One of the most life-changing experiences I have faced is losing my brother to suicide. He was someone I loved deeply, and he was also a gay man navigating a world that often did not make space for who he truly was. His death altered my understanding of mental health, identity, and the quiet battles people carry every day. Growing up, I saw my brother as strong, funny, and full of life. What I did not always see was the weight he was carrying internally. Like many LGBTQIA+ individuals, he faced pressures that went beyond everyday stress. There were moments when he felt misunderstood, isolated, or burdened by expectations that did not align with who he was. At the time, I did not fully grasp how deeply those experiences affected him. Losing him taught me that pain does not always announce itself, and that suffering can exist even when someone appears okay on the outside. His suicide left a permanent mark on my life. Grief came in waves, sometimes quietly and sometimes all at once. Along with grief came questions, guilt, and a deep sense of helplessness. I found myself replaying conversations, wondering what signs I missed or what I could have done differently. Through that pain, I began to understand how critical mental health support truly is, especially for individuals who already feel marginalized or unheard. My brother’s death also reshaped the way I view the LGBTQIA+ experience. It opened my eyes to how stigma, lack of acceptance, and silence around mental health can be devastating. No one should feel that being their authentic self makes them unworthy of love or support. His story made it clear to me that acceptance is not just about tolerance, but about actively creating environments where people feel safe, valued, and seen. Because of my brother, I approach mental health with more urgency and compassion. I check in on the people I love. I listen more carefully. I try to create spaces where difficult conversations are allowed and emotions are not dismissed. I am intentional about speaking openly about mental health and advocating for understanding, especially within my family and community. Silence can be dangerous, and I no longer believe in avoiding uncomfortable topics if it means protecting someone’s well-being. Although losing my brother is something I will carry with me forever, his life continues to shape my purpose. He taught me, even in loss, how important it is to care deeply, to speak up, and to stand for those who feel unseen. I honor him by choosing empathy, by supporting mental health awareness, and by committing myself to a future where fewer people feel alone in their struggles.

Mental health is important to me as a student because it directly affects how I learn, grow, and show up in my everyday life. For a long time, I believed that being a good student meant pushing through stress no matter how overwhelmed I felt. I thought exhaustion, anxiety, and burnout were just part of the process. Over time, I learned that when my mental health is neglected, everything else begins to suffer, including my academic performance, motivation, and relationships. As a student balancing school, family responsibilities, and personal challenges, I have experienced how easy it is to feel mentally overloaded. There were moments when stress made it difficult to focus, ask for help, or even believe in my own abilities. Those experiences taught me that mental health is not separate from academic success. It is the foundation of it. When I prioritize my mental well-being, I am more present in class, more organized, and more confident in my ability to handle challenges. My experiences have also shaped how I advocate for mental health within my community. At home, I try to be open about mental health rather than treating it as something to hide. As the older sibling, I make an effort to check in emotionally with my younger sister and create a space where she feels comfortable talking about stress, emotions, or feeling overwhelmed. I want her to know that struggling does not mean failing and that asking for help is a sign of strength. Within my school community, I advocate for mental health by being honest about my own experiences when appropriate. I have learned that vulnerability can help others feel less alone. Whether it is encouraging friends to reach out to campus resources, reminding peers to take breaks, or simply listening without judgment, I try to support those around me in small but meaningful ways. I believe advocacy does not always have to be loud or formal. Sometimes it is about being present and understanding. Mental health has also influenced how I approach my future goals. It has taught me the importance of balance, boundaries, and compassion. I now understand that success should not come at the cost of well-being. This perspective has shaped my interest in public health and healthcare, where mental health is increasingly recognized as a critical part of overall health. Ultimately, mental health matters to me because I have seen what happens when it is ignored and what is possible when it is prioritized. As a student, it allows me to grow academically and personally. As a member of my community, it motivates me to support others, challenge stigma, and help create environments where people feel safe, supported, and understood.

My story is shaped by transition, responsibility, and learning how to keep moving forward even when life feels uncertain. I immigrated to the United States from Ghana when I was nine years old, a change that came with excitement but also confusion and pressure. Adjusting to a new country meant learning a new culture, navigating unfamiliar systems, and trying to find my place while helping my family do the same. At a young age, I learned that stability is not guaranteed and that resilience is something you build through experience. As the oldest sibling, I naturally stepped into a role that required maturity beyond my years. I helped care for my younger sister, supported my family emotionally, and learned to put others’ needs before my own. While I did this out of love, it often meant carrying responsibilities quietly. I felt an unspoken expectation to be strong, dependable, and composed, even when I was struggling internally. Over time, that pressure took a toll on my mental health, forcing me to confront emotions I had long ignored. My experience with mental health became a turning point in how I understood myself and my goals. For a long time, I believed strength meant pushing through exhaustion and never slowing down. Eventually, I learned that real strength comes from self-awareness and honesty. Acknowledging my struggles taught me the importance of balance, boundaries, and compassion, both for myself and for others. This shift in perspective reshaped how I approached my education, my relationships, and my future. These experiences guided me toward public health. Growing up as an immigrant, I saw how difficult it can be to navigate healthcare systems that are complex, inaccessible, or not designed with diverse communities in mind. I witnessed how stress, lack of information, and limited resources affected families’ physical and mental well-being. Those moments stayed with me and sparked my desire to work in a field that looks beyond individual illness and addresses the broader factors that influence health. I am especially interested in maternal health, family health, global health, and the public health systems that operate at the population level. I have seen how a mother’s health affects not only her own life but also the stability and well-being of her entire family. At the same time, I am drawn to the global and structural side of public health, where policy, education, and prevention create long-lasting change. I want to work in spaces that improve access to care, reduce health disparities, and ensure that communities are supported before problems reach a crisis point. Mental health has also shaped the way I relate to others. Experiencing emotional lows made me more patient, empathetic, and attentive. I became more aware that people often carry invisible struggles, and that compassion can make a meaningful difference. I learned to listen more carefully, communicate more honestly, and value emotional well-being as much as achievement. These lessons influence how I hope to show up in my future career, especially in fields that require trust and advocacy. Pursuing higher education has not always been easy financially or emotionally. Balancing school, personal responsibilities, and long-term goals has required perseverance and adaptability. This scholarship would ease the financial burden that comes with pursuing my degree and allow me to focus more fully on my academic and professional development. More than financial support, it represents belief in my potential and encouragement to continue moving forward. I do not view my challenges as setbacks, but as experiences that have shaped my purpose. They have taught me resilience, empathy, and determination. They have shown me the importance of caring for both individuals and communities, and of creating systems that support people rather than overwhelm them. Through public health, I hope to contribute to a future where healthcare is more equitable, accessible, and compassionate. I am committed to using my education to make a meaningful impact. I want to advocate for families, support women’s health, and contribute to public health efforts that improve lives locally and globally. This scholarship would help me continue that journey, and I am determined to honor that support through growth, service, and dedication to the communities I hope to serve.

I plan to improve the lives of others through a career in healthcare by focusing on people who often feel overwhelmed, unheard, or left behind by the system. My interest in healthcare did not come from one specific moment, but from growing up and seeing how difficult it can be to navigate medical care, especially when illness is long-term or not well understood. Those experiences made me realize that healthcare is not just about treatment. It is about support, education, and making people feel like they matter. Through public health, I want to work on the prevention and systems side of healthcare. When it comes to lung disease, I am interested in how environmental and social factors play a role in people’s health. Air quality, housing conditions, workplace exposure, and access to education all influence respiratory health, yet many communities are still exposed to risks they cannot control. I hope to be part of efforts that focus on reducing these risks through education, advocacy, and policy change. Helping people protect their lung health before problems become severe feels like one of the most meaningful ways to make a long-term impact. I am also passionate about helping people with rare medical conditions. Many individuals with rare diseases struggle to get diagnosed, find the right providers, or even be taken seriously when they talk about their symptoms. That lack of understanding can be isolating and frustrating. I want to contribute to work that improves awareness, connects patients to reliable resources, and supports research and data collection so these conditions are no longer overlooked. One of the ways I hope to make a difference is by advocating for clearer communication and better access to care. Public health allows me to work at the community and population level, helping bridge the gap between healthcare systems and the people they serve. I want to help make information easier to understand and ensure that people feel supported rather than lost when dealing with complex health issues. At the heart of my goals is empathy. I want to help create a healthcare environment where people living with lung disease or rare conditions feel respected, informed, and supported. Improving lives does not always mean curing illness. Sometimes it means reducing stress, increasing understanding, and helping people feel less alone. That is the kind of impact I hope to make through a career in healthcare, I want to leave my mark.

I chose to pursue a degree in healthcare because my life experiences showed me early on how deeply health affects every part of a person’s life. Growing up as an immigrant and helping care for my family, I witnessed firsthand how confusing, overwhelming, and sometimes intimidating the healthcare system can be, especially for women and families from underserved backgrounds. Those experiences stayed with me and shaped my desire to be part of a system that does more than treat illness. I want to be part of a system that listens, supports, and protects people during their most vulnerable moments. As the older sister in my family, I often took on responsibilities that pushed me to mature quickly. I watched my mother carry the weight of caring for our household while navigating stress, work, and healthcare needs with little support. Seeing how often women are expected to endure silently made a lasting impression on me. I realized that healthcare is not just about physical treatment, but also about advocacy, compassion, and trust. That realization is what led me to Public Health and my interest in maternal and family health. I am especially passionate about maternal healthcare because I understand how a mother’s well-being impacts an entire family. When women are unsupported, dismissed, or overlooked by healthcare systems, the consequences extend far beyond the individual. I want to work in a field that prioritizes education, prevention, and culturally competent care so women feel empowered and informed about their health. My goal is to help bridge the gap between healthcare providers and the communities they serve, particularly immigrant and marginalized families. As a woman in the healthcare field, I hope to make a positive impact by leading with empathy and understanding. Women bring unique perspectives to healthcare because we often understand the emotional, physical, and social challenges patients face. I want to be someone who listens without judgment and advocates fiercely for patients who feel unheard. I also want to contribute to creating spaces where women feel safe, respected, and confident in making decisions about their health. Pursuing a degree in healthcare is not just a career choice for me. It is a commitment to using my experiences, education, and voice to uplift others. I hope to inspire trust, promote equity, and be part of meaningful change within healthcare systems. As a woman entering this field, I am driven by the belief that compassion and advocacy are just as important as knowledge, and I am determined to carry those values with me throughout my career.

I am someone who learned early in life that nothing comes easy and that showing up every day matters. Moving to the United States at a young age forced me to adapt quickly, and growing up in a household where responsibility was shared taught me the value of hard work. I did not always have the luxury of sitting back and waiting for things to fall into place. I learned to take initiative, to be dependable, and to push through challenges even when things felt uncertain. Those lessons are a big part of why I see a future in welding. I have always been someone who prefers learning by doing. I like working with my hands, figuring things out as I go, and seeing real results from my effort. Sitting behind a desk never felt as fulfilling as creating something tangible. Welding stands out to me because it is hands-on, demanding, and honest. You can immediately see the quality of your work, and that accountability motivates me. It pushes me to slow down, pay attention, and take pride in doing things the right way. What draws me to welding is how real it feels. Welding is not about shortcuts or appearances. It is about strength, precision, and commitment. You are building something that has to hold up, sometimes under pressure or in extreme conditions. That responsibility means something to me because I understand what it feels like to carry weight and be relied on. In many ways, welding mirrors my own life experience of building stability piece by piece. I also see welding as a path that offers security and growth. Knowing that skilled trades are always needed gives me confidence in this career choice. Welding opens doors to many industries, from construction and transportation to energy and manufacturing. It allows me to grow, specialize, and keep learning over time. More importantly, it gives me the chance to build a future where I can support myself and my family with a skill that truly matters. There is a sense of pride that comes with knowing your work will last. I want a career where I can point to what I have built and know that it serves a purpose. Welding allows me to contribute in a way that feels meaningful and concrete. It is not just about earning a paycheck. It is about creating something dependable and knowing that my effort made a difference. I see a future in welding because it aligns with who I am. It challenges me, keeps me grounded, and rewards consistency and effort. Welding is more than a career option to me. It is a way to build independence, stability, and pride in my work. It gives me a clear path forward, and that is something I value deeply.

Raising a family has never looked the way I imagined it would, especially at such a young age. As the older sister in my household, I stepped into a caregiving role early on, not by choice but by necessity. My family immigrated from Ghana to the United States when I was nine years old, and starting over in a new country came with challenges that shaped me deeply. From learning how to navigate new systems to supporting one another emotionally, family became the foundation that held us together. Growing up, I often helped care for my younger sister in ways that went beyond what was expected of someone my age. I assisted with homework, helped manage daily routines, and became someone she could rely on when things felt uncertain. Watching my mother balance work, stress, and responsibility showed me how much strength it takes to raise a family while carrying the weight of survival. At the same time, it revealed how little support families like mine often receive, especially when it comes to healthcare. As immigrants, navigating the healthcare system was overwhelming. Language barriers, limited guidance, and fear of being misunderstood made even basic appointments stressful. I saw firsthand how easily families can feel dismissed or unheard. These moments stayed with me. I noticed how deeply healthcare experiences impacted my family’s emotional and mental well-being, not just physical health. It became clear to me that healthcare is not only about treatment, but also about trust, understanding, and compassion. These experiences are what inspired me to pursue a career in healthcare. I am particularly drawn to maternal and family health because I have seen how a mother’s well-being affects an entire household. When mothers are unsupported, overwhelmed, or ignored, the effects ripple through their families and communities. I want to be part of the change that ensures women, especially those from marginalized and immigrant backgrounds, receive respectful and culturally competent care. Majoring in Public Health allows me to combine my lived experiences with academic knowledge. It has given me the language to understand the inequalities I witnessed growing up and the tools to address them. My goal is to work in maternal health advocacy, education, or community-based healthcare programs that support women before, during, and after pregnancy. I want to help create systems that prioritize prevention, education, and accessibility so families do not have to struggle in silence. Raising my family alongside my own growth has taught me responsibility, empathy, and resilience. These values are at the core of why I want to enter healthcare. I am motivated by my family’s journey and by the belief that everyone deserves to feel seen, supported, and cared for during their most vulnerable moments. Through healthcare, I hope to give back in a way that honors where I come from and helps build a better future for families like mine.

I am a 19 year old mother. I had my son Grant unexpectedly when I was 18 and at first I was truly scared not about how I would be viewed by the world but how I was going to give my son the life that he deserves. Raising him has been one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of my life. It has taught me patience, resilience, and the ability to care for others in ways I never imagined. From late-night feedings to comforting when he's sick, I have developed a deep sense of responsibility and empathy. These experiences have strengthened my desire to pursue a career in healthcare, where I can extend that same care and compassion to others in need. Through the years, I have witnessed firsthand how healthcare professionals make a difference in people’s lives. Whether it was a pediatric nurse who reassured me during Grant's illness or a compassionate doctor who took the time to explain a diagnosis, I saw how their kindness and expertise brought comfort in difficult times. These moments inspired me to enter the nursing field, where I can provide not only medical care but also emotional support to patients and their families. My journey as a parent has also taught me the importance of time management, adaptability, and perseverance skills that are essential in the fast-paced world of healthcare. Balancing responsibilities while ensuring the well-being of my family has prepared me to handle the challenges of nursing school and the demands of a career in healthcare. Ultimately, my motivation to enter healthcare comes from a genuine desire to help others. Just as I have cared for my family, I want to extend that care to patients, offering them the same kindness and support that has made such a difference in my own life. Becoming a nurse is not just a career choice for me it is a calling, shaped by my personal experiences and my unwavering commitment to serving others.