How Depression Has Shaped Me “It isn’t about finding yourself. Remember who you were before the world swallowed you and bring her back.” This became my favorite quote two years ago when I began my journey of self-acceptance. In December of 2021, I attempted to take my own life. I spent a week inside an inpatient program at the Mott's Children's Hospital. This eerie event caused an immense number of changes to my personality, relationships, goals, and perception of the world. My mother is the light of my life. During my battles with my mind, she never failed to shoot from my side. However, no mother should ever experience the feeling of their child wanting to leave the world. This conflict took a toll on our relationship, as we fought often about things such as where my pills were kept, whether I was still in communication with peers who negatively affected me and whether she needed to stay up all night worrying if I was alive. This bickering went on and on in our household for a solid two years, from the night I was released from the hospital to around September of 2023. “What flipped the switch back in September of 2023?” you may ask. Last September, I made the ultimate decision to leave my past behind. This so-called, “past,” consisted of my ex-boyfriend, friends who left me out, and the version of myself which did not appreciate life for the blessing it is. For reference, I am a seventeen-year-old girl. I suddenly accepted the idea that there was a world for me outside of my small hometown which made me feel worthless. The hobby to which I accredit eighty percent of my recovery is going to the gym. Throughout the past eight months, I have grown stronger physically by weightlifting. This has greatly impacted my mental health as feeling strong in the weight room gives me that, “on top of the world,” feeling. I feel that as I grow stronger physically, I am less prone to feeling weak mentally as my confidence rises as well as my health habits. Other ways that I have used to alter my perception of the world are walking my dog, repeating positive affirmations, and overall changing my reaction to situations. For example, if I get a poor grade, I now take it as a sign to study harder next time, rather than feeling like a failure. I’ve grown a huge passion for my career goals through this experience. I plan to study the adolescent mind and eventually obtain a career that will allow me to educate struggling young minds on proper coping skills and self-love. I was recently admitted to the University of Tennessee Knoxville. I decided to commit to the Vols because of their outstanding academic opportunities, research programs, and the family I have near the Knoxville area. In college, I plan to become involved in several of the hundreds of clubs and organizations offered. I also aim to take part in internships which will properly set me up for future careers. I am beyond excited to pursue a psychological track as my major, and I look forward to exploring the extensive research opportunities the university provides. The destination I hope to achieve through my higher education journey is to obtain my M.D. and become a psychiatrist. I have combined the setbacks I’ve encountered during my adolescence. With this, I have decided to dedicate my future to making sure struggling children learn the proper navigation skills required to survive any harmful thoughts that may result from poor mental health. I am more than excited to eventually lend a possibly lifesaving helping hand with my higher education. Childhood depression has become extremely prominent within my generation, and I want to ensure nobody under my care ever feels compelled to harm themselves.

Touching the Souls of the Future “It isn’t about finding yourself. Remember who you were before the world swallowed you and bring her back.” This became my favorite quote two years ago when I began my journey of self-acceptance. In December of 2021, I attempted to take my own life. I spent a week inside an inpatient program at the Mott's Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Since then, I have made it my lifelong goal to make sure as few children as possible ever feel the way I did that December evening. To achieve this, I plan to study the adolescent mind and eventually obtain a career that will allow me to educate struggling young minds on proper coping skills and self-love. I was recently admitted to the University of Tennessee Knoxville. I decided to commit to the Vols because of their outstanding academic opportunities, research programs, and the family I have near the Knoxville area. In college, I plan to become involved in several of the hundreds of clubs and organizations offered. I also aim to take part in internships which will properly set me up for future careers. I am beyond excited to pursue a psychological track as my major, and I look forward to exploring the extensive research opportunities the university provides. The destination I hope to achieve through my higher education journey is to obtain my Ph.D. and become a psychiatrist, helping as many young minds as I can. I have combined all of the setbacks I’ve encountered during my adolescence and decided that I will dedicate my future to making sure children like me learn the proper navigation skills required to survive any harmful thoughts that may result from poor mental health. Specifically, I will develop a deep understanding of every individual patient I treat as a doctor. Many healthcare professionals become swamped and lose personal connections with their patients. This is not my intention, as it is crucial to me to build relationships with those I am treating. Not only will this make them feel safe around me, but it will also allow me to gain a better understanding of their treatment needs. To develop connections with my patients, I plan to meet with them as often as they are comfortable. Upon first meeting, I hope to hear their stories and share advice where I can. Although I do not plan to be a talk therapist, it is still crucial to me to understand where my patient's pasts lie, and their reason for coming to me. I am more than excited to eventually lend a possibly lifesaving helping hand with my higher education. Childhood depression has become extremely prominent within my generation, and I want to ensure nobody under my care ever feels compelled to harm themselves.

“It isn’t about finding yourself. Remember who you were before the world swallowed you and bring her back.” This became my favorite quote two years ago when I began my journey of self-acceptance. In December of 2021, I attempted to take my own life. I spent a week inside an inpatient program at the Mott's Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Since then, I have made it my lifelong goal to make sure as few children as possible ever feel the way I did that December evening. To achieve this, I plan to study the adolescent mind and eventually obtain a career that will allow me to educate struggling young minds on proper coping skills and self-love. I was recently admitted to the University of Tennessee Knoxville. I decided to commit to the Vols because of their outstanding academic opportunities, research programs, and the family I have near the Knoxville area. In college, I plan to become involved in several of the hundreds of clubs and organizations offered. I also aim to take part in internships which will properly set me up for future careers. I am beyond excited to pursue a psychological track as my major, and I look forward to exploring the extensive research opportunities the university provides. The destination I hope to achieve through my higher education journey is to obtain my Ph.D. and become a psychiatrist, helping as many young minds as I can. I have combined all of the setbacks I’ve encountered during my adolescence and decided that I will dedicate my future to making sure children like me learn the proper navigation skills required to survive any harmful thoughts that may result from poor mental health. Specifically, I will develop a deep understanding of every individual patient I treat as a doctor. Many healthcare professionals become swamped and lose personal connections with their patients. This is not my intention, as it is crucial to me to build relationships with those I am treating. Not only will this make them feel safe around me, but it will also allow me to gain a better understanding of their treatment needs. To develop connections with my patients, I plan to meet with them as often as they are comfortable. Upon first meeting, I hope to hear their stories and share advice where I can. Although I do not plan to be a talk therapist, it is still crucial to me to understand where my patient's pasts lie, and their reason for coming to me. I am more than excited to eventually lend a possibly lifesaving helping hand with my higher education. Childhood depression has become extremely prominent within my generation, and I plan to ensure nobody under my care ever feels compelled to harm themselves.

My Sophomore year of high school was interrupted by the boulder that is mental health. I was weighed down, even giving up. On December 19th, 2021, I attempted to take my own life. The question that circled the room afterward was, "Why?" My mother, father, siblings, grandparents, friends, everybody wanted to know, "Why?" The short answer? Bullying. My boyfriend at the time was so emotionally out of line that he continuously blew up at me for small inconveniences. I was called names, extremely inappropriate names, and told how "worthless" I was. This relationship ruined my friendships at school to the point where I sat alone at lunch. He isolated me, getting extremely jealous and controlling anytime I was to catch up with the friends who were in my life far before he was. This resulted in me being labeled as, "The crazy girl who always runs back to her abusive boyfriend." Bullying is a silent killer. It is extremely common for a victim of bullying to shut down and never speak about what they are experiencing, typically out of fear. Bullies make you believe that everything they label you as is true, but it's not. After spending three years bowing down to the man who led me to attempt suicide, I have finally learned to stand up for myself. Several pieces of bullying prevention need to be strengthened. These include school administration, social awareness, and discipline. Unfortunately, bullies are rarely prosecuted for their actions, even if their victim's life ends due to it. I was recently admitted to the University of Tennessee. I decided to pursue the track of becoming a Vol due to their extensive research opportunities and strong Psychology program. I will use my higher education to advocate for and research mental health in adolescents. It is extremely important to me that I prevent as many children as I can from attempting what I did. Along with my education, I will join clubs offered at the University including those that focus on advocacy, child safety/health, and bullying prevention. Unfortunately, bullying does not end after K-12. It can continue for a lifetime, and it is my job to use my voice to save the lives of as many victims as humanly possible. Using my voice, I will be able to educate children on proper coping mechanisms, survival skills, and support systems for those days when the world feels like it's caving in. For my Senior Research Paper, I was lucky to have an opportunity to research available treatment options for mental health conditions such as depression. I determined that Cognitive Therapy is the most effective in the long term. This is a strong example of the baseline I will follow as I continue my career in adolescent mental health treatment and care. Although I never experienced the movie definition of bullying, where kids are pushed on the ground in the hallway and have their food knocked over in the cafeteria, it is important to me that the public recognizes all forms of bullying. I pledge to use my higher education to pursue a career that allows me to save lives and mental health, in or out of the school setting.

Impact “It isn’t about finding yourself. Remember who you were before the world swallowed you and bring her back.” This became my favorite quote two years ago when I began my journey of self-acceptance. In December of 2021, I attempted to take my own life. I spent a week inside an inpatient program at the Mott's Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Since then, I have made it my lifelong goal to make sure as few children as possible ever feel the way I did that December evening. To achieve this, I plan to study the adolescent mind and eventually obtain a career that will allow me to educate struggling young minds on proper coping skills and self-love. I was recently admitted to the University of Tennessee Knoxville. I decided to commit to the Vols because of their outstanding academic opportunities, research programs, and the family I have near the Knoxville area. In college, I plan to become involved in several of the hundreds of clubs and organizations offered. I also aim to take part in internships which will properly set me up for future careers. I am beyond excited to pursue a psychological track as my major, and I look forward to exploring the extensive research opportunities the university provides. Aside from my future, throughout high school, I have enjoyed community volunteering, exercise, nutrition, and working. I am an employee at my local Trader Joe's, where I practice values such as constant improvement, "wow-ing" customers, and no bureaucracy. The store also partakes in several neighborhood events, such as a recent disability awareness event at the local high school. As crew members, we can sign up to partake in these activities. I was able to volunteer at Busch Gardens Williamsburg to present awards to elementary school children who raised awareness for pets at the local humane society with a few of my coworkers. This specific opportunity warmed my heart, as I have a very soft spot for animals. These elementary school students were able to get several dogs a home, and watching them smile as they were awarded for it motivated me to devote more of my time to community service organizations. I also am a member of the National Honor Society. As an inductee, I must maintain eight hours of volunteering time per semester, as well as a 3.5 GPA. This gives me another community where I get to grow, learn, and help my neighborhood. Have you ever noticed that the word “community” contains the word “unity” inside of it? To me, unity means the state of becoming one whole. By contributing to community service roles, I can contribute to the togetherness of my small city, improving the lives of not only those in need but also my own, as I learn the importance of gratitude and support. An example of an external volunteering event I took part in was the "Easter Extravaganza" with my county. My mother and I spent time on Holy Saturday laying plastic prize eggs and setting up activities for citizens of our community to enjoy before Easter. I valued the feeling of making a difference in those children's lives. The destination I hope to achieve through my higher education journey is to obtain my Ph.D. and become a psychiatrist, helping as many young minds as I can. I have combined all of the setbacks I’ve encountered during my adolescence and decided that I will dedicate my future to making sure children like me learn the proper navigation skills required to survive any harmful thoughts that may result from poor mental health.

Touching the Souls of the Future “It isn’t about finding yourself. Remember who you were before the world swallowed you and bring her back.” This became my favorite quote two years ago when I began my journey of self-acceptance. In December of 2021, I attempted to take my own life. I spent a week inside an inpatient program at the Mott's Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Since then, I have made it my lifelong goal to make sure as few children as possible ever feel the way I did that December evening. To achieve this, I plan to study the adolescent mind and eventually obtain a career that will allow me to educate struggling young minds on proper coping skills and self-love. I was recently admitted to the University of Tennessee Knoxville. I decided to commit to the Vols because of their outstanding academic opportunities, research programs, and the family I have near the Knoxville area. In college, I plan to become involved in several of the hundreds of clubs and organizations offered. I also aim to take part in internships which will properly set me up for future careers. I am beyond excited to pursue a psychological track as my major, and I look forward to exploring the extensive research opportunities the university provides. The destination I hope to achieve through my higher education journey is to obtain my Ph.D. and become a psychiatrist, helping as many young minds as I can. I have combined all of the setbacks I’ve encountered during my adolescence and decided that I will dedicate my future to making sure children like me learn the proper navigation skills required to survive any harmful thoughts that may result from poor mental health. Specifically, I will develop a deep understanding of every individual patient I treat as a doctor. Many healthcare professionals become swamped and lose personal connections with their patients. This is not my intention, as it is crucial to me to build relationships with those I am treating. Not only will this make them feel safe around me, but it will also allow me to gain a better understanding of their treatment needs. To develop connections with my patients, I plan to meet with them as often as they are comfortable. Upon first meeting, I hope to hear their stories and share advice where I can. Although I do not plan to be a talk therapist, it is still crucial to me to understand where my patient's pasts lie, and their reason for coming to me. I am more than excited to eventually lend a possibly lifesaving helping hand with my higher education. Childhood depression has become extremely prominent within my generation, and I want to ensure nobody under my care ever feels compelled to harm themselves.

“And if you never bleed, you’re never gonna grow,” advice from Taylor Swift herself has managed to encapsulate my teenage years. Nearly nobody wants to bleed. When I fell off my scooter as a child and scraped my knee, I cried and worried that this wound would ruin my life. Days later, that little scrape would heal, and this alone taught me not to be so terrified of the next cut. As I’ve grown older, I’ve grounded with the idea that bleeding is just as necessary as healing. My sophomore year of high school was interrupted by the boulder that is mental health. Over Christmas break of 2021, one night was particularly threatening after arguing with my boyfriend at the time, anticipation of moving states that January, and overall struggling in silence. At about midnight on December nineteenth, I decided I wasn’t fit for the stress I was carrying. My psychiatrist had provided me with a three-month supply of anti-depressants about a week prior. That night ended with me swallowing ninety tablets. The morning after, my father rushed me to the hospital after finding me passed out on the floor. I refused to share what I had done the night before. Upon checking into the Emergency Room, I fell to the floor and seized. Aside from the emotional lows I caused my family and myself; I was cleared in two nights from any effects of the overdose. However, it was required by the doctors that I spend a few nights in the psychiatric unit of the University of Michigan Mott’s Children’s Hospital. The week went well as I made some very close friends experiencing similar teenage lows. We knew that we would all survive together. Upon my release on day seven, I was upset to leave my newfound peers and the amazing nurses inside, who have inspired my career goal of one day working with youth in the Mental Health field. In the coming months, I would disembark on a self-recovery journey. I found new interests to occupy my time that didn’t involve unhealthy habits or other’s validation. Exercising, reading, walking, and meeting new people gave me the hope that it does get better. My favorite quote soon became, “It isn’t about finding yourself. Remember who you were before the world swallowed you and bring her back.” If you never bleed, you’re never going to grow. Although these were traumatic experiences, I would never have gained the confidence necessary in my ability to improve. That scrape taught me not to be so afraid if I fall again, as time heals all wounds. The memories gained have also aspired me to help others who may be struggling with the boulder of life, whether I accomplish this through my college major or simply volunteering my time to support others.