Education is a powerful tool for driving significant change and improving the quality of life for individuals and communities. My educational journey is driven by the quest for knowledge and the aspiration to effect meaningful change, aiming to provide me with the skills, perspectives, and experience necessary to have a positive influence on society. I am pursuing a double major in social work and gender, sexuality, and race studies, with a minor in psychology. I am also a participant in my university’s international honors program in addition to being a member of the Peace Corps Prep program. My goal is to obtain a master's degree in social work and a bachelor's degree in gender, sexuality, and race studies. I believe this unique combination of studies and programs will allow me to address important societal issues and contribute to creating a more inclusive, equitable, kind, and compassionate world. My interdisciplinary education provides a robust foundation for understanding the complex social dynamics that shape our world. Through my studies in social work, I am gaining the skills necessary to implement and manage social programs, provide direct support to individuals in need, and influence policy changes. Concurrently, my studies in gender, sexuality, and race provide critical insights into the systemic issues that contribute to inequality and discrimination. By understanding these intersecting factors, I am better equipped to develop effective strategies to support and advocate for marginalized populations. One of my primary goals is to become a child therapist and teen foster parent. My passion for this career path stems from personal experiences as a queer, indigenous, mentally ill transgender man, and a recognition of the urgent need for supportive, informed care for young people. Many children and teens, especially those who are transgender or come from marginalized backgrounds, face unique challenges that can severely impact their mental health and overall well-being. By providing therapy and a home to children in need, I can offer a safe, understanding, and supportive environment where these young individuals can thrive. My participation in my university’s international honors program has enriched my education by exposing me to diverse perspectives and global issues. This experience has shown me the importance of creating inclusive educational environments that cater to the diverse needs of all students. In my future career, I plan to advocate for and implement inclusive practices in schools and other educational settings, promoting policies that support LGBTQ+ students and developing programs that address mental health. As a member of the Peace Corps Prep program, I am preparing to apply my skills and knowledge on an international scale. This program has equipped me with the tools to work effectively in diverse cultural settings and address global challenges. Through the Peace Corps, I hope to work on projects that promote education, health, and economic development in underserved communities around the world. Ultimately, my goal is to empower future generations to navigate their identities and challenges with confidence and resilience. By using my education to provide direct support, advocate for systemic change, and create inclusive environments, I hope to make a lasting positive impact on society. I am committed to this mission and look forward to contributing to a more just, equitable, and compassionate world.

I have been out since I was in middle school, though not on my own volition. My mother, who initially struggled to accept my identity, outed me to our entire family and friends after discovering my secret while snooping in my room under the pretense of "cleaning." She labeled me as "crazy" and insisted that no one should indulge my "delusion." Although she eventually became extremely accepting, it sadly took learning about the suicide rates for transgender kids in unaccepting homes. The damage to our relationship cannot be undone. She still struggles to reconcile who I was before I came out as a trans man with who I am now. She often refuses to refer to my younger self with male pronouns, deadnames me frequently when speaking in the past tense, or feels compelled to clarify that my current name is not my birth name when speaking of my childhood. This causes confusion and ongoing harm not only for me but for those around us as well. This has made it difficult to have a positive relationship with her and has negatively impacted my relationships with other family members, such as my siblings, my father, aunts, uncles, and grandparents, who do not know how to respond to me both to my face and around my mother. Being transgender has significantly shaped my experiences and how others perceive me, especially post-transition. Now, at 20, I am a man who has completed his second year of university. I've undergone top surgery, legally changed my name at sixteen, been on hormones for four years, and had my gender marker updated at eighteen. Despite presenting in a traditionally masculine way, people often infantilize and fetishize me, particularly in sexual contexts. I encounter both micro and macro aggressions daily—ranging from individuals seeking "only fems" to assumptions that my youthful appearance and demeanor mean I couldn't possibly know what I'm talking about. Everything I do, from the way I speak to the way I walk, is often reduced to being "cute," "innocent," "seductive," or "adorable." For example, on almost any dating app I have tried, I am immediately flooded with messages from men who are "curious" and looking only for feminine people. They do not see people like me as who we say we are; they see us as women and/or objects. In many past friendships, I have been treated condescendingly and seen as "childlike" because of my appearance and voice. People are often surprised to learn that I am older than most of my peers, having been born in 2003, not 2004. In all, lived experiences such as these have fueled my passion for my desired career path as a child therapist and teen foster parent. I want to be the supportive figure I needed during my youth, guiding children through the complex emotions and challenges of being transgender. This goal is especially urgent considering the current climate in the United States, where discriminatory laws and societal dangers pose significant threats to transgender youth. The danger, discrimination, and fear faced by transgender youth today is something I am very concerned about. However, I also feel responsible for doing my best to support those who are more affected than I am. I am pursuing my aspirations by working towards a bachelor's degree in gender, sexuality, and race studies with a minor in psychology at Pacific Lutheran University, alongside a master's degree in social work. Pacific Lutheran University recently introduced a master's program in social work, which I plan to join. Throughout this journey, I am gaining practical experience through related work, including nannying, senior care, and internships. One notable internship was at Louisa Boren STEM K-8 in Seattle in early 2023, which provided invaluable hands-on experience in educational settings. My career choice has been profoundly influenced by my own experiences and the pressing need for compassionate support for transgender youth. I am committed to making a difference by offering the empathy and understanding that I wished for during my own journey. By continuing my education and gaining relevant experience, I aim to become a beacon of support for children navigating similar challenges, ensuring they feel seen, understood, and supported in their identities.

I've been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder since I was fourteen years old, and I've been diagnosed with combined-type attention deficit hyperactivity disorder since I was eighteen years old. My mental health journey has been both challenging and enlightening, profoundly shaping my goals, relationships, and worldview. Navigating life with PTSD and ADHD has not only tested my resilience but also granted me a unique perspective that I believe will be invaluable in my future career as a child therapist, working with children in the foster system, kids with disabilities, those living on reservations, as well as LGBTQIA+ youth. From a young age, my experiences with PTSD, more specifically complex PTSD (CPTSD), taught me the importance of emotional support and understanding. The "C" in CPTSD stands for complex, indicating that I have experienced repeated traumas over a substantial period. These challenges fostered a deep sense of empathy within me. I am acutely aware of the silent battles many individuals face daily and the profound impact compassionate and supportive presences can have on someone's life. This realization solidified my desire to work with vulnerable populations, particularly children who may feel as misunderstood and alone as I once did. When I was diagnosed with ADHD-C at eighteen, it was both a revelation and a relief. Understanding that my difficulties with focus, impulsivity, and hyperactivity had a name and a cause helped me develop better coping strategies. It also highlighted the necessity of personalized approaches to mental health care. I realized that not everyone responds to traditional methods, so being flexible and creative is crucial in therapy. This awareness of different needs, even those that may seem bizarre or ridiculous to others, is something I find I am much more in tune with than my peers when it comes to childcare. This has inspired me to become the kind of therapist who meets children where they are, recognizing their unique needs and strengths, and providing them with tailored support that can truly make a difference. My goals as a future child therapist are deeply intertwined with my mental health experiences. I aspire to create a safe space where children can express themselves without fear of judgment. I am dedicated to providing stability and trust for children in the foster system, advocating for the rights of children with disabilities, addressing the unique traumas faced by Indigenous children, and providing support for LGBTQIA+ youth. My CPTSD and ADHD-C have influenced my relationships. Being open about my struggles has deepened my connections and taught me the importance of communication and patience in both personal and professional relationships. Sharing my experiences has encouraged others to open up, creating a network of empathy and solidarity. This has been particularly important in building rapport with children, as they often need to feel safe and heard before sharing their own experiences. My mental health journey has profoundly influenced my understanding of the world. I am passionate about raising awareness and advocating for mental health, breaking down barriers, and promoting a more compassionate and informed society. Education and open dialogue are essential for changing perceptions and fostering a culture that takes mental health as seriously as physical health. In conclusion, my experiences with PTSD and ADHD have shaped every aspect of my life. They have defined my goals, influencing my aspiration to become a child therapist and work with marginalized and vulnerable populations. They have deepened my relationships, teaching me the value of empathy, communication, and support. They have broadened my understanding of the world, instilling in me a passion for mental health advocacy and education. While my journey has been fraught with challenges, it has also been a source of immense growth and insight. I am committed to using these experiences to make a positive impact in the lives of the children I will work with, helping them navigate their own paths to healing and fulfillment.

Disney, a world of enchantment and imagination, has been an inseparable part of my life, offering joy, comfort, and inspiration that helped me navigate the challenges of growing up. Despite my difficult circumstances, Disney films, characters, and themes shaped my outlook on life and provided a much-needed escape from the tumultuous environment. Even at nineteen years old, I have a Spotify playlist with Disney music, using it to express and soothe my emotions. Among the array of Disney characters and movies, three princesses, Mulan, Tiana, and Merida, along with the classic film "Lilo and Stitch" and the beloved "The Nightmare Before Christmas," hold special places in my heart. As a child growing up in an abusive household, fear and uncertainty were my reality. However, through the magical lens of Disney, I discovered a realm where dreams came true, and happiness prevailed. The classic Disney movies on VHS tapes provided affordable and accessible moments of joy and laughter, acting as a temporary escape from the harshness of reality and instilling hope for a better future. Mulan, the brave warrior who defied gender norms, became an early inspiration for my journey of self-discovery as a transgender man. Seeing someone like Mulan challenge societal expectations and embrace her true self gave me hope and the belief that strength could be found in authenticity. Her representation on screen has always been dear to me. Tiana exemplified determination and the pursuit of dreams. Her story, set in New Orleans with its rich cultural heritage, showcased the beauty of diversity and the importance of staying true to oneself. Tiana's unwavering spirit and dedication inspired me to believe that, regardless of my background, perseverance, and passion could lead me to achieve my goals as an indigenous queer man. Merida embodied rebellion and the desire to carve one's path in life. Her refusal to conform to traditional expectations resonated deeply with me, motivating me to break free from societal constraints and embrace my unique journey. Her conflict with her mother in the movie served as a cathartic experience given my maternal experience. The classic Disney movie "Lilo and Stitch" touched my heart in a profound way. The bond between the main characters taught me the importance of family, friendship, and unconditional love. Through the film's emotional moments, I learned the significance of acceptance and understanding, which I carried with me throughout my life. The idea that family is forever is something I did not grow up experiencing. I aspire to have my own siblings and found family that cares so much about one another. "The Nightmare Before Christmas" always captivated my imagination. Its dark yet whimsical world provided an outlet for my creativity and a sense of belonging. Embracing its unconventional ideas, I learned to appreciate the beauty and enjoyment found in seemingly intimidating concepts. It shaped my perception of darkness and taught me to find joy and fun in unexpected places. Disney is more than just an entertainment powerhouse; it's my safe haven, guiding light, and a reflection of my identity. The Disney princesses Mulan, Tiana, and Merida, along with the classic films "Lilo and Stitch" and "The Nightmare Before Christmas," have left an indelible mark on my heart. Through the magic of Disney, I found solace, empowerment, and a sense of belonging, shaping the person I am today. Disney's enchantment will forever be a part of me, a source of hope, strength, and inspiration in every step I take.

As a young LGBTQIA+ adult, my journey has been one of self-discovery and resilience, navigating the complexities of my gender and sexuality, while simultaneously overcoming the challenges of complex PTSD and combined type ADHD. These experiences have further enriched my identity as a descendant of the Anishinaabe tribe, specifically Ojibwe, driving my ambition to become a child therapist dedicated to empowering underrepresented and disadvantaged minority youth. Growing up, I was raised to fulfill conventional expectations of becoming a woman, a wife, and eventually a mother. However, in middle school, I discovered my true gender identity and realized that I had the power to choose my own path and embrace what made me genuinely happy. I found the strength to break free from societal norms, even though adjusting to my identity was not without its difficulties. While coming out as bisexual was met with acceptance from my parents, my gender identity was met with misunderstanding and struggle. Guiding those around me to understand and accept me for who I am has become a journey of self-discovery, patience, and empathy. Now pursuing a degree in social work along with gender, sexuality, and race studies with a minor in psychology, I recognize the significance of providing understanding and compassionate support to youth as they explore their identities in every aspect. My journey has been marked by challenges related to gender dysphoria, complex PTSD, and combined type ADHD. These experiences along with my unique perspective and experience with the intergenerational trauma affecting Indigenous communities have given me a lot of understanding and perspective on how different people are impacted by different events. Understanding the significance of creating a supportive and inclusive environment for individuals with diverse identities and backgrounds, I am committed to becoming a therapist who offers a safe space for youth to navigate these challenges with appropriate guidance and empathy. As a descendant of the Anishinaabe tribe, my Indigenous roots are deeply intertwined with my identity. My great grandparents' journey away from the reservation in search of a better life serves as a reminder of the resilience and determination within our community. It also emphasizes the importance of never forgetting where we came from and not being ashamed of where we came from and our traditions. Embracing my Indigenous heritage, I am driven to empower Indigenous youth to be proud of their roots and embrace their cultural identity. Through fostering a sense of pride, I aim to break the chains of adversity and foster future leaders who will uplift their communities and celebrate the differences of others, and not hide our familial history away to be forgotten. The Kim Moon Bae scholarship holds a special place in my heart as it represents recognition and validation of the unique intersections within my identity, as well as those of others. With this scholarship, I will continue my education and strengthen my commitment to empowering underrepresented minority youth. As a therapist, I aspire to be the person I needed during my formative years, offering guidance and understanding to youth facing adversity related to their gender, sexuality, and cultural heritage. By embracing my identity and experiences, I hope to contribute to a more compassionate and inclusive society, where all youth can thrive and embrace their true selves without shame or remorse.

My life journey as a transgender man of First Nation descent, diagnosed with complex PTSD and combined-type ADHD, has fueled my passion for social work and commitment to promoting inclusivity, justice, and positive change. As a passionate advocate for free speech and critical thinking, I am eager to apply for the Academic Liberty & Free Speech Scholarship. Recognizing the significance of these principles in the American higher education system, I am determined to promote intellectual diversity through my studies in social work and gender, sexuality, and race. Free speech serves as the lifeblood of democracy, fostering intellectual diversity by allowing open exchange of ideas. In college, promoting free speech lays the foundation for critical thinking as students are exposed to diverse viewpoints. Embracing a broad base of knowledge through liberal arts education and interdisciplinary studies encourages a comprehensive understanding of various perspectives. My unique experiences as a platoon sergeant in junior ROTC have honed my leadership, fostering open discourse and diversity of thought. As a social work major, my firsthand experience with poverty and marginalization fuels empathy and determination to offer compassionate care. Advocating for transgender rights and gender-affirming services, along with appreciating Indigenous traditions, aligns with my studies in gender, sexuality, and race. Since middle school, I've championed inclusivity as the founder of a GSA club, creating a safe space for LGBTQ+ students and allies. Additionally, I volunteered at the Ronald McDonald Playhouse, promoting empathy and compassion. My diagnosis of complex PTSD and combined-type ADHD inspires resilience, driving my commitment to making mental health care accessible to all. Something I think is very important to note is that none of the above would be possible if not for the freedom of speech. I would not be where I am today without it. People from my communities have been marginalized for decades and not given nearly as many opportunities as me to thrive and find their happiness. I was able to accomplish all that I have so far because the people before me fought tirelessly for it, and to some extent, got it. They laid down the groundwork for the future generation to have it. That is why it is important for people like college students to have the freedom of speech, being able to hear others’ perspectives and learn about other people’s ways of life can be eye-opening and change the course of an individual's entire life. I aim to advocate for the preservation of free speech on college campuses and beyond. Bridging academia and the community, I aspire to empower those in need and advocate for systemic change. Through extracurricular pursuits and academic journeys, I'll promote intellectual diversity, critical thinking, and the value of diverse perspectives.

As I stand on the threshold of my second year at Pacific Lutheran University, I reflect upon the transformative journey that brought me here. As a transgender man with First Nations heritage, my life has been marked by unique challenges that have shaped my identity and strengthened my determination. Living with complex PTSD, combined type ADHD, and gender dysphoria, I have navigated a path through adversity, seeking healing and growth. My college experience excites me, not only for the knowledge I will gain but also for the opportunity to make a meaningful impact in the lives of others through my studies in social work and gender, sexuality, and race studies. Growing up in the Detroit metro area, my family faced financial hardships, relying on food stamps and living in Section 8 housing. Despite these challenges, my parents instilled in me the value of education and the strength to persevere. Head Start provided an early foundation for my intellectual curiosity and passion for learning, laying the groundwork for my journey into higher education. Throughout my childhood, I grappled with my identity and wrestled with feelings of gender dysphoria. The support of my therapist and the love of my family became pillars of strength as I embraced my true self and embarked on my path as a transgender individual. My First Nations heritage passed down from my father's side, has also been an essential part of my identity. The cultural richness and resilience of my ancestors inspire me to honor my roots and advocate for indigenous rights and representation. College presents a unique opportunity to delve deeper into social work and gender, sexuality, and race studies. It is my passion to understand the complex intersections of these subjects and apply this knowledge to bring about positive change in marginalized communities. Through my psychology minor, I aim to gain a comprehensive understanding of mental health and its impact on individuals from diverse backgrounds. In the face of my diagnoses, I have sought support and treatment to manage my mental health effectively. My therapist has been instrumental in helping me navigate the challenges posed by PTSD and ADHD. Additionally, appropriate medication has allowed me to concentrate on my studies and personal growth. Maintaining a healthy being remains paramount to me as I progress through college. Engaging in mindfulness practices, attending therapy appointments, and participating in creative outlets have helped me maintain emotional well-being. Furthermore, I prioritize physical fitness and nutrition, always striving to improve. As I venture further into college life, I recognize the importance of resilience, empathy, and community. My experiences have shaped my understanding of the struggles of others, motivating me to become a compassionate and effective social worker. I aspire to provide support and advocacy to marginalized individuals, creating a safe space for them to be themselves and heal from their traumas. The Mind, Body, & Soul Scholarship holds particular significance for me. Not only does it align with my commitment to nurturing well-being in myself and others, but also acknowledges the financial challenges I have faced in my journey. This scholarship will not only alleviate the financial burden of college but also serve as a validation of my potential to make a difference in the lives of others. In conclusion, I am going into this year with excitement and determination. Embracing my identities, I strive to use my studies to empower marginalized communities. My experiences with mental illness have taught me resilience and empathy, qualities I will carry with me forever. I hope to continue my academic journey and emerge as a passionate advocate for mental health, diversity, and inclusivity.

My journey through the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) program has been a transformative experience that has shaped my understanding of leadership and its profound impact on individuals and communities. Throughout my time in JROTC, I quickly climbed the ranks from private to staff sergeant in my first school year, a testament to my dedication and passion for the program. By my junior year, I achieved the rank of sergeant first class, reflecting my commitment to growth and excellence. From the moment I joined JROTC, I knew that I wanted to make the most of this opportunity. My mother's military background, her service in the reserves, and her deployment to Iraq during my childhood inspired me to follow in her footsteps in my own unique way. During my first year in JROTC, I was honored to receive the Medal of Leadership, recognizing my early contributions and potential as a leader within the program. This recognition further motivated me to excel and take on more significant responsibilities. One of the defining aspects of my journey in JROTC was my involvement in the armed drill team. Every morning, before the school day began, our team would gather at 6 am for practice. This experience taught me discipline, teamwork, and the value of persistence. Through rigorous training and unwavering dedication, our team honed our skills and fostered a strong sense of camaraderie. Beyond the drill team, community service played a vital role in my development as a leader. Engaging in voluntary activities, particularly at the Ronald McDonald House, provided me with valuable experiences and insights into the needs of others. This nurtured the empathy that I use in my social work studies and reinforced the idea that leadership is not just about authority but about service to others. My time in JROTC has been a journey of self-discovery and personal growth. Climbing the ranks and receiving the Medal of Leadership were affirmations of my efforts, but more importantly, they represented the trust and confidence my peers and superiors had in me. These achievements fueled my determination to continue developing my leadership skills and positively impacting those around me. As I reflect on my experiences in JROTC, I can't help but acknowledge the profound impact this program has had on my life. It has instilled in me a sense of responsibility, discipline, and a deep appreciation for the value of leadership and service, one that grew from the seeds my mother planted in me long ago. The lessons I learned in JROTC have extended far beyond the classroom or the drill field; they have become an integral part of who I am as a person. My mother's dedication to the military and her service to our country inspired me to follow a path of leadership and service, and JROTC provided me with the platform to pursue that aspiration. Looking ahead, I am committed to leveraging the leadership skills I have cultivated in JROTC to contribute positively to my community and society at large. This comes out in the form of activism in my community and fighting for the fair treatment of all. I am passionate and driven in the things that I hold dear, and being in the Junior ROTC program helped me increase my stamina in a big way.

Leadership and volunteering are inseparable elements that contribute to the growth and development of individuals, communities, and the world at large. As we face various challenges in today's rapidly changing society, the importance of leadership becomes even more evident. To me, leadership is a multifaceted quality that encompasses the ability to inspire, motivate, and guide others toward common goals. It involves taking responsibility, making decisions, and effectively communicating a vision that resonates with others. Leadership is not restricted to specific career paths; rather, it is a quality that can be applied in any field to drive positive change. In our ever-evolving world, leadership stands as the most critical quality to addressing complex global challenges. Leaders can spearhead initiatives, foster innovation, and bring diverse communities together to create a more inclusive and sustainable future. While every piece of the puzzle is important and everyone involved in the process of change is important, people cannot organize and make the moves necessary to facilitate real and long-lasting change without someone to organize and lead. Volunteering provides an excellent platform for individuals to develop leadership skills while making a tangible impact on their communities. It enables volunteers to gain valuable experiences, nurture empathy, and understand the needs of others. My involvement in community service showcases how volunteering can lay the foundation for effective leadership. My commitment to social justice and inclusivity became evident through my involvement in the founding of my middle school's Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA). As the first president of the GSA, I organized activities, participated in the school parade, and promoted awareness through posters and signs. This initiative exemplifies how leadership can empower marginalized communities and create a safe space for discussion and growth. The GSA organized events, attended conferences, and addressed mental health challenges within the LGBTQ+ community. By offering a voice to queer youth through social media platforms, the GSA acted as a catalyst for change, breaking barriers and fostering acceptance for those who did not receive it at home or in their community. As a sergeant first class and platoon sergeant in the junior army ROTC program as well, I not only demonstrated leadership in class when helping students learn the chain of command but also on the armed drill team. I also engaged in community service at the Ronald McDonald House. These experiences honed my leadership abilities, fostered teamwork, and taught me the value of service to others and what can be accomplished when people's want to help are organized and given direction. I was also involved in the A Capella group PLUtonic at Pacific Lutheran University. Through musical performances, we raised funds for the community and supported the group's endeavors, including our competition in ICCA (International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella). My engagement in similar activities during high school demonstrated his consistency in using my talents to benefit others. Leadership and volunteering are intertwined aspects that create a pathway for positive change and transformation. Leadership skills, cultivated through volunteering and advocacy, can lead to impactful initiatives that improve communities and inspire others to join the cause. As we face complex challenges in an interconnected world, nurturing leadership qualities in the younger generation becomes essential for a brighter and more sustainable future. I believe my experiences capture this fact. Leadership comes in various forms; together we can collectively create a world where compassionate and effective leaders drive progress and positive change in every corner of society. Leadership is not a mere quality; it is a powerful force that can shape the world and guide us toward a more inclusive, understanding, and harmonious future.

As a transgender man of First Nation descent, diagnosed with complex PTSD and combined-type ADHD, my journey has been shaped by adversity and the desire to empower others facing similar challenges. Growing up in the Detroit metro area, I experienced firsthand the struggles of poverty and witnessed the urgent need for positive change within marginalized communities. My personal experiences and unique identity have ignited a passion for social work, motivating me to pursue a degree in this field alongside gender, sexuality, and race studies at Pacific Lutheran University. My personal struggles have given rise to an immense sense of empathy and understanding toward those facing adversity. As a recipient of food stamps throughout my childhood and a former resident in section eight housing, I know what it's like to struggle for basic needs and feel marginalized by society. These experiences have kindled my determination to be a beacon of hope and support for others navigating similar circumstances. Additionally, my diagnosis of complex PTSD and combined-type ADHD has taught me resilience, empowering me to turn my challenges into opportunities for growth. I aspire to channel these qualities into my social work practice, offering compassion and strength to my future clients. As a transgender man of First Nation heritage, I am acutely aware of the struggles faced by these communities. Gender dysphoria has been a significant part of my journey, leading me to question societal norms and advocate for greater acceptance and understanding of gender diversity. My experience as a transgender individual has cultivated a strong sense of advocacy for transgender rights and the inclusion of gender-affirming services in social work practice. Simultaneously, my First Nation heritage has given me a profound appreciation for cultural diversity and the importance of acknowledging and preserving Indigenous traditions. Through my studies in gender, sexuality, and race, I aim to promote inclusivity and justice for all communities. My journey with PTSD has illuminated the gaps in mental health support, particularly for individuals from marginalized backgrounds. I am passionate about making mental health care accessible to all, breaking down barriers that prevent individuals from receiving the help they need. My minor in psychology complements my social work studies, enabling me to address mental health concerns comprehensively. As a future social worker, I will strive to provide culturally competent and trauma-informed care, ensuring that each individual feels heard, valued, and understood. Pacific Lutheran University has provided me with a supportive environment that fosters inclusivity and empowerment. Through my academic journey, I have witnessed the power of education in creating positive change. I am committed to carrying this spirit forward, cultivating inclusive spaces where individuals from diverse backgrounds can thrive. As a social worker, I aim to bridge the gap between academia and the community, utilizing knowledge to empower those in need and advocate for systemic change. My personal experiences have laid the foundation for my passion to become a social worker and advocate for justice and positive change. As a transgender man of First Nation descent, diagnosed with PTSD and ADHD, I am uniquely equipped to provide empathy, resilience, and cultural sensitivity to my future clients. Through my studies in social work, gender, sexuality, race, and psychology, I will be an agent of empowerment, breaking down barriers and advocating for the rights and well-being of marginalized communities. Pacific Lutheran University's support and the Tyler Schaeffer Scholarship will propel me toward achieving my dreams, transforming adversity into empowerment for individuals and communities in need. Together, we can create a more just and compassionate world for all.

Amidst the challenges posed by complex post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), combined type attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and gender dysphoria, my unyielding perseverance has propelled me toward pursuing higher education. Currently enrolled in a degree program at Pacific Lutheran University, I am determined to become a child therapist, armed with a passion for social work and a dedication to fostering teenagers. In this essay, I wish to share my triumphant journey, academic pursuits, and aspirations to create a lasting impact in the lives of the youth. Throughout my teenage years, I battled mental health stigma, facing skepticism from family members who deemed therapy and medication unnecessary. This made addressing my complex PTSD and gender dysphoria challenging. However, I refused to be hindered by these obstacles. Instead, I viewed them as opportunities for growth and resilience. Through self-advocacy and seeking support from mentors and peers, I developed effective strategies to navigate daily hurdles. Accommodations in my classes, such as extensions on assignments and taking exams in a quieter environment, have been instrumental in empowering me to embrace my abilities and focus on education. My thirst for knowledge and passion for learning propel me to pursue higher studies. I am committed to attending a college or university that provides a supportive and inclusive environment for students with disabilities. Through diligent research and guidance from educators, I explored institutions prioritizing accessibility and offering diverse academic programs. This is exactly how I found my home at Pacific Lutheran University. Their Dean of Students office helped me figure out what kind of accommodations I would need to help me thrive in my studies and have helped me to embrace the things that make me different from my peers. My interest in social work and gender, sexuality, and race studies stems from a desire to foster inclusivity and advocate for marginalized individuals. Complementing these disciplines with a minor in psychology, I gain a holistic understanding of mental health and social justice. Upon graduating, my primary goal is to become a child therapist, equipped with knowledge and compassion to support young individuals facing trauma and mental health challenges. Drawing from my experiences, I aim to be the person I needed during my formative years - a source of trust, support, and healing. Fostering teenagers will extend my support beyond the professional realm, providing them with a safe haven and nurturing their growth toward successful futures. Alongside my goals as a therapist and foster parent, I aspire to advocate for inclusivity and accessibility for my clients. Contributing to the development of programs supporting individuals with disabilities and offering support through a private therapy practice are key aspirations. Mentorship and outreach programs will empower other students facing challenges to pursue higher education and unlock their potential. In conclusion, my journey of overcoming adversity and embracing my identity has fueled my passion for social work and my aspiration to become a child therapist. As I continue my education at Pacific Lutheran University, I am committed to empowering the next generation, fostering inclusivity, and advocating for mental health awareness. The Will Johnson Scholarship will be a pivotal stepping stone, enabling me to continue this transformative mission and contribute to a more compassionate and inclusive society.

I grew up in a broken family. My parents did drugs and divorced when I was young. My mother is in the US ARMY and got deployed to Iraq when I was small, and has never been the same since. I have dealt with abusive, alcoholic step-parents who seriously hurt the people around me. I have seen and heard so much, and I experienced it all by the time I was ten. I would like to say it got better after that, but it didn't. No one deserves to feel the ways that I felt growing up, no one deserves to feel unsafe in their own home, or worry that if they breathe too loud something might get thrown across the room. I am going to become a social worker and become a therapist. I am going to start in community practice and work my way to independent practice. Then I am going to make therapy and medication available to all of the people who cannot get it otherwise. Then, I am going to start fostering teenagers myself. My dream is to help people, specifically children. I love kids, they are just a force of nature that needs to be pointed in the right direction. Children control the entire future of the planet. There is no such thing as a "bad kid", there are misguided, abused, and neglected kids. Every child has the right to a safe, happy, and stable home. I went through so much my entire childhood, I had no one to properly guide me and had to figure out a lot of stuff on my own. I want to be able to be that person I needed to other people. I want to make sure that fewer kids have to live in the conditions I did, I want to be the person they can talk to and receive guidance from that they otherwise would not be getting. I want to be able to help the children who have seen and gone through some of the things I have gone through and be the person who listens to them and helps them work through it. I am passionate about this because seeing a child in pain and seeing them suffer while personally knowing what that feels like is not something I can stand for. I feel for that kid who is having trouble at home because I was that kid who was having problems at home. For years I was written off as a "bad kid" and "lazy" when all any adult around me had to do was sit down and ask me what was wrong. All they had to do was really listen to me and they would have known and would have been able to help. Children deserve better and I am going to give them better, I am going to continue to advocate for every child to have that kind of support and connection. Every kid deserves better.

My mother went to basic training and was shortly after deployed to Iraq when I was in early elementary school. She wanted to get clean of her drug addiction and follow in her parent's footsteps. She grew up with her parents being active duty in the military, it was something she always wanted to do. She was going to enlist right out of high school but ended up giving birth to my brother instead. After meeting my father and not long after having me, my parents turned to drugs like MDMA and marijuana, along with some other party drugs. After having a drug-induced miscarriage, my parents decided to have my younger sibling, and not long after that, my mother went down to the recruiting office to enlist. Due to me being so young, a lot of my mother's early days in the military blur together, what I do remember though was the video calls we would have while she was gone. She enlisted into the ARMY reserves, but while she was in Iraq I remember skyping with her and my father, I remember how I would sit in my father's lap and she would make me practice my typing and spelling by telling me to type my name and different sentences in the chat. I remember one day on the way to a friend's I burst out crying in the backseat because a song on the radio reminded me of her. I was so aware that she could die at any moment, and I was terrified. My father had no idea how to comfort a child, him having lost his father when he was young due to dying of agent orange after returning from Vietnam. We were all so distraught, even in the good, happy moments there was always this underlying discomfort and anxiety. A kind of feeling that does not make for healthy childhood development. After my mother returned, she wasn't the same. She was forcing her smiles and excitement when us kids would show her something she drew or talk about this episode of a tv show we have watched over a million times. Over the years she only got worse, eventually divorcing my father and remarrying a couple of times with different men, becoming an alcoholic and emotionally abusive. She was lost for so long and my siblings and I were the collateral. I have been diagnosed with complex post-traumatic stress disorder because of everything that has happened since then. I have seen so much in terms of trauma and what can happen to people when they experience something as horrific as war. It is just now, decades after my mother returned from operation Iraqi freedom that she has begun to truly heal, she is in therapy and has met a man that truly makes her happy and treats her the way she deserves. I plan to become a social worker so I can be a therapist and maybe someday work on base with the young people and children whose parents are suffering the way my mother has. I also plan to fiercely advocate for the rights of veterans so that they are no longer left homeless on the street because the system that created them does not care enough to treat them as people once they come back traumatized by things like war. I am going to stand up for these families and use my platform to ensure their voices are heard. No one deserves to live the way my family did. Everyone has the right to be happy, and safe, and cared for.

My parents started experimenting with stronger drugs not long after I was born. I remember as a kid, my parents would often invite their group of friends over to "hang out" in the back bedroom of our double-wide trailer. As a kid, I thought nothing of it, half of their friends had kids anyways so we would just all have the rest of the house to ourselves to play. We would play all kinds of games and have pizza, which was a treat for a family living off of food stamps and WIC. It wasn't until I was much older my parents told me the truth about my childhood. When it comes to alcohol and drug addiction, I have seen plenty of both. My parents almost got me and my siblings taken away by CPS for possession of marijuana, but they did other things like MDMA too. While my mother joined the military after a drug-induced miscarriage and then gave birth to my younger sibling, my father was not quite ready to grow up yet. My mother was twenty-one and my father was eighteen when I was born. I have an older brother whom my mother had with another man when she was eighteen. My parents were children themselves and had no idea what to do with their own lives, let alone the lives of two toddlers and a baby. The drinking started when I was a bit older, around ten or eleven years old. I was in fifth grade the first time I saw my mother come up from the basement looking like she had been crying for hours with a large wine bottle in her hand and a blanket wrapped around her. She divorced my father years ago and remarried an abusive wannabe marine who didn't make it past basic training. To this day I cannot look at a bud light or box wine without feeling my heart in my throat. Drinking was how she coped with his drinking, the cycle seemed like it would never stop. Now my mother is mostly clean and my dad has a job where he gets randomly drug tested. My mother is engaged again and there are high hopes for the future. I cannot say that I don't struggle because of my childhood, I have since been diagnosed with complex post-traumatic stress disorder, but things are getting better. I am beginning to be able to go out and enjoy life. I know I'll never be "normal", I am going to struggle for the rest of my life, but who doesn't? I am learning to manage my symptoms so I have a chance to have the life I deserve. Everyone deserves a shot at happiness. I am taking my experience and channeling it into my career. I am pursuing social work with the plan to become a child therapist to help children who are going through some of the same things I had to endure growing up. No child has to see and do the things I did. Every child deserves to have a bright future, every child deserves to be happy, safe and loved. There are kids out there who have parents who want the best for them, but they are so caught up in their addiction that they end up doing more harm than good. Leaving that child with no one to turn to, leaving them to fall into the same holes they did. I want to provide that assistance and make sure that the future of the earth stays bright and these innocent kids get the lives they deserve too.

I have been suffering from mental disorders and illness since I was born. I have combined type attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or inattentive and hyperactive type ADHD. On top of that, I developed complex post-traumatic stress disorder, or CPTSD during my adolescence. Having these things so young has shaped who I am today, and I believe it has made me into a good person so far. I would like to think it has at least. I believe that no child should have to go through what I went through, the adults around them ignoring them, and writing them off as a "bad kid" when they are only doing what they can. Children are the future, they are going to decide the fate of the entire world, they are going to get to take the world we build for them, and decide what to do with it after that. I believe that mental health is something that should be taught about and advocated for, especially when it comes to kids. Children are a lot smarter than the adults around them think. Every hateful thing you say, every generous act you commit, they are taking note of it and internalizing it. It is important that people are teaching their children to love themselves and respect the people around them so that there can be less hate in the world. My personal relationships with others are something that I am still trying to figure out and relearn how to build due to my past trauma. It is something I fight myself on and am constantly working to improve. No one wants to talk about the ugly parts of mental illness. The things that are not deemed "relatable" and oftentimes even "cute" such as having sensory overload or dissociative symptoms are still completely villainized and people are called horrible names and even sometimes physically harmed for them. This can make forming meaningful relationships with others difficult, but I don't believe that it is impossible and I will continue to work at it for as long as I need to. My entire career plan is heavily tied to my experience with mental illness and disorders. I plan to become a social worker and be a therapist for children aged three all the way to twenty-five. I am going to start in community practice to help children in less well-off areas and eventually build my own practice to make mental health services more accessible to those who normally do not have the funds or resources to get therapy for their children. My goal is to work with children in the foster system, with disabilities, and with LGBTQIA+ youth. They are often the ones who need help the most but are unable to get the help that they need. No child should be made to suffer in any way similar to how I did. Every child has the right to access mental health services. Every child deserves to feel loved, safe, and happy. I plan to work to make all of those facts a reality.

Everyone is unique in their own way. Whether that be having a talent for computer programing or making art. Even things such as rolling your rs can make someone stand out in a crowd. Sometimes that is a good thing, it can be a way you make friends, or get that promotion you have been gunning for. For others though, it only makes life more difficult and can lead to ostracization and abandonment in your time of need. For me personally, what makes me stand out is not a skill I have, but my very identity itself. I am a transgender man. Don't get me wrong, there are many transgender men, women, and non-binary people out there in the world. There are also many spaces specifically made for the people in my community, but that does not change the fact that most of the population is not like me. In fact, there is a good portion of the population that is scared of me and wishes that I did not exist. There are many states right now that are trying to eradicate people like me by putting out bills that outlaw my existence. While I wish that it was not something that made me stand out so severely, being transgender is something that makes me unique, and that uniqueness has unintentionally put a target on my and all of my transgender sibling's backs. I have been trying since middle school when I first realized who I was to give back to my community in any way I can. Whether that be founding my middle school's first gender and sexuality alliance, going to parades and protests to speak out, or signing as many petitions as possible to try and stop this discrimination against people who just want to live. I will continue to share my story as well as try and boost as many voices as possible to try and make the people who want to destroy us see that we are people too. Black trans women are being murdered in the streets and children are being taken from their families. The transgender community is my community, and right now they need help more than ever. I am going to get my degree and continue to speak out when they push for the words to not be said in school, at work, or in public, and I am going to continue to share the stories of transgender people of color, those who's stories are never heard. I am going to use my platform as a social worker in any way and every way possible to make sure we are not silenced. All we want to do is live, and I am going to live.

My mother was deployed to Iraq when I was five years old, I was in kindergarten and my younger sister was only two. My older brother, my mother's first child, was seven and was in second grade. My mother was gone for a year. We would skype and I would practice typing my name and tell her all about my day at school and ask her when she was coming home. She always was so happy to see us, she always promised she would be home soon, and that she was doing great. She watched her friends die in front of her, she saw innocent people in the street bombed. My mother doesn't like to talk about her time in Iraq, but when she does I can understand why. She was never the same when she came back, she was jumpier, and she was lost. She threw herself into her parenting to try and figure out how to be human again. She and my father divorced shortly after her return. For years we all had to constantly be on edge around her, lest we set her off again. We were not allowed to cry in front of her because it would trigger her and we would be screamed at. She never made friends, sure she had people she would meet at the bar and hang out with whatever partner's friends were around at the time, but she never made friends just for herself. My mother was gone as I barely knew her for that short before period of my life. In her place was this broken woman who had no direction and just wanted to forget everything she saw. After a long time, my mother finally went back to therapy. She went as a child per a court order because of a case where she was taken from her mother because of a stepfather's sexual and physical abuse. She lived with her father she had only been allowed by her mother to meet a handful of years prior. Before she would insist she did not need it and that she knew all of the tricks and how to handle herself all while developing alcoholism and emotionally abusing her own children. She has been getting better and the growth she has had in the past three years has been tremendous. She has finally started to heal from a trauma that occurred in 2009 and because it was left untreated, it created more trauma for herself and the people around her. She was finally beginning to heal, and so the people around her were beginning to as well. This story is not uncommon. So many veterans end up never getting help with their PTSD and in the process of their suffering, they take down the people around them as well. My plan is to become a child therapist who works with children in the foster system, children with disabilities, and LGBTQ youth. My goal is to help these children in these marginalized groups to be able to thrive in a world that is not built for them, all while on my own time making this world one that is built for them. Advocating for civil rights is something that matters a great deal to me and I believe that everyone has the right to live peacefully and happily.

I am passionate about the Constitution because without it I would have been killed a long time ago. As a queer transgender man, society does not like me. People are always trying to silence my voice and make me disappear. Today, since the overturning of roe v. wade, many bills have been rolled out in conservative states that threaten my livelihood. Civil rights have been an uphill battle for years to give people like me the room to simply live. Without the cemented rules within the Constitution, the freedom of speech would only be free for those in power, those who say the right things. It is argued now as it is who is free to say whatever they please. Without the Constitution, people in marginalized groups would hardly stand a chance. My mother has been in the military since I was around three or four years old. She was deployed to Iraq for a year almost immediately after basic training. Before her, both of my grandfathers were in the military. My paternal grandfather was a first nation man who fought in Vietnam and died of agent orange, my maternal grandfather had to hide his sexuality because gay men were not allowed to serve in the military. My mother being a queer woman in the military would have completely blown her father away. Civil rights have been so important in my family on both sides for different reasons, without the rights we have today, I would most likely have never been born. The people in my family would have never met without things such as racial integration or the decriminalization of homosexuality. The fight for civil rights did that, and amendments to the Constitution did that. As a child therapist, I will be working with children in the foster system, children with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ youth. These demographics are some of the most vulnerable in our country and are in need of the most protection. I will always fight for my clients and advocate for their well-being and mental health. Emotional well-being is something that is not often considered when it comes to the disadvantaged, these groups are often targets for all sorts of propaganda that can easily drive children to hate themselves and even commit suicide. The right to bear arms has been put above the threat of school shootings that children experience daily throughout our country. I sign every petition I can and try my best to boost the voices of the people around me who are directly affected by issues such as anti-abortion laws and the stripping of rights of the LGBTQ+ community. I also try to get as much information on them as possible so that it can be spread and combat all of the misinformation that is spread. The Constitution is the thing that gives me the ability to do this, the Constitution is the thing that keeps me safe enough to be able to extend that safety to others. Without our guaranteed protections and rights, none of this would be possible.

Everyone needs therapy, everyone has trauma they have experienced in their life. I was diagnosed with complex post-traumatic stress disorder and gender dysphoria at age seventeen and later combined type attention deficit hyperactivity disorder at eighteen. I developed complex post-traumatic stress disorder from a case of domestic abuse that occurred in my childhood, because of that, my goal is to make sure the next generation has a better chance at success than this one; that they get to heal their trauma instead of just ignoring it and not addressing it and/or getting more added on. To meet this goal I want to become a child therapist and psychiatrist. On top of being a child therapist and psychiatrist, once I get settled into my own independent practice I also plan to start fostering teens. Many of the kids in the system are being mistreated, whether it is by social workers to foster families, or group homes. Many children are not having their needs adequately met. If I can give one child in need a place to stay where they are well fed, bathed, and safe for a night, I would be more than happy to do so. I want to have the best chance possible to help a child become a successful adult who is no longer haunted by their past. No one deserves to feel unsafe or like they are living in the shadow of what happened to them like I have spent so much of my life. I feel it is my life's mission to help people. I want to be the person I needed growing up. Someone to talk to, someone I could trust and depend on. On top of being a traumatized youth, adolescence is a very difficult time in life. Many children feel ignored and undervalued by their family and peers, they feel they have nowhere to go and no one to turn to. I want to be that person for them. One person believing in you can make so much of a difference. I believe that everyone has a right to safety and belonging, especially a child who has next to no agency over what happens to them. Children are often treated like objects of their parents and as long as it "doesn't leave a mark" it does not matter. That is simply not true. There are so many children and people out there suffering every day, many of them in the same ways I did. If I can lessen that suffering, even if it is just by one person, it will be worth it. Everyone deserves to be loved, cared for, and overall safety. While I am doing much better nowadays and have support systems in place in the form of found family, friends, and doctors; before being diagnosed, and even sometimes now in my low moments, I see myself as pathetic and worthless for my symptoms. I remember when I would constantly punish myself for not being happy. I hated everything. My life, my family, and myself for so long. Mental health discussions are just now starting to become socially acceptable in America. While we have come leaps and bounds from where we were, there is still much work that needs to be done. I want to be one of the people who leads that change. The world does not have to be so cynical and dark. I want to be one of the people to breathe life back into those around me, I want to make a difference and really help people. My past does not define me, but it does still impact me, and that is okay. I want to help others be okay with that too. Every day children are out there feeling exactly how I did, and some of them will take the step and do the unthinkable. I want to help those children see that there are other options, there is a way out, and that everything will be okay. I will tell them what I longed to hear for years. "I care about you, and I will do anything and everything I can to help you; because you matter to me.". That is why I am going to become a child therapist and psychiatrist because there are so many other Liams out there and I know I would have wanted to hear from the present day me.

Everyone needs therapy, everyone has trauma they have experienced in their life. I was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and gender dysphoria at age 17. I was later also diagnosed with combined type attention deficit hyperactivity disorder at age 18. My goal is to make sure the next generation has a better chance at success than this one, that they get to heal their trauma instead of just ignoring it and not addressing it and/or getting more added on. To meet this goal I want to become a child therapist and psychologist. Being a young LGBT adult is rough. My dream is to become a child therapist and psychologist so that I can be the person I needed in my life growing up. Being different is always said to be a good thing, it should be celebrated. The truth is that people still face adversity for their differences and are persecuted before they even get to say hello. That is how it was for me before I started passing as a male all the time, as well as when I spent a year in East Texas. The first time I came out I did not even realize I was coming out. I was in sixth grade in Michigan with my friends. They were discussing sexualities and coming out to each other. They turned to me and asked, “what about you?”. At the time, I did not understand anything pertaining to the LGBTQIA+ community, even though my grandfather was a gay man. After thinking about it I decided to say I was bisexual, not because I had had any kind of experience any way when it comes to romance or sex, but because I just did not mind the thought of dating anyone. It was only much later that I truly understood what those words truly meant, it was more of a happy accident I turned out to be right anyways. Many people spend years trying to figure out who they are and how they fit into the world, I was just lucky. All of that is to say, my goal is to create a world where all children have the room to be able to explore who they are as people and where it is okay to be wrong and not know. The fact that my experience isn't common is unacceptable. Everyone deserves to feel loved and accepted by those around them. Children deserve to feel safe. No child should be harassed by the faculty who is supposed to defend them, no child deserves to have all of their friends turn their backs on them because of something they cannot control, be kicked out of their homes by the people who are supposed to love them unconditionally. The next generation deserves better than what we have, they are the future. We all should be supporting them as we wished someone had done for us when we were their age.

Everyone has trauma they have experienced in their life. I personally was diagnosed with complex post traumatic stress disorder and gender dysphoria at age seventeen. I developed CPTSD from a case of domestic abuse that occurred in my childhood. My goal is to make sure the next generation has a better chance at success than this one, that they heal their trauma. Not ignore it, not address it, and it spiral out of control. For these reasons I am going to become a child psychiatrist. You could be fired for talking about mental health at work. Mental health has been a taboo subject for decades in America. You are "attention seeking" and "weak" for not always putting on a happy face for everyone. Before I was diagnosed that was how I viewed myself. These bouts of anxiety, depression, and heavy disassociation defined my teenage years and taught me how precious your mental health really is. So many other people have the same exact thoughts and feelings about themselves now that I had before, I want to help them see that they are okay. On top of being a child therapist and psychologist, once I get settled into my practice I plan to foster teenagers. Many of the kids in the system are being mistreated, whether it be from social workers, foster families, or group homes. Many children are not having their needs adequately met. If I can give one child in need a place to stay where they are well fed, bathed, and safe for a night, I would be more than happy to. A career in psychology would surely aid me in finding the best way possible to help them become a successful adult who is not longer haunted by their past.

I have had three dogs throughout my life. Three dogs that had a major impact on how I view the world and those around me. The first was a little mixed breed named Bella. Bella had already been named before we got her and she was about a year old. We have no concrete evidence but we suspect that her owners before abused her because she was so skinny and would refuse to eat or drink out of her bowls until we dumped the food onto the floor for her and we forced her to. She was a mischievous dog who learned how to climb the baby gate and would wreck havoc whenever we were away. Nevertheless we loved her and she was a part of the family. She acted as a shoulder to cry on and someone to talk to while my mother went through her second divorce with her abusive ex-husband, she was there for it all. We did have to end up leaving her when we moved away because her ex did not want to let us have her, but I will never forget her. The second was a boarder collie named Riley, I got to name her. She was a very smart dog and was always so well behaved. We did not really train her because she just seemed to know what to do, she never really barked, and was so sweet to everyone who she interacted with. She was an outside dog sadly so we did not get to see her as much as the dog before her but going out to play wither her was always so much fun. We took her camping with us and she just never seemed to run out of energy. She loved going on walks and definitely could have a little more then an attitude. There were times where you could vividly imagine her saying something like "Okay, I did the trick, now give me my treat". She was the one person in the household who could always cheer you up no matter what had happened. Whether it be a bad grade on a test, my mother fighting with her new husband, or even when faced with divorce and moving away again. We did end up leaving her with the now ex husband as well, and I miss her every day, but I know that she would want me to keep going and moving forward. The third is actually a new member of the family. He is a puppy named Mickey. His parents were strays and his mother was still a puppy herself. She had given birth under a women's trailer and instead of leaving them to die or taking them to a pound, she decided to give them away to ensure they ended up in loving and safe homes. When we first saw him he was so small, we have no idea what breed he could be but one thing was for sure and that was that he was covered in fleas. His first week was spent at my Uncle's where he got thoroughly treated for fleas and we got him everything he would need to be happy at his new home. We also got him to the vet to get an estimate on his age and got him checked for any unapparent medical conditions. This little guy had been through so much in such a short period of time, he was smaller then all of his siblings and was so scared. In spite of that though he kept fighting, he kept going. He got up every time after being knocked down. I love dogs. They are man's best friend. They are loyal, they are loving, and they are always there for you when you need them most. Bella, Riley, and now Mickey have all taught me that no matter what happens, you have to keep fighting, you cannot give up. Just because things are bad no does not mean that they always will be, things do get better and there is a light at the end of the tunnel. You just have to stick it out until you see it. There is no wound that time cannot heal and there will always be people around you that are willing to help if you just look. There are people out there who care about you and only want to see you happy and thriving. I believe that there is a lot that we can learn from dogs, and that they are smarter then a lot of people seem to think.

I have had three pets throughout my life, three dogs. The first was a little mixed breed named Bella. Bella had already been named before we got her and she was about a year old. We have no concrete evidence but we suspect that her owners before abused her because she was so skinny and would refuse to eat or drink out of her bowls until we dumped the food onto the floor for her and we forced her to. She was a mischievous dog who learned how to climb the baby gate and would wreck havoc whenever we were away. Nevertheless we loved her and she was a part of the family. She acted as a shoulder to cry on and someone to talk to while my mother went through her second divorce with her abusive ex-husband, she was there for it all. We did have to end up leaving her when we moved away because her ex did not want to let us have her, but I will never forget her. The second was a boarder collie named Riley, I got to name her. She was a very smart dog and was always so well behaved. We did not really train her because she just seemed to know what to do, she never really barked, and was so sweet to everyone who she interacted with. She was an outside dog sadly so we did not get to see her as much as the dog before her but going out to play wither her was always so much fun. We took her camping with us and she just never seemed to run out of energy. She loved going on walks and definitely could have a little more then an attitude. There were times where you could vividly imagine her saying something like "Okay, I did the trick, now give me my treat". She was the one person in the household who could always cheer you up no matter what had happened. Whether it be a bad grade on a test, my mother fighting with her new husband, or even when faced with divorce and moving away again. We did end up leaving her with the now ex husband as well, and I miss her every day, but I know that she would want me to keep going and moving forward. The third is actually a new member of the family. He is a puppy named Mickey. His parents were strays and his mother was still a puppy herself. She had given birth under a women's trailer and instead of leaving them to die or taking them to a pound, she decided to give them away to ensure they ended up in loving and safe homes. When we first saw him he was so small, we have no idea what breed he could be but one thing was for sure and that was that he was covered in fleas. His first week was spent at my Uncle's where he got thoroughly treated for fleas and we got him everything he would need to be happy at his new home. We also got him to the vet to get an estimate on his age and got him checked for any unapparent medical conditions. This little guy had been through so much in such a short period of time, he was smaller then all of his siblings and was so scared. In spite of that though he kept fighting, he kept going. He got up every time after being knocked down. I love pets. They are man's best friend. They are loyal, they are loving, and they are always there for you when you need them most. Bella, Riley, and now Mickey have all taught me that no matter what happens, you have to keep fighting, you cannot give up. Just because things are bad no does not mean that they always will be, things do get better and there is a light at the end of the tunnel. You just have to stick it out until you see it. There is no wound that time cannot heal and there will always be people around you that are willing to help if you just look. There are people out there who care about you and only want to see you happy and thriving. I believe that there is a lot that we can learn from dogs, and that they are smarter then a lot of people seem to think.

My mother is a single bisexual veteran. Growing up she had always taught me to be self reliant and that being different is okay. She was deployed to Iraq for a year while I was in elementary school. Her father being a disabled single gay man himself who was also a veteran, they both held a lot of the same values. They are both strong advocates for the LGBTQIA community and believe that everyone has the right to love. They also believe that you do not need to wait for your prince/princess/etc. charming to start living your life authentically. Confidence is something everyone struggles with on one way or another, and they both tried their hardest to make sure that my siblings and myself had it, and to try our best to help others feel the same way. I plan on becoming a child psychiatrist and fostering teenagers once I get settled into my practice. I want to help as many children as I can and show them that it is okay to be different, it is okay to be weird, and it is okay if how you express yourself and experience the world is outside of what society tells them it should be. I have my mother and grandfather to thank for that. I know it will not be easy, it was not easy for me, but I am not going to let that keep me from trying.

Optimism is an important attribute in any career anyone wants to pursue. My biggest goal in life is to become a child therapist and psychologist so I can help the many kids that need to be told that they are okay and that things will get better. So many kids go their whole lives thinking they are freaks, not good enough, or are just in difficult situations at home or school. There are even some kids that have a "perfect life", but still struggle with stress or mental illness. I want to be there for them and help guide them on the right path, to give them hope. Children are the future, but are often overlooked. For example, many children in public schools report high stress levels and many restless nights because of stress or jobs or schoolwork. This is all brushed aside though because they are seen as young and unappreciative. When I think of these things I try to remember that we cans till change the future. We can end that way of thinking and give these kids the support they need. The future generations always have a chance. For now I do what I can. I am people’s shoulder to cry on, the one person they can always turn to. In truth, I have been a therapist for a long time. Going to college will just make it more official. I feel it is my life's mission to help people. It is what brings me joy and feels like I am really making a difference. Everyone deserves to have someone to talk to, especially those at higher risks of suicide and mental illness. I remember that life does not have to be all doom and gloom. Even just finding happiness in the small things can be enough.

Persistence is an important attribute in any goal one wishes to accomplish. When I was young we did not have money. We had food stamps and lived in section eight housing. My parents were young and did not know how to raise three kids. They always made sure we felt special and important. They taught us to work hard for what we wanted. My parents used their mistakes to show us how to navigate the world and set us up for success. When I look back, I see how hard my parents worked. We never felt poor. I did plenty of activities, like T-ball, tang soo do, choir, and dance. Some were also paid for by the city or our school. I hope to be as generous and supportive to others. I will be getting gender reassignment surgery this coming spring. This has been my goal for a long time and am old enough to now. I worked part time jobs since my sophomore year of high school to be able to save up. I worked after school between choir performances and GSA meetings. I am proud of myself for coming this far and being able to take this step closer to being able to live as me. I am following the path my parents made. I took their lessons on hard work and determination to get where I am. I know they are both proud of the man I have become and I hope to keep making them proud. These experiences played a tremendous role in forming who I am and molding my values. Making me hardworking, independent, humble, and passionate about everything I do. I use these tools to help people. Some of the kindest, most successful and influential people come out of the worst situations and places.

Being a LGBT+ youth is rough. For me, growing up a straight girl only to find out later you were never a girl at all, and don’t like just boys, was difficult to adjust to. Everyone needs therapy, everyone has trauma they have experienced in their life, especially those within the LGBT+ community. I was diagnosed with PTSD and gender dysphoria at age seventeen. I developed post traumatic stress disorder from domestic abuse that occurred in my childhood. I needed someone to talk to. Someone to make me feel like I was not some freak. My dream is to become a child therapist and psychologist, to be the person I needed in my life. We are told being different is good, it should be celebrated. People still face adversity for this and are persecuted for no reason. People who are different feel alone and lesser than just for being themselves. Children are disowned from the people who are supposed to love them unconditionally and they are supposed to trust with all their hearts. I want to be able to help these children, be a guide for them and help them navigate this turbulent time and come out the other side happy and at peace with themselves. As for now though, I just do what I can. I am peoples shoulder to cry on, the one person they can always turn to. In truth, I have been a therapist for a long time. Going to college will just make it more official. I feel it is my life's mission to help people. It is what brings me joy and feel like I am really making a difference. Everyone deserves to have someone to talk to, especially those at higher risks of suicide and mental illness, like those within the LGBT+ community.

Everyone needs therapy, everyone has trauma they have experienced in their life. I was diagnosed with PTSD and gender dysphoria at age 17, I developed a case of post traumatic stress disorder from a case of domestic abuse that occurred in my childhood, and my family for a very long time did not accept me. My goal is to make sure the next generation has a better chance at success than this one, that they get to heal their trauma instead of just ignoring it and not addressing it and/or getting more added on. To meet this goal I want to become a child therapist and psychologist. I feel it is my life's mission to help people. I want to be the person I needed growing up. Someone to talk to, someone I could trust and depend on. On top of being a traumatized youth, adolescence is a very difficult time in life. Many children feel ignored and undervalued by their family and peers, they feel they have nowhere to go and no one to turn to. I want to be that person for them. One person believing in you can make so much of a difference. Children are the future, but are often overlooked. For example, during the pandemic when there were capacity limits in buildings, people would be coming into stores with these limits without counting kids as their own person, the parent and child would be counted as one, leaving stores over their limits. Many children in public schools report high stress levels and many restless nights because of stress or jobs or schoolwork. This is all brushed aside though because they are seen as young and unappreciative.

Being transgender in my schools junior ROTC program was tough. Before I moved to Tyler Texas from Des Moines Iowa I was a sergeant first class and platoon sergeant in my school's army ROTC program. During my time there I did community service and was given an award for outstanding leadership. I also was on my school's armed drill team. ROTC taught me many vital skills such as leadership, how to work as a team, about our country's government and military, as well as things like first aid. With all of these amazing opportunities though, came its own drawbacks. Many people did not respect me and saw me as weaker then and less deserving of their respect in the program upon meeting. As we got to know each other though we all realized we were more alike then we were different. They learned that I was a person, not some stereotype that they built up in their minds. I learned that there was more to them then just being devoted to serving America and being strong. We all learned to respect one another and not to judge someone based solely off of assumptions you have already in your mind before even meeting them.

The wisest thing I have ever heard was by my best friend and partner. I was having a mental breakdown over something or another, when they asked me " You know you are still allowed to be here even if you are not actively helping something, right?". She reminded me that my self worth should not be based on what I can do for others. I am allowed to just occupy space, I am allowed to just be. I feel like a lot of people forget that. You do not have to be doing something fantastical to deserve to exist. You are allowed to relax, to just breathe.

Being different is always said to be a good thing, we are told it should be celebrated. The truth is though, a lot of people still face adversity for their differences and are persecuted before they even get to say hello. People who do not live up to society's expectations are made to feel alone and lesser than just for being themselves. People are disowned from the "families" who are supposed to love them unconditionally and they are supposed to trust with all their hearts. As a part of the LGBTQIA+ community, there are a lot of people who need to be supported by their fellow members. I just recently moved states because my mother wanted to be closer to her family, in that process I was taken away from the queer community in Iowa and given to the community in Texas. Right off the bat I saw just how different things were here in terms of acceptance and tolerance. People are still bullied here if anyone even thinks they might be gay. There have been many of times I have had to stand up for the queer kids here and tell the non-accepting people to go away and mind their own business. It reminded me that while things are a lot better overall when it comes to acceptance, we still have a very long way to go until it is truly normalized.

Generosity to me means to be a good person not because you ever expect something in return, not even in the afterlife, but because you know it is the right thing to do. You give a part of yourself to someone else, whether that be buying a friend a drink while you are out together, or giving a homeless man a loaf of bread so he does not go hungry. To truly be generous is to be able to truly empathize with someone and know that you would want someone to do the same for you if you were in that persons position. You give out of the goodness and kindness of your heart, not because you know someone else is watching or that you will be rewarded in one way or another down the line. That is true generosity.

My name is Liam Alexander Davis and I think I would be a good addition to your student body because I am passionate, determined, and hardworking. My biggest goal in life is to become a child therapist and psychologist so I can help the many kids that need to be told that they are okay and that things will get better. So many kids go their whole lives thinking they are freaks, not good enough, or are just in difficult situations at home or school. There are even some kids that seemingly have a perfect life, but still struggle with stress or mental illness. I want to be there for them and help guide them on the right path. I want to be the person I always needed growing up. When I was young we did not have much money. While my mother and father were together we lived off of food stamps and lived in section eight housing. My parents were young and dumb and did not know how to raise three kids on their own. Though they always made sure to make us feel special and important. They taught us to always work hard for what we wanted. Both of my parents took the mistakes they made in life and used them to show us how to navigate the world and set us up for success the best they could. I never felt like I was poor growing up. I did plenty of activities like T-ball, tang soo do, choir, and dance because the city paid for it, or it was heavily discounted by the school because my siblings and I also got free lunches. When I look back on my childhood, I see just how hard my parents worked to get me and my siblings where we are now. I can only hope to be as generous and supportive as they have been in my life to those around me. I also will be paying for my own gender reassignment surgery this coming spring. This has been a goal of mine for a very long time and now I will be old enough to finally do it. I started working part time jobs my sophomore year of high school to be able to save up and pay for top surgery. I worked after school between my choir performances and GSA meetings. I am so proud of myself for coming this far in my transition and being able to take another step closer to being able to live as me. I believe that I am following the path laid out for me by my parents to be able to do so. I took their lessons on hard, honest work and used them to get where I am now. I know for a fact that they are both incredibly proud of the man I have become and I can only hope to keep making them proud.

I would be a good recipient for this scholarship[ because I am passionate, determined, and hardworking. My biggest goal in life is to become a child therapist and psychologist so I can help the many kids that need to be told that they are okay and that things will get better. So many kids go their whole lives thinking they are freaks, not good enough, or are just in difficult situations at home or school. There are even some kids that seemingly have a perfect life, but still struggle with stress or mental illness. I want to be there for them and help guide them on the right path. I want to be the person I always needed growing up. When I was young we did not have much money. While my mother and father were together we lived off of food stamps and lived in section eight housing. My parents were young and dumb and did not know how to raise three kids on their own. Though they always made sure to make us feel special and important. They taught us to always work hard for what we wanted. Both of my parents took the mistakes they made in life and used them to show us how to navigate the world and set us up for success the best they could. I never felt like I was poor growing up. I did plenty of activities like T-ball, tang soo do, choir, and dance because the city paid for it, or it was heavily discounted by the school because my siblings and I also got free lunches. When I look back on my childhood, I see just how hard my parents worked to get me and my siblings where we are now. I can only hope to be as generous and supportive as they have been in my life to those around me. I also will be paying for my own gender reassignment surgery this coming spring. This has been a goal of mine for a very long time and now I will be old enough to finally do it. I started working part time jobs my sophomore year of high school to be able to save up and pay for top surgery. I worked after school between my choir performances and GSA meetings. I am so proud of myself for coming this far in my transition and being able to take another step closer to being able to live as me. I believe that I am following the path laid out for me by my parents to be able to do so. I took their lessons on hard, honest work and used them to get where I am now. I know for a fact that they are both incredibly proud of the man I have become and I can only hope to keep making them proud.

My goal is to make sure the next generation has a better chance at success than this one. They should get to heal their trauma instead of just ignoring it and not addressing it and/or getting more added on. Speaking from experience, it is always best to talk to a professional when you are having a rough time and try and find ways to cope instead of trying to navigate it all on your own. To meet this goal I want to become a child therapist and psychologist. I feel it is my life's mission to help people. I want to be the person I needed growing up. Someone to talk to, someone I could trust and depend on. When I was younger, there was an incident with my father's at the time girlfriend. She had tried to take control of the car one night after arguing with her sister over directions. She made us all get out of the car on the middle of the freeway because she was trying to drive drunk. We ended up walking on the side of the road for a while before my dad came and picked us up. She ended up getting in a hit and run that night and hiding from the police. She could have easily killed all of us that night with her reckless behavior. On top of being a child therapist and psychologist, once I get settled into my own independent practice I also plan to start fostering teens. Many of the kids in the system are being mistreated, whether it be from social workers to foster families and group homes. There are a good portion of these kids as well that suffer from trauma related to alcohol and drunk driving. Many children are not having their needs adequately met. If I can give one child in need a place to stay where they are well fed, bathed, and safe for a night, I would be more than happy to do so, and a career in child developmental psychology would surely aid me in assisting them and finding the best way possible to help that child become a successful adult who is not longer haunted by their past. In addition to being a traumatized youth, adolescence is a very difficult time in life. Many children feel ignored and undervalued by their family and peers, they feel they have nowhere to go and no one to turn to. I want to be that person for them. One person believing in you can make so much of a difference.

Happiness is all around you. It can be found in the smallest things, such as the gentle breeze on a warm day. Your friend getting you an ice cream cone could be another. It is not always about the big grand gestures in life, but the little pleasures that make live worth living. You have to remember to slow down and really appreciate life and all it has to offer you. There are many things that make me happy. Things like getting new clothes or hearing that my friend got a new job or partner. The thing that makes me the happiest of all though is getting to make other people simile. Seeing another person smile is one of the best feelings in the world, and to know you are the reason behind it, even more incredible. Part of my mission in life is to help people get through the tribulations of life and come out the other side still ale to smile and remember those little pleasures. If they have forgotten then I will simply be there to remind them. Seeing other people happy is my biggest source of happiness, and I hope to be able to share that happiness with the world.

Everyone needs therapy, everyone has trauma they have experienced in their life. I was diagnosed with PTSD and gender dysphoria at age 17. I developed a case of post traumatic stress disorder from a case of domestic abuse that occurred in my childhood. My goal is to make sure the next generation has a better chance at success than this one, that they get to heal their trauma instead of just ignoring it and not addressing it and/or getting more added on. To meet this goal I want to become a child therapist and psychologist. I feel it is my life's mission to help people. I want to be the person I needed growing up. Someone to talk to, someone I could trust and depend on. On top of being a traumatized youth, adolescence is a very difficult time in life. Many children feel ignored and undervalued by their family and peers, they feel they have nowhere to go and no one to turn to. I want to be that person for them. One person believing in you can make so much of a difference. On top of being a child therapist and psychologist, once I get settled into my own independent practice I also plan to start fostering teens. Many of the kids in the system are being mistreated, whether it be from social workers to foster families and group homes. Many children are not having their needs adequately met. If I can give one child in need a place to stay where they are well fed, bathed, and safe for a night, I would be more than happy to do so, and a career in child developmental psychology would surely aid me in assisting them and finding the best way possible to help that child become a successful adult who is not longer haunted by their past. Children are the future, but are often overlooked. For example, during the pandemic when there were capacity limits in buildings, people would be coming into stores with these limits without counting kids as their own person, the parent and child would be counted as one, leaving stores over their limits. Many children in public schools report high stress levels and many restless nights because of stress or jobs or schoolwork. This is all brushed aside though because they are seen as young and unappreciative. I want to show them that they do have value and that someone does care about them. Before being diagnosed with my mental illness, I saw myself as pathetic and worthless for my symptoms. I would constantly punish myself for not being happy. I hated everything. My life, my family, and myself. Mental health discussions are just now starting to become socially acceptable in America. While we have come leaps and bounds from where we were, there is still much work that needs to be done. Many children are out there feeling just as I did. There are kids at home and in the foster system being mistreated and actively being traumatized. I wan to be able to show them that the world does not have to be so cynical and dark. I want to be one of the people to breathe life back into those around me, I want to make a difference and really help people.

A change I want to make in my life is to get started on my journey to medically transition from female to male. I am a female to male transgender man who has been on hormone replacement therapy for almost two years now and have been waiting to start the process for top surgery. This scholarship could help me because since I have been saving for this major surgery, I have not been able to save as much money for college. To be able to get more scholarships and have the amount of student loans I have to take out would be a big help. This has been a goal of mine for a very long time and now I will be old enough to finally do it. I started working part time jobs my sophomore year of high school to be able to save up and pay for top surgery. I worked after school between my choir performances and GSA meetings. I am so proud of myself for coming this far in my transition and being able to take another step closer to being able to live as me. Another step I have taken towards this goal is looking into top surgeons in my area and finally setting up an appointment for a consultation. A value I hold very dear to me is to always put kindness out into the world. I would rather be the good part of someones bad day then the bad part of their good day. After getting surgery I plan on donating all of my old binders so they can be given to trans kids who either not have the money to pay full price for a binder, or are in a situation where they are not in an accepting environment so they cannot spend a lot of money without it looking suspicious. I also will educate other people on the process of getting hormones and different kinds of surgery, with anecdotes on my experience. I have waited many years for this opportunity and I do not plan on sitting by and letting it pass me by. I am finally ready to take this next big step in my life. I have done so much preparation for this day and it is finally happening. I will be one big step closer to living in the body I was always meant to have, to being at peace with myself and able to genuinely love what I see in the mirror. This scholarship would take a lot of pressure off of the collage financial struggle I will have because of this big decision. With this I will also be in the position to really help someone in need like I was just a few year ago.

You could be fired for talking about mental health at work. Mental health has been a very taboo subject for decades in America. You are considered attention seeking and weak for not always putting on a happy face for those around you. Before I was officially diagnosed with gender dysphoria and post traumatic stress disorder at 17 years old that was how I viewed myself. These bouts of anxiety, depression, and heavy disassociation defined my teenage years and taught me how precious your mental health really is. My mother has been married and divorced three times now and during her second marriage there was a lot of domestic abuse. While having never directly seen this man lay hands on my mother, I had heard and seen the aftermath enough times to get the picture. I learned very early on that the world is a dangerous place and that just because you should be able o trust someone does not always mean you can. Just because someone should have your love and respect does not mean that they will earn those things by any means. I became very cynical and depressed during this time and pulled away from my family. At school I would put on this happy little firecracker act so no one would ever guess what was going on at home. For years it worked. I became a master at hiding my emotions from others. At school I would solve everyone else's problems for them. I was the go to person to resolve all of the petty childhood drama. I would use it to distract myself. Funny enough that is where I found I had a talent for listening to other people's problems and working with them to try and work around it or come up with solutions, which later led me to want to become a therapist. While coming from a much more healthy place now then it was back then, that is what started it all. It made me realize how much I enjoy helping others. I do not want anyone feeling the way I did back then, if I can help talk one person off the edge, that makes everything worth it. Before being diagnosed with my mental illness, and even sometimes now in my low moments, I see myself as pathetic and worthless for my symptoms. I would constantly punish myself for not being happy. I hated everything. My life, my family, and myself. Mental health discussions are just now starting to become socially acceptable in America. While we have come leaps and bounds from where we were, there is still much work that needs to be done. The world does not have to be so cynical and dark. I want to be one of the people to breathe life back into those around me, I want to make a difference and really help people.

Everyone needs therapy, everyone has trauma they have experienced in their life. I was diagnosed with PTSD and gender dysphoria at age 17. I developed a case of post traumatic stress disorder from a case of domestic abuse that occurred in my childhood. my goal is to make sure the next generation has a better chance at success then this one, that they get to heal their trauma instead of just ignoring it and not addressing it and/or getting more added on. To meet this goal I want to become a child therapist and psychologist. I feel it is my life's mission to help people. I want to be the person I needed growing up. Someone to talk to, someone I could trust and depend on. On top of being a traumatized youth, adolescence is a very difficult time in life. Many children feel ignored and undervalued by their family and peers, they feel they have nowhere to go and no one to turn to. I want to be that person for them. One person believing in you can make so much of a difference. On top of being a child therapist and psychologist, once I get settled into my own independent practice I also plan to start fostering teens. Many of the kids in the system are being mistreated, whether it be from social workers to foster families and group homes. Many children are not having their needs adequately met. If I can give one child in need a place to stay where they are well fed, bathed, and safe for a night, I would be more than happy to do so. A career in child developmental psychology would surely aid me in assisting them and finding the best way possible to help that child become a successful adult who is not longer haunted by their past.

Everyone needs therapy. That is just a fact of our world that many often times overlook. Everyone has trauma in different degrees, there is not a single person on this earth that has never experienced a traumatic event. Whether it be a family member dying, getting into a car crash, or being sent off to war. Many people will brush of their traumas because they "aren't bad enough" and "other people have it worse". While it is true some people experience very severe trauma, while others experience less, it does not make what someone is feeling or the things they have gone through any less important and worthy of respect and empathy. Everyone needs someone to talk to, everyone deserves a space where they can be themselves and be allowed to worry and doubt and show "weakness". Therapy can be that place for a lot of people. It can be made more readily available and affordable to those who otherwise would not me able to access it. Especially since the rates of mental illness are only going up. We want to make sure the next generation has a better chance at success then this one, that they get to heal their trauma instead of just ignoring it and not addressing it and/or getting more added on to it. Everyone deserves to be able to go talk to a professional when they are feeling depressed or anxious or even suicidal. It should be made more affordable and available to those who really need it.