They say you become the environment you grow up in. From a very young age, I knew it was up to me to beat those odds. I didn't want to be like my mom, dad, or older brother. They were too comfortable. My mom was comfortable with addiction. My father was too comfortable in a jail cell. My brother was too comfortable skipping school and starting trouble. Growing up in an environment like this took a toll on my mental health. I struggled to find role models and the motivation to do well for myself and others. The environment I grew up in and the way it made me feel took a toll on my religious beliefs and career aspirations and it is something I will carry with me for the rest of my life, but that doesn't have to be a bad thing, it's a testimony. Questioning God is something a lot of us are familiar with, I do it from time to time. When your mother is struggling to keep the lights on, bouncing from food bank to food bank, and getting domestically abused it can be hard to believe God is on your side. You start to ask yourself, “Why would God let me feel this way,” or “why would God put me in a situation like this?” I began to question if he was even there. No God would let a little girl feel this hopeless and depressed. As I got older and pushed through for myself and those around me I realized it was all a part of my testimony. I saw and felt the lowest of the lows and eventually, it led me here today. A young woman who has graduated High school and is now a first-generation college student. With this testimony, I know exactly what I need to pursue in life. Helping those around me by creating actual laws and being a part of the conversation will be the career path I choose. I will give a voice to those who don't have one. I will have a seat at the table when laws are being put into place. It is so important to protect our children, struggling families, those who struggle with medical issues, the homeless, and those who have addictions. We must use the resources we have to help those who need them. Growing up depressed and in a broken home has ignited a new passion within me. I have decided to major in Politics to better my community. No one should have to feel the way I did growing up. Everyone deserves a good environment to flourish.