@kristalina_hyena

To me, generational wealth means building up yourself and your family financially to secure a successful future for generations to come. It means providing the means of a safety net so that your family does not struggle for their basic needs throughout their lives and the lives of those that come next. This ensures that everyone can reach their full potential in life and go after what they are passionate about instead of having multiple jobs and no time off just to make ends meet. With the safety net of generational wealth to stand on, it can continue to increase with each additional generation with the right guidance. Generational wealth can mean all the difference between life and death. If someone is born with a healthy amount of generational wealth and is taught key principles to keep building onto it, then their legacy and name can live on for ages and they can make a big impact on this world like everyone has the potential to. But if a family does not have generational wealth, then they are going to struggle and live paycheck to paycheck just for the bare minimum of life and they are typically not going to be able to improve it for the next generations. In definition, generational wealth is the wealth that you inherit from the generations that come before you in your family. This can be any assets and resources that are passed down, whether it be cash money, trusts, businesses, properties, and/or any other valuable items. Generational wealth is something that can be very hard to build or attain if there is not already an existing foundation for you to build on. Therefore, I plan to achieve it by teaching myself to be a financially independent adult and educating myself on personal finance and then passing the knowledge down. I was not raised in a family that has generational wealth and I am hoping to stop that cycle for those that come next. I am going to invest in the stock market, invest in real estate, take advantage of life insurance, and utilize trusts. These are just a few things that I believe will be beneficial in achieving generational wealth in the future. I still have a lot to learn in this aspect and will need a lot of guidance from those that have more of an understanding of how these systems work, but I believe that I can build a better future for those that will come after me in my family.

I am the child of a single mother. My mother raised three children of various ages and different needs. She did everything that she possibly could to ensure that we never went without and we were able to do the things that we wanted to. My mother is such a strong and independent woman and she inspires me to do everything I can do to reach my goals. Growing up in a single-parent household was not without its challenges. My mother worked every moment that she could without impacting our happiness or the time that she wanted to spend with us. She worked a full day while we were at school and when she would get home she would help all of us with our school work, attend to our emotionally needs, and cook us a full dinner. I know that that must have been a very difficult time for her and I’m sure that she was absolutely exhausted, but she never let us know it. As most mothers do, she would’ve sacrificed anything to make us happy or to get us the things that we needed. She was (and still is) such a constant in my life and I knew that I could always count on her. She was always open and honest with us, because she valued communication and believed that it was important for us to have a voice as well. She inspires me so much because of her unconditional love and support that she gave and still gives to my siblings and I. No matter what we were all going through, she was always there to help us deal with our issues at the time. She was such a present mother. I am lucky because I know that many people did not have that. She inspires me because of her independence and hard work. She never let anything get between her and what she wanted to do. She would always find a way and she never went looking for a hand out. I don’t mean to say that getting help from others is bad, but she did not feel like it was anyone else’s job to take care of us. She inspired me to do well in school, go to college, and to get on track to become a social worker. As a social worker, I can help single mothers like my mother out there that need help finding resources in their community, support with their mental health, and help them navigate policies that may pertain to them.

My hopes for the future are shaped by my education, the support that I receive, and my desire to help others. I believe that there is nothing in life that can hold you back. I grew up in a low income household with two older siblings. While I did not ever have to go without the things that I needed, I may not have always gotten the things that I might have wanted. Being raised this way has made me appreciate the things that I do have more and realize the actual value that things have. More often than not, the price of something does not dictate the value that it has. And the real important things in life do not have a price. The way my life has been so far as taught me how important it is to support others and to help out whenever you can. You do not have to have all the money in the world to help others, you just need to give up some of your time. There have been times in my life where just having someone to listen to me, to spend time with me, and to offer their own opinion has been life changing. My family and friends have always been there supporting me, and I return the favor as often as I can. A big part of my life has also been my education. I love knowledge and learning. I was in gifted and talented classes when I was in elementary school, I graduated with honors in high school, and I just graduated with honors in college. My hope for the future in education is that my family, friends, and clients will be inspired to reach their educational goals as well. If I can do it so can they.

It is very important to know what you are striving for and to know that anything that you put your mind to is possible. My goals for the future are to positively impact as many people as possible, to advocate for vulnerable populations, and to fight against injustices that occur in our world. I plan to achieve success by completing the degrees necessary to gain credibility in the social work world and to be able to apply for the jobs that I am wanting. I have already completed my bachelor’s degree in social work, and I am currently beginning the journey towards attaining my master’s degree in social work as well. During my internship and throughout my education in social work, I am able to understand and apply ways in which I can make others lives better. I also plan to achieve success by getting licensed once I complete the required education. It is very important to get licensed, because there are a lot of job positions that require a person to have it. It also will help me achieve my goals, because it will add credibility and professionalism to my name. People will be more likely to treat me seriously, or believe that I know what I am talking about while I am speaking up for others. It will also encourage others to trust me to help them. Another way that I plan to achieve success is by being aware and relevant about what is going on in the world. Thankful we have to have complete continued education units to keep our license. It also helps to be active with others in the social work profession and network. Building connections is so important to achieve success in this field.

There are many things in my life that fuel my life, but the one that really keeps me going is to inspire and encourage my friends and family to pursue their dreams like I am. The knowledge that there are others watching me on my journey and looking up to me keeps me from giving up and keeps me trying to reach my highest potential. I want my nieces and nephews to see that they can do anything that they put their minds to. Not only does knowing they are inspired by me keep me going, but their support does as well. It means the word to me to know that my friends and family have my back after a hard day of classes and that they are rooting for me. Everyone needs someone in their corner cheering them on. Another big part that keeps me going, is the degree and career that I am pursuing. As a social worker, I know that I will be able to touch the lives of so many people in my lifetime. I want to be someone that has a positive impact on someone’s life. I will be working with vulnerable populations and people that are down on their luck. It means the world to me to know that one day I will be able to uplift so many individuals to reach their best potential. That is what keeps me studying hard, putting in the work, and learning everything that I can hands-on. I want to help others reach a place where they can do the same for someone else.

My parents raised me to be a pretty outspoken women. They encouraged me to make my own choices, speak up when I don’t like something, and to never let others speak over, or for, me. With this lesson, it has been easy for me to stay committed to speaking my mind. That is not to say that that I am always the loudest in the room, or that I am always voicing my opinion. I also value the words of others and want to marinate on the subject at hand. But when it needs to be said, then I say it. Sometimes it can be quite difficult to stay committed to speaking my mind. In instances where I am the youngest in the room, or least qualified, it can be really hard to speak up. It can be hard to feel like your words, or ideas, have weight in certain situations. But you should always try to have your words said and try not to be intimidated by situations like that. There are some situations that are quite easy for me to speak up, not only for myself, but also for others. Bullying has always been something that I have no issue addressing. I do not allow others to be bullied, or to bully. It is such a horrid and unnecessary thing that happens quite often. In situations where a person is not there to defend themselves, it is also not very difficult for me to speak up. The injustices in the world tend to be topics that I am easily able to speak out against without any reservations.

I am constantly trying to encourage and uplift those around me to pursue their goals. It matters a lot to me that people do not give up on the vision that they have for their future, whether it be educational, career, passion, etc. Whatever the aspect of their life that they are going for, I was standing on the sidelines cheering them on. I am the first of my family and friends to graduate college. Many of them have told me that they wish they had stuck it out and completed school, or that they don’t think that they would be able to do it. But I always encourage them to try it out if that is what they really want. I let them know that it is not ever too late to complete the degree that they want and that it is okay if it does not work out the first time. I also let them know that there are so many other ways to be successful that don’t come from college. I am always ready to support them in any way that they may need. When it comes to other parts of their life like love or career, I always encourage them to shoot their shot. One of the most frequent things that I tell those around me is, “you miss 100% of the shots that you don’t take.” Which is so true. Even if you fail, you gained important knowledge from it and you at least tried. There is no rule in life that says you have to give up after you fail, or a rule that states you can only try a certain amount of times. So the moral of the story is get up, dust yourself off, and try again.

To me, confidence means loving yourself with your flaws and all. It is about embracing the things that make you unique, whether that be things that are considered “good” or “bad” societally. It is about loving every part of you that you see in the mirror before you alter your appearance in any way. It is about wearing that outfit, even though it scares you. It is about not covering yourself up with a jacket every time you leave the house. But it doesn’t always pertain to the physical aspects that everyone sees, it is also about your personality and the quirks that make you who you are. I have often had bouts of insecurity due to not looking like my friends do, or not looking like the popular girl in school. I was always the bigger friend who couldn’t fit my friend’s clothes. Sometimes I don’t wear the outfit that I would like to, because of the way that I feel about myself that day. But everyday I try to look myself in the mirror and tell myself one thing that I love about myself. I try to only say positive things about myself and keep out any negative commentary that might try to come forward throughout the day. I have made it a rule of mine to wear at least one outfit a week that I may be uncomfortable wearing, or that isn’t my usual style choice. To reach true confidence, you have to be comfortable with the uncomfortable. There will always be one person out there that doesn’t like the way that you dress, look, or act. But none of that matters as long as you do. Everyone should live their life being the most authentic and unapologetic version of themselves. That is the key to confidence.

It is very important to have a list of goals and aspirations that you want to achieve in life. Not only does it provide a physical list that you can refer to and look at when you need inspiration to strive for everyday, but also it is important to have something to look forward to in the future. Sometimes we can feel like we are aimless in life when we do not take the time to write down what we want to do in our future, but this is a great way to center our attention and acknowledge what is important to us. There is quite a list of things on my bucket list so far, I’m still pretty young, so not much has really been achieved and the list is still growing. I want to see the northern lights, or the Aurora Borealis, to be exact. I want to travel (a lot). I want to ride in an airplane. I want to be a college graduate. I want to fall in love (cliché, I know). I want to do the cross-country U.S. road trip. I want to get a tattoo. And among other things, I want to feed a panda. In regards to the travel portion of the bucket list, I have traveled to Arizona to see the Grand Canyon, I have traveled to Hawaii, hiked a volcano there, and obviously boarded an airplane to get there. I have just graduated college this year and I am enrolled to get my master’s degree next year. I have gotten two tattoos and plan to get more sometime in the future. And I have been to 16 of the 50 states, which is mostly the southern part of the United States. But I hope to achieve and add to my list.

With every encounter I have with another person, whether good or bad, I always try to put myself in that other persons’ shoes. This helps me to always have empathy for others, even if they are not treating me well. We can never know exactly what is going on in someone else’s life, so it is good to not be reactive and to have empathy and compassion for all regardless of the situation. It has always been pretty easy for me to have empathy and compassion for those around me due to the way I was raised and my own personality. I was raised to treat others the way I wanted to be treated myself and to not judge a book by it’s cover. Now these may seem like cliché statements, but I took them to heart growing up. These are the words that I live by in my daily life and that I will use in my profession. It is no shock to those around me that I am very empathetic and compassionate, because my whole life I have told people that when I grew up I wanted to help others. When I was a child, I wanted to be a doctor or veterinarian, but I quickly realized that blood is not for me. But now, I know that my calling has always been to be a social worker. There are so many different way that I can help people in my community and the world by being a social worker and doing all the things that I can with the degrees that I am pursuing. As a social worker, I will be working with the most vulnerable populations, which could, and will, include criminals, addicts, etc. But their background doesn’t matter to me, I just want to help.

There are many things that I enjoy doing in my free time. Some hobbies I like to do with others and others I enjoy with myself. I believe it is important to involve others in your hobbies sometimes, because social interaction is good for everyone. I also think it is very important to have many different things that you like to do for fun, because life can a bit stressful and monotonous without them. I believe in always expanding your hobbies. You can never have too many things to do in your free time or during your “me” time. I enjoy doing many things such as reading, drawing, hiking, swimming, watching tv, card games, dancing, puzzles, journaling, music, origami, writing, making jewelry, the list could go on forever. Hobbies are a great way for you to rest and recharge, while also potentially feeling accomplished or productive as well depending on the hobby. Hobbies can also make you more productive while doing the tasks that you have to do, because you are not being burnt out if you take the time to do something you enjoy when you can. Hobbies like hiking, swimming, and dancing can keep you physically active, which is very good for your health. Reading, puzzles, and playing card games can keep you active mentally. And journaling, listening to music, and drawing can help you emotionally express yourself. But not all hobbies have to help you achieve something, some such as watching tv, just give you a little break and are enjoyable. Everyone should have a slew of things that they enjoy doing and they should never stop adding to the list.

The meaning of life can be a difficult thing to describe. There can be many different variations depending on who you ask, I’m not sure if there is a right or wrong definition, but I will try to express what I believe it to be. I believe that the meaning of life is to always strive to reach your greatest potential and to help others reach theirs as well. That may seem pretty vague, but if you think about it it makes a lot of sense. This gives a continuous purpose to everyone in life. Everyone has a different version of what they think to be their greatest potential depending on what they value in life. Some believe their greatest potential to be having a family and taking care of them, others may be to build their own companies and run a business, and others may believe it to be to very knowledgeable academically. People value different things, such as family, money, or among other things education. Some people may be very down in their luck and may believe that they’ll never achieve their greatest potential, or are not sure what they are passionate or good at. That is where the other part comes in for me, helping others achieve their greatest potential. I believe that we should not only be focused on ourselves, but also on those around us. Some people need a little help to realize that they can become a better version of themselves, that they can reach their goals, and that it is possible for them to do good things in life. I try to achieve the meaning of life by always assisting and uplifting those around me and by furthering my education, so that I can reach more people in my community achieve great things.

I have always loved helping others, I live for it. Whether I get something out of it does not matter to me at all. That is why I have pursued and continue to pursue degrees in social work. I enjoy giving my time and energy into projects, people, and other things because it makes me feel good. I believe that if everyone was not so worried about what they were getting out of a situation, then the world would be a better place. Not to mention, if everyone just did little acts of selflessness and helped others sometimes, we would have so much more in this life. I am a firm believer in karma. I believe that what you put out into the world will come back to you. So if you are a selfless person who does nice things for others, then eventually there will be a time where good things come to you. Not to say that the only reason that I do good things is for it to come back, but it would be nice if it did. I just know that I would be grateful and appreciate it if others would take time out of their day to do something nice for me, so I should do the same. Some ways that I help others, is by being involved in doing things for the community, helping people from all kinds of backgrounds regardless of their past, and doing things for others like running errands for them, cleaning for them, or anything else they may need help with. The options are limitless to what one can do for another.

Growing up, my family did not have the most money. We did not get to take fancy vacations, participate in expensive clubs or events, or have the nicest vehicles, etc. But I never went without when it came to the things that I needed and my parents always tried to do the best that they could for my siblings and I. When you grow up like that, you do learn to appreciate every little thing that you have. I learned to be grateful and appreciate the small things, along with the big ones. I was grateful for the various family weekend camping trips to our local lake, going to the movies in the actual movie theater, and going skating with my friends. I appreciated the new clothes I got for school each year, even though they were not name brand clothing. I was grateful that my parents got me my first car in high school, even though it was not the newest, or coolest, model. It was better than taking the bus. But I have learned that it isn’t always about being appreciative, or grateful, for the physical gifts that you may get. It also matters to be these things for the memories, experiences, and wisdom that you get from loved ones or any other person you’ve encountered in life. These are things that are once in a life time and cannot be replicated. We should appreciate our loved ones and be grateful for all the time that we get to spend with them, because you never know when you might not have them around.

There are many ways in which I relax, recharge, and take care of my mental health. Some ways that I take care of my mental health involves others that I enjoy spending time with and other ways I do alone. But either way, these practices never fail to make me feel calm and ready to continue on when I may be feeling a little low on energy. The first thing that I do to relax and take care of my mental health is to curl up somewhere with a good book. The location differs depending on the weather and where I am at the time, but that does not affect the relaxing effect. I have always loved to read, mostly fiction, and I can sink into a good book for hours. It has been a great way for me to relax. I love to read outside in hammocks, curled up on the couch on a rainy day, or on the beach during a vacation. There is never a bad time to pick up a book. Another thing I like to do it hiking. Being outside in nature and sunlight has been proven to be great for a person’s mental health. Besides the scientific evidence, I just always find the sounds of outside to have a very calming effect on me. The birds chirping, the gentle swishing sound of the leaves on the trees, and the repetitive sound of my feet as I hike adds to the ambience that helps me relax. Lastly, I would say that just spending time with my family and friends can be quite relaxing and helps my mental health. Being able to laugh and talk to my loved ones makes me very happy. Just knowing that they are there to support me means everything to me.

One personal finance lesson that I find important is budgeting. It may seem less important than investing to increase your monetary values, but it is the foundation of personal finance. No one would be able to excel at personal finance without the structure of knowing where your money is going by writing down all of your bill amounts and other monthly expenses. Not to mention, the ability to save more money by strictly putting the some of the extra cash aside for savings or a rainy day fund. With the remaining amount, you will be able to know what you can afford in entertainment or last minute plans with friends. This spending plan when used correctly will hold you accountable and will have you making the most out of each of your paychecks. When you start to actively take part in your finances, it can have life changing outcomes like the fact that budgeting has the ability to keep you out of debt.

Within my lifetime, I have dealt with a lot of hardships with my own mental health and that of friends and family around me. I unfortunately have lost someone close to me in my life who was unable to cope with certain things going on in their life. I also understand the stigma that surrounds mental health and how that is a barrier for people to seek services. Not to mention, the career that I am currently pursuing is in the mental health field. To begin, I had a childhood friend who I was really close with when we were younger. We hung out at the ball park, took trips to the water park, and I stay the night at her house often. But as we started high school, we spent time with each other less and less. It seemed like a natural growing apart until later that year. I had heard that her parents were getting a divorce and that she was having issues with her boyfriend. But enough time had passed that I felt like I couldn’t reach out to her. Looking back, I wish I had and maybe I would have been able to recognize some sign that she was going to end her life. They told us at school that day that we would be going home early and we found out the news of what had happened. I learned later that she had become pregnant, her boyfriend broke up with her, and her parents were going through their own stuff and couldn’t support her. I think this experience in my life really made me want to become a social work and work in the mental health field. I want to be an advocate for mental health and help individuals get through tough times in their life. It also really made me aware of the people I have relationships, how I can care for them, and I don’t take any time for granted. Next, my own mental health has been a struggle at times. I have a lot of anxiety and I deal with bouts of depression at times. Mental health issues definitely run in my family and I knew that it was likely that I would have to actively take a stand in dealing with it. Most of it stems from social interactions and wondering what others think of me. But I am lucky to be studying in the field that I am because I have all the tools at my disposal to combat issues that may arise with my own mental health such as coping skills, identifying triggers, and knowing when to seek help outside of myself. I know how difficult it can be to seek help or how you can convince yourself that you’ve got in under control. That is why I want to help people receive the tools that I have acquired to deal with their mental health and be able to enjoy their lives.

I come from a low income and single parent household. But I do not let that define who I am. I set goals and strive to achieve the most that I can. I also do not let things come between the life that I want to have, and that is also why I am a first generation college student. My family has supported me in my educational endeavors as best as they could and celebrate my accomplishments as if they were their own. My family and my education means the world to me. I plan on pursuing a career in therapy as a social work major. I feel like my added social work practice gives me the ability to empathize and advocate on the behalf of people who experience issues with their mental health. I want them to have the best experiences and be able to live their lives to the fullest. I feel like as a therapist I will be able to help others recognize that their mental health diagnoses do not define them, I will empower them to achieve anything that they want in life, and I will give them the tools to work through the curveballs that their mental health might throw at them. Aside from direct therapy with clients, I think that with my social work degree, I will be able to work on being a voice for policy changes in our society. There can be a lot of discrimination or unfair prejudice against people who have certain diagnoses and I want to ensure that they are getting the equality that they deserve. Not to mention, I want to ensure that people with mental health diagnoses are receiving the adequate treatment that they deserve. I want to know that mental health workers are doing everything they can to help others and that companies that deal with mental health are doing so ethically.

One way in which I try to have a positive impact on the world is to simply treat everyone I encounter with kindness. That may seem small in comparison to someone volunteering their time and energy to a project or donating to money to certain charities, but having empathy and sharing kindness to strangers is very effective. It also is something that anyone in this world can do and it is the easiest to spread over a shorter time frame. It can be hard to remove yourself from a situation and utilize kindness instead of anger or irritation. But it can change a whole interaction. You never know what is going on in someone else’s life at that point in time. Also in this world, it is easy to focus on oneself and not acknowledge that there are other people in the world around us. But just giving a smile, small appreciation, or conversation to a stranger can mean the world to them.

I believe that the biggest problem facing the world right now is discrimination. This may seem like a little minuscule in the light of global problems such as political conflict and war, lack of access to clean water and food, or lack of access to clean and affordable housing, but it impacts more than what one may initially think. When a person hears about discrimination being a big problem facing the world right now, they may state that social and civil rights movements have been working on that problem for awhile now. But we are far from a global unity stance and there are many individuals who still consider those different than the people in power to be less than. There are still so many people of our world who do not have a voice or are terrified to speak out in fear of retaliation or bring attention to themselves. Whether it be people of the LGBTQIA+ community, persons of color, individuals with a disability, women, different religious affiliations, etc. The list is very long and everyone should be able to be themselves without fear of how they will be treated. The thing is that with all of us working together, so much more can be accomplished in our world. Imagine all the possibilities of putting the various perspectives altogether. Any problem that we face would have the best minds working to solve it regardless of the different traits that they may have. One way that we can work on this problem is by embracing different cultures and experiences. To really enforce putting ourselves in others shoes and trying to understand them to the best of our ability. I believe that their needs to be more laws and policies in place to ensure equity and unity.

Ups & Downs by Little Townz 1) “it’s my life” by Bon Jovi 2) “don’t stop believin’” by Journey 3) “ain’t no mountain high enough” by Marvin Gaye 4) “look who’s inside again” by Bo Burnham 5) “hey look ma, I made it” by Panic! At The Disco

I am currently a college senior, but I am graduating this year. I plan on furthering my education into the masters social work program. In my life, I have been around people who have suffered from Substance Use Disorder and I have first hand knowledge on how that affects family and friend relationships. I know how difficult it can be on the person suffering to get help and how much the disorder can change them. These people and their family’s really just need support and education to achieve their goals. Most people who suffer from Substance Use Disorder use substances as a coping mechanism to not have to deal with other things that may be going on in their life. My cousin suffered from this disorder for a long time before she got the help that she needed. She engaged in a lot of bad choices that hurt herself and other. At her lowest point, she stole from my aunt and put her children in danger. I encouraged my family to put their anger aside for the things that she had down, and to put it towards having compassion for what she was going through. It can be really difficult to set your own feelings aside to have empathy for another who is making bad decisions. It was such a difficult time for everyone involved. But we finally came together to support her in getting the help she needed. She felt so terrible for what she had done and continued to do. She agreed to let us help her go down the right path to recovery. It was a long journey, but it was worth it. Once I become a licensed master social worker, I will be able to work closely with people dealing with Substance Use Disorder. With this position, I will be engaging with the client and their families to build back relationships, to actively combat their Substance Use Disorder, and to education everyone involved on what Substance Use Disorder is. I want to be an advocate for people and show that while they may be doing bad things, that they are not bad people. Everyone deserves a chance to be the best version of themselves. Sometimes it just requires a bit more support and work to get there than others. I want to mend relationships with families and give people the tools to work towards defeating Substance Use Disorder.

Throughout my life, I have experienced struggles with my mental health, along with many friends and family members. I personally have dealt with depression and anxiety, and it has effected my life in many ways. When I was in high school, I actually lost a friend because of mental health issues. We were childhood friends who stopped talking regularly when we got to high school. Everyone was in shock about the situation. It really made me want to actively work on my own mental health and to make sure that other people in my life were supported. It absolutely affected the way that I interacted with people. I was always checking in on people around me, even those that I might not have been as close to. I make it a point to let people know that they can talk to me about anything that is going on in their lives. When I lost my friend, that is when I really started to understand the importance of mental health and I knew I wanted to help others in the future with theirs. Furthermore, I have missed out on a lot of opportunities due to my bouts with mental health. I always felt on edge and constantly was overthinking everything that was going on in my life. My friends would make plans to do things and I physically could not make myself agree to go. I thought that I would bring the mood down or I would cause a scene about something outside of my comfort zone. I definitely held myself back from making real relationships with people or actually having the usual experiences of people my age. When I realized what I was missing and that is was something I could work on, I started to see a counselor. It helped me so much to come out of my shell that I had put myself in and to develop coping mechanisms when I felt like I was overwhelmed or depressed. With all that I experienced with mental health, I decided to go to college to be a licensed master social worker and possibly a licensed clinical social worker. These degrees will give me the opportunity to work in the mental health profession and help people to have a better quality of life. I want to give people hope that they can live a happy life with their mental health illnesses. I want to provide them the therapy and tools to manage their mental health symptoms.