One of the most urgent healthcare issues in the United States is the growing mental and behavioral health crisis among children, adolescents, and young adults. Rates of anxiety, depression, trauma, substance use, and suicide have continued to rise, yet far too many young people are unable to access timely, affordable, and culturally responsive mental healthcare. These disparities are especially evident in underserved communities, where long waitlists, financial barriers, and a shortage of mental health professionals often prevent youth from receiving help until they reach a crisis. Growing up, I watched many of my peers struggle with violence, unstable home environments, untreated mental health conditions, and substance use and in many of those cases, support only became available after the situation had escalated into an emergency. These experiences shaped my belief that mental healthcare should be proactive rather than reactive and that every young person deserves access to safe and comprehensive care with evidence-based behavioral health services before their challenges become crises. This is the healthcare issue I am most passionate about as I have seen how the absence of early intervention can change the course of a young person's life. My passion for this work has led me to pursue a career in healthcare through social work. I have recently earned my BS in Psychology and BA in Sociology from Howard University and am continuing my studies at Rutgers University for my Master of Social Work with a concentration in mental and behavioral health. Social workers are an essential part of the healthcare system as they provide counseling, crisis intervention, care coordination, advocacy, and connections to community resources that address both mental health needs and the social factors that influence health outcomes. I want to become a licensed clinical social worker so I can provide therapy while also helping improve access to care for underserved populations. I have begun work in direct practice as a Registered Behavior Technician in preparation for my career through. providing one-on-one ABA therapy to children with developmental and behavioral needs including ASD. This role has strengthened my understanding of evidence-based interventions while teaching me the importance of patience, collaboration, and individualized care. Outside of my professional experience, I have remained committed to community service and leadership roles with various community organizations as I believe improving health outcomes requires investing in communities over merely treating symptoms. My long-term goal is to establish nonprofit community centers that integrate mental healthcare with educational support, mentorship, crisis prevention, and family services. I want these centers to remove barriers that often prevent young people from receiving care by offering affordable, accessible services within the communities they call home. Rather than waiting until a child enters the emergency room, juvenile justice system, or foster care, I hope to create environments where support is available early and consistently. Receiving this scholarship would help me continue my graduate education and move closer to addressing one of our nation's most pressing healthcare challenges. By becoming a clinical social worker and expanding access to youth mental and behavioral health services, I hope to improve health outcomes for future generations and help build stronger, healthier communities.

As a lifelong learner, I believe that success means little if it is not used to uplift others. My experiences have shaped me into someone who values leadership, community, empathy, and service in every area of life. Whether through academics, advocacy, entrepreneurship, or mentorship, I have consistently been driven by a desire to create opportunities and support systems for people who are often overlooked. That passion for helping others has guided both my educational journey and the goals I am pursuing for my future. As a recent graduate of Howard University and an incoming graduate student at Rutgers University pursuing a Master’s degree in Social Work, I plan to dedicate my career to creating spaces where underserved individuals, particularly low income Black and Brown youth and families, can access both practical support and emotional healing. My education has strengthened my understanding of how systemic inequities affect Black communities, especially in areas such as mental healthcare, juvenile justice, education, and economic opportunity. At Howard, I explored the stigmas surrounding mental health within Black culture and examined how media, institutional systems, and historical trauma shape the way communities respond to psychological distress. These experiences reinforced my belief that advocacy must be holistic, culturally informed, and rooted in compassion. My long-term goal is to become a social worker and community advocate focused on improving access to mental health resources and intervention programs for marginalized communities. I want to work directly with youth who are often labeled “problematic” before anyone takes the time to understand why they may be that way. Too many young people are pushed into cycles of incarceration, violence, or instability because they lack mentorship, unified families, mental health support, and healthy environments to grow. I want to help interrupt those cycles through counseling, outreach programs, trauma-informed care, and community-based initiatives that prioritize prevention rather than punishment. In addition to my academic goals, I am also passionate about building generational stability and creating community-centered opportunities outside of traditional social service settings. Through entrepreneurial goals and future family-oriented business ventures, I hope to create environments that encourage wellness, connection, creativity, and rest—things that are often inaccessible in underserved communities. I believe impact does not only happen in offices or institutions; it can happen through safe spaces, mentorship, meaningful conversations, and experiences that allow people to feel valued and restored. I was emancipated while in my youth and have paid out of pocket for my education thus far, meaning that I understand firsthand the financial and emotional weight that often accompanies academic achievement. Many students are expected to persevere despite limited support, rising educational costs, and systemic barriers that make these achievements that much harder. This reality motivates me even more not only to pursue my own goals but equip my peers and future clients with all they need to be successful. The impact I hope to make is rooted in both compassion and action, working hands on with children and families. I want to contribute to stronger families, healthier communities, and systems that value healing as much as achievement. Through social work, advocacy, and community engagement, I hope to create lasting change that extends far beyond myself.

I grew up in church with parents who were leaders in ministry and as a result was raised to take care of those around me because that is what we are called to do as believers. While I was always contributing, my personal involvement began in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic left food banks overwhelmed and families struggling across the greater Seattle area. My church called on volunteers to step in and I answered by helping pack wellness bags and driving with fellow church members and community officials to distribute food and hygiene supplies to people experiencing homelessness and food insecurity. Those moments downtown, speaking with individuals who were often overlooked by society, shifted something in me as I began to see shared qualities between myself and the youth we encountered on the streets. It was then I realized that service is not only about meeting basic needs but also about creating space for joy and hope in which people can truly encounter Christ in and through me. Shortly after volunteering, I began a nonprofit outreach ministry offering free dance lessons to children and youth experiencing poverty, called K-dance. The name plays off the word “cadence,” symbolizing rhythm, movement, and forward momentum with a K for Kingdom and my name, Kalieyah. I was able to make a difference firsthand by instilling values and building children's confidence through something as simple as positive affirmations that spoke life over them. My goal was not just to teach choreography but to provide a safe place where children could feel seen, heard, and celebrated, even in the midst of difficult circumstances. The work I started continues to shape me as it has taught me that faith without action is incomplete, and that even small gestures—whether a bag of food, a kind word, or a dance class—can ripple outward to have a big impact. My drive comes from knowing that poverty and injustice are not struggles one person can fight alone; it takes a community and while my church gave me the foundation of service, my own faith pushed me to create something of my own that acknowledges those who are overlooked, in a way that uses the gifts given to me. Since graduating high school and moving to college across the country, I have left my parents church and joined another in Washington DC, where I continue regular community service monthly as well as lead Bible study at my school. Today, I carry that same cadence forward as I stay involved in praise dance and aim to walk in purpose, leading with love, and striving to create change wherever God calls me.