The first time I said, “hi, my name is Jessie, and I’m an alcoholic” was the worst day and also best day of my life. It was the worst day because I finally had to admit defeat and admit to myself and to other human beings that I had a problem I could not quietly solve by myself. I had to succumb to the notion that I, in fact, was not perfect. I physically and mentally could not pretend to be ‘fine’ anymore. I was hopeless, suicidal, and praying to god to not wake up in the morning. That was almost 5 years ago. It was also the best day of my life because it started me on a new path of healing which I had been too afraid to take. My alcoholism was activated by stress and fear caused from significant childhood trauma. I had no emotional coping tools to deal with my PTSD, so I self medicated with substances and alcohol. Since starting my journey of recovery, I’ve been able to process my trauma and learn how to Implement brand new coping strategies. I’m no longer a swirling vortex of substances and out-of-control emotions. I am a calm, anxious-free human being that cares deeply about humanity. My progress in recovery has inspired me to give this gift to others. Graduating with a Masters degree in Psychology is where my recovery has taken me so far, and I can’t wait to see where it takes me next!

My mental health is important to me because I almost lost my life to poor mental health habits when I was 35. I had a lifetime of unprocessed childhood trauma that inevitably lead to self medication through drugs and alcohol, major depression, and suicidal ideation. After enrolling in an intensive outpatient program, I began to learn proper coping tools to help heal my mind, body, and spirit. I spent a lifetime shutting down my emotions and pretending to be ‘fine’, but it all caught up with my in my mid- thirties. It’s been 4 years since I was praying to God to please take me off this planet. My prayers don’t sound like that anymore. I started taking my mental health seriously in January of 2018, and since then, I have continued to grow and succeed in ways I never could have imagined. How did/ do I do it ? I quit drinking alcohol, I attend 12 step meetings daily, I am of service to people in need, I take time for myself and ground myself in nature whenever I can, I communicate directly, I express my emotions, and I combat my negative thoughts with positive affirmations. I have hope for the future now, and plan on making important contributions to the field of media psychology. My ultimate goal is protect victims of true crime from media exploitation and public humiliation by creating and implementing psychological safety measures for all true crime and reality productions. This scholarship will help me reach that goal. You may see me now, but you ain’t seen nothing yet !

We need psychological safety measures put in place for our reality TV and social media productions. Anxiety and depression rates for children and adults are on the rise and I believe it is because of the content we consume and absorb on a daily basis. I have personally been exploited by mainstream media for almost 30 years now due to my parents being infamous figures in pop culture. I have experienced depression, anxiety, substance abuse issues, eating disorders, PTSD and other mental health effects directly related to the insanity I grew up in. I was suicidal and ready to die in 2018. I have since been on a journey to heal myself and process my trauma, and now that I am out of the gutter, I am determined to protect the generations after me and give them a chance at a fruitful and meaningful life. I plan on doing research connecting negative mental health outcomes to the exploitation of true crime victims, and plan on creating and implementing psychological safety measures for people who have been a victim of a crime and are in the public eye because of it. This idea does not currently exist- I’ve been looking. I believe this mission will give people the opportunity to live a healthy life, and not succumb to mental illness or substance abuse/ addiction. I am 38 years old and currently in school working toward a Masters degree in Psychology. I plan on pursuing a PhD in Media psychology after I graduate, and I am obsessively dedicated to my mission of researching, creating, and implementing psychological safety measures for true from victims and their families. This mission is important because it doesn’t exist, yet true crime productions are being made and broadcasted everyday across all forms of media. Someone has to look out for and advocate for the victims. That someone is going to be me ;)

If I had that, I wouldn’t be the financially inept adult I am today. The closest thing to financial advice I’ve ever gotten was from my father who said “always take the money” … which in my experience has lead to many negative experiences in life. I’m at a place in life where I am deconstructing my beliefs and values surrounding money and trying to implement new ideas and strategies.

We need psychological safety measure put in place for our reality TV and social media productions. Anxiety and depression rates for children and adults are on the rise and I believe it is because of the content we consume and absorb on a daily basis. I have personally been exploited by mainstream media for almost 30 years now due to my parents being infamous figures in pop culture. I have experienced depression, anxiety, substance abuse issues, eating disorders, PTSD and other mental health effects directly related to the insanity I grew up in. I was suicidal and ready to die in 2018. I have since been on a journey to heal myself and process my trauma, and now that I am out of the gutter, I am determined to protect the generations after me and give them a chance at a fruitful and meaningful life. I plan on doing research connecting negative mental health outcomes to the exploitation of true crime victims, and plan on creating and implementing psychological safety measures for people who have been a victim of a crime and are in the public eye because of it. Although this mission does not directly relate to education, I believe this mission will give people the opportunity to live a healthy life, which will in turn, present the opportunity to further ones education. I am 38 years old and currently in school working toward a Masters degree in Psychology. If I killed myself in 2018 I would not be getting the education I am so grateful to be getting today. I want to save lives so they have the choice and/ or chance to better themselves through education. Going back to school and earning a graduate degree had given new meaning and purpose to my life, and I hope to inspire others to do the same.

Encourage people to share their story and talk about their shame/ trauma/ and hurtful experiences. Keeping our trauma to ourselves only makes us more dysfunctional in every area of our lives. It keeps us in the shadows. Finding the courage to talk authentically about our struggles helps clear the negative feelings and emotions that are attached to it. Sharing your story can save your life. It saved mine. Whether it’s with a friend, a therapist, group therapy, or a twelve step program, it’s important to share our story because someone else might need to hear it in order for THEM to heal. Sharing our truth is a practical solution to help people struggling with mental health issues.

I have the sole responsibility of taking care of my elderly mother. She was shot in the face by one of my fathers many mistresses 30 years ago which left her dependent on others. As she ages, her health is declining and needs extra support and care from me. I take care of her every day while maintaining a full time job and attend graduate school. My goal is to be able to provide for my mother fully and elevate her life satisfaction. I provide for her financially, I assist her with medical appointments, I cook and clean, and help support her mental health. In the past I’ve had to help her after surgery by cleaning her wounds and changing bandages, and supporting her mentally and emotionally.