How I practice self-care is by balancing the priorities in my life, praying, working out, relaxing, or motivational videos. I also will just stop and do nothing sometimes. Of course, I make sure I get a real mani and Pedi this also helps me do nothing. Just to be able to keep going I also drink water, this keeps me hydrated and clear-minded, able to think and focus clearly if you ask me. Also for me, practicing self-care impacts my life in a very positive way. Practicing self-care for myself also promotes self-care awareness to my children and those around me. My family asks me sometimes how I am able to do all I do I let them know, God first then self-care which helps create that balance. I didn't also practice self-care until a year ago. Thankfully I learned self-care from Pacific Oaks College, they helped me to create and maintain that balance without overwhelming myself or others around me. Lakinda White BA Community Psychology Pacific Oaks College

Giving back is is important by way of remembering our own struggles and needs at one time in our own lives. I would use my platform to give back to my community by helping others struggling with issues I once endured as a young female.

My name is Lakinda White, I am working on my Bachelor's degree in Community Psychology. My family and those in need of uplifting inspire me to be a better person. This along with the positive impact that I can make on myself and others around me keep me inspired to always want to do better and be a better person. If given the opportunity to create some type of technology to positively impact our world, I would create an app that connects families and patience dealing with severe mental illness to doctors, nurses, and treatment care facilities even emergency resources right from their mobile device or computer. Lakinda White Pacific Oaks College BA, Community Psychology

My favorite artist would have to be Mary J. Blige. She overcame so many obstacles and gave so many testimonies to the world through her music. I can say she has to be my favorite artist for allowing us to experience her true pain and struggle and heartfelt love. Her music and voice not only helped me through trying time periods in my life but still today I can put her music on and feel inspired. Lakinda White Pacific Oaks College BA Community Psychology

How do I think society can most effectively empower women is by giving us the opportunity to be equal all the time not when it's beneficial for a political party or fortune 500 company. We must always allow them to walk in their greatness, women have ked the world for decades with no acknowledgment, we must now more than ever give women the opportunity to do more, have more say so when it comes to important matters. We as women should not be shut up until we are told to talk we must be able to assist when we see we are needed not when you have drained any opportunity of success for us to clean up the mess. Let us march next to you on our paths to greatness that way both women and men can lead and prosper together in this world the way God intended it to be when he put Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. A woman can be very insightful at times when it is needed when given the chance. Along with the fact that we want good for all, not just our people. I am hoping our leaders continue to lead and be empowered women as a whole so that they can shine their light and continue to empower the young women behind them. Women empowerment should be a movement, to get back to family values and wholesomeness, something this world must get back to create effective empowerment for women. Lakinda White BA - Community Psychology Pacific Oaks College

My utopian vision for optimal mental health for the Black Community is extremely important to me personally because I have a younger sibling who suffers from 2 mental disorders that prevent her from being a productive parent, grandparent and single black female who lives with these disorders instead of suffering with them. In todays society we do not have tools or resources in place to assist the patient or families to deal and cope with the many challenges that come with mental health. I believe if we had more support groups or hotlines dealing with specific issues such as help getting more individuals struggling to maintain meds be put on shot instead of continuing oral meds that are not being taken. Also with the help of doctors and families we can create facilities for care after patients are in and out of hospitals within a period of time. These options could help my family with our sister and other in the Black community that have family members walking the streets with no guidance or help and still continue to want to help but no support or not the correct support to make a change. I think with more choices and options for both the individual and family will help with mental health care and advocacy to achieve social justice for communities of color. We have to stop stereotyping and get back to reaching out to family for support on creating plans prior to releasing patients. This will add to helping the advocacy achieve social justice and realistic goals set for individuals and families. Working together will create endless options and even help to maintain the mental health of our Black communities. This can help us get to catching this early we can make it okay to discuss amongst each other to create the social justice so needed. Lakinda White