In the summer of 2016, I was having a significant mental health crisis. My mother had passed away in January of 2015, and my world turned upside down. At that time, I was in school for an undergraduate engineering degree, but as my mental state deteriorated, my grades plummeted. In April of 2016, I had a near-death experience caused by substance misuse and I was battling thoughts of suicide daily. I withdrew from school, and with the support of my family, I entered long-term treatment for my mental health. I completed my mental health treatment in August of 2018, and I had regained hope in my life. Receiving professional mental health care taught me that I am worthy of love, life, and accomplishing my dreams, and hope for recovery is the catalyst for that. I re-entered school for my undergraduate degree, and in December of 2022 I graduated, with honors, with a Bachelor's of Science in Chemistry from the University of Houston. I was the flag bearer for the chemistry department, and my dad, siblings, and supportive loved ones attended my graduation ceremony, cheering me on as I walked the stage. I had originally planned to devote a career to chemistry, which is why I studied to earn that degree. While earning my chemistry degree, I found that the hard science career field was not for me. I knew I had a passion for mental health advocacy and recovery; it had saved my life and profoundly shaped who I was. Unfortunately, I was already very close to fully completing my chemistry degree. If I were to change my degree plan, it would add at least two more years for me to complete an alternative degree, and take much more time than to stick with completing the chemistry degree. I chose to complete my chemistry degree, and planned to apply for jobs in the mental health field after I graduated. While still completing my chemistry degree, I got trained in mental health and recovery peer support, and earned state-issued certifications entitling me to provide professional peer support to individuals struggling with their mental health or substance misuse recovery. I have worked at three different highly renowned mental health treatment centers since I graduated. I still work full time at my current mental health technician position. I maintain my mental health and substance misuse recovery daily, and have found support through fitness, psychiatry, therapy, peer support, meditation, mindfulness, health, wellness, creative expression, self-help, connecting with nature, and spending time with friends, family, and loved ones. In August of 2025, I will be enrolled in a Master's of Arts in Clinical Psychology at the University of Houston- Clear Lake. The prompt for this scholarship was to tell about a time that I made my own health a priority. I would say that I must always make my own health, whether mental, emotional, physical, spiritual, social, or environmental, a priority at all times. That is because if I don't make my own well-being a priority, then I cannot do the things I love in life, nor can I be there for the people I love. I have seen firsthand that if my mental, emotional, and physical health declines far enough, then my chance for personal peace, happiness, and success, as well as my ability to care for others, goes with it. I remind myself that life is a gift, and that love, compassion, laughter, and connection are what make life beautiful. Prioritizing personal health makes all that love possible.