In my life I value trust, honesty, and self reflection. I believe that it is important to be someone who trusts others and can be trusted, who is honest to others and to yourself, and who reflects consistently so that way you can improve consistently. It makes sense that I believe this considering I want to pursue a career as a psychologist. In order to have a good relationship with your client, or in general, they have to be able to trust you. Obviously there are laws against you sharing their information in most cases however, your client has to also feel able to tell you whatever knowing that they will be met with support rather than judgment or criticism. I also value honesty. I do not criticize others but I also do not feed into their delusions or speak words to others that they want to hear but aren't necessarily true. I am a kind person and I think it is mean to lie, no matter the reason. Some cases call for elusivity however, I will always be honest because I believe it to be degrading to help someone fall deeper into their false thoughts; I would much rather help pull them out. This is where self reflection comes in. I believe that self reflection is necessary for personal growth. Whether it be through journaling or speaking out loud, you have to learn more about yourself to become a better version of yourself. These values, specifically self reflection, have also drawn me to the field of mental health because sometimes people need additional help to understand what is wrong and sometimes it is not their fault. Sometimes it can be hard to see the faults in your mindset when it is only that mind doing the work and sometimes people just need additional help combatting external forces making their lives difficult. I want to become a psychologist because I want to help others help themselves. It is not good to be attached to another person to the point where you cannot function without them, therefore I want to be the stepping stone in my future client's lives that leads them to the best versions of themselves instead of the end point. I want to help my clients see there is more out there, and I know that being trustworthy, honest, and consistently reflecting on myself will help me be the successful psychologist they need.

If everyone in the world read just one book, it would HAVE to be "The Kitchen Front" by Jennifer Ryan. I read this book in July 2023 and still think about it. I gave it 5 stars on Goodreads and the review "I loved this book to my very core. I was crying for at least the last 100 pages. One of the best books I have ever read <3," and looking back, that doesn't even begin describing my appreciation for this book. The story takes place in Britain during the Second World War and focuses on the individual yet intertwining lives of 3 women. They are each searching for something and each intend to find it through a cooking competition where the winner will be the newest hostess on the radio broadcast called "The Kitchen Front." Only one woman can win and only one does, yet each women comes out victorious. This book promotes a sense of community and family, the overlooked strength of women, and the idea that hard work, perseverance, and goodness will be repaid. This is truly a beautiful narrative that left me feeling so overwhelming happy for the characters and gave me a sense of peace in knowing that we all face our own battles but it is possible to overcome them even if you do not immediately know how. The individuality of each characters' struggle was also such a valuable component of this book. Each character is fighting a battle and they think they need to fight each other to save themselves but this story shows that one person's gain is not everyone else's loss. Each character felt down and alone and if they had isolated themselves from their "competitors," no matter who won the competition, they would have been in the same spot as before. I truly appreciate the contrast between the title of "competitor" and the truth of family in this narrative as well as the deliberate showcasing of competition compared to the subliminal rivalry that occurs in life. Out in the world, especially for women attempting to step out of their "role" in any way whatsoever, there are those in your way or those who aren't interested in what you want. This novel shows the readers that doesn't have to be reality, that just because someone is your "competitor" doesn't mean they are your enemy. Everyone will benefit from knowing that.

If I had to describe myself though, I would say I am a Catholic, the eldest daughter in a Mexican American household, and a creative book lover with too much empathy for her own good. These are all aspects that deeply influence who I am and who I intend to be. First and foremost, I believe my faith defines me. I believe God created me and I hope to give the way he gave for us. My community service journey truly began through church. I volunteer to help with different events we host and even began assistant teaching in 2019. Last year, the 2022-2023 school year, I even began teaching my own class and intend to do this for as long as I am able! My service journey began long before this though, just on a more personal level. In a Mexican household, the eldest daughter tends to adopt the role of a secondary caregiver; it is very important that she be a role model and supporter for the other children. This was true and amplified as not only was I the eldest daughter, I was the eldest of my generation, the first of 10 to come. It can be difficult to be expected to be the perfect role model as a child barely older than her cousins she needs to be modeling for and that caused me to be a bit of a perfectionist, but it also caused me to have the spirit of giving embedded deep into my core. Creativity and books are also a big part of my life. When I take away school and work and everyone else, I enjoy putting pen or color to paper or enjoying what someone else has created. I also love music and visual media. Something else about me, when I love something, I am all in. Just like how I began teaching at my church because I loved it, I also published some poems in a book called "Had I Known Before" by Unfolded Poetry Project (available on amazon), joined a few award-winning musicals at my high school such as "In The Heights" by Lin Manuel Miranda where I played “Vanessa,” and I even sing “The National Anthem” at some events occasionally. I plan to take all my passion, creativity and longing to serve and put it into my career. I want to become a psychologist, focusing on adolescents, because I want to help youth like myself become the best versions of themself. I am also fascinated by the complexities of the human mind, personality, and how biology and experiences fuse together to create a person who is just trying to find happiness on this earth. I work hard to create a future where I can do what I feel like I was put on this earth to do and I would be extremely grateful if you could alleviate some of the financial burden that accompanies that! Thank you for considering my application!

As an older sister, I have been a giving person pretty much my whole life. I am nowhere near perfect, but I do my best and my efforts have been noticed by others, granting me the role as the "mom" in most of my friend groups as well as President of my high school's NHS Chapter. It is not always fun to give back but I do it, because I believe that God made us to love and help our neighbors, our peers. This is why I teach CCD at my church. I am a firm believer in God and Catholicism and I want to help children who share my faith learn more about it. It is not always enjoyable to wake up early on a weekend to teach a lively class of 20 kids, but I know that God gave me the ability to teach so I should. My students deserve to be educated and receive their sacraments, so I push through whatever discomfort I may feel to help them. Sometimes it is not just tiredness causing me discomfort, but anxiety. I am an incredibly anxious person, and a lot of times during the school year, I find myself extremely worried over countless topics. I know how awful this feeling is, so I make sure not to spread my worries onto those I am around. It is usually when I am the most anxious that I receive the most compliments on my positivity. I simply cannot be the reason others suffer the way I do. Other than not wanting my worries to be extended to others, I also try to alleviate the worries and pain from those around me. If I see someone else is upset, I feel the need to reassure them and offer them my shoulder. This has led me to have a lot of one-sided friendships. I believe someone cares about me, but in reality, they are just using me as a free therapist. While I still help those who reach out to me for free, I have decided to make an actual career off of my natural instincts and God-given talents. Based on the way my life has played out thus far and the skills God has granted me, I believe psychology is the right path for me. Referring back to my mention of anxiety, I would like to share that I visit a psychologist myself. I have seen a couple and the doctor I see currently has been more helpful than I ever could have believed. I want to be the person who helps others when they are at their lowest and do not know where to go or who to turn to. I want to be the person for others which took me so long to find for myself. I might not be the most selfless person you will ever meet, but I try to do better everyday. Thank you for reviewing my application, I hope you consider me to be your winner!

The quality I value most about myself is my faith in God. I am a strong, resilient, independent, hardworking, kind, and loving person with good leadership and time management skills, and while I could write this essay on any of those traits, I am writing about my faith because I believe it is because of God that I am all of these things. I believe that God hand-crafted every person on this Earth and has a plan for each of us, and that if I actively seek him, he will help me through all of my endeavors. When I was in middle school, I did not have this mindset. I believed in God, but I also believed I was in control of everything. The Summer before my freshman year, I went to a Teen ACTS retreat at my church, and I realized how much God played a hand in my life. I didn't know it then, but this was all groundwork for the mindset I would need to have to get through the challenges waiting for me. As I've gone throughout high school, a lot has changed about me. My interests, career aspirations, and mental health are completely different at 17 than what they had been when I was 14. I entered high school as an oblivious basketball player who wanted to run their own business called "Lilly's Cakes and Smoothies" and would consider their mental health as average. When I was almost 16, that began to change. I began to dread basketball practices even though I had been the best player on my team, I realized running a business does not fit my personality as well as I thought even though I was excelling in my business and management classes, and my thoughts became dark and frantic. This was a very hard time for me. I felt alone and continuously discredited my feelings, telling myself other people had it harder and that I was over exaggerating. I didn't know what to do about basketball, I thought all my friends would leave me, and for the first time ever, I was unsure about what I wanted to do with my life. I prayed, though. I prayed and prayed for guidance, for a sign telling me what I should do. God answered my prayers. Slowly but surely, I became more confident that I was not meant to be in basketball any longer and that He would take care of me when I quit. I was reassured that it was okay to not know what I wanted to do with my life, the answer would come in time. A few months later, I had an open slot in my class schedule, so I took AP Psychology, and realized that is the field I am meant to pursue. I also welcomed God into my heart and He told me what I was feeling was valid and that it was okay to ask for help. He put people around me to help me. I am not perfect but I know that God is by my side through every obstacle, holding my hand, guiding me through. I know that no matter what comes my way, what uncertainties I face, God will help me and I will be okay. I am very grateful for God and I believe that knowing he is with me is my biggest strength.

Bravery isn't having no fear, being brave means being scared yet pursuing your goals anyway. I'm a very anxious, self-conscious person who's faced a lot of rejection, however, I've never let this stop me from pursuing my passions. I love to sing and act and I give my all to these interests. I've loved to sing for as long as I can remember, so in 4th grade, I auditioned to be in choir and didn't make it. I didn't let this discourage me or determine that I'm a "bad" singer, I just auditioned the following year and I made it. In middle school, I auditioned for every solo and did not get one. I continued working, though, and ended up being hand-selected by my directors to sing a song solo at our concert. Now, in high school, I'm in my school's most prestigious choir for the second year in-a-row and am a member of the show choir! Given my passion for singing, naturally I wanted to take part in a musical. I wasn't able to audition my freshman and sophomore year, but my junior year I did. I hadn't acted before and feared looking incompetent in front of my peers, but I knew I wanted to participate so I auditioned anyway. I ended up getting a callback for the lead and, although I didn't get it, I still received a role. Now I participate in every production my school puts on, whether it be a musical or straight-play, even though my directors recently changed the audition process to where we have to audition in front of others. Although I'm a very fearful person, I do what makes me happy. I hope you will be able to support me in my next endeavor, attending college. Thank you for reviewing my application!

For as long as I can remember, my dad has shared exciting stories about his work with my sister and I. He would tell us about his previous arrests and randomly point out areas where he's arrested someone. I know that because of him, "druggies", sex offenders, and domestic violence perpetrators are off the streets and no longer causing harm. I know that even though the world is an unsafe place, he is doing his best to make it safer. I have always admired him for this. I also admire him for his commitment, because although there has been a lot of turmoil these last few years around police officers, I am proud of my dad for continuing his passion and continuing to give back to the community. Even if he was in a different occupation, I would still say my dad is one of the most compassionate, altruistic people I know. He is always there for me and supports my mom, sister, and I throughout any of our endeavors. Seeing how much passion he has for giving back has truly inspired me to do the same. I volunteer at my church, am NHS President at my school, and knit scarves to donate in my free time, because I want to give back to my community as he does. My dad's instinct to help others has seeped so far into my own personality that my career aspirations are now based upon that trait. As someone who has struggled and continues to struggle with their mental health, I realized I needed someone to reach out to. When I finally did reach out, my dad embraced me, told me he was here for me, and helped me reach out further to a professional. Seeing how much being surrounded by caring people has helped me on the road to recovery truly made me crave to be that type of person for the people around me. Although I would not be contributing to my community in the same way that my dad does, his kindness and generosity, along with my personal experiences, have made me want to pursue a career in psychology and give back to the community by improving its members' mental health. This scholarship will help me pursue a higher education to become a psychologist by lightening the financial load the necessary education for my future occupation puts on my family and myself. Being in the top 1.5% of students at my school, I am automatically accepted into public universities in Texas. I am very grateful that college acceptance is not something I worry about, however, now I face the issue of paying the fees of whichever school I attend. Aspiring to be a psychologist, I am planning on getting a bachelor's degree, at least one master's degree, and a PhD. This will be very expensive and I don't want to go into post-grad life far into debt nor do I wish to worry my parents about how this debt will be paid off. Also, as I mentioned before, I struggle with my mental health. I am someone who gets very anxious and tends to solely prioritize school over my other social, mental, and physical needs. Although I have gotten better at balance, I would like to be able to go into college with one less worry. I know that growing up means more responsibilities and more stressors, but, as a proactive person, I am doing my best to reduce them as much as possible. Thank you for reviewing my application, I hope you can help me help others as you do!

Hi! My name is Lillian Villarreal, and I am a high school senior. I deserve to be awarded this scholarship because I am passionate about psychology, I am compassionate and giving, I am an overall committed and determined person, and I understand the importance of psychologists. You see, I love puzzles. I love seeing their different parts and how they connect to make a beautiful whole. I view people like puzzles. To me, everyone is a collection of experiences, emotions, and biological instincts that make them who they are. Humans aren't one-sided like puzzles, though. All their pieces are constantly evolving and intertwining, making them present themselves in a variety of ways. Although all people function the same way to survive, they are so incredibly diverse and that fascinates me. This fascination has made me want to pursue a career as a psychologist. It would be a dream come true to be able to go to work and be presented with various puzzle pieces which I must find a connection between to help the owner live a better life. Already, I am a person that is trusted and confided in, known as "the mom" of my friend groups. It has always been that way and I love it. I love people trusting me and seeking me out for guidance. I believe the root of this is that I am a big sister who loves feeling needed. That is why I didn't mind for the longest time when people who usually didn't talk to me every day or hang out with me outside school asked me for help. I have learned to value my time better and not call people who use me to help them with their issues "friends," but still, I would never turn anyone away if they came to me. Blessing or curse, this is who I am, and I have chosen to embrace it. Coming to the realizations that I have about what my passions and natural inclinations are, I decided that I want to be a psychologist and I am going to make it happen. I have always been a driven person who maintains their commitments. For example, I am very passionate about singing and faith. Therefore, I joined choir when I was 10 and taught classes at church since I have been able. I have not remained in these activities because I am perfect, but because I am passionate. In middle school, every solo I auditioned for but one, I did not get, however, I auditioned every time. There have also been Sundays where I do not want to get up and teach, but I made a promise to be there and would go despite my tiredness. Just because these have been lifelong passions, though, does not mean I do not treat my newer passions the same way. Theatre is a newer passion of mine. Being a very energetic singer, naturally I wanted to be in a musical. After participating in my school's production of "The Little Shop of Horrors" last year, I learned how much I enjoy acting, in addition to the singing and dancing aspects of musicals, and now I audition for every production my school performs. Psychology may be a newer one of my passions, however, it is still a passion of mine, and I will make every effort to be successful at it, such as taking classes on psychology, mental health, and counseling in high school. Other than my passion for psychology itself, I want to pursue a career in this field because I understand the importance of a good psychologist. I have first-hand experience as someone who struggles with their mental health. I am a very self-aware person who tries to figure out her own problems, however, last year I realized that I could no longer help myself, because the mind I was using to solve my issues was actually the agitator. Therefore, I decided to start seeing my school counselor. I opened my heart and mind to her the best I could and she told me that since I had all A's and was involved in extracurriculars, I must just be "exhausted". I was "functioning" so there couldn't possibly be anything wrong with me. I believed her and proceeded to spiral until I finally started seeing a psychologist a few months ago. Progress takes time and I am just at the beginning, but my psychologist has already helped me so much. I do not feel like I am crazy or over exaggerating and I have a more positive outlook on life. My psychologist has helped me so much, I want to be the psychologist that understands and makes someone's life better. As I stated earlier, I am a lady of faith. I believe that God has a plan for each of us and gives us skills and opportunities to achieve that plan. I believe that a career as a psychologist is my plan because after all the self analyses I have done these past few years, I have put some of my puzzle together and truly believe this is what I am meant to do. I want to make it clear that I don't believe in forcing my faith upon others, because I would not want others to force their faith upon me. However, I believe that God has put me on this Earth to help others and I am going to make sure that happens. I believe all these reasons are going to make me a great psychologist. I would really appreciate it if I was selected to receive this scholarship, because there is so much education I want to receive in order to make my dream come true. This schooling is not cheap either. I know that $6,000 does not cover bachelor's, master's, and PhDs, however, it would still be $6,000 that I no longer have to pay. Thank you for taking the time to read my application, I hope you truly consider me as your winner!