I was raised in a single-parent and blended family dynamic after my parents divorced shortly after I was born. Growing up between two households shaped me in ways I did not fully understand at the time. As the youngest sibling, I often felt like I had to adapt quickly, learning to read the room, manage emotions quietly, and adjust to two very different environments. While divorce is common, living it as a child carries complexities that statistics do not capture. There were seasons of instability, including exposure to domestic conflict in one household, while the other provided safety and consistency. Moving back and forth each week taught me resilience, but it also taught me hyper-independence. I became responsible, high-achieving, and outwardly composed. Inside, however, I carried anxiety and questions about belonging, security, and identity. Being raised primarily by my mother showed me what strength, sacrifice, and unconditional love look like in action. I watched her juggle responsibilities while ensuring my siblings and I felt supported. That example profoundly shaped my understanding of perseverance and compassion. At the same time, navigating a blended and divided family system gave me insight into how deeply family dynamics influence a child’s emotional development. These experiences have directly influenced my future goals. They sparked my interest in mental health, child development, and the long-term impact of early environments. I have seen how instability can either harden someone or refine them, depending on the support they receive. Because I was fortunate to have supportive adults and access to counseling, I was able to process pain in healthy ways. Not every child has that opportunity. In the future, I hope to use my talents, empathy, perseverance, communication, and academic dedication, to create safe spaces for others. Whether I ultimately work as a psychologist, counselor, advocate, or in another helping profession, my goal is the same: to support children and families navigating difficult seasons. I want to help young people develop emotional literacy, confidence, and resilience. I want to help families break cycles of conflict and create healthier patterns of communication. I also hope to contribute to broader conversations about accessible mental health care and holistic wellness. Growing up in a single-parent household showed me how financial, emotional, and social stressors intersect. I would love to be part of initiatives that make counseling, preventative education, and family resources more accessible, especially to communities that may feel overlooked. Most importantly, my upbringing has given me perspective. It taught me that someone’s story is rarely visible on the surface. The classmate who excels academically may be carrying invisible burdens. The child who acts out may be responding to instability at home. Because I lived in that tension between achievement and adversity, I approach others with less judgment and more curiosity. My experience did not define me, but it refined me. It strengthened my desire to turn hardship into service. In a future where I am fully using my gifts, I see myself walking alongside others in their most vulnerable moments, helping them find stability, voice, and hope. If I can be even a small part of someone else’s healing or growth, then the challenges of my childhood will have contributed to something meaningful.

I am currently a sophomore at Northern Arizona University pursuing a degree in Psychology with a minor in Nutritional Sciences. My path into healthcare and health science is deeply personal. It was shaped not only by academic curiosity, but by lived experience. I grew up navigating family instability and domestic violence, experiences that significantly impacted my mental and emotional health during childhood. For years, therapy was not just an appointment on my calendar, it was a lifeline. Sitting across from a compassionate clinician who helped me untangle fear, guilt, and anxiety changed the trajectory of my life. She showed me that healing is not about ignoring pain, but about understanding it. Through her guidance, I began to see how profoundly mental health care can restore hope, rebuild identity, and empower someone to move forward. Those years sparked my fascination with psychology and the science behind how we think, cope, and grow. I wanted to understand why trauma affects the brain and body the way it does. I wanted to learn how early environments shape development, resilience, and long-term health outcomes. Adding Nutritional Sciences as a minor further expanded my perspective, helping me see how physical health, brain function, and emotional well-being are deeply interconnected. Health is never just one dimension, it is biological, psychological, and social. I chose healthcare because I have experienced firsthand the difference that one steady, empathetic professional can make in a young person’s life. I plan to pursue a doctorate in Clinical Psychology and work primarily with children and adolescents, particularly those navigating trauma, family instability, and anxiety disorders. The difference I want to make is simple but meaningful: I want to be the safe place I once needed. I want children who feel invisible, afraid, or overwhelmed to know that their experiences matter and that healing is possible. I want to help families better understand one another and interrupt cycles of harm before they continue into the next generation. I also hope to advocate for increased accessibility to mental health care, especially for young people who may not otherwise have access to consistent support. Healthcare, to me, is not just a profession. It is a commitment to walking alongside people in their most vulnerable seasons and helping them rediscover strength they may not yet see in themselves. My experiences shaped my resilience, but they also shaped my calling, to turn pain into purpose and to serve others with both clinical skill and compassion.

I first want to thank the selection committee for the opportunity to share a brief summary of my testimony and the journey that has shaped my calling. I grew up in a home marked by both faith and fracture. My parents divorced shortly after I was born, and I was raised in two Christian households where I attended Sunday school, participated in youth group, earned good grades, and did everything I believed a “good Christian daughter” should do. Yet behind that image, I was navigating years of domestic violence at the hands of my father. As the youngest sibling, I often felt like an object being passed between homes, trying to adapt to two very different environments. While my mother’s house was loving and safe, my father’s home was filled with shouting, slammed doors, and fear. I learned early how to survive in high-stress environments, how to conceal anxiety, excel in school, and appear composed. Outwardly I was thriving; inwardly I felt deeply alone. Throughout those years, I attended biweekly counseling sessions. My therapist became a steady presence in a life that felt unstable. She gently challenged the belief that asking for help made me a burden. She taught me that strength and vulnerability can coexist, and that healing is not about erasing the past but understanding it. Many sessions left me emotionally raw, but she helped me recognize that even painful reflection was progress. She didn’t tell me who to become; she helped me uncover who I already was beneath fear and chronic stress. Although I knew of Jesus and faithfully prayed before meals, I struggled with feeling abandoned in my suffering. During the COVID-19 pandemic, when court closures and isolation meant I was no longer legally required to visit my father, I found permanent refuge at my mother’s home. For the first time, I felt physically safe. One evening while doing homework, I experienced what I can only describe as an overwhelming weight off my shoulders. I began to cry, flooded with memories of sitting curled up on my bed in fear. In that moment, I sensed the Lord gently say, “You were never alone.” The memory shifted. Where I once saw isolation, I now saw the presence of Christ beside me. That experience redefined my understanding of God, not as distant, but steadfast. Today, I am a sophomore at Northern Arizona University pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Psychology with minors in Business Administration and Nutritional Sciences. I plan to earn a master’s degree and ultimately a PsyD in Clinical Psychology. While my academic path is not formally rooted in Christian Studies, my calling is deeply grounded in my faith. I believe God does not cause suffering, but He refuses to waste it. The pain I endured has become the foundation of purpose. My therapist showed me what compassionate guidance looks like. Christ showed me what unwavering presence feels like. Together, those influences shaped my desire to become a child psychologist and advocate for adolescents navigating trauma, anxiety, and family instability. I want to be the steady voice in the room, the reminder that healing is possible, and the reassurance that no child is ever truly alone. Success, I have learned, is rarely linear. Mine began in chaos and uncertainty, in therapy offices and quiet prayers. It continues now in classrooms, research, and relationships rooted in growth. My story is still being written, but I no longer fear the chapters ahead. I carry with me both resilience and faith and a commitment to turn pain into purpose. This is my testimony.

My faith shapes the way I move through the world, especially in how I view the value and dignity of every human life. For me, living out my faith each day isn’t about grand gestures, it’s about the small choices to treat others with compassion, patience, and respect. I try to approach people the way Jesus teaches us to: with humility, gentleness, and a willingness to listen. This influences everything from how I speak to others, to how I show up for friends who are struggling, to how I engage with children who need extra patience and emotional support. My support for the pro-life movement comes from this same belief in the inherent worth of every person. “Pro-life,” to me, is about honoring and protecting life at every stage, before birth, throughout childhood, and into adulthood. It means advocating for environments where children feel safe, loved, and supported. It also means showing compassion to mothers, families, and anyone facing difficult decisions. My faith calls me to value all life, including the lives affected by trauma, instability, or emotional hardship. My own story has shaped this conviction. Growing up in a difficult, abusive environment taught me firsthand how deeply children can be impacted by the world around them. I know what it feels like to be scared, uncertain, or unsupported. I also know what it feels like to finally receive the help I needed. My therapist, Shirley, was one of the first people who taught me that healing is possible and that every child deserves safety, guidance, and unconditional care. She embodied the type of compassion my faith calls me to extend to others. This is why my faith has had such a strong influence on my goals and career path. I am currently majoring in Psychology at Northern Arizona University and minoring in both Business Administration and Nutritional Sciences. My plan is to continue on to a master’s program and ultimately earn a PsyD in Clinical Psychology. My calling is to become a family therapist specializing in working with children and adolescents who are experiencing trauma, instability, or emotional distress. Through my education, I hope to advocate for the protection and well-being of children at every stage of life. I want to use my training to create spaces where children feel safe enough to open up, families feel supported, and healing becomes possible. My goal is to break cycles of abuse, strengthen families, and serve as a trusted figure in the lives of the kids who need it most. I believe this work is deeply pro-life, not just in words, but in action. Protecting life includes protecting emotional, mental, and physical well-being. It includes helping children grow into adults who feel valued, understood, and loved. It includes supporting mothers and families so they never feel alone or unsupported. My faith teaches me that every person carries God-given worth, and my career path is my way of honoring that truth. I want to use the knowledge and skills I gain to enact meaningful change: to support the vulnerable, to stand up for children in unsafe environments, and to be a source of hope and healing. Living out my faith means choosing compassion daily, and I plan to build a career that reflects that calling, one that protects life, nurtures it, and helps it flourish.

If I’ve learned anything about success, it’s that it rarely looks like a straight line. For me, it began in chaos, in the small, quiet moments when I was unsure of myself, when the world felt too heavy, and when I questioned if I would ever feel safe in my own mind. I didn’t know it then, but my path toward a future in mental health started the day I walked into my therapist’s office for the first time. Shortly after I was born, my parents divorced, and my childhood quickly became divided between two very different homes. At my mother’s house, I felt safe and loved. At my father’s, I faced emotional and physical abuse that shaped how I viewed myself and the world around me. I learned how to survive in high-stress environments, how to hide my worry, and how to continue to excel in school and sports. After years of court hearings and counseling, my brother and I were no longer required to visit my dad. It was then, with the support of therapy, that I finally began to heal. My therapist, a kind and steady woman named Shirley, became a cornerstone in my life. Week by week, she helped me find language for emotions I had avoided for years, fear, guilt, sadness, grief. She taught me that strength and vulnerability can coexist, and that healing isn’t about erasing the past but learning to understand it. She never told me who to become; she simply guided me back to myself. Her compassion and guidance didn’t just help me heal, they gave me direction. Now, as a Psychology major at Northern Arizona University with double minors in Business Administration and Nutritional Sciences, I am pursuing a career in the mental health field. After completing my undergraduate degree, I plan to earn a master’s and then a PsyD in Clinical Psychology to become a family therapist. I want to work with children who are navigating trauma, instability, or anxiety, children like I once was, helping them find hope and stability through understanding and connection. The healthcare field I am drawn to is one rooted in empathy and human connection: clinical psychology. I want to focus on preventive mental health care, family systems, and emotional resilience, ensuring that children have access to the support and guidance they deserve. My experiences have shown me that mental health care is not a luxury; it is a lifeline. I want to dedicate my life to making that lifeline stronger, more accessible, and more compassionate for others. My journey has not been simple, but it has given me purpose. I’ve learned that success is not defined by perfection or ease, but by resilience, empathy, and the ability to turn pain into purpose. Shirley once helped me find light in the darkest corners of my mind and now, I hope to pass that same light on to others.

As a Psychology major at Northern Arizona University with minors in Business Administration and Nutritional Sciences, my ultimate goal is to earn a PsyD in Clinical Psychology and work as a family therapist, specializing in supporting children who need guidance. My passion for this work stems from my own experiences with adversity and healing, and from witnessing firsthand how the right kind of support can transform a child’s life. I want to help children not only manage emotional challenges but also thrive intellectually and socially, especially those who are gifted but often misunderstood or overlooked. Gifted children are sometimes seen as naturally resilient, but in reality, their heightened sensitivity, curiosity, and awareness can make them especially vulnerable to stress, perfectionism, and emotional isolation. They may grasp complex ideas far beyond their years, yet still struggle to regulate emotions, connect socially, or find balance between their intellectual strengths and emotional needs. My career goal as a therapist is to bridge that gap, to nurture both their minds and their hearts. My passion for this path began with my own healing journey. Growing up in a home affected by divorce and domestic abuse, I learned early how easily a child’s emotional needs can be dismissed or misunderstood. I spent years learning to hide my feelings while still excelling academically and socially, a dynamic that mirrors the silent struggles of many gifted children. It wasn’t until I began therapy that I truly understood how emotional well-being fuels learning and growth. My therapist not only helped me heal from trauma but also modeled the kind of empathy, patience, and understanding that I now hope to offer others. As a future family therapist, I plan to create a supportive environment where gifted children can explore both their strengths and their struggles without fear of judgment. This means encouraging emotional literacy, helping children name and understand their feelings, while also validating their need for intellectual challenge. I believe that therapy for gifted children should go beyond problem-solving; it should cultivate curiosity, self-awareness, and emotional balance. When children learn that their emotions are not obstacles to success but vital parts of who they are, they grow into more grounded, confident learners and individuals. One of my goals is to collaborate with educators, parents, and schools to develop more holistic approaches to gifted education. Too often, programs focus solely on intellectual acceleration, leaving emotional development behind. I want to advocate for the integration of mental health resources within gifted programs, through counseling, mindfulness training, and family workshops that teach emotional regulation and resilience. When caregivers and teachers understand the unique inner worlds of gifted children, they can respond with compassion instead of pressure. Additionally, my background in nutrition and business provides a foundation for addressing well-being from multiple angles. Nutrition science has shown strong connections between diet, mood, and cognitive function, factors that are especially important for developing minds. Meanwhile, my business minor equips me with leadership and organizational skills to one day open my own therapy practice or community center that provides affordable, accessible services for children and families. At its core, my career goal is about empowerment. I want to empower gifted children to embrace their abilities without losing sight of their humanity, to help them see that intellect and emotion are not opposing forces but complementary strengths. I want to guide families toward understanding that giftedness does not mean perfection, and that even the brightest minds need support, compassion, and space to simply be children. The world needs more emotionally attuned thinkers and creative problem solvers, people who can lead with both intellect and empathy. By supporting the social-emotional well-being of gifted children, I hope to help cultivate a generation of individuals who are not only intelligent but also resilient, compassionate, and connected. My journey has taught me that healing and growth are deeply intertwined. Just as my therapist helped me find strength in vulnerability, I want to help gifted children find balance between their brilliance and their emotional worlds. I believe that by nurturing both, we can help them reach their fullest potential, intellectually, emotionally, and beyond.