Mental health has shaped my experience with goals because for me, it can be very difficult to stay motivated at times and at times, the smallest of things can get me distracted. For example, I have been diagnosed with depression and ADHD. Before I was diagnosed with either, I noticed that I would constantly not have motivation to get simple everyday tasks done such as cleaning my room or doing my homework. Mental health has shaped my experience with relationships because I have been diagnosed with anxiety. My anxiety causes me to be constantly anxious around people that I do not know that well so at times it can be very difficult to talk and interact with other people. It is also very difficult for me to talk in front of groups of people whether it is for a speech or a school presentation. I have always had major anxiety when presenting but during my junior year of high school, it has become significantly worse. Mental health has shaped my experience with understanding the world because I have been diagnosed with ADHD. Because of me being diagnosed with ADHD, I tend to see the world differently compared to other people. I also tend to learn differently than others as well. It frequently takes me longer to comprehend, understand, and learn things. Therefore, I have a 504 plan at school. Meaning that I can use extended time on assignments and exams when needed. Which I will definitely admit, has helped me a huge amount in high school.

My Dream House would either be located somewhere warm but also somewhere that it could be extremely remote so that I could start a new life. It would be a giant 3-story house with a pool and a separate hot tub in the backyard as well as there would be tons of daisies around it (since those are my favorite flowers). My room would be that pretty sage green color and the rest of the house would go with that aesthetic. Either the aesthetic of Taylor Swift's album cover of either Evermore or Lover (which I know are completely different but those are my top two albums). I just want my dream house to be very aesthetically pleasing almost in a minimalistic way. I would also like there to be a lot of natural lighting so that I would not have to use much electricity and I think that natural lighting looks a lot better. I would also like there to be a separate place where we could have barbecues and bonfires as well so that people could have fun in the pool and then warm up by the fire while other people could be making s'mores in the bonfire. I would also like there to be a fireplace inside of the house because I feel like it would give the house a more cozy feeling.

Someone artistic who has also been influential in my life is my orchestra teacher, Mr. Foster. I have known him since my freshman year of high school. He has honestly been one of the most supportive people to me in my entire lifetime. Whether it is orchestra rehearsal or in my private lessons. He has been my conductor in four different orchestras now for the past four years of my life. My old high school's concert orchestra, symphonic orchestra, and chamber orchestra are all located in Algonquin, Illinois., and the Encore Music Academy's symphony orchestra is located in Crystal Lake, Illinois. I also look up to different soloists, and especially Hilary Hahn is one of them. Hilary Hahn is one of my favorite soloists. This is because she can make any violin piece sound good, even if the piece itself does not sound good. She has amazing tone, intonation, and musical expression when it comes to any piece that she practices or performs. I want to be able to see her in person performing one day in the future. My favorite experience in the arts so far is being in different orchestras throughout my years of middle school and high school. Between playing in my high school's chamber orchestra and being in orchestras outside of school, no matter what orchestra it is, I love to play in them and be able to meet new people. I also like being able to play new pieces and being able to challenge myself because I do not feel like I get to challenge myself often. Especially because I have temporarily stopped private lessons. Fortunately for me though, I will be picking it back up in the fall semester. I will be doing this through the college that I am going to, McHenry County College. I like to challenge myself because often I take playing my viola to be very therapeutic. I have been playing my viola since I was in the fifth grade. I have had other orchestra teachers too, from Mrs. Jones being my middle school orchestra teacher, to working with different clinicians from different colleges all over the state. Colleges like Northwestern, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and many other colleges and universities. I play softball as well, but I find orchestra so much more relaxing and therapeutic than playing softball. When you know how to play with the correct tone and intonation, it makes it a lot less stressful.

Music has been a huge part of my life since I was in 5th grade and has definitely shaped the way I view the people as well as the world. Music is all about recognizing the beauty and value of its different styles. It's also about understanding the different elements of music, such as melody, harmony, rhythm, and timbre, and how they work together to create a unique and memorable sound. Between anything from performance classical music, to listening to pop or rap music on the radio while in the car with my friends. Music has the power to evoke emotions and memories in a way that nothing else in this world can. Music has the ability to transport you to a different time and place, and to make you feel things you never thought possible. Whether I am feeling happy, sad, or somewhere in between those, there is always a song that can perfectly capture my mood and help me to process my emotions. Music has also introduced me to new cultures and new and different ways of thinking. I have discovered new artists as well as composers from all over the world and have been exposed to many different styles of music that I never would have known about otherwise. This has broadened my horizons and given me a greater appreciation for diversity and different perspectives. In addition, music has taught me the importance of creativity and self-expression. With that, music appreciation is also an important part of being a music lover. By being open-minded, understanding the context in which music was created, and recognizing the talent that goes into making great music, we can gain a greater appreciation for the art form as a whole and help support the artists who create it. The best artists are the ones who are unapologetically themselves and who use their music as a way to express their unique voice and perspective. This has inspired me to find my own voice as well as finding different ways to express myself in creative ways through me being a musician as well as performing in different orchestras throughout the last eight years of my life. Overall, music has had a profoundly huge impact on my life since I was in 5th grade and has helped me become the person I have developed in to today. It has taught me about the power of emotions, the importance of diversity, and the value of self-expression. I can not imagine living a world without music, and I am grateful for all of the amazing artists out there who have shared their talents as well as their stories with us.

Sports and athletics have always played a huge role in my life ever since I could run. Ever since I was five years old, I have played softball. I have played for many years including on rec teams, all-star teams, travel teams, and my high school team all four years, and I am even planning on playing softball at Mchenry County College. I have played other sports as well, which are including volleyball and basketball. But none of them have ever compared to the love that I always have had for softball. Softball has been my passion for as long as I can remember, I have lost my love for the game at times due to bad teams and bad coaches. But, the love for the game always seems to find its way back in to my life, and I am honestly not complaining at all. The reason that I have chosen to pursue a degree in an athletic-related field is I want to help athletes get back to their full stamina. I want to be able to give back to other athletes for all of the years I have had physical therapy done. Growing up, I had lots of injuries. And most of them, if not all of them were at some point treated with physical therapy. Those physical therapists were a huge help to me as well as my athletic career and I could not thank them enough for it. I also have gained a ton of respect for physical therapists as well. They will gain and lose different patients every day, and it is not consistent like at a regular doctor's office. They have to come up with different treatment plans every day whether it's doing exercises, stretches, e-stimming, and/or ultrasounds. And, they have to figure out which one of those to do on what days out of the week. To conclude, I want to be able to provide valuable resources to other athletes due to all of the injuries that I had that required physical therapy when I was growing up. And lastly, being a physical therapist can be challenging at times, between all of the different patients, different treatment plans, and not always having the same patients every day. I have and will continue to have a large amount of respect for not only physical therapists but others that work professionally in the medical field.

My name is Kaitlyn Wysong, I am 18 years old, and I live in a single parent household while playing a travel sport and being in two orchestras. This has impacted my life in many ways. It has affected me for the better and the worse since I was around seven or eight years old (2011-2012). But, it honestly still affects me to this day. One of the main ways this has had an impact on my life was at the beginning of my parents divorce, we constantly struggled with money and finances. My mom was a stay at home mom when my parents were still married so she now had to find a job. Meaning, we had to constantly budget and take into effect whether or not my dad would not pay child support when he was supposed to. My mom had recently taken my dad back to court (2019) to sue him for all the child support he was supposed to be paying but has not. It felt like it went on forever, it went on for two whole years (until 2021). Another main reason is that my dad has affected my mental health in the worst ways possible. Granted, I have been diagnosed with ADHD since I was in third grade. But one of the main reasons being him, I have been diagnosed with depression and anxiety my freshman year of high school (2019). Between him thinking that he knows everything and is right about everything about the sport and instrument that I play, to him gaslighting and manipulating my brother and I for “not spending more time with him”. It makes me not want to see him at all, I am always miserable when I go to his house. But. my mom still encourages us to make plans with him. So as she wishes, we attempt to make plans with him. But every time we make plans with him, he always cancels at the very last minute and uses some lame excuse. He says things like “I’m in the hospital again” (my dad is a major hypochondriac) or “I have to work late again tonight” (he works from home). So as a result of this, my brother and I have not seen him at all during 2022. To conclude, living in a single parent household while playing a travel sport can be very difficult at times. Which is why I always am so grateful for everything my mom has done for me, even when I thought she could not or would not be able to do it.

Sports have helped me through some of the most difficult times in my life. They have helped me to become a better person. And, they have helped me figure out what college to attend in the fall. The first way athletics have positively impacted my life was by helping me through some of my most difficult times. I have played softball since I was seven years old and have faced some pretty hard times since then. For example, I was seven years old when my parent's divorce was finalized. Going through that, especially while in first grade, I did not understand a lot of what was going on. I just knew it meant that I would not be living with both of my parents. It was then that softball started to become more and more of a coping mechanism. As I got older I started to understand more about my parent's divorce, as well as all of the things my dad put my mom, brother, and me through. Softball became a form of therapy for me, as well as a coping mechanism. Whether it was going to the cages and hitting for an hour or two, or playing catch with my mom, I found ways for softball to be therapeutic. The next way athletics have impacted me is that I have become a better person and have grown into a more mature person. In life, you will come across people that you do not like or do not agree with, and softball has helped me a ton with that. Whether it was playing for coaches or having teammates I did not like, I still had to play the game as I normally would. Even through all of the times I wanted to stop playing softball because of a bad teammate, coach, or team, I never gave up whatsoever. No matter how bad the situation was, I never quit. I knew how much I would regret quitting. Last season (2021-22) was especially hard on me. I was playing for Elgin Impact at the time, and I had a coach who was destroying my mental health both on and off the field. My two best friends at the time claimed they understood what I was going through, but they never truly supported me. They both completely stopped talking to me once I moved teams. But, I knew I had to do what was best for my mental health. Lastly, athletics (particularly softball) has helped me decide where I am going to college. I have chosen McHenry County College for a multitude of reasons. I like the coach, the college is close to home, and I have a partial scholarship to help with some of the fees. So far, I have loved everyone that I have met there. I have known the coach since I was twelve years old, and he has been such a positive impact on my life. Whether it was coming to my tournaments, going to his summer camps when I was younger, or even going to his MCC games, he has always encouraged and inspired me. He is one of the most optimistic coaches that I have ever met, and I honestly wish that I had more coaches like him when I was younger playing travel softball. To conclude everything, sports and athletics, especially softball, have helped me in my life, as well as impacted me in so many positive ways.

I have made a lot of progress over the years when it comes to my two mental illnesses, depression and anxiety. I was diagnosed with both just prior to starting my freshman year of high school. Before I was diagnosed freshman year, I was honestly embarrassed to ask for help. I thought it would show that I was a weak person. So instead, I would resort to different coping mechanisms. Unfortunately, not all of them were good or healthy. I started feeling depressed around seventh grade. But I thought it was just a normal thing. I have always heard that everyone gets depressed from time to time. But, when I started to realize that it was not getting better, I knew it was becoming a problem. A lot of time I do not like showing my emotions and feelings around other people. But whenever I try to, I seem to struggle. An example of a good coping mechanism for me would be practicing my viola. I still use this coping mechanism in the present day because it helps calm me down, it makes me a better musician, and I have fun while practicing. Another example would be me just going on a walk. Whenever I needed to get out of the house, sometimes I would take my dog with me. And other times, I would just go sit outside while listening to music. Whenever I felt that something was my fault or I was the problem, I would self-harm. I always felt guilty when I would self-harm. I knew I should not be doing it, but I would anyway. But now, since I use alternative coping mechanisms, I no longer feel guilty about my actions. Now looking back and reflecting on my past self, I do not know why I did not ask for help sooner. I feel like I would have become a different person if I would have asked earlier, rather than my mom finding out and forcing me to get help. I think it was because, at first, I did not want help and I did not want to get better. But, I am now grateful to my mom for giving me the help I need. It helped me physically and mentally, and it has also helped me perceive a new perspective of the world. To conclude everything, I feel like I should have asked for help sooner. No one should ever feel embarrassed about how they are feeling. No matter how you are feeling, even if someone says you are being dramatic, your feelings are completely and always will be valid.

One way I have grown over the past year is that I have become more mature and responsible. I have had to take on and experience some events that kids normally would not/should not have to experience in their lifetime. An example of this is when my parents originally got divorced in 2011. Granted, it is more common for parents to get divorced, but it is still a difficult situation to go through. Especially since years later, I got told that my mom had fought for only my brother and me. My dad fought for everything but us. Granted, he thought that my mom would be a better parent than him (which he is right about), but it is still sad to think about. Another example of how I have become more mature recently is my dad has been in the hospital since the 11th of this month. He currently has jaundice, stage 4 liver and kidney failure, and a plethora of other diagnoses. He has not been present in my life, and I have not seen him in over a year. But this is so sad, and it was 100% preventable. He has been an alcoholic for years, and I recently found out he had also been using illegal substances. These events have inspired my personal growth because I never want to become an alcoholic or addicted to drugs. I know that they always say this kind of stuff in elementary school, but you do not realize how dangerous it is until you see someone that you know affected by one or the other or even both. What has remained the same about me is since I was a freshman in high school, I had promised myself that I would never drink. I know never drinking seems kind of unrealistic, especially for someone in high school who is about to be in college. But, it is my biggest fear to become an alcoholic. What has changed about me is that I have also promised myself that I would not take any kind of street drugs or unnecessary prescription drugs. I would never want to pass the way that my dad is on the path of currently. What I have learned through this path of self-discovery is that I am more mature than I think I am, but I am continuing to become more mature every day. When I was younger, my brother and I would go to my dad’s house. If something was not clean, I would end up cleaning it. If he did not make breakfast or lunch, I would be the one making the dinner. It was like I was the parent and he was the child. To sum everything up, I have become more mature with age, but it also goes to show that I had to grow up too quickly when I was a child.

TW: self-harm, mental illness. I was diagnosed with ADHD when I was 9 and anxiety and depression when I was 14. This had affected my family because my mom and brother were starting to see the warning signs before I actually diagnosed with ADHD, depression, and anxiety. For my ADHD, they had noticed the signs early on of me making impulsive decisions, me not being able to focus on one thing at the time, and my hyperfixating on something causing me not to worry about anything else. On the other hand, for my depression and anxiety, they had noticed my change in mood, lack of appetite, and just my overall well being declining rapidly. Mental illness has affected me since I was 9 years old. Currently, I am diagnosed with ADHD, anxiety, and depression. But, my mental illnesses intially started when I was in the 3rd grade, which was my ADHD. For most of elementary school, I was very disruptive. Whether it would be me getting up in the middle of class or me talking when I was not supposed to be. So as a result, I had started to be medicated for my ADHD in order to become more focused. Which in the beginning, was horrible for my mom. This is because it was a constant trial and error experiement of trying different medications. When we finally had figured out which medication was for me, things had become a lot better. Now I am able to focus better than in the beginning, but I still have difficulty every once in a while. The next type of mental illness I have is depression. This originally started in middle school and was the worst for me for two reasons. For one, I was walking around with an undiagnosed mental illness, and seond I didt not have a 504 plan. Both of these combined made my experience in middle school horrible. I consistently had a difficult time staying motivated to complete my work and turn it in on time. Even when I had finished something late, I still would not turn it in because I would be too embarrassed too. This had become the worst in 8th grade when I was starting to have suicidal thoughts and started self-harming. But fortunately, my mom took me to a therapist, which has helped me out a ton mentally. The last type of mental illness I have is anxiety. This again had originally started in middle school, but has progressively gotten worse through the middle of my junior year of high school. Presentations have always been hard for me. But lately, I have been beginning to have panic attacks over them, and I honestly do not have a clue why. I always prepare for my presentations as much as I can, but it never seems to be enough. I always end up crying, and I just want to figure out how to get better at presenting. I either talk it over with my mom and see what I can do to be more calm about it, or I talk to my brother at school. To conclude everything, mental illness has taken a toll on my life. But since getting a 504 plan at the end of 8th grade, I have been slowly improving. Now I am much better in school, except when it comes to presentations. But, I am working on it. It is definitely going to take a while, but I know it will be worth it in the end.

Mental illness has affected me since I was 9 years old. Currently, I am diagnosed with ADHD, anxiety, and depression. This started when I was in the 3rd grade. I had not been able to focus throughout my entire life, but it was getting significantly worse. For most of elementary school, I was very disruptive. Whether it would be me getting up in the middle of class or me talking when I was not supposed to be. As a result, I got tested for ADHD/ADD. Back then, those were two separate things. But now, there are actually three different types of ADHD. There is the combined type, the impulsive/hyperactive type, and the inattentive and distractable type. I have the inattentive and distractable type. Even though I am now able to focus better than in the beginning, I still have difficulty every once in a while. The next type of mental illness I have is depression. This had originally started in middle school which was the worst for me because of two reasons. For one, I was walking around with an undiagnosed mental illness and two, I did not have a 504 plan. Both of these combined made my experience in middle school horrible. I had a consistently difficult time staying motivated to complete my work and turn it in on time. Even when I had finished something late, I still would not turn it in because I would be too embarrassed too. The last type of mental illness I have is anxiety. This again had originally started in middle school, but has progressively gotten worse through the middle of my junior year of high school. Presentations have always been hard for me. But lately, I have been beginning to have panic attacks over them, and I honestly do not have clue why. I always prepare for my presentations as much as I can, but it never seems to be enough. I always end up crying, and I just want to figure out how to get better at presenting. To conclude everything, mental illness has definitely taken a toll on my life. But since getting a 504 plan at the end of 8th grade, I have been slowly improving. Now I am much better in school, except when it comes to presentations. But, I am working on it. It is definitely going to take a while, but I know it will be worth it in the end.

For a bit of background, when I was six years old, my mom told my dad she wanted a divorce. My dad abused alcohol, gambled uncontrollably, cheated on my mom constantly and was never home. Up until this point, she was a stay-at-home mom to my brother (3) and me. She did have a college education but had not worked outside the home since they moved back from Hawaii to Illinois. In 2019, my mom took my father back to court for back child support. After a two-year-long battle, there was a judgment entered against my father for over $100,000. Obviously, he did not have that much cash laying around, so the judge ordered him to pay $500 per month until paid in full. Unfortunately, the legal fees were astronomical. My mom is now employed full-time, and we are starting to see the results of her hard work. Debts are finally being paid off, and we are in a much better place financially. During this time, my brother was diagnosed with SPD (sensory processing disorder). He underwent speech, physical therapy and occupational therapy once a week for years. Again, my father was nowhere to be found. And, a few years later, I was diagnosed with ADHD, anxiety and depression. Finding out I had ADHD was actually a blessing in disguise. I was put on medication, but it was not enough. While in middle school, I started cutting myself. When my mom found out, she immediately set out to get me help. I went through DNA testing to determine which medications would work best for me, and I started going to counseling once a week. It was while researching all this, that my mom overheard someone talking about a 504 plan. So, she set up an appointment with my 8th-grade teachers and counselor to discuss obtaining one for me. I had a history of not completing and turning in my homework. It drove my mom nuts! She would always say to me, "Kaitlyn, if you were stupid I could understand these grades and this behavior. But, you are an extremely talented and smart girl. Why? Just why?". I started high school with a 504 in place, I was playing travel softball, and I was becoming quite the violist. My medications were working, and I was down to counseling twice a month. It was during this time, that I told my mom I wanted to play softball in college. She made sure I was enrolled in college camps, she helped me set up my softball recruiting profiles and drove me to practices. She also constantly stayed on me with regard to school. During freshman year, Covid hit and we went to remote learning. I excelled during this time. During sophomore year, we decided to keep me 100% remote. It was the best thing ever. Again, my grades stayed up and even improved. But, I was not just about school. I tried out for and made varsity softball. I even ended up making all-conference my sophomore year. At no time did my mom ever make my brother or me feel like an afterthought. She was always there (and, I do mean ALWAYS there). She is my biggest cheerleader and supporter. We may not have always had everything we wanted, but we always had everything we needed. With her love and support, I know that I can accomplish ANYTHING. Next year, I am starting McHenry County College with a partial softball scholarship. Winning this scholarship will help me offset the cost of college. I am planning on getting my degree in physical therapy.

Mental health is important because ever since I was diagnosed with ADHD, depression, and anxiety it has affected my life in multiple aspects. Aspects such as my goals, my relationships, and understanding the world around me. Mental health has shaped my experience with goals because for me, it can be very difficult to stay motivated at times and at times, the smallest of things can get me distracted. For example, I have been diagnosed with depression and ADHD. Before I was diagnosed with either, I noticed that I would constantly not have motivation to get simple everyday tasks done such as cleaning my room or doing my homework. Mental health has shaped my experience with relationships because I have been diagnosed with anxiety. My anxiety causes me to be constantly anxious around people that I do not know that well so at times it can be very difficult to talk and interact with other people. It is also very difficult for me to talk in front of groups of people whether it is for a speech or a school presentation. I have always had major anxiety when presenting but during my junior year of high school, it has become significantly worse. Mental health has shaped my experience with understanding the world because I have been diagnosed with ADHD. Because of me being diagnosed with ADHD, I tend to see the world differently compared to other people. I also tend to learn differently than others as well. It frequently takes me longer to comprehend, understand, and learn things. Therefore, I have a 504 plan at school. Meaning that I can use extended time on assignments and exams when needed. Which I will definitely admit, has helped me a huge amount in high school. How I maintain my mental wellness is by looking at situations and aspects of life from the positive aspect, not the negative. For example, when my parents got divorced, I looked at it as a negative situation that will negatively affect my life forever. I could have dwelled on it for the rest of my life and not make an effort to improve my mental health. But instead, I chose to look at this opportunity as an opportunity for growth. I chose to grow as an individual which is why I like to look at everything in an optimistic mindset. I chose to help my mom with anything she needed help with (except for finances because I was too young to do so), and I also helped my brother with basically anything that he needed help with.

Mental health has shaped my experience with goals because for me, it can be very difficult to stay motivated at times and at times, the smallest of things can get me distracted. For example, I have been diagnosed with depression and ADHD. Before I was diagnosed with either, I noticed that I would constantly not have motivation to get simple everyday tasks done such as cleaning my room or doing my homework. Mental health has shaped my experience with relationships because I have been diagnosed with anxiety. My anxiety causes me to be constantly anxious around people that I do not know that well so at times it can be very difficult to talk and interact with other people. It is also very difficult for me to talk in front of groups of people whether it is for a speech or a school presentation. I have always had major anxiety when presenting but during my junior year of high school, it has become significantly worse. Mental health has shaped my experience with understanding the world because I have been diagnosed with ADHD. Because of me being diagnosed with ADHD, I tend to see the world differently compared to other people. I also tend to learn differently than others as well. It frequently takes me longer to comprehend, understand, and learn things. Therefore, I have a 504 plan at school. Meaning that I can use extended time on assignments and exams when needed. Which I will definitely admit, has helped me in huge amount in high school.

Sports have impacted my life in many ways. For example, I have played travel softball since I was eleven. Travel softball has honestly helped me a ton throughout my life, whether it was through my parent’s divorce or in a general hard point in my life. I have loved playing travel softball since I was a kid. Granted, I have not been dealt the best hand with coaches and teams in the past, but I’ve learned to work with it and I’m glad with where I am today. I have also played other sports when I was younger but they did not last, such as volleyball and basketball. I enjoyed volleyball a ton when I was younger but I knew that I was going to have to choose between softball and volleyball, which was definitely difficult because I loved them both, but I knew choosing softball would be more beneficial to me in the future when applying for colleges. What motivates me to pursue a sports-related career is having the opportunity to help treat athletes during their recovery. This has become extremely important to me because if an injury is recovered but not in the correct way, it could lead to problems with that same injury in the future. Which could also become career ending depending on what the initial injury was. Physical therapy is an extremely important career and having a good relationship with your physical therapist is key. There are up to six different types of physical therapists, but knowing which one you should make an appointment with is key. If someone chooses the wrong kind of physical therapy, it could impact that injury for worse than for the better. A dream that I hope to pursue with my degree is treating every patient and athlete correctly so they could go back to their daily life and/or sport(s) normally without having future problems with that injury. This is because I have seen and have multiple friends who have repetitive injuries which have either caused them to constantly be in a ton of pain during athletic activity or have forced them to stop playing completely. Injuries can be very serious and could take a long time to recover. For example, tearing an ACL. Which is extremely painful and could take 6 months or even up to an entire year to completely heal. So to conclude everything, softball has impacted my life in many ways. Physical therapy motivates me to pursue a sports-related career. And lastly, dreams I hope to pursue with a physical therapy degree is to treat every injury correctly do they do not have problems in the future.

Lady and the Tramp is by far my favorite Disney movie. And, Tramp is by far my favorite character. I was raised in a broken home, so I guess on some level I related to Tramp. I get that he is just a dog, but he was a loner with no blood family to speak of. He got by with the help of his friends. I do have my mom and brother, but more often then not, I thought I could accomplish it all on my own. I needed no one. At a young age, I was diagnosed with ADHD, depression and anxiety. This led to my not making friends easily and being rather scatter brained. At some point, Tramp let Lady in, and that's when things started to change for him. It took me a long time to realize that my mom and brother would never abandon me the way my father did. They have helped me accomplish so much in my life. Today, I am a senior in high school with a decent GPA (3.4), and I am going on to fulfil my dream of playing softball in college. At times I tend to downplay that, because "it is only junior college". I know I shouldn't do that, because I have read that only like 7% of high school athletes go on to play in college. I am fortunate enough to receive a partial scholarship, but it's still not enough to pay for school. I think Tramp showed me that it is ok to let people in and ask for help.

For me personally, I have multiple songs that have an important message to me. Whether it is a song for getting pumped for a softball game, a song that I play in order to get into a good mood, and having a certain song/playlist for whatever mood I am in that day. A song that I play to get pumped up for a softball game is a song that typically has a lot of bass, it is called Headlines by Drake. This is a song that has constantly got me pumped up for games over the years whether it is on the car ride to the tournament that weekend or that song being in the warm up playlist. A song that I play in order to get into a good mood is called Keep Driving by Harry Styles. This song has an overall happy vibe to it and almost every single time has put me into a good mood. It is fun to listen to while driving, or even just doing chores around the house.

Living in a single parent household and playing a travel sport has impacted my life in many ways. It has affected me for the better and the worse since I was around seven or eight years old (2011-2012). It honestly still affects me to this day. One of the main ways it has had an impact on my life was at the beginning of my parents divorce, we constantly struggled with money and finances. My mom was a stay at home mom when my parents were still married so she now had to find a job. Meaning, we had to constantly budget and take into effect whether or not my dad would not pay child support when he was supposed to. My mom had recently taken my dad back to court (2019) to sue him for all the child support he was supposed to be paying but has not. It felt like it went on forever, it went on for two whole years (until 2021). Another main reason is that my dad has affected my mental health in the worst ways possible. Granted, I have been diagnosed with ADHD since I was in third grade. But one of the main reasons being him, I have been diagnosed with depression and anxiety my freshman year of high school (2019). Between him thinking that he knows everything and is right about everything about the sport and instrument that I play, to him gaslighting and manipulating my brother and I for “not spending more time with him”. It makes me not want to see him at all, I am always miserable when I go to his house. But. my mom still encourages us to make plans with him. So as she wishes, we attempt to make plans with him. But every time we make plans with him, he always cancels at the very last minute and uses some lame excuse. He says things like “I’m in the hospital again” (my dad is a major hypochondriac) or “I have to work late again tonight” (he works from home). So as a result of this, my brother and I have not seen him at all during 2022. To conclude, living in a single parent household while playing a travel sport can be very difficult at times. Which is why I am always so grateful for everything my mom has done for me, even when I thought she could not or would not be able to do it.