Mental health is very near to my heart. I’ve struggled with mental health issues since my last year of middle school. It was difficult because, in the beginning, my mental health wasn’t taken seriously by my family, teachers, or counselors. It took my first suicide attempt in high school before I received help and treatment. My journey has been extensive. I’ve seen more than 20 therapists, some good, some not so good, and I’ve been in and out of long-term treatment facilities. I’ve learned more and more about myself, my tendencies, and how to take care of my mental health. I’ve decided to go to school to become a mental health counselor that is accessible to low-income communities. I want to provide wrap-around services where I can help with the full spectrum of life. For instance, I want to assist in housing instability, food insecurity, job security, and support finances. I also want to guide and support educational paths. My goal is to be a mental health counselor who is attentive to needs and is curious. I want to take everyone seriously and connect them to the right resources. As a college student, there are many things I can do to make a positive impact. I can do my best to reduce stigma by encouraging the use of kind language concerning mental health to create an atmosphere where people can feel safe and comfortable talking about mental health and in doing so can help people who are reluctant to get help be more willing to access help. I can advocate for more affordable and accessible mental health care to combat obstacles and barriers to care. For example, free bus passes or gas vouchers so those who lack access to transportation can get to their appointment. I can advocate for therapy pay scales to be based on income so those less fortunate can have access to the care they need. I can advocate for more diverse and culturally aware mental health professionals to reduce language and communication barriers because clients will be less inclined to get help if their mental health professional isn’t able to understand how they talk and I mean whether that means by a specific language or the language or slang they may use. Also, many fear that talking about their problems will land them in a psychiatric hospital or that they will be forced to take medication. I can highlight concerns about confidentiality with local, and national organizations and create a safety plan that is more well-rounded and adaptable so we can accurately place people in programs that need it. I, myself have been at risk of losing my rights and being forcefully placed in a psychiatric hospital due to a social worker who didn’t like me, wouldn’t let me talk, and was power hungry and I wouldn’t want to put anyone in a similar situation. We need a system that can effectively define when it is needed to involuntarily admit someone and define when someone can’t make that decision on their own. There needs to be a guideline in place where mental health professionals can’t use fear of being locked up to scare clients into talking. I can join a local organization and participate in their efforts to spread awareness about mental health and stigma. Such as participating in NAMI walks, or serving at a mental health conference. I can also support those around me and connect them to resources when needed. All in all, there are many things I can do as a college student wanting to make a positive impact.

Throughout my life, I have come up against various forms of adversity that have formed me into who I am today. I have large amounts of trauma, many mental health conditions, and an overactive nervous system that sees threats everywhere. I’ve come up against racism and faced discrimination and stigma from authority figures who were supposed to support me along this journey. I’ve fallen and stayed down an incredible amount of times but eventually, I stood up again. Overcoming adversity required determination, resilience, and grit. I used to believe that I didn’t have these qualities because when I fall, I stay down until I don’t again. But the act of getting to my feet again is an example of determination. I might have given up at some point, yet I didn’t give up entirely. By welcoming and practicing the concept of introspection - which is something I enjoy often, I learned to ride difficult waves by relying on my resources and seeking support from professionals. I utilize coping skills to self-soothe, to reroute my focus to something that will benefit my well-being, and I use distractions to get me past intense feelings. I also take advantage of therapy. Therapy is a great way for me to process emotions, moments and experiences, to provide insight into my mind, and to help me find a way to move forward. It’s something I look forward to every week. These experiences, negative and positive, have taught me the importance of perseverance and never giving up. I have been told it’s one of my valuable assets. One thing that is quite hard for me to remember when face-to-face with adversity is that it’s not the be-all-end-all, it’s not the end. Some things will work out. In the future, I am committed to impacting my community in positive ways by using my compassion, future psychology degree, and personal skills to contribute to society. I want to support the needs and goals of my community and be a safety net. I want to encourage others not to give up and help them see why they shouldn’t. Whether through advocating for mental health, food and housing insecurity, or creating opportunities for underprivileged individuals and families, my goal is to empower and uplift those around me. By combining our sense of compassion, respect, and sensitivity to others’ pain, I believe we can create a better future together. Let’s remind our community that there is hope.

Creating math problems and solving them puts my mind at ease. It’s an effective way to focus my mind. It’s something that warms my heart and can instantly put me in a state of flow. Also, I just happen to be good at it. I’ve even corrected my math teachers on problems and answers on innumerable amount of tests. Math is exciting and math is fun. I’m the only one in my immediate family that thinks so. With math, there are multiple ways to solve a problem. Math is versatile. Math continues to change for the better. It is adaptable and innovative. There is a variety of math. There are many different types and many different categories, numerous ways to use math and countless careers and occupations where math is used. In math, everything happens for a reason. Whether you add something wrong, or get an answer you don’t understand, there is a reason for it whether you know it or not. You’re able to learn from your mistakes, grow, improve, and take things to the next level. I love that with math, there is always an answer even if the answer is no solution. With life, things aren’t as concrete. There are too many unknowns. There are unknowns you may never figure out even with the help of others. With math, you might not be able to figure it out but others can help. Math's difficult for a lot of people but I still believe that math is universal everywhere. It connects people, connects careers, connects common experiences like counting change to pay for a product or food. Even when the language changes, math stays the same. Math is used countless times in unique ways. Math is a universal human experience that transcends language which I love. For all of these reasons, math excites me. It is challenging, innovative, a kind of language, invigorating, and I love how beautiful it is. Math represents balance and symmetry. Like the concept of having to do the same thing to both sides of an equation. The balancing act of it all and the patterns are harmonious. Looking at the world the same way I look at math can have a profound and positive effect on my life. Finding balance and harmony and keeping a routine is important to me in my life. I love how math can help us understand the world.

Speaking my truth is difficult for me to do and I mean stringing words together and then opening my mouth to express. I worry about how others will respond, or if they’ll understand what I’m saying, I think about every outcome and then the anxiety of it all prevents me from speaking at all. I feel as if my throat closed or my vocal cords were ripped out. Speaking feels so insurmountable at times that instead of speaking, I write. I write letters, I utilize texting, I use sticky notes, I write poems, prose, I journal and I email. I do all of these to communicate to others how I’m feeling when my voice fails me and it feels good. When I do speak, I experience a large amount of miscommunication or others telling me I don’t make much sense, so writing is what I use to ensure I can communicate exactly what I need. My writing becomes an extension of my voice when I can’t verbalize what I’m thinking. That is why one of the careers I’m planning to explore is a creative writing degree that will support me in the careers of a narrative author and blogger or copywriter. As a narrative author, I can write about my own experiences in my favorite writing style, in verse or rhythm and publish a collection of stories. I’d like to share different journeys I’ve experienced, help others with what I’ve been through, as well as destigmatizing mental health. I want to reach those who feel alone or think no one can understand. I want my writing to be that bridge reaching others. I would also like to become a professional blogger for myself and others. I want to have the skills to be successful and impact a wide audience with this specific platform. I would also like to help all kinds of brands, organizations, bloggers, or companies with different kinds of posts, editing, or writing their posts through copywriting. I believe that the creative writing degree will set me up for success with the right skills and experiences to do well in that job field. Writing is my favorite way of communicating and expressing myself. It makes me feel at ease when I’m able to articulate exactly what I want through writing. Writing is my natural way of communicating and I believe doing something I love as a career will be rewarding and fulfilling for me.

Mental health is extremely important to me. I want to fight for mental health resources and help others gain access to support. I have battled my mental health from a very young age. It started with anxiety attacks, PTSD, major depression with psychotic features and much more. My struggles were thought of as attention-seeking and a lack of care from the people around me who were supposed to help me. I was constantly torn down by authority figures like school administrators, doctors, and police officers who held the same beliefs as the people around me. The one thing I wished is that I had access to support much sooner in life. Some experiences may have been prevented if treatment was accessible to me and the same goes for many others who are struggling with their mental health. I want to play my part in destigmatizing mental illness and mental health conditions because mental health is just as important as physical health and many people are struggling with their mental health and struggling with getting access to treatment due to stigma and discrimination. I want to do all that I can to prevent the effects of stigma and discrimination. I want to pursue a psychology degree and obtain my mental health counselor license with a specialization in trauma and dissociation and I want to plant myself within reach of the low-income community so that specific groups of people can have access to care. I know I can impact lives without a degree, but I feel that I will have a unique perspective as someone with a degree in psychology, and as someone who has struggled with mental health herself. I want to advocate for others whether that be for mental health, food insecurity, racism, or poverty. I want to commit to outreach and connect others with the resources and the support they need. If I can join a clinic where I can support low-income communities, a community I’m a part of, I’ll have the opportunity to help individuals and families in any way that I can. It’s a unique place to get access to a group of people who may need help and I would like to be one of those people who can help in every possible way so the community can achieve their ideal version of success and happiness. I want to help through counseling, outreach, and serving accessible care.

For the longest time, I doubted my ability to achieve my educational and career goals. I believed that if I’m too fearful to walk into a classroom or withdraw from classes too many times due to mental health, I’m not worthy enough to finish my degree. I’m incapable of achieving my dreams. I felt that I couldn’t become a therapist because I’m at constant war with my intrusive thoughts or my incessant fight with social anxiety. If I’m terrified to speak to others or have unwanted thoughts about everyone I see, how can I impact lives? Can I even help others after what I’ve been through? I was wrong. My unique experiences will make achieving my goals that much more worthwhile and I can use my experiences to directly and indirectly guide and positively affect those around me including my future clients. Therapists who can relate in some way to their clients have a golden opportunity to effect change by communicating with empathy and understanding and by sensitively tailoring their sessions. I want to plant myself at a mental health agency that caters to the low-income community. A lot of clinics in the low-income community struggle with high-turnover rates due to high caseloads and minimal pay and this fact is hurting communities. Having a consistent therapist and care team is essential to effective treatment and having a care team that isn’t overstressed and overworked will benefit both parties. I’m going to use my future degree to focus on working with individuals affected by many conditions but I want to specialize in trauma and dissociation. I feel that trauma is at the heart of many diagnoses. It’s a field where more specialists are needed. I would also like to commit to outreach and advocate for individuals, families, and their needs. I’m aware I don’t need a degree to impact lives but I feel that I would have a unique perspective as a professional and as someone who has been there, someone who understands what it is like to battle their mental health and struggle with getting access to resources. In addition to outreach and advocacy and impacting lives, I’m going to use my position to spread the word on food insecurity, financial insecurity, and housing insecurity. I’m going to take action and get families and individuals the resources and the help they need to positively change their lives. I will continue to be on the front lines by connecting with the community through outreach, finding and connecting others with resources, and fighting for a better life for everyone.

After dropping out of high school following a 6-month stay in a locked psychiatric facility, I enrolled in a program at my local community college that served at-risk youth, exchange students, drop-outs, or students deficient in high school credits. The program supported students as they completed high school credits, pursued their GED, or pursued their Associate’s Degree by financially covering costs, having mandatory college success and human development classes, and connecting them with resources and your very own case manager to set them up for success. My first class with the program was a college success and human development class that taught you to look at your learning style, personality type, and procrastination type, and how you can overcome your struggles and turn them into strengths. It also taught you valuable study skills, goal-setting techniques, tips to tackle anxiety, and much more. My first class was easy yet also challenging due to my mental health struggles. I was failing the class within the first week and withdrew after my instructor and student conference during midterm week at the college. It was suggested that I get connected with my college’s disability resource center and that is what I did before I retook the class with another instructor the next quarter. Although I passed the class the following quarter and passed many other college classes, as well as getting my GED, I failed 1-2 classes and withdrew from about 10 classes again due to mental health reasons and eventually aged out of the program before achieving my Associate’s Degree. Each time I failed or withdrew and received a “W” on my transcript, I felt discouraged, like I was lacking in some way. I felt like a failure and I was concerned I would never succeed. I had many setbacks including life-threatening events, becoming a caregiver to my 86-year-old grandma, exacerbation in mental and physical health symptoms, the effects of COVID, and much more. I needed to understand that my circumstances weren’t my fault but that I needed to take action the second something felt off in my well-being. If there’s a chance I might not make it through the quarter, I need to withdraw before the withdrawal without a “W” deadline so I can get a refund. Or I need to utilize all of my support to ensure my success. I learned that it is okay to take time off to focus on my mental health, that it is okay to ask for accommodations, and that it is okay if things don’t go according to plan, it just matters how you move forward. I now take breaks in-between quarters to cater to my mental health needs and to utilize that time by working to save up for future quarters. Having accommodations, scheduled breaks, and a support system has been effective in ensuring my success in school.

Many influential people have said, “Be kinder than necessary, everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.” I have wrestled with my mental health ever since I was a young girl in elementary school. It started with severe anxiety, then post-traumatic stress disorder, and major depression with psychotic symptoms, just to name a few. I encountered many individuals like family members, doctors, police officers, and even teachers who were quick to judge and speak harmful thoughts about my life. Instead of steering me towards help and support, I was met with many people who made it their purpose to make sure everyone knew I was an attention seeker or someone who wasn’t going to go far in life, someone who didn’t try hard enough, or someone who lies constantly. That wasn’t the case. I was hurting and desperate for support but because of the beliefs held by the people around me, support was turned away, it was taken from me for quite a while. My symptoms made it difficult for me to complete assignments, attend classes on time, present or speak in front of classes, and it caused a lot of distress that I would hide in school bathrooms to cry and hurt myself. My symptoms also made it seem impossible to feel comfortable around friends, hang out with them, and just enjoy life. I was constantly afraid they were out to hurt me or make me look bad. Once I started to get help, go to therapy, and take medication, I also believed my care team was purposely trying to hurt me as well. So, it made it very terrifying for me to even stay with my treatment. If I was believed and received support sooner, I truly believe I would have been well off when my symptoms became severe to the point living was too painful. I understand I can impact lives without a degree but I would like to pursue a degree in psychology and counseling and advocate for the people who are like me and are in need. Mental health is important and I want to be a voice and a safety net for those having a challenging time accessing support. This world is hurting. I would like to encourage and inspire others not to give up on themselves. I want everyone to continue fighting for themselves. Pain is inevitable but it is bearable when you have people on your side rooting for your happiness and recovery. My goal is to not let another person fall through the cracks and to be kind always because you never know what someone is going through.

I’m working and planning to address my current and future student loan debt by budgeting my money and creating a plan for my financial goals including putting money away and saving money for college credits, textbooks, supplies, and fees. I utilize a budgeting app on my phone called Truebill to help manage my money and create goals for a variety of saving categories. I can keep track of how much money I spend in different areas of my life and get notified if I start to get close to going over my limits. I have a savings category as well as a spending category for all things related to my education. Updating my budget and reviewing my educational plans help me to reduce my student loan debt and it helps me to plan for my future student debt. Something that also helps me is to make sure I only get involved with one loan at a time. I mean I will never have two loans. I have to fully pay off one loan before I enroll in another loan plan. This rule helps me to not overwhelm my financial abilities and it helps me to stay focused on one goal so that I’m not overspending my money on loans with money that I may not have enough of. I haven’t been awarded a scholarship in the 6 years I’ve been applying for them but I continue to keep fighting and applying because you never know what could happen in the future. I can’t be awarded a scholarship if I stop applying to them. Applying for scholarships is one way I continue to fight to address my current and future student loan debt. I take a small portion of my credit limits and I put it towards my educational savings goal every month. I’m able to build my credit and save for college at the same time by exercising this plan. I believe it will be helpful for my financial goals in the future. Right now, I’m in the middle of a break from college to work full-time to save up money. This is something I do to be able to pay my way through college. I take breaks in between quarters depending on my financial need to be able to afford college in the future. I am constantly thinking about my educational goals regarding financial reasons as well as my career goals and I think my plans have been and will be effective in achieving my student loan debt goals, financial goals, and my career goals. Thank you for reading.

Like many people I know, I struggled immensely with my mental health. I was a very anxious kid. In just elementary school, I encountered anxiety attacks related to sexual predators and fear of the dark, I battled with visual snake hallucinations and tactile bug hallucinations, and I was tormented by harmful racist encounters, as well as many forms of abuse. I was a child who struggled to feel safe so I experienced large amounts of dreadful fear. My fear manifested as social and generalized anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder which made sleeping and attending school quite difficult. If I was 30 seconds to a minute late to a class, I would skip. If I had a presentation, I would skip it. I would freeze up and sweat profusely when called upon in class. I would hide, cry and hurt myself in the school bathrooms. I couldn’t make or answer phone calls. Speaking up or utilizing my voice was something that took too much of me to do. I also experienced my anxiety’s best friend, depression. Not only was I terrified of being late to my prior scheduled responsibilities, but depression also made it much harder to even get out of bed on time, complete assignments, take care of hygiene, eat properly, and so much more. Having both induced a war in my head I couldn’t win because both contradicted each of their characteristics. My symptoms became unbearable to the point that I couldn’t escape the pain of living. Throughout middle school and high school, I was in and out of emergency rooms and psychiatric hospitals for suicidal ideation and attempts on my life. I initially didn’t graduate because I was in a locked facility for six months my senior year and when I returned during my second semester, I was already two weeks behind and it felt impossible for me to catch up and readjust to school again. I participated in a program that helped me obtain my GED and attend classes to reach my Associate’s degree at a community college but I still struggled with debilitating symptoms that I withdrew from many classes and eventually aged out of the program. I have even lost or quit many jobs due to psychotic, depressive, and anxious symptoms. Even though I continue to experience suicidal ideation and attempts, hopelessness, and symptoms that negatively affect my daily life, I know that one day I will be okay. I will finish my degrees, find and keep a job, I will feel safe. I know that I may have symptoms forever but maybe one day it won’t affect me so much. I will keep trying. I’ll fall, stay down, and eventually get up again. I’ve got this, and so do you. Please don’t give up.

Growing up, my family struggled with getting access to food. I remember one instance where my mother only had enough money for a small fry at McDonald’s. That small bag of french fries was shared between my niece and nephew, my twin brother and me. My older sister and mother sacrificed their hunger to make sure we had something to eat and my older brother was living with a family member at the time due to unacceptable behavior. For most of my life, my family and I survived by having access to food and clothing banks. It was the highlight of our weeks to be able to have access to fresh food and supplies like hygiene products. Without those services, I’m not sure where we would be. It made us feel safe and like we were taken care of and that our community had our backs during hard times. Over time, I experienced summer meal programs where staff members from the city would provide free lunches and activities for children and teens during the summer. That was something my family and I appreciated very much because we relied on free food from our schools to feed us. So once summer came around, we were worried about where we would get food. My mother also connected with the SNAP program, where we were provided with a card that was preloaded with funds every month so we could purchase groceries. Food insecurity is very near to my heart. So near that I became a staff member or volunteer from the city to provide free meals to children and teens over the summer as well as raise awareness about the SNAP program to tackle food insecurity in my community. I visit different sites throughout each week and serve children. I also help plan and execute activities to entice children to want to seek out this program that could be helpful for them. I also help spread awareness at a local farmer’s market where I interact directly with the public to talk about how we can help families in need. I’m giving back and taking action to help families who are struggling with getting access to food just like my family who still struggles. We continue to be grateful for the opportunity to buy groceries. One less issue for us to worry about and hopefully other families are impacted positively and feel the same.

Everything I’d Change If I could change my hair, I would change everything. If I could change my hair, I would change how it grows, from coily to straight because since I was a young girl, I’ve been told that I look much more beautiful with straight locs than I do when it’s out and proud. I don’t feel beautiful in braids, or twists, or extensions. When I wear my favorite hair style, the wash-n-go, I constantly get remarks from my family that I should go do something with my hair because it doesn't look good. If I could change my hair, I would change its color. Although my favorite color of clothing to wear is black, I feel the opposite when it comes to my hair because all I see when I look in the mirror is the absence of light. I recently dyed my hair brown to see if a change of color is what I needed but it did nothing to my self-confidence. I still feel ugly with my new brown locs. If I could change my hair, I would also change nothing. If I could change my hair, I would change nothing because I know that changing my hair wouldn’t solve the hate I have just for being me. If I could change my hair, I would change nothing because while I know my roots signify strength, and that it declares that it will not be silenced, and that it has no problem standing up for what matters, with shoulders back and its fist held up so high... I do. If I could change my hair, I would change nothing because I want to get to a place where I can see the crown on the top of my head, the strength and courage in my roots, love everything about myself from the color of my skin to the twists of my hair and declare that nothing needs to change because I’m black and beautiful just the way I am. There is only one thing I’d change about my hair, and that is the way I feel about it.

Right now, I would put the $1,000 in my savings for college costs. In order for me to continue my education I currently need to pay for all of the classes and fees myself. This scholarship would mean the world to me because funds is one of the things holding me back from getting my degree. This money would go towards classes, tuition and fees, as well as textbooks and anything else I would need. Bernie Sanders once said, “We have got to make sure that every qualified American in this country who wants to go to college can go to college -- regardless of income.” I truly believe that going to college and getting an education should be a right, not a privilege. That no matter who you are and what you are going through that you deserve to get an education without worrying about the costs. The $1000 will be solely spent on anything having to do with my education because my education is something I'm very passionate about. The money will be funding a future author and counselor. I want to write and bring people together with my words, and I want to help those drowning in their trauma and give them a hand to let them know they aren't alone. I want to make a difference in my community and the world and this scholarship will help with that. Thank you.

I have struggled with PTSD, OCD, major depression with psychotic features, social anxiety, and more since late elementary school. Growing up was difficult because I could not find a professional that would take my concerns and symptoms seriously. I would go to the hospital for feeling suicidal and be sent home to end up back at the hospital later that day or week. I would be passed from therapist to therapist because therapists thought I was a joke. My family would also tell professionals, other family members, and friends I was "doing it for attention." I never had a safe and supportive system around me. I was also told by teachers, doctors, police officers, and more that they did not believe me, that I was selfish, that I was making things hard for everyone around me. All I needed was to be understood, heard, seen, and have access to professionals that wanted to help and see me get better. Since I was very young, I used journaling, writing, poetry, and spoken word to express my feelings and cope with everything that was going on in my life. I still do. I want to write and write so that the people who encounter my writing can feel heard, seen, and be encouraged to keep going through hard times. That is why I chose to major in creative writing; to be a warm and safe voice that others can cling to in times of need. I also want to major in psychology to be more capable of recognizing warning signs and taking action so those struggling can get what they need and gain the tools they need to cope and manage their disabilities and just life in general. I want to learn as much as I can about mental, physical, and all aspects of health to be a guiding light for those around me. A few of my career goals are to be a narrative author, a peer supporter, a social worker, a creative writing teacher, and many more in the bubble of writing and psychology. I will use all the negative things I went through and turn it around for good, so people do not have to go through what I did.

I came up with this piece by brainstorming themes in a relationship that I wish had been different or overcome like a lack of very much needed communication. I thought about the line, " If we talked, we would have found a better way." I meant that if there was communication, the relationship wouldn't have ended so poorly and with a lot of confusion. I create music by first writing down the lyrics, coming up with a hook, and maybe rhymes. Then, I think about what key I'd like it to be in. My favorite key to use when creating music is the A minor key. I look up chords to use and mess around with different chord progressions until I find something I like.