Being someone who consistently struggled with their mental health, this scholarship completely stood out to me. There aren't many organizations that acknowledge mental health and its struggles on teens and their lives. Ever since I was a kid, I struggled really badly with confidence and anxiety. Growing up, it only worsened. Being a male child I was always hearing from people at school and even family: "normal boys don't do that" or "do something only boys do". constantly hearing these things over and over made me believe there was always something wrong with me. I was physically bullied my 2nd-4th grade years by a kid named Jacob who would always shove me and punch me because I was "weird". It took me a while to realize all the abuse and harsh words were because of my questionable sexuality which has been something I've been self-conscious about. 6th-grade year I fell into a deep depression after being bullied every day I did something wrong. If I walked too slow I'd get called homophobic slurs, if I got the question wrong I'd get called homophobic slurs, if I was taking too long in the bathroom students would throw wet paper towels over the stall and would leave my clothes soaked. It got to the point I wouldn't use the bathroom at school. I couldn't tell my parents because it was so instilled in their heads that if there was a problem at school, I should handle it and not be scared of anyone. My parents are no pushovers, but I was. The bullying went on continuously until one day in 8th grade I walked to my grandmas' house after school since my parents were going to be home late. The 3 guys that bullied me in school told a random man that I was making fun of him and told him I called him names. This man appeared to be a gang member and high off drugs. It wasn't until I got to the corner he caught up with me and called me homophobic slurs and threatened to kill me. He pushed his fingers against my head and told me to never call him names again. I held my hands up and told him "you have the wrong guy man I don't know you", after saying that I looked over my shoulder and saw the bullies recording and laughing loudly. I ran to my grandma's and called my dad and told him I wanted out of that school immediately. After explaining to him that this has been an ongoing problem for years he took me to school and demanded to see the principal. My freshman year of high school was a completely different ball game. I was met with stress from school, work, home issues, personal demons, and overthinking. Letting it all get the best of me, I took my dad's shaving razor and sliced 2 of my biggest veins open on my right arm hoping to bleed out and die. I was taken to Roxbury in Shippensburg to find healthy ways to cope. Today, I am happy to say I am the best I've ever been. I now know because of the experiences and traumatic events I've been through that I want to dedicate my life and time into a career that works with teens suffering with their mental health and being the listening ear they need and help raise awareness to it. I just want everyone to be happy so desperately. Life is too short. I thank you for this opportunity, Mr. Perez!

There are many things in my life that make me happy. Being able to hear my sweet 85-year-old grandmother tell her she loves me, being able to tell her the same. Waking up to the sunrise, getting a hug from my best friend every morning at school, hearing my cat's meows. seeing people laughing and smiling at school. Seeing other people enjoy themselves and finding their confidence makes me happy. Listening to my favorite song in the morning to start my day makes me very happy. For me, to make me happy, laugh, and to make me happy is a very easy task. Ladybugs make me happy, weddings, christmas lights, seeing army troops reunite with their families makes me happy. A good book filled with positive life quotes, mental health advocates, and a warm plate of fries! The list can go on and on! Thank you for taking the time to read! I hope whoever reading this has a great day!