Education has greatly shaped my understanding of the world because I have seen first-hand how a lack of education shapes someone's world. Both of my parents only made it to the fifth grade and now as a 20 year old pursuing a degree, I see how their life has been greatly impacted by their lack of education. Many job opportunities are not open to my parents simply because they do not possess a GED or a high school diploma. I myself have a plethora of job opportunities simply because I do possess a high school diploma and many more will open themselves up to me when I get my degree. On top of this, my parents never got the chance to figure out the small things about themselves because of their lack of education. My father was never able to figure out his favorite math equation because he stopped going to school at the age of 10. My mother never got to read a book that captivated her. My parents missed out on a lot solely because they could no longer go to school. I have also seen how people who do not take advantage of an education have fewer opportunities, further shaping my understanding of the world. I went to an underfunded and underprivileged school in one of the worst districts in the state of California. Despite this, I looked for various programs to help me in areas my school could not fulfill. Although I went to a school that was not the greatest, I worked hard and sought out opportunities that landed me at a prestigious 4-year university. I now have a different set of opportunities because I took advantage of education opportunities that were made for students like myself in tough situations. I understand that education is the key to moving forward in life, in more ways than one. Through my academic career, I have learned about a variety of topics that led me to my decision to become a speech therapist. I learned that I love words, language, and communication. I also learned that I want to work with children through my education. I learned that I value my time with other people when I am helping someone. I learned something about myself that is not academically related through academics. Unlike my parents, I was able to figure out that I actually don't have a favorite equation, but I have reads books that have captivated me completely. Education is something I highly value and genuinely enjoy and I am grateful to have been able to figure that out. I would like to thank you for this opportunity to aid me in my journey.

When I was 14 I started having rapid mood swings and began participating in self-destructive behaviors. I was barely eating, getting too much or not enough sleep, engaging in dangerous behavior, and countless other forms of self-destructive behavior. By Spring of my freshman year of high school, I was drinking every day to numb out the way I felt, whether it was debilitating depression or feeling like I was on top of the world. I was put into therapy at age 15, but no one could understand why i was the way I was. My relationship with my family, all except for my brother, deteriorated. I spent years battling these mood swings while trying to stay sober and get help. Unfortunately, not much was working and I was losing hope. By the time I was 19, I was mentally and physically exhausted. I had tried to commit suicide about ten times. I was then recommended to an intensive outpatient program and I was finally diagnosed with Bipolar Type 1, OCD, CPTSD, and ARFID. For the first time in my life, I felt like I could finally address my problems and find solutions that would stick. I was finally put on a medication that worked for me and began addressing past traumas in order to heal. I have bee out of treatment for some time and realize the importance of getting help when you need it the most. My beliefs have been strongly impacted by my struggles with my mental health. In my times of need, I learned the importance of having a community around you that truly cares about you. Because of this, I put an immense amount of effort into being there for my friends and family when they need it most so they never feel alone. As someone who is Bipolar, my relationships can take the biggest hit. In times of mania, I can say things I really don't mean and in times of depression, I can be unresponsive. While my diagnosis impacts my relationships, they are the most important thing to me. I have to actively make an effort to maintain my relationships. I have developed systems with my closest friends to ensure I am held accountable, but can still get the support I need. For example, my best friend and I have a code word system in place so that when I am manic or depressed, I can take a few days off to recuperate and she knows it is nothing personal. I tell my brother of my warning signs of an incoming episode so that he can act accordingly. As I stated earlier, the importance of community is apparent to me. My career goal is to be a speech pathologist. Although this is not mental health related, I still want to help people. My niece, who has been an anchor for me in my toughest times, has a speech impairment and it motivated me to seek out a profession where I can help children like her.

This scholarship will aid me in my pursuit of a degree in Psychology and Linguistics. I intend to use these degrees to become a child speech pathologist. My niece was born with a speech impairment and I know first hand how this developmental disability can affect her life and the lives of people around her. I have seen the relief on my brother and sister-in-law's face when they were able to get a speech pathologist for my niece. Speech pathology has the ability to change and improve the quality of someone's life and I wish to be apart of that. In the US, there is a shortage of bilingual speech pathologists. This actively harms immigrant and other disadvantaged communities. I grew up in an immigrant community and also saw first hand how untreated speech impairments only add to the disadvantages one can have as an immigrant. As a Spanish and English native speaker, with the proper training and certification, I can help these communities. I believe that with the help of this scholarship, I can help communities like the one I grew up in. I can help children like my niece. All I wish to do is help people. I am thankful for the opportunity to be selected for this scholarship.