The impact I hope to leave on the world is to cause everyone human being to see the good inside of them. We are living in times that are so difficult, so devastating and at times lacking hope. Each day I hope to make each person I see smile. Even it is simply because I first smiled at them, or if it's because of an unexpected "pay it forward" moment, or because of a special moment spent together. People who are able to smile are capable of realizing the good within them. The more people who realize their own good, can then help reach more people to follow. I am passionate about people, and I am pursuing a career in mental health counseling. I truly believe that nothing can change until we make changes within ourselves. I want my clients to see the warmth in my smile, to feel heard, seen and cared about. I want people who know me to think back and remember the way I make them feel and encourage them to do the same. The world deserves us, we were made to do great things.

I come from a family who has encouraged me to discover myself. They have allowed me to make mistakes and instead of berating me for them, they have come alongside me to help me see the lesson and improve myself. I value this more than anything. I learned that mistakes happen, and the valuable lessons in them are needed to make me a better version of myself. I could not do this without their support and unconditional love. My family provided foster care for many years. It was during this time that I discovered my passion. I saw the children that became part of our family as valuable. These children were thrust into situations that were not asked for. They did not get to choose the family into which they were born. Not only did they not get to choose, but they were not a mere collection of symptoms. Some of these children developed behaviors that did not serve them well. They were stigmatized and treated poorly for the behaviors which they developed as coping skills to allow them to get through situations that were unfair, and traumatic. I believe we are not a collection of symptoms, but these symptoms mere point us to a core issue than can be healed. I consider myself privileged. No, that does not mean life has been a piece of cake, but it merely means I have not experienced the same hardships as another person. I am responsible to steward that privilege well in serving others. The use of substances too many times is seen as weak. It is too often judged and causes people to be more traumatized due to others' lack of education and understanding. Drug abuse, alcohol abuse and self-mutilation are symptoms of an underlying issue. These alternative methods of dealing with an issue that is too big for any human mind to process while still having to live life eventually become the bigger focus. Of course, we would be right in thinking these are bad for a person, but we can't miss the fact that they serve a person. Just like trauma doesn't define a person, neither does substance abuse. I am passionate about helping people discover themselves, the person they were born to be. I am pursuing a career in social work to become a licensed therapist. I consider it a privilege to walk alongside a person in their journey for freedom. To help them discover that they can lay down those maladaptive means of simply coping and help them to embrace life. The strategies they found that served them can be unlearned and I will hold their hope until they are ready to see they are worthy and find their hope. I hold each child that became a part of our family deeply in my heart. I cheerlead them and will be humbled by their bravery, perseverance and resilience forever. I look forward to meeting and sharing others personal journeys. There is no greater privilege that I can think of than to help others realize their potential, worth, and value.

I come from a family which encourages me to find and develop myself. My parents have always let me make my own mistakes and instead of being disappointed in me, come alongside me and helped me learn from them. My family has done foster care and it was during this time that I realized my passion in life. I saw my own privilege. I have a responsibility to use any privilege I have to help others level the playing field. Children are vulnerable and do not get to choose the family into which they are born. Often times these children are made to feel, because children think egocentrically, that bad decisions and choices made by their parents are their fault. I am pursuing a career in psychology to become a mental health counselor. I am passionate about helping children overcome the trauma they were born into. Trauma does not define them, but is an unfortunate part of their story, however they can overcome this. I consider it a privilege to walk alongside these individual and help them realize who they were born to be. Individuals who struggle with mental illness are often stigmatized, treated poorly and shunned. I have seen that often mental struggles are the result of unwarranted, unasked for abuse that was thrust upon them. Behaviors which may look maladjusted were mere coping skills learned by them to protect them. At some point these behaviors became problematic, but with love and compassion, they are able to be unlearned and new healthy behaviors can be learned to replace them. We are never a set of symptoms, but the symptoms can be an indicator of the underlying problem. Upon graduating with a degree in psychology, I intend to enter graduate school to become a licensed clinical professional counselor. I want to use my passion, understanding and loving kindness to hold hope for those who are unable to see the hope. I will hold hope for them until they are able to have hope in themselves. I teach martial arts to children and each child is different. Some possess an athletic ability more than others, but the wonderful thing about martial arts, is that it is a journey you take individually, much different than team sports. It builds confidence and offers a physical outlet for processing strong emotions. As I watch these children from all different walks in life, I am often struck by the amazement in discovering that they can master a skill they once didn't believe they could do. They do not have to compete with each other, their journey is owned by them. I have watched them gain confidence in themselves and begin to come out of their shill. I look forward to the privilege of walking on the journey with them to discover they are not who they might have believed themselves to be. Teaching these children has helped me in so many ways. I have a patience and understanding for my friends and peers at school. I am able to see things in people that they might not yet see in themselves.

My name is Madison, Maddie for short. I am just an average teenage student. Let me share a few things about myself. I have been training in Tang Soo Do for 12 years! I have achieved the rank of second degree black belt, and am currently in the testing phase of earning my third degree! I also teach karate at my dojang three days per week. I participate in marching band, and was given the privilege of being drum major this past season. Along with my mom, I am a small group leader for preschool age children at our church. I am a huddle leader for the fellowship of Christian Athletes, which meets each Tuesday morning before school. I love hanging out with my friends, I would say I am the type of person who has a few very close friends rather than a person with a lot of acquaintances. I plan to help people grow into better, healthier versions of themselves. I plan to obtain a counseling degree and work with children who have suffered trauma in their early years. Serving my community is my number one goal. I plan to attend Eastern University, majoring in psychology. Using credits from my high school advanced placement (AP) courses, as well as some extra classes over the summer, I will be able to complete my undergrad in three years. Completing my degree in three years will not only save me money, but will allow me to enter into the workforce sooner and therefore make a difference. I have always found joy in talking with other people and helping them find solutions to their problems. Growing up, my family was licensed in our county to provide respite care through the foster and adoptive care system. Children would temporarily join our family for short term respite care. This offered me an opportunity to meet many children from different cultures and backgrounds. It was during this time that I felt a special calling to sit with children who have experienced trauma and walk alongside them during their journey to recovery. Each of them held a special place in my heart. They each have their own story, which often includes trauma. Trauma affects their ability to focus, learn, and socialize with others in a healthy way. These effects are life altering and usually deprive the child of a normal life. I desire to assist these children in their journey to overcome their trauma and hurtful backgrounds enabling better opportunities for them in their future. Upon completing my undergraduate degree at Eastern University, I plan to immediately enroll in a graduate program for counseling. Once completed, I will begin the licensure process to become a fully licensed clinical professional counselor (LCPC) in the state of Maryland. Part of the licensing process will be to work as a therapist with direct supervision during the initial part of my career. I look forward to being mentored by wonderful and experienced counselors who have wisdom and guidance that will be invaluable to me. It will allow me to begin working with children and help start their process toward recovery. I hold it a privilege and humbling to walk alongside them and witness this process unfold. As I was reading the book "The girl who drank the moon" to a foster sibling, I was struck by how abstract concepts could be made tangible in order process hard things. Story telling is powerful and healing. Not only did a children's book capture the attention of a small child, but it allowed me to understand a bigger part of their journey.

My name is Madison, Maddie for short. I am just an average teenage student. Let me share a few things about myself. I have been training in Tang Soo Do for 12 years! I have achieved the rank of second-degree black belt and am currently in the testing phase of earning my third degree! I also teach karate at my dojang three days per week. I participate in marching band and was given the privilege of being drum major this past season. Along with my mom, I am a small group leader for preschool age children at our church. I am a huddle leader for the fellowship of Christian Athletes, which meets each Tuesday morning before school. I love hanging out with my friends, I would say I am the type of person who has a few very close friends rather than a person with a lot of acquaintances. In my future, I plan to help people grow into better, healthier versions of themselves. I plan to obtain a counseling degree and work with children who have suffered trauma in their early years. Serving my community is my number one goal. In the fall of 2022, I plan to attend Eastern University, majoring in psychology. Using credits from my high school advanced placement (AP) courses, as well as some extra classes over the summer, I will be able to complete my undergrad in three years. Completing my degree in three years will not only save me money but will allow me to enter into the workforce sooner and therefore make a difference. I have always found joy in talking with other people and helping them find solutions to their problems. Growing up, my family was licensed in our county to provide respite care through the foster and adoptive care system. Children would temporarily join our family for short term respite care. This offered me an opportunity to meet many children from different cultures and backgrounds. It was during this time that I felt a special calling to sit with children who have experienced trauma and walk alongside them during their journey to recovery. Each of them held a special place in my heart. They each have their own story, which often includes trauma. Trauma affects their ability to focus, learn, and socialize with others in a healthy way. These effects are life altering and usually deprive the child of a normal life. I desire to assist these children in their journey to overcome their trauma and hurtful backgrounds enabling better opportunities for them in their future. Upon completing my undergraduate degree at Eastern University, I plan to immediately enroll in a graduate program for counseling. Once completed, I will begin the licensure process to become a fully licensed clinical professional counselor (LCPC) in the state of Maryland. Part of the licensing process will be to work as a therapist with direct supervision during the initial part of my career. I look forward to being mentored by wonderful and experienced counselors who have wisdom and guidance that will be invaluable to me. It will allow me to begin working with children and help start their process toward recovery. I hold it a privilege and humbling to walk alongside them and witness this process unfold.