Growing up I had a lot of difficulties with speech. I had a lot of impediments that made it difficult to understand me. I remained in speech therapy until I was nearing middles school, often stepping out to miss class to work on talking. I remember the night in my parents bedroom with them lovingly trying to practice speech with me that I thought to myself as a young girl that I would simply learn an entirely new vocabulary to never have to deal with this frustrating challenge for me. It was infuriating! I had peers that had similar struggles or understood what I was going through, but I also had other kids that found my difficulty something to laugh at and make fun of me for. I would have others prompting me and teasing me to say certain words, saying that I sounded as if I had a funny accent. This kept me very quiet. I became very shy in public and slow to say a word. I eventually through a lot of time and practice improved my speech, learning to pronounce certain sounds and combine different letters. The difference of being taken seriously when talking became very apparent, but that hesitancy and shyness remained. I was easily embarrassed, ready to run at a moments notice. This paired with mental health struggles and the natural difficulties faced at a period of change becoming a teenager was something that silenced my opinions and ideas. I slowly got closer and closer with some friends, finding passions in school like painting, video and film classes, and learning ASL, loving the intentionality and voice that all of these things gave me in a completely new way. I grew quickly, shedding my anxiety and shyness and learning to accept myself and not wait around for the rest of the world to tell me that they heard or understood me. I think that I stand out because I learned how to move forward when feeling judged or uncertain or afraid. Now I manage attention that comes my way and use it as a platform rather than a terrifying stage. I jump into new opportunities with excitement rather than dread or hesitancy. That fear and uncertainty will always find moments to sneak back in, but I have learned strength and braveness that can overcome insecurity. I consider myself not only an advocate for myself, but now for others who lack a voice of their own or may not be confident in raising theirs.

Small differences in my own life led me to where I am now. The one person that waved hello, the one person that supported me, the one counselor that changed my life by trying to meet her own goals as a social worker. In eighth grade, my life imploded as I no longer recognized myself as I used to be. I was thrown into a storm of unending and undefeatable intrusive thoughts and obsessions. The overwhelmingness of being an adolescent with severe obsessive-compulsive disorder was slowly draining me of reasons to push through. As I was so isolated, terrified, and confused, what seemed like an angel to me, the school social worker, was the one thing that sparked hope. I had been ready to take my own life and to give up a fight against my own mind and paranoid thoughts. My social worker angel is the one who led me to this field. My goal is that I can do a fraction of what that social worker did for me. My intention going into social work is to make a positive impact. No matter how big or small, one life will change another and that one another and so on. This world is full of trials, challenges, obstacles, and things that feel impossible to overcome. It is my goal to help people realize that they are strong, and with support and determination they can accomplish a lot more than they know. Of course there are slip ups, relapses, and downs, but a steady climb has paths that veer off and take unexpected journeys. Life is worth living, and I hope to be able to be a hand in helping people to realize that for themselves. Social work to me has been a very clear pathway since I began considering my career options. I began with psychology classes and anything relevant in high school. It was a combination of an interest in understanding people and their behaviors as well as a desire to advocate for vulnerable populations. I have a strong sense of responsibility to do what is right and just which will help me in making ethical decisions with those that I work with now or will in the future. I feel as though my experiences in my life from my youth up until now have only helped me to gain more understanding and empathy for the world around me. Service has been a central part of my upbringing and overall moral development. I have been lucky enough to be able to volunteer many nights at the Family Promise, a program that provides temporary housing while helping families to get back on their feet and have support in their journey to get and keep a job and succeed in day-to-day life. Another agency I have loved to attend events and take part in service for would be Utah Foster Care. Between providing meals and helping projects in raising awareness, it has been a wonderful experience for me. I have also been able to learn about the organization and behind the scenes work that goes into caring for others while being a volunteer at Bristol Hospice, an end of life care company. It taught me the importance of supporting families and those around the initial client or patient as well as the skills and compassion needed to care for the individual. As I have grown up being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I have been truly fortunate in ways that allow me to have group activities as a youth to attend and become more knowledgeable in ways to serve my community. Through hours spent at the Bishop’s Storehouse, which provides groceries for families and individuals in need, to hours and days spent doing yard work for neighbors and people in need of a little extra assistance in their everyday lives, I have been able to experience and learn all sorts of ways that I can contribute to the world around me. Even if I don’t have unlimited resources as far as finances or social position or connections, I have time and energy that I am willing to give. From these experiences, I have learned more about myself, my core beliefs, my motivations, and my limits. I have also learned from others as I improved in clear communication, the importance and nature of caring for and loving others, and the impossibly broad range of perspectives and personal experiences. I worked and served around many different populations, helping me to work better with a range of people. I participated in some work that was simply time and effort put into doing a physical service project, and some work that involved doing intensive paperwork, assisting in organizing and communication methods within a company. I feel as though I have had great opportunities to interact with others who are in the field of social work, learning their advice and work ethics, while also interacting directly with vulnerable populations. I would not have the passion that I do for social work without these hands-on experiences.

Day to day I interact with children with disabilities. I play with toddlers whose lives look very different than their peers. Whether it is a feeding tube or a breathing tube or a difficulty in communicating, I am so grateful to put all my effort into being a support and meeting these children where they are at. I work as a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT), making connections and progress with kids with autism and their families. My name is Mesa Helton. I am newly married six months ago to my sweet husband, Isaac. I graduated last summer from Weber State University with my bachelors degree in social work where I was lucky enough to have a senior practicum placement at an Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) company. I have since continued my role as an RBT, continuing to love my experience. I had previously worked as a youth counselor, recognizing my love to work with youth, especially connecting with those that had some rough moments due to physical or emotional health. My own journey in my mental health has provided me with patience and understanding when it comes to others in their own struggles. Coping with severe Obsessive Compulsive Disorder throughout my adolescence into my adulthood has been no easy process, but one that has grown me into the person that I am now. My OCD no longer impacts me in the same ways that it once did, but there will always be traces from my rougher experiences. I now love and appreciate all that I initially struggled with. I thrive in positions that require compassion and patience, and I can't wait to pursue my further education, beginning my masters degree in social work through the University of Kentucky. I will be continuing my role as an RBT as my full time job, and I will be completing an internship at a therapy office, learning the importance and processes of family and individual counseling. I believe that with furthering my education, I will have more opportunities to directly serve populations with special needs and advocate for those that don't have the ability or voice to. I have. I plan to continue to work directly with those with disabilities and their families, giving support to an overlooked group of people that offer so much to the world around them. All people deserve fair opportunities. Society should be made aware and be more compassionate the the differences of those around them. I can't wait to continue to learn and grow through my work, school, and general life experiences to better help the world around me.