I am an upcoming freshman in college of fall 2025, Joyce Zamudio, . At 17 years of age, I have commited to playing beach and indoor volleyball at San Joaquin Community College, Stockton California. In my experience with playing beach and indoor volleyball, I have experienced the tough battles in mental health and wellness through my journey in this sport. I ultimately chose to play volleyball at the collegiate level to pursue my dedication and perseverance as a human that has much more to give in life, even without a sport. Volleyball, starting off in the 6th grade, gave me such joy and compassion. Stepping foot in the sand or on the court filled my mind with endless thoughts of what could potentially be my future beyond the sport. Specifically, tackling the immense pressures of ones own mind and confidence. Growing up in the apartments of Stockton California, I was not given the basic neccesities children needed to grow and thrive. However, at a young age, I found my strength through my love of the sport and how difficult it drove my life. In the 6th grade alone, I instantly fell in love with a distraction from the real world and only spoke about volleyball every chance I got. I practiced everyday alone with a ball I received as a gift. As I grew up, the skill level and the awareness of how difficult it was going to be to even think about playing in college became an immense feeling. To be honest, I loved the sport, but I never received the support in comparison to many other kids dealing with the same goals. I didn't believe in myself due to my background and was not sure about playing college. My decision in playing volleyball at the collegiate level is the greatest opportunity I could have ever received. It will allow me to show my abilities as a human, wanting to be an example of accomplishishing even the impossible to some. I want to become a leader for those who struggle with the mental aspect of all sports, and finding a way to uplift those in the darkest of situations. In this pathway, I would like to accomplish a career path in Psychology, to ultimately become a Child Therapist or a Social Worker. With this career, I will be able to give voice to the voiceless and allow for children to become our future in society. Allowing children to flourish with support of workers who believe in them will forever change their lives. After college graduation, I genuinely want to support children who struggled similarly to how multiple children in the Stockton or 209 area have, giving opportunities to those who want to grow as a human, even as a child. Unfortunately, many children deal with the aspects of not knowing who their support systems are, if they are cut out to be “good enough for their sport,” or even if they will have a roof over their heads at times. This career path will allow me to take the game of volleyball and turning it into a lifelong lesson through its hardships and struggles. Through the unknowing of it all and fast pace pathways, similar to life.