When I was 16, one of my best friends passed away in an accident. It was spring break 2020, and me and my cousins were nearing the end of our junior year in high school, preparing to be seniors, the “top dogs,” as we would say! We all went to the lake and were driving our four-wheelers through the woods. With every adrenaline-filled turn and jump, we felt alive; we WERE alive. Nothing in the world could touch us; we were invincible until we weren’t. Flying forward through the woods like we were on a mission, we were only brought to a halt by the sound of a crash followed by a scream. When his four-wheeler flipped, my aunt was the first to see; she was right behind him. I didn’t know when I turned around to see the damage how it was going to stick with me for the rest of my life. In an instant, everything changed. He was earth-side one moment, and I was casket-side to him the next. Following the accident, I began therapy, where I was diagnosed with severe panic disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. For about two years, I could barely get myself to leave my room. I was scared to drive, I was scared to go outside, and I was scared to live. It began to seem like there was no light at the end of the tunnel. I remember thinking to myself, “I can’t live like this.” I had two options: stop living entirely or do it scared. “Do it scared” was a saying me and my sister would frequently use to push each other in life. When we said it, it meant that even though anxiety may surround you and your situation, you are still capable of overcoming it. If you can’t fight the anxiety, do it scared. This saying has launched me forward in life. Going through my mental health journey has changed me; where I was once bubbly and naive, I am now overly cautious and on guard. I have found that I am better equipped in case of emergency because I never want to be in that situation again. However, you cannot prevent the inevitable. One of my other friends who was with us that gruesome day passed away this past Christmas due to suicide. This was a wake-up call to take care of my mental health and to seek help when I needed it. I have celebrated life every day since he left this earth. It is so easy to lose ourselves and be consumed by guilt over situations that, in reality, we have no control over. While I still struggle often with my own mental health battle, I do my best to be of service to others struggling. I have implemented “do it scared” into my daily life and push others forward with this saying. I am ecstatic to report that I am no longer confined to four walls; I am no longer scared to drive or go outside; I am not scared to live. I encourage everyone struggling with mental health to reach out; it is a battle fought by many but talked about by few.

When I was 16, one of my best friends passed away in an accident. It was spring break 2020, and me and my cousins were nearing the end of our junior year in high school, preparing to be seniors, the “top dogs,” as we would say! We all went to the lake and were driving our four-wheelers through the woods. With every adrenaline-filled turn and jump, we felt alive; we WERE alive. Nothing in the world could touch us; we were invincible until we weren’t. Flying forward through the woods like we were on a mission, we were only brought to a halt by the sound of a crash followed by a scream. When his four-wheeler flipped, my aunt was the first to see; she was right behind him. I didn’t know when I turned around to see the damage how it was going to stick with me for the rest of my life. In an instant, everything changed. He was earth-side one moment, and I was casket-side to him the next. Following the accident, I began therapy, where I was diagnosed with severe panic disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. For about two years, I could barely get myself to leave my room. I was scared to drive, I was scared to go outside, and I was scared to live. It began to seem like there was no light at the end of the tunnel. I remember thinking to myself, “I can’t live like this.” I had two options: stop living entirely or do it scared. “Do it scared” was a saying me and my sister would frequently use to push each other in life. When we said it, it meant that even though anxiety may surround you and your situation, you are still capable of overcoming it. If you can’t fight the anxiety, do it scared. This saying has launched me forward in life. Going through my mental health journey has changed me; where I was once bubbly and naive, I am now overly cautious and on guard. I have found that I am better equipped in case of emergency because I never want to be in that situation again. However, you cannot prevent the inevitable. One of my other friends who was with us that gruesome day passed away this past Christmas due to suicide. This was a wake-up call to take care of my mental health and to seek help when I needed it. I have celebrated life every day since he left this earth. It is so easy to lose ourselves and be consumed by guilt over situations that, in reality, we have no control over. While I still struggle often with my own mental health battle, I do my best to be of service to others struggling. I have implemented “do it scared” into my daily life and push others forward with this saying. I am ecstatic to report that I am no longer confined to four walls; I am no longer scared to drive or go outside; I am not scared to live. I encourage everyone struggling with mental health to reach out; it is a battle fought by many but talked about by few.

Every person has gone through hard times. Every person has had a bad day. Every person needs a little help sometimes. When we get together as a community to show support for one another, we can change lives. Dedicating your time to community service is a selfless act performed by vital members of society that creates a better environment to be a part of. For the past 11 years now, I have volunteered my time every summer to an organization called Sulphur Springs Work Camp (SSWC). Once a year, churches in all of the surrounding areas gather in one place, split up into teams, and go paint houses and do yard work for the less fortunate. Over the course of a week, we paint anywhere from 20 to 40 houses. One of my most fond memories from SSWC is when I painted the home of a blind woman. She was living alone; her grandson, who was taking care of her, had just been arrested. I was able to pray with her and over her every day I was there. By the end of the week, she had a family member reach out to move in with her, and together they have been attending our church ever since. SSWC is an amazing way to give back to the people of our community. We are given the opportunity to meet new people, pray over them, and change their lives, even if just a little. Additionally, I am a photographer, and I spent the last year taking pictures of our military families at no cost. As a military spouse, I see all the blood, sweat, and tears that our service members pour into their jobs. I also see the immense struggle it takes to be a military spouse. I have laughed, cried, and everything in between with so many members of this community who are dealing with the struggles that being a part of the military entails. Being able to give back and support our military families, even though it is minimal compared to the sacrifices portrayed by them, is fulfilling in so many ways. Devoting time to your community can transform society for the better. It is through the dedication of the individuals in a community that positive change is accomplished. Through the act of service, we can create a more compassionate and supportive community. Ultimately, community service is a selfless act and a lifestyle change required to shape a better future for all.

Heart disease was written in the stars for my family; on my maternal side, my great-grandparents and my grandfather have all suffered and met their untimely deaths due to this. Additionally, my grandmother has Huntington's disease, a neurological disease passed down at a rate of 50% to her offspring, which was passed down by her mother and her mother before that. I have watched as they gain trembles and stutters, and I have seen the consequences of rash decision-making tear apart my family due to this disease. As well as Alzheimer’s and cancer running on my paternal side. When the COVID pandemic struck, my great-grandmother, who was a victim of Alzheimer's, was only allowed to see us through a window. I remember conversations with her at first being almost normal, and on my last visit with her, the only word she knew was “yes.” Through the years, I have watched my family deteriorate and crumble around me, feeling helpless, but I am determined to change their fate. I see areas of improvement in every disease, all starting with what we put into our bodies. Being proactive is the key to living a long, healthy life, meaning working for your health before getting sick rather than after. Already, I have been guiding my mother and meal-prepping, as well as providing vitamins to treat her current ailments and prevent any upcoming health issues. My long-term goal is to finish my bachelor's degree in nutrition, go for my master's, and eventually a doctorate. Additionally, I want to get my personal trainer certification so that I can diet plan and plan workouts for my clients to help improve their overall health. With constant and overwhelming knowledge at our disposal, nutrition should be getting so much more attention. It is at the root of most diseases and plays a huge role in recovery as well as prevention. I want to absorb this knowledge and teach others to take back their lives and start living. Thomas Fuller once said, “Health is not valued until sickness comes.” All too often, people forget how precious they are and how they were divinely created. Nine months in our mother’s wombs, carefully stitched cell by cell, being built for great things, just for sickness to take over our bodies once we make our arrival. In a perfect world, people will continually work to be proactive about their health, putting it first. As a society, we have become too comfortable where we are and have no drive to push forward. Until now, I am ready to be a force that helps us push forward.