdered for being gay. I believe that is where my fire for social justice was ignited. In that moment of not understanding how something that horrible could happen to someone so sweet and innocent when I was ready to shout from the rooftops about how unfair the treatment of minorities was in this country, Ms. O’Neill instilled a message in me that I still refer to today. She said, “Our job’s as advocates are not to change the world by ourselves, but to inspire those around us, in our corner of the world. You just have to reach one person in your community, because hopefully they’ll be inspired to speak out and then they’ll inspire someone else until you have a ripple effect. That is how change happens.” With the Black Lives Matter movement, gun control, abortion rights, and LGBTQ rights, whenever I feel like I’m not doing enough work to raise awareness, I’m reminded of what Ms. O’Neill said my freshmen year of high school, that I just have to inspire one person to create a ripple effect that will enact change. This lesson in how to approach social justice activism has helped guide me through all that I do because I believe we can infuse social justice activism into everything that we do. As a gay man, choosing to live my life as authentically as possible is within itself a form of activism. When we live in a society that constantly tries to erase our presence, choosing not to conform to what society says is acceptable is a form of activism. As an aspiring therapist, wanting to provide accessible and affordable mental healthcare to as many people as I am able is a form of activism. I don’t have to change the world to make an impact, I just have to positively impact my community and hope that good work inspires people to carry on the same good deeds and create a ripple effect. That is how we charge the world. All of this has made me a stronger person by making me more self-aware and empathetic. Leading with as much kindness and love for humanity as a whole is one of the greatest strengths we can have. A lot of people are only concerned about an issue if it only directly affects their lives and fail to realize that every social justice violation ultimately affects all of us in one way or another because we know someone who will be affected. We are not free until we’re all free. All of these lessons that I’ve learned throughout my life have made me a more capable person to go out and create a better world, not just for myself, but not for everyone.

One positive charge I believe would greatly impact the education of future generations is to get rid of grade-based assessments. When I was a student in grade school, the focus was not on learning, or trying and making mistakes. It was on getting the best grade no matter how you went about doing it. It didn’t matter how you came up with the answer as long as it was right and you got that A. In this instance, striving for perfection takes away the fundamental point of the schooling system, to learn. When I was googling answers for assignments, trust me, we all do it, I wasn’t truly learning anything and truthfully, I didn’t care. The only thing I wanted was to get that perfect grade regardless of how I achieved it. Looking back, this mindset hindered the quality of my education because I wasn’t truly learning anything. I wasn’t allowed to try and fail without it gravely impacting my grade. If we took the pressure to be perfect students away from these kids in grade school and allowed them to truly learn, make mistakes and try again until they reach their desired outcome, we would have a more capable next generation of young professionals going out into the world fully equipped to handle life’s problems.

“No one person can change the world by themselves, that is impossible,” my high school English teacher had told me freshmen year. I had recently come to her in utter frustration after writing an essay on the Matthew Shepard case. In a rage, I had vented to her that I wanted to do something about LGBTQ-centered hate crimes in this country, because of the brutal way Matthew Shepard was murdered for being gay. I believe that is where my fire for social justice was ignited. In that moment of not understanding how something that horrible could happen to someone so sweet and innocent when I was ready to shout from the rooftops about how unfair the treatment of minorities was in this country, Ms. O’Neill instilled a message in me that I still refer to today. She said, “Our job’s as advocates are not to change the world by ourselves, but to inspire those around us, in our corner of the world. You just have to reach one person in your community, because hopefully they’ll be inspired to speak out and then they’ll inspire someone else until you have a ripple effect. That is how change happens.” With the Black Lives Matter movement, gun control, abortion rights, and LGBTQ rights, whenever I feel like I’m not doing enough work to raise awareness, I’m reminded of what Ms. O’Neill said my freshmen year of high school, that I just have to inspire one person to create a ripple effect that will enact change.

As an aspiring therapist, helping people who struggle with mental health is more than just being a good listener. We must also lead with as much kindness, empathy, and understanding possible. Creating a safe, comfortable, non-judgmental space is also something we can do to support those who are struggling with mental health as well. There are many barriers to why people do not seek out mental healthcare, such as cost, access, and stigma. My passion lies in trying to alleviate these barriers. I’m pursuing a graduate degree in clinical mental health counseling and hope to go into private practice one day. When this happens, I want to implement a rule that a client's first therapy session be completely free. I believe that people should be able to shop around for their therapists without having to spend hundreds of dollars doing it because you’re not going to connect with every therapist that you come into contact with. That is why offering a first free session would be very beneficial. If we link and you want to continue to do sessions with me, excellent. If we don’t click, I will refer you to someone I feel may be a better fit for you, and you will not have any financial obligations from me whatsoever. This is a strategy that I believe would make therapy not only more accessible but more client-focused as well. All of these reasons are how we can support those who are going through mental health struggles, not only as friends and loved ones but also as future therapists.

I’m dedicating my life to providing quality and affordable mental health to as many people as possible. That is why I am pursuing a career as a clinical mental health counselor. Mental health has helped bring more empathy to every personal relationship that I hold dear, it has fueled my career goals by making mental health the focal point of my aspiring work as a therapist, and it has given me a more well-rounded view of the world by making me more aware of the current struggles that a majority of people face in the context of mental health. There are many barriers to why people do not seek out mental healthcare, such as cost, access, and stigma. My passion lies in trying to alleviate these barriers. I’m pursuing a graduate degree in clinical mental health counseling and hope to go into private practice one day. When this happens, I want to implement a rule that a client's first therapy session be completely free. I believe that people should be able to shop around for their therapists without having to spend hundreds of dollars doing it because you’re not going to connect with every therapist that you come into contact with. That is why offering a first free session would be very beneficial. If we link and you want to continue to do sessions with me, excellent. If we don’t click, I will refer you to someone I feel may be a better fit for you, and you will not have any financial obligations from me whatsoever. This is a strategy that I believe would make therapy not only more accessible but more client-focused as well. In my relationships, mental health has taught me to always lead with as much kindness and empathy as possible. Almost everyone is going through something that is mentally taxing, and even if you think you’re alone and no one can understand what you’re going through, it’s a lot more common than you think, so lead with kindness and empathy. I’ve always lived by the mantra, “leave the world a better place than when you came into it.” Making Mental Health more accessible and affordable to not just as many people as I can but significantly underrepresented communities is the driving force behind my chosen career path. As someone who is openly gay, I have had the privilege of having loved ones that have been so accepting and loving towards me after I came out. I know that’s not the reality for many other people in the LGBTQ community, so if I could beneficially use my privilege to extend love and support to those who unfortunately were not shown any, that would be worth everything in my career.

I’m dedicating my life to providing quality and affordable mental health to as many people as possible. That is why I am pursuing a career as a clinical mental health counselor. Mental health has helped bring more empathy to every personal relationship that I hold dear, it has fueled my career goals by making mental health the focal point of my aspiring work as a therapist, and it has given me a more well-rounded view of the world by making me more aware of the current struggles that a majority of people face in the context of mental health. There are many barriers to why people do not seek out mental healthcare, such as cost, access, and stigma. My passion lies in trying to alleviate these barriers. I’m pursuing a graduate degree in clinical mental health counseling and hope to go into private practice one day. When this happens, I want to implement a rule that a client's first therapy session be completely free. I believe that people should be able to shop around for their therapists without having to spend hundreds of dollars doing it because you’re not going to connect with every therapist that you come into contact with. That is why offering a first free session would be very beneficial. If we link and you want to continue to do sessions with me, excellent. If we don’t click, I will refer you to someone I feel may be a better fit for you, and you will not have any financial obligations from me whatsoever. This is a strategy that I believe would make therapy not only more accessible but more client-focused as well. In my relationships, mental health has taught me to always lead with as much kindness and empathy as possible. Almost everyone is going through something that is mentally taxing, and even if you think you’re alone and no one can understand what you’re going through, it’s a lot more common than you think, so lead with kindness and empathy. I’ve always lived by the mantra, “leave the world a better place than when you came into it.” Making Mental Health more accessible and affordable to not just as many people as I can, but significantly underrepresented communities is the driving force behind my chosen career path. As someone who is openly gay, I have had the privilege of having loved ones that have been so accepting and loving towards me after I came out. I know that’s not the reality for many other people in the LGBTQ community, so if I could beneficially use my privilege to extend love and support to those who unfortunately were not shown any, that would be worth everything in regards to my career.

As a future mental health counselor, social justice, equity and diversity is something I am passionate about and view as integral incorporation in the mental health field. This past year, 2020, was the most significant social-justice-oriented year I've ever seen. We saw one of the most influential Black Lives Matter movements in history after the murder of George Floyd, and it's something that will stay with me forever. Mental health and social justice directly link because being constantly outcasted, targeted, and attacked by society profoundly affects your mental health, self-worth, and view of the world. As future counselors, helping people navigate, express, and heal from these traumatic experiences in a safe space is crucial. Being a good counselor goes beyond being a good listener and wanting to help people. You have to lead with empathy and be very delicate in handling a client's session because one wrong word could potentially send them spiraling out of control. This is why you have to lead with authentic compassion within every session. For a client to open up and be honest with you as a therapist, you have to create this safe space free of the client feels comfortable enough sharing their personal lives with you. This can only be accomplished when you approach therapy with a sense of empathy, love, compassion, and freedom of judgment. My dream is to offer quality and affordable mental health services to underrepresented populations. That's why social justice is so intertwined with mental health because it directly correlates with the people that I feel so strongly about helping.

My goal is to get a Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with an emphasis in Sex and Sexuality. Growing up as a part of the LGBTQ community in rural Minnesota, it’s really hard to feel as if you fit anywhere growing up. Lucky, however, I had the support of my family and I know a lot of other people do not get to experience such a luxury. That’s why my biggest goal is to provide quality and affordable mental health services to underrepresented communities in our society. In order to do this I must further my education and go into graduate school. If awarded this scholarship, that would help me do that. Thank you for your consideration. - Jason Ross

This may sound extremely cliché, but trying to live your life with a sense of optimism that one day things will get better if you just keep going is a way I have personally tried to overcome adversity. Growing up as a member of the LGBTQ community in rural Minnesota, it’s hard to live around such a conservative area when you’re “different.” However, since I’ve been blessed with such an amazing family who has never stopped loving me for who I am, I want to give that same support to people who have not been as fortunate as I have. That’s why I’m majoring in psychology with an emphasis on sex and sexuality. Offering affordable and quality mental health services to LGBTQ youth, and really any underrepresented community in our society, is one way in which I want to give back to my community.