When I walked into high school, I knew the experience would be challenging, but I knew I was ready for this big step. What I didn't realize at the time, was that making and keeping friends would prove to be a challenge and the workload would pile on faster than I could manage. Freshman year was a breeze, I did my schoolwork, and the easy homework. I attained all A's, even though geometry, a class I was accelerated to take. However, once the summer between freshman and sophomore year ended, that is when my mental health took a sharp turn. I was losing friends faster than I could make them- whether that was from drama or them moving away. By the time January rolled around, I had stressed myself out to the extreme. It felt like I was changing from the bubbly, outgoing person I was, to a quiet, and a quite sad individual. Then COVID-19 hit. I was devastated. My friendships and classes became virtual, and I couldn't see anyone except those I lived with. This made me feel more alone and the goals that I had once had- to get a 4.0 and to stay happy and healthy slipped. During this time, I began to give up. Some days I didn't get out of bed and that I didn't bother to even look at food. The energy drained from my body and my parents noticed that I "looked like I (you) were dying". They continued to stay supportive, but eventually, it became too much for me to feel trapped and I spiraled out of control. I was both angry and sad every day. Once I finally received help, I really realized that my outlook on life had changed. I had lost sight of my goals during my hardest days, but now that I had received treatment, I had gotten back on track to what I wanted to do. This experience made me realize that I want to teach health to high schoolers once I am out of college. I not only want to speak about physical health, but also mental health. I want to make teens aware that they are certainly not alone and that a lot of people in this world receive help, whether that is through therapy or medication, for a number of mental health diseases. I am just as powerful and amazing of an individual as when I didn't have depression. Sometimes, I get judged by both peers and teachers sometimes for it. But my relationships have changed in a good way too. I have become a more accepting and understanding individual. I used to judge people so much, especially during my freshman year, but I now realize that everyone has struggles and we all deal and cope with them differently. I am closer with my friends and family because of the times I have struggled and harmed myself, but I am past that and continue to go through this mental health battle in honor of my mental health journey, for my 18th birthday, I got a tattoo of a semi-colon, a symbol that when things get rough and COULD stop, keep going. Life throws tons of curveballs, and you have to fight through them. But I learned that I don't have to control it on my own and that having people and professionals to talk to really helps. I hope that one day the world can become more accepting of people with mental health conditions. As a future health educator, I will make this a primary goal to include in my curriculum for students.

A healthy lifestyle is important to me because I have struggled with my mental health as great deal in the last three years. When I walked into high school, I knew the experience would be challenging, but I knew I was ready for this big step. What I didn't realize at the time, was that making and keeping friends would prove to be a challenge and that the workload would pile on faster than I could manage. Freshman year was a breeze, I did my schoolwork, and the homework was fairly easy. I attained all A's, even though geometry, a class for sophomores that I was accelerated to take. However, once the summer between freshman and sophomore year ended, that is when my mental health took a sharp turn. I was losing friends faster than I could make them- whether that was from drama or them moving away. By the time January rolled around, I had stressed myself out to the extreme for final exams. It felt like I was slipping away from the bubbly, outgoing person I was, to a quiet, and a quite sad individual. Then COVID-19 hit. I was devastated. My friendships and classes became virtual, and I couldn't see anyone except those I lived with. This made me feel more alone than ever and the goals that I had once had- to get a 4.0 and to stay happy and healthy slipped. During this time, I began to give up, and even eating was hard. There were days when I didn't get out of bed and that I didn't bother to even look at food. The energy drained from my body and my parents noticed that I "looked like I (you) were dying". They continued to stay supportive, but eventually, it became too much for me to feel trapped like this and I spiraled out of control. I was both angry and sad all of the time, and I couldn't control myself. Once I finally received help, I really realized that my outlook on life had changed a great deal because of this experience and journey. I had lost sight of my goals during my hardest days, but now that I had received treatment, I had gotten back on track to what I wanted to do. This experience made me realize that I want to teach health to middle and high schoolers once I am out of college. I not only want to explain and speak about physical health, but also mental health. I want to make people, especially teens, aware that they are most certainly not alone and that a lot of people in this world receive help, whether that is through therapy or medication, for a number of different mental health diseases. I want to share my story with those I teach and allow them to see that the stigmas associated with a mental health need to vanish. I am just as powerful and amazing of an individual as to when I did not have depression. I work just as hard as everyone else, and I don't get handed anything, if anything, I get judged by both peers and teachers sometimes. My relationships have changed too, as I have become a more accepting and understanding individual. I used to judge people so much, especially during my freshman year, but I now realize that everyone has struggles and we all deal and cope with them differently. I am closer with my friends and family because of the times I have struggled and harmed myself, but I am past that and continue to go through this mental health battle. Not all days are perfect, and when I don't have a great day, it is nice to have people there that continue to support you no matter what. I wake up and go on a run every morning to get my heart racing and tell myself the day is going to be okay. In honor of my mental health journey, for my 18th birthday, I got a tattoo of a semi-colon, a symbol that when things get rough and COULD stop, keep going. Life throws tons of curveballs, and you just have to fight through them. But I learned that I don't have to control it on my own and that having people and professionals to talk to really helps. I hope that one day the world can become more accepting of people with mental health conditions and that the stigma ends surrounding them. People do not deserve to be judged and mental health is a serious topic that I wish we discussed more in schools across the nation. As a future health educator, I will make this a primary goal to include in my curriculum for students.

When I walked into high school, I knew the experience would be challenging, but I knew I was ready for this big step. What I didn't realize at the time, was that making and keeping friends would prove to be a challenge and the workload would pile on faster than I could manage. Freshman year was a breeze, I did my schoolwork, and the easy homework. I attained all A's, even though geometry, a class I was accelerated to take. However, once the summer between freshman and sophomore year ended, that is when my mental health took a sharp turn. I was losing friends faster than I could make them- whether that was from drama or them moving away. By the time January rolled around, I had stressed myself out to the extreme. It felt like I was changing from the bubbly, outgoing person I was, to a quiet, and a quite sad individual. Then COVID-19 hit. I was devastated. My friendships and classes became virtual, and I couldn't see anyone except those I lived with. This made me feel more alone and the goals that I had once had- to get a 4.0 and to stay happy and healthy slipped. During this time, I began to give up. Some days I didn't get out of bed and that I didn't bother to even look at food. The energy drained from my body and my parents noticed that I "looked like I (you) were dying". They continued to stay supportive, but eventually, it became too much for me to feel trapped and I spiraled out of control. I was both angry and sad every day. Once I finally received help, I really realized that my outlook on life had changed. I had lost sight of my goals during my hardest days, but now that I had received treatment, I had gotten back on track to what I wanted to do. This experience made me realize that I want to teach health to high schoolers once I am out of college. I not only want to speak about physical health, but also mental health. I want to make teens aware that they are certainly not alone and that a lot of people in this world receive help, whether that is through therapy or medication, for a number of mental health diseases. I am just as powerful and amazing of an individual as when I didn't have depression. Sometimes, I get judged by both peers and teachers sometimes for it. But my relationships have changed in a good way too. I have become a more accepting and understanding individual. I used to judge people so much, especially during my freshman year, but I now realize that everyone has struggles and we all deal and cope with them differently. I am closer with my friends and family because of the times I have struggled and harmed myself, but I am past that and continue to go through this mental health battle in honor of my mental health journey, for my 18th birthday, I got a tattoo of a semi-colon, a symbol that when things get rough and COULD stop, keep going. Life throws tons of curveballs, and you have to fight through them. But I learned that I don't have to control it on my own and that having people and professionals to talk to really helps. I hope that one day the world can become more accepting of people with mental health conditions. As a future health educator, I will make this a primary goal to include in my curriculum for students.

When I walked into high school, I knew the experience would be challenging, but I knew I was ready for this big step. What I didn't realize at the time, was that making and keeping friends would prove to be a challenge and that the workload would pile on faster than I could manage. Freshman year was a breeze, I did my schoolwork and the homework was fairly easy. I attained all A's, even though geometry, a class for sophomores that I was accelerated to take. However, once the summer between freshman and sophomore year ended, that is when my mental health took a sharp turn. I was losing friends faster than I could make them- whether that was from drama or them moving away. By the time January rolled around, I had stressed myself out to the extreme for final exams. It felt like I was slipping away from the bubbly, outgoing person I was, to a quiet, and a quite sad individual. Then COVID-19 hit. I was devastated. My friendships and classes became virtual, and I couldn't see anyone except those I lived with. This made me feel more alone than ever and the goals that I had once had- to get a 4.0 and to stay happy and healthy slipped. During this time I began to give up, and even eating was hard. There were days when I didn't get out of bed and that I didn't bother to even look at food. The energy drained from my body and my parents noticed that I "looked like I (you) were dying". They continued to stay supportive, but eventually, it became too much for me to feel trapped like this and I spiraled out of control. I was both angry and sad all of the time, and I couldn't control myself. Once I finally received help, I really realized that my outlook on life had changed a great deal because of this experience and journey. I had lost sight of my goals during my hardest days, but now that I had received treatment I had gotten back on track to what I wanted to do. This experience made me realize that I want to teach health to middle and high schoolers once I am out of college. I not only want to explain and speak about physical health, but also mental health. I want to make people, especially teens, aware that they are most certainly not alone and that a lot of people in this world receive help, whether that is through therapy or medication, for a number of different mental health diseases. I want to share my story with those I teach and allow them to see that the stigmas associated with a mental health need to vanish. I am just as powerful and amazing of an individual as to when I did not have depression. I work just as hard as everyone else, and I don't get handed anything, if anything, I get judged by both peers and teachers sometimes. My relationships have changed too, as I have become a more accepting and understanding individual. I used to judge people so much, especially during my freshman year, but I now realize that everyone has struggles and we all deal and cope with them differently. I am closer with my friends and family because of the times I have struggled and harmed myself, but I am past that and continue to go through this mental health battle. Not all days are perfect, and when I don't have a great day, it is nice to have people there that continue to support you no matter what. In honor of my mental health journey, for my 18th birthday, I got a tattoo of a semi-colon, a symbol that when things get rough and COULD stop, keep going. Life throws tons of curveballs and you just have to fight through them. But, I learned that I don't have to control it on my own and that having people and professionals to talk to really helps. I hope that one day the world can become more accepting of people with mental health conditions and that the stigma ends surrounding them. People do not deserve to be judged and mental health is a serious topic that I wish we discussed more in schools across the nation. As a future health educator, I will make this a primary goal to include in my curriculum for students.

My favorite book is called Terry Fox: His Story. The book is about a man from Canada in the 1980's who wanted to run across Canada. At first, it seems like a hard and crazy challenge. But then you learn that Terry lost one of his legs to cancer, and he is doing this run in hopes of raising a large amount of money for cancer research because he doesn't want anyone else to lose something they love from cancer. I loved reading about the selflessness Terry really embodied and how he always took all of his hardships and setbacks so positively. He wanted to show the people of Canada just how important cancer research was to him. Terry was a young man who was active before this and didn't want the setback of him losing a leg to end his career in sports. He joined wheelchair basketball and was good enough to get recognized by some big names during that time. This book taught me that just because something is hard does not mean it is out of reach, and just because people don't think you can do it, you can, and you will if you believe in yourself.

This art piece is a yarn painting, which I created for my Sculpture I class at Platteville High School. I chose to create a piece on mental health. I am a very strong advocate for destigmatizing mental health, as I was diagnosed with depression in my sophomore year of high school. People called me crazy and made me feel bad about the way I was feeling, which made me eventually try to commit suicide. I got out of that hole, and this piece is about the growth and beauty of the brain and mental health, which are both everchanging. I love this piece because the flowers add elegance and the brain is detailed enough where anyone can tell what it is. A brain appears so simple but is so complicated and I find that to be amazing and beautiful. In the future, I hope to get into photography and be able to depict ideas and concepts through photographs. I love the say "a picture means 1,000 words" and I want to be able to make people feel that way.

Mental health has influenced me greatly, especially over the last two years. My battles with depression and anxiety started during the beginning of the COVID-19 quarantine. I became lonely, isolated, and felt like I was falling into an abyss. In August of 2020, I tried to end my life by crashing into another car. However, my boyfriend luckily grabbed the wheel just in time before any contact was made with the other car. This experience prompted my boyfriend to tell my mom I needed some professional help with my mental health. Since seeking professional help and deciding to use medication my life has improved greatly. I believe more in the good of others and in positive affirmations now that I have gone through what I have. I truly believe that if you think it you can do it. You can improve your feelings and quality of life by telling yourself positive thoughts and encouraging yourself along the way. I believe that making individual goals can also allow you to become distracted from the negative thoughts that come with mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression. I made goals like to work out every day, read as often as I could, and drink an adequate amount of water daily. My relationships with people have definitely changed in the last few years. I used to be a much more social and bubbly person, but now I am quieter and reserved. I have learned to appreciate silence and peace. It is something I have learned to accept and noticed recently is not a bad thing. I still have great relationships with my close friends and still have a loving and supportive boyfriend. I haven't ruined any relationships because I have become more distant, which means I am still a pretty good friend. I have changed, but for the better thanks to my medication, which allows me to feel happier and more like myself. I would love to pursue a career in education when I go to college, specifically public health education with a minor in psychology. Mental health is something that means a lot to me, especially with my experiences the past year. I want others to know they are not alone and to be educated on the proper ways to get help and improve their lives. I know it is hard to be positive and get help when you feel down so I want to be able to notice changes in my students and ask them about their feelings. I am going to utilize the information I learn in college to be the best educator I can and work effectively to help my students. Mental health will always be important to me and be a large reason for the career path I am choosing. I am thankful for the opportunity that medication has given me to feel like my best self again and work hard. I find inspiration in others who can conquer their emotions and battles, which inspired me to feel better.

Willow is a super spunky and adventurous kitten that LOVES to play. When she finally calms down she is the sweetest and most adorable little thing! Our family is so lucky to have her!

Success Kid- "When you pass your final on Great Gatsby but didn't read the book" Arthur Meme- "When they pass you the aux but you have an iPhone 7" Disappointed Spongebob Meme- "When mom says the line is too long at McDonald's... #theresfoodathome"

Someone I truly admire from history is Rosa Parks. As a person during the era where African-Americans were fighting for their civil liberties, she had a rough and unfair life. However, her being an African-American female gave her even fewer chances of having any rights. Rosa stood up to the people who did not believe in her or her people and made herself known. When Rosa Parks chose to take her seat on the bus in Alabama she knew she was starting something big. She knew she would be talked about far and wide and was making an impact on the civil rights movement. Today even the youngest of children in Grades 1 and 2 learn about Rosa Parks and her influential story. She is admirable because she worked for what she wanted and she never let anyone else stand in the way of her to accomplish her goals of helping the African-American community gain the rights they deserved.