Mental health is a sore spot in my life. This topic did not come up in any discussions in my household until I became an older teenager. I was around sixteen going on seventeen when my family life changed. There isn't a day that goes by when I don’t think of how I could do something better than yesterday to make a difference. All the same, some obstacles will stand in my path until the end of my days. My family was always loving and supportive of one another. We showed up at each other events, praised each other for achievements, and overall were uplifting to one another. However, not everything can be joy-filled. During middle school is when I began to feel tension at home. There was something amiss, but as an adolescent, I ignored it. And as the years went by those feelings were left unchecked, just beneath the surface. Fast-forward to high school. Freshman year started a little rocky as it was new to my life, which was understandable. But it began to go downhill halfway through my sophomore year. Our parents started having arguments more frequently. Finally, the family met its breaking point. My siblings and I were all in a cloud of sadness. As the oldest, it was suffocating having to stand as a pillar for my younger siblings. They saw me as their rock, the only stable thing in our hectic home life. After the divorce, both of my parents remarried, and it seemed as if everything would start to be better. But of course, there were multiple falls on the journey to get to where I am. My sister’s mental health declined after we moved in with my mom and her new husband. We think of ourselves as twins, only sixteen months apart. I often call her my twin flame. We even jokingly say we are co-dependent on each other. So it was heartbreaking to find out that she was suffering. More so now that I am in college and she is still in high school. I am in college, but often I catch myself just staring into space. Spiraling with sad thoughts that I am alone. Such thoughts make me want to seek therapy just to have someone to talk to. I'm not one to talk about my feelings as I think it makes me look weak. But I can’t get these thoughts out of my head. I know it isn’t healthy, so I decided to attend some mental health group meetings and go to my university’s counseling center. Mental Health has always been a part of my life and always will be. Whether it be me personally, my family, or in society. I strive to keep myself happy and at peace. I also want to be an example to my younger siblings that it’s okay to struggle. It's alright to ask for help. But most of all, you need to take care of yourself.

Hello, my name is Madison Stovall. In the fall of 2022, I became a freshman at THEE Alabama State University. I intend to continue my education to gain my bachelor’s degree, as well as my master’s degree or my Ph.D., depending on future circumstances. I plan to pursue my dream of becoming a pharmacist no matter what. Growing up, I was introduced to science early on as my aunt was a science teacher. She would let me and my sibling tag along in her science camps and do activities and experiments. From that day forward, I was enamored. I was just a curious child entering the world of science. Which has progressed so much in just the 18 years I have been alive. Moving on to my middle and high school years, I continued my interest in science. I took many courses ranging from robotics to chemistry. I was even involved in a traveling chemistry troupe in middle school. Continuing with science, I took a chemistry class my sophomore year and loved every second of it. And my passion for the subject grew until I made it a part of my everyday life. Upon the decision to further my education by attending a college, I immediately started searching for science-related jobs. I wanted to help people while continuing with science. My search leads me to the category of pharmacy. So, I did what any reasonable person would do. I spent hours upon hours learning everything I could about the job and how I could become one. I even called my aunt, who is a pharmacist, and bombarded her with questions upon questions. And after gaining all that information, I was sold. Now that I had an idea and plan, all I had to do was implement it. So here I am in my first year of college. But before I started attending classes, I had to figure out what I would major in. To me, there were only two options. I could either go as a chemistry major or a biology pre-health major. There was much debating and going back and forth, but I made the best choice. I chose to pursue my bachelor's degree in Biology pre-health for many reasons. It would allow me to continue with science, knowing how the human body would react when introduced to different types of medicines. I would be learning about the human body, which is vital to being a pharmacist. And lastly, since it's Biology with pre-health, I can gain knowledge on both the biological and medical sides. As an African American, multiple obstacles stand in my path to becoming a part of the professional setting. Adding on to that, I am a woman, which presents its obstacles. These only push me towards my goal. I believe that everywhere should be diverse because diversity brings in more knowledge. I strive to be around people who will help me learn more and add to the community. One cannot learn something new by doing the same thing repeatedly. So, as a society, we must all do our part to grow and learn together.