Mental health has shaped nearly every part of my life, my beliefs, my relationships, and the direction I want my future to take. My experiences are not rooted in one single moment, but they became most real to me when I found out my childhood best friend had taken her own life. That loss shifted something in me permanently and forced me to confront emotions I did not fully understand at the time, including my own depression and how deeply mental health struggles can affect a person. Before these experiences, I viewed life as something much simpler. I felt relatively free from major emotional weight or “worldly troubles,” as if mental health challenges were something distant from me. That perspective changed as I grew up in a home where mental health struggles were present and unavoidable. Living with a father who experiences PTSD and navigating the effects of addiction and instability in my family taught me early that mental health is not abstract, it is daily, real, and deeply impactful. Over time, I began to feel both weighed down by these experiences and shaped by them. I carry a heaviness from what I’ve witnessed and lived through, but I also feel a stronger sense of responsibility to do something meaningful with it. That responsibility has turned into a desire for advocacy, especially for people who feel unheard or misunderstood in their struggles. My relationship with my parents reflects both love and complexity. I love them deeply, but our family has gone through difficult seasons that required a lot of healing, growth, and hard conversations to reach a more stable place today. Those experiences have taught me that relationships affected by mental health are not simple, they require patience, forgiveness, and time. Even now, I continue to navigate those dynamics while holding onto hope for continued healing. These experiences have also shaped how I view my future. At times, they make me feel fearful about what lies ahead, especially when it comes to relationships and stability. However, instead of letting that fear control me, I actively work to stay grounded and trusting. I’ve learned that avoidance is not healing, and facing these fears is part of my growth. Because of everything I have lived through, I am pursuing social work with a focus on trauma responsiveness across multiple populations. I want to understand how trauma affects individuals differently and how systems can respond in ways that are supportive rather than harmful. My goal is to work in a space where I can help people feel seen, supported, and understood in their most difficult moments. Ultimately, my journey with mental health has shaped the way I see the world. I understand now that many people are carrying invisible burdens, and that healing is rarely linear. If anything, my experiences have given me a deeper sense of empathy and a strong commitment to advocacy. I want my future work to contribute to breaking stigma, encouraging honest conversations, and helping others feel less alone in their struggles. Even though my story includes pain and uncertainty, it has also given me purpose. I don’t just want to understand mental health, I want to be part of changing how it is addressed, supported, and talked about in the world.

Growing up as both the child and now the spouse of veterans, I have seen firsthand how service-related Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder affects not only those who served, but the people who love them. My understanding of PTSD didn’t come from a textbook, it came from my home, my relationships, and the role I had to step into at a young age. My dad lives with severe PTSD, and for years, I lived in an environment where I felt like I had to constantly be on edge. I learned to pay attention to every sound I made, every word I said, and every shift in his mood. Something as simple as eating a bag of chips could turn into a moment of fear. I remember hiding in the corner while he yelled, not because he wanted to hurt me, but because in that moment, he wasn’t fully himself. That’s one of the hardest parts of loving someone with PTSD, understanding that the person you know and love can feel like someone completely different during an episode. From 2020 to 2022, I also became my dad’s primary caregiver due to my mom’s struggle with alcohol abuse. During that time, I took on responsibilities that forced me to grow up quickly. I learned how to manage not only practical tasks, but emotional ones, de-escalating situations, offering support, and navigating unpredictable days. While those years were difficult, they shaped my resilience and deepened my understanding of what families of veterans often go through behind closed doors. Through these experiences, I have learned that PTSD is not just an individual struggle, it is a family experience. It impacts communication, trust, and emotional safety. I have also learned how strong people can be, even in the middle of that struggle. My dad’s experience has shown me both the weight of PTSD and the importance of compassion, patience, and proper support systems. At the same time, these experiences have left me with fears, especially as the spouse of a veteran. I sometimes worry about history repeating itself and what that could mean for my future. But instead of letting that fear control me, it has motivated me. It has given me a clear sense of purpose. As a social work major, I hope to work within the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, focusing on PTSD counseling for veterans and their families. I want to be the kind of support that I know is so often missing, someone who understands both the clinical side of PTSD and the lived experience of it. I want to help veterans feel seen without judgment, and help families feel supported rather than isolated. More importantly, I want to advocate for better resources and awareness around PTSD, especially for families who are often overlooked in the conversation. No child should feel like they have to walk on eggshells in their own home, and no family should have to navigate PTSD without guidance. My experiences have not been easy, but they have given me clarity. They have shown me the kind of work that matters and the kind of impact I want to have. I don’t just want to understand PTSD, I want to be part of the change that helps veterans and their families heal.

From both personal experience and professional involvement, my passion for serving individuals with special needs has become the driving force behind my academic and career goals. What began as a simple connection in my family has developed into a passion for service and making a difference. My aunt Katie, who has global developmental delays, was my first introduction into the special needs community. Loving her never felt different, and through her I learned that individuals with disabilities are not defined by limitations, but by their personalities, strengths, and capacity for connection. However, it was my work at an ABA clinic, Bloom Behavior Therapy, that truly changed the trajectory of my future. In that setting I saw firsthand both the challenges and the incredible progress that can occur when individuals receive the right support. I also became more aware of the systematic gaps that still exist, such as families struggling to access services, children whose needs are not fully understood, and communities that lack proper resources. In addition to my professional experience, I serve in the special needs ministry at my church, where I continue to build meaningful relationships with individuals and families. These combined experiences have immersed me in the special needs community and strengthened my desire to advocate beyond direct care. I am not only passionate about working with individuals, but also about amplifying their voices in spaces where decisions are made. As a social work major, I am pursuing a path that will allow me to support children with special needs both on an individual and systemic level. My goal is to become a social worker focused on improving the lives of children and their families by ensuring they have access to equitable resources, inclusive education, and compassionate support systems. I chose social work because it aligns with my desire to serve this specific population while also addressing the larger structural issues that affect them. One of the most pressing problems I hope to address is the lack of advocacy at a macro level. Too often, individuals with special needs and their families are not adequately represented in policy decisions that directly impact their lives. I want to help change that by engaging in advocacy work that brings attention to their needs and pushes for meaningful reform. Whether that involves influencing policy, improving funding for programs, or increasing accessibility, my goal is to be a voice for those who are too often unheard. What sets me apart in this work is not only my experience, but my heart for this community. My journey has been shaped by genuine relationships that have taught me patience, empathy, and resilience. I understand the importance of meeting individuals where they are and supporting them in ways that honor their dignity and individuality. The Kathleen Lehman Memorial Scholarship represents the kind of impact I hope to make, one rooted in compassion, advocacy, and lasting change. Through my education and future career, I am committed to building a more inclusive world where individuals with special needs are not only supported, but fully seen, heard, and valued.

My decision to pursue a master’s degree in social work is rooted in lived experiences that reshaped my understanding of mental health and the importance of early, compassionate intervention. After witnessing a suicide attempt within my family and losing a close childhood friend to suicide at a young age, I developed a lasting awareness of how deeply mental health struggles can affect individuals and those around them. These experiences changed the way I view others—I became more attentive, more observant, and more committed to recognizing signs that often go unnoticed. Living with generalized anxiety and major depression has further informed my perspective. While I have not experienced suicidal ideation myself, I understand the weight that mental health challenges can carry. I practice self-advocacy through consistent treatment, including medication management, and by maintaining awareness of my own needs and limits. For me, self-advocacy means actively choosing stability and ensuring I am mentally well enough to support others in meaningful ways. My commitment to suicide awareness and prevention is reflected in my daily actions. I advocate through open conversations, educational efforts, and social media, working to reduce stigma and encourage others to speak about mental health more openly. I believe prevention begins with awareness—helping people recognize warning signs, feel comfortable asking for help, and understand that support is available. This belief drives both my personal and professional interactions. Professionally, I work in the field of applied behavior analysis (ABA), supporting children and adolescents with developmental and behavioral needs. In this role, I have seen how underrepresented populations—particularly neurodivergent youth—can face increased social pressure, isolation, and difficulty expressing emotional distress. As some clients grow older and become aware of suicide, the presence of self-injurious behaviors can increase their vulnerability. My work focuses on prevention through early intervention: redirecting harmful behaviors, teaching coping strategies, and helping clients build safer, more effective ways to communicate their needs. Pursuing a graduate degree in social work will allow me to expand this impact by working directly with individuals experiencing trauma and crisis. I am especially committed to serving children, adolescents, and neurodivergent individuals who are often overlooked in suicide prevention efforts. My goal is to provide trauma-informed, accessible care that prioritizes understanding, connection, and practical support. Receiving this scholarship would allow me to continue my education and strengthen my ability to serve these communities. More importantly, it would support my long-term goal of helping individuals recognize that even in their most difficult moments, there are options, resources, and reasons to continue forward. My experiences have shaped my path, but it is my response—through advocacy, education, and service—that defines the work I am committed to doing.