During high school, my siblings and I experienced emotional and physical abuse from our stepfather. My mom began to slowly isolate herself, as she could not articulate her despair. My brothers and I arrived at a home filled with fear and constant arguing. I couldn’t handle my home life and began to spend more time at school with extracurricular activities. Slowly I noticed that my family began to fall apart. I decided to seek counseling. This was the hardest decision I had to make because of the stigma that Latino families have against mental health services. Seeking counseling was seen as a health resource for “crazy people” as my mom had once stated. Because of her misguided perception, persuading her was something I had to prepare for. Due to my current life at home, I wanted to further inform myself and others about the importance of self-care and that seeking therapy shouldn’t be something one should be ashamed of. My community is predominantly Latino, and there is a lack of information regarding the well-being of our mental health. As a result, I decided to create the Self-Care club at our school that not only allowed me to provide information about these topics, but to make them less of a taboo among our peers. This club allowed me to gain the confidence I needed to confront my mother about our current situation at home and how getting aid, as a domestic violence victim, wasn’t something to be embarrassed about. My self-care club centered around being a safe haven for those who wanted to learn about the causes of stress among young adults, creating self-care routines, and providing resources for those who wanted to better their health. To advocate for the well-being of students, I created activities such as rant circles, yoga sessions, and breathing techniques that can be used during times of stress. The self-care club also became part of outreach events in our school during bullying and suicide prevention week where we have lunch activities ranging from writing compliment cards to posting flyers around the school with hotline numbers for suicide prevention centers. Ultimately, I am proud of how my classmates have been reaching out for help with our counselor due to my club. While on the other hand, I have managed to become proactive with my family and my own self-care routines at home. Because of these experiences, I learned that college is important to me because I want to be equipped with the education needed to prove to Latino communities how mental care and awareness is a topic that should not be a taboo among families and fellow peers. Starting with a double major in psychology and sociology, I hope to start a program among young adults and within college that attends to destroying the erroneous ideals that Hispanic families start inculcating into their children at a young age about self-care. Personally, as a young Latina, I understand how these topics that are never talked about tend to affect a child’s academic and personal achievement. Because of this early epiphany, I want to utilize the resources and the network of individuals that college offers me, including professors and peers, to help structure a socio-emotional support program that aids children to be college ready. As a leader in my school and community, going to Vassar college will allow me to take advantage of their liberal curriculum and renowned professors to conduct research in the stem of psychology to create a larger platform for my program in the Poughkeepsie community. Afterwards, I plan to use those skillsets gained in college to spread the initiative to the entire Lennox community. Ultimately, as a Latina, I would be breaking the curve for my Hispanic brothers and sisters, and being a successful role model to my siblings. I want my Latino community to be proud, but mostly I want my mom to know that her efforts were not in vain the moment she decided to give up her education for the sake of coming here to America as an immigrant.

During highschool, my siblings and I experienced emotional and physical abuse from our stepfather. My mom began to slowly isolate herself, as she could not articulate her despair. My brothers and I arrived at a home filled with fear and constant arguing. I couldn’t handle my home life and began to spend more time at school with extracurricular activities. Slowly I noticed that my family began to fall apart. I decided to seek counseling. This was the hardest decision I had to make because of the stigma that Latino families have against mental health services. Seeking counseling was seen as a health resource for “crazy people” as my mom had once stated. Because of her misguided perception, persuading her was something I had to prepare for. Due to my current life at home, I wanted to further inform myself and others about the importance of self-care and that seeking therapy shouldn’t be something one should be ashamed of. My community is predominantly Latino, and there is a lack of information regarding the well-being of our mental health. As a result, I decided to create the Self-Care club at our school that not only allowed me to provide information about these topics, but to make them less of a taboo among our peers. This club allowed me to gain the confidence I needed to confront my mother about our current situation at home and how getting aid, as a domestic violence victim, wasn’t something to be embarrassed about. My self-care club centered around being a safe haven for those who wanted to learn about the causes of stress among young adults, creating self-care routines, and providing resources for those who wanted to better their health. To advocate for the well-being of students, I created activities such as rant circles, yoga sessions, and breathing techniques that can be used during times of stress. The self-care club also became part of outreach events in our school during bullying and suicide prevention week where we have lunch activities ranging from writing compliment cards to posting flyers around the school with hotline numbers for suicide prevention centers. Ultimately, I am proud of how my classmates have been reaching out for help with our counselor due to my club. While on the other hand, I have managed to become proactive with my family and my own self-care routines at home. Because of these experiences, I learned that college is important to me because I want to be equipped with the education needed to prove to Latino communities how mental care and awareness is a topic that should not be a taboo among families and fellow peers. Starting with a double major in psychology and sociology, I hope to start a program among young adults and within college that attends to destroying the erroneous ideals that Hispanic families start inculcating into their children at a young age about self-care. Personally, as a young Latina, I understand how these topics that are never talked about tend to affect a child’s academic and personal achievement. Because of this early epiphany, I want to utilize the resources and the network of individuals that college offers me, including professors and peers, to help structure a socio-emotional support program that aids children to be college ready. As a leader in my school and community, going to Vassar college will allow me to take advantage of their liberal curriculum and renowned professors to conduct research in the stem of psychology to create a larger platform for my program in the Poughkeepsie community. Afterwards, I plan to use those skillsets gained in college to spread the initiative to the entire Lennox community. Ultimately, as a Latina, I would be breaking the curve for my Hispanic brothers and sisters, and being a successful role model to my siblings. I want my Latino community to be proud, but mostly I want my mom to know that her efforts were not in vain the moment she decided to give up her education for the sake of coming here to America as an immigrant.

During high school, my siblings and I experienced emotional and physical abuse from our stepfather. My mom began to slowly isolate herself, as she could not articulate her despair. My brothers and I arrived at a home filled with fear and constant arguing. I couldn’t handle my home life and began to spend more time at school with extracurricular activities. Slowly I noticed that my family began to fall apart. I decided to seek counseling. This was the hardest decision I had to make because of the stigma that Latino families have against mental health services. Seeking counseling was seen as a health resource for “crazy people” as my mom had once stated. Because of her misguided perception, persuading her was something I had to prepare for. Due to my current life at home, I wanted to further inform myself and others about the importance of self-care and that seeking therapy shouldn’t be something one should be ashamed of. My community is predominantly Latino, and there is a lack of information regarding the well-being of our mental health. As a result, I decided to create the Self-Care club at our school that not only allowed me to provide information about these topics, but to make them less of a taboo among our peers. This club allowed me to gain the confidence I needed to confront my mother about our current situation at home and how getting aid, as a domestic violence victim, wasn’t something to be embarrassed about. My self-care club centered around being a safe haven for those who wanted to learn about the causes of stress among young adults, creating self-care routines, and providing resources for those who wanted to better their health. To advocate for the well-being of students, I created activities such as rant circles, yoga sessions, and breathing techniques that can be used during times of stress. The self-care club also became part of outreach events in our school during bullying and suicide prevention week where we have lunch activities ranging from writing compliment cards to posting flyers around the school with hotline numbers for suicide prevention centers. Ultimately, I am proud of how my classmates have been reaching out for help with our counselor due to my club. While on the other hand, I have managed to become proactive with my family and my own self-care routines at home. Because of these experiences, I learned that college is important to me because I want to be equipped with the education needed to prove to Latino communities how mental care and awareness is a topic that should not be a taboo among families and fellow peers. Starting with a double major in psychology and sociology, I hope to start a program among young adults and within college that attends to destroying the erroneous ideals that Hispanic families start inculcating into their children at a young age about self-care. Personally, as a young Latina, I understand how these topics that are never talked about tend to affect a child’s academic and personal achievement. Because of this early epiphany, I want to utilize the resources and the network of individuals that college offers me, including professors and peers, to help structure a socio-emotional support program that aids children to be college ready. As a leader in my school and community, going to Vassar college will allow me to take advantage of their liberal curriculum and renowned professors to conduct research in the stem of psychology to create a larger platform for my program in the Poughkeepsie community. Afterwards, I plan to use those skillsets gained in college to spread the initiative to the entire Lennox community. Ultimately, as a Latina, I would be breaking the curve for my Hispanic brothers and sisters, and being a successful role model to my siblings. I want my Latino community to be proud, but mostly I want my mom to know that her efforts were not in vain the moment she decided to give up her education for the sake of coming here to America as an immigrant.

During highschool, my siblings and I experienced emotional and physical abuse from our stepfather. My mom began to slowly isolate herself, as she could not articulate her despair. My brothers and I arrived at a home filled with fear and constant arguing. I couldn’t handle my home life and began to spend more time at school with extracurricular activities. Slowly I noticed that my family began to fall apart. I decided to seek counseling. This was the hardest decision I had to make because of the stigma that Latino families have against mental health services. Seeking counseling was seen as a health resource for “crazy people” as my mom had once stated. Because of her misguided perception, persuading her was something I had to prepare for. Due to my current life at home, I wanted to further inform myself and others about the importance of self-care and that seeking therapy shouldn’t be something one should be ashamed of. My community is predominantly Latino, and there is a lack of information regarding the well-being of our mental health. As a result, I decided to create the Self-Care club at our school that not only allowed me to provide information about these topics, but to make them less of a taboo among our peers. This club allowed me to gain the confidence I needed to confront my mother about our current situation at home and how getting aid, as a domestic violence victim, wasn’t something to be embarrassed about. My self-care club centered around being a safe haven for those who wanted to learn about the causes of stress among young adults, creating self-care routines, and providing resources for those who wanted to better their health. To advocate for the well-being of students, I created activities such as rant circles, yoga sessions, and breathing techniques that can be used during times of stress. The self-care club also became part of outreach events in our school during bullying and suicide prevention week where we have lunch activities ranging from writing compliment cards to posting flyers around the school with hotline numbers for suicide prevention centers. Ultimately, I am proud of how my classmates have been reaching out for help with our counselor due to my club. While on the other hand, I have managed to become proactive with my family and my own self-care routines at home. Because of these experiences, I learned that college is important to me because I want to be equipped with the education needed to prove to Latino communities how mental care and awareness is a topic that should not be a taboo among families and fellow peers. Starting with a double major in psychology and sociology, I hope to start a program among young adults and within college that attends to destroying the erroneous ideals that Hispanic families start inculcating into their children at a young age about self-care. Personally, as a young Latina, I understand how these topics that are never talked about tend to affect a child’s academic and personal achievement. Because of this early epiphany, I want to utilize the resources and the network of individuals that college offers me, including professors and peers, to help structure a socio-emotional support program that aids children to be college ready. As a leader in my school and community, going to Vassar college will allow me to take advantage of their liberal curriculum and renowned professors to conduct research in the stem of psychology to create a larger platform for my program in the Poughkeepsie community. Afterwards, I plan to use those skillsets gained in college to spread the initiative to the entire Lennox community. Ultimately, as a Latina, I would be breaking the curve for my Hispanic brothers and sisters, and being a successful role model to my siblings. I want my Latino community to be proud, but mostly I want my mom to know that her efforts were not in vain the moment she decided to give up her education for the sake of coming here to America as an immigrant.

During highschool, my siblings and I experienced emotional and physical abuse from our stepfather. My mom began to slowly isolate herself, as she could not articulate her despair. My brothers and I arrived at a home filled with fear and constant arguing. I couldn’t handle my home life and began to spend more time at school with extracurricular activities. Slowly I noticed that my family began to fall apart. I decided to seek counseling. This was the hardest decision I had to make because of the stigma that Latino families have against mental health services. Seeking counseling was seen as a health resource for “crazy people” as my mom had once stated. Because of her misguided perception, persuading her was something I had to prepare for. Due to my current life at home, I wanted to further inform myself and others about the importance of self-care and that seeking therapy shouldn’t be something one should be ashamed of. My community is predominantly Latino, and there is a lack of information regarding the well-being of our mental health. As a result, I decided to create the Self-Care club at our school that not only allowed me to provide information about these topics, but to make them less of a taboo among our peers. This club allowed me to gain the confidence I needed to confront my mother about our current situation at home and how getting aid, as a domestic violence victim, wasn’t something to be embarrassed about. My self-care club centered around being a safe haven for those who wanted to learn about the causes of stress among young adults, creating self-care routines, and providing resources for those who wanted to better their health. To advocate for the well-being of students, I created activities such as rant circles, yoga sessions, and breathing techniques that can be used during times of stress. The self-care club also became part of outreach events in our school during bullying and suicide prevention week where we have lunch activities ranging from writing compliment cards to posting flyers around the school with hotline numbers for suicide prevention centers. Ultimately, I am proud of how my classmates have been reaching out for help with our counselor due to my club. While on the other hand, I have managed to become proactive with my family and my own self-care routines at home. Because of these experiences, I learned that college is important to me because I want to be equipped with the education needed to prove to Latino communities how mental care and awareness is a topic that should not be a taboo among families and fellow peers. Starting with a double major in psychology and sociology, I hope to start a program among young adults and within college that attends to destroying the erroneous ideals that Hispanic families start inculcating into their children at a young age about self-care. Personally, as a young Latina, I understand how these topics that are never talked about tend to affect a child’s academic and personal achievement. Because of this early epiphany, I want to utilize the resources and the network of individuals that college offers me, including professors and peers, to help structure a socio-emotional support program that aids children to be college ready. As a leader in my school and community, going to Vassar college will allow me to take advantage of their liberal curriculum and renowned professors to conduct research in the stem of psychology to create a larger platform for my program in the Poughkeepsie community. Afterwards, I plan to use those skillsets gained in college to spread the initiative to the entire Lennox community. Ultimately, as a Latina, I would be breaking the curve for my Hispanic brothers and sisters, and being a successful role model to my siblings. I want my Latino community to be proud, but mostly I want my mom to know that her efforts were not in vain the moment she decided to give up her education for the sake of coming here to America as an immigrant.

Starting high school, my family underwent domestic violence from our stepfather. My siblings and I experienced emotional and physical abuse, while my mom began to isolate herself due to animosity towards counseling. Because of this, I decided to seek counseling. This was the hardest decision I had to make because of the stigma that Latino families have against mental health services. “Only ‘crazy people’ sought counseling,” my mom had once stated. Because of her misguided perception, I wanted to further inform myself and others about the importance of self-care and that seeking therapy shouldn’t be shameful. As a result, I decided to create the Self-Care club at our school that allowed me to provide information about these topics and make them less of a taboo among my peers. My club centered around being a safe haven for those who wanted to learn about the causes of stress among young adults, creating self-care routines, and providing resources for bettering mental health. In the end, this club helped my classmates in taking their self-care seriously and allowed me to confront my mom about her erroneous ideals. On the other hand, I want to be equipped with the education needed to prove to Latino communities how mental care awareness shouldn’t be a taboo topic among families and peers. Starting with a double major in biochemistry and neuroscience, I will conduct research about the effects of child maltreatment on neurophysiological development. This research will propel me to become a physician scientist and serve as a foundation to start a program among young adults that attends to destroying the erroneous ideals Hispanic families inculcate into their children about self-care. I understand how these topics that aren’t talked about affect a child’s academic & personal achievement. Overall, I want my Latino community to progress against cultural stigma over mental health.

Starting high school, my family underwent domestic violence from our stepfather. My siblings and I experienced emotional and physical abuse, while my mom began to isolate herself due to animosity towards counseling. Because of this, I decided to seek counseling. This was the hardest decision I had to make because of the stigma that Latino families have against mental health services. “Only ‘crazy people’ sought counseling,” my mom had once stated. Because of her misguided perception, I wanted to further inform myself and others about the importance of self-care and that seeking therapy shouldn’t be shameful. As a result, I decided to create the Self-Care club at our school that allowed me to provide information about these topics and make them less of a taboo among my peers. My club centered around being a safe haven for those who wanted to learn about the causes of stress among young adults, creating self-care routines, and providing resources for bettering mental health. In the end, this club helped my classmates in taking their self-care seriously and allowed me to confront my mom about her erroneous ideals. On the other hand, I want to be equipped with the education needed to prove to Latino communities how mental care awareness shouldn’t be a taboo topic among families and peers. Starting with a double major in biochemistry and neuroscience, I will conduct research about the effects of child maltreatment on neurophysiological development. This research will propel me to become a physician scientist and serve as a foundation to start a program among young adults that attends to destroying the erroneous ideals Hispanic families inculcate into their children about self-care. I understand how these topics that aren’t talked about affect a child’s academic & personal achievement. Overall, I want my Latino community to progress against cultural stigma over mental health.