It was frightening to me when I moved to a new school halfway through 7th grade. At my old school, I had a lot of friends, and I was carefree. But a new school meant I would have to start all over. I was always a quiet child who kept to herself. I had trouble making friends at my new school. A few classmates adopted me, but it didn't last. Then, I started feeling extremely nauseous before school. My mother and I could not figure out why, but it felt worse than usual one day. I got to school, and it was unbearable. I went to the office and called my mom to pick me up. I wanted to burst into tears but held it back. It burned, trying to hold back tears I had no reason to shed. I did not understand why. The following year, I sat alone everyday at lunch. I was too scared to talk to anyone. Most days, I went without speaking a word speaking to anyone. Then covid struck. I enjoyed having time to myself as my school did not participate in online classes. I spent my first two years of high school doing online school. I didn't have to interact with anyone. But amidst those two years, something strange happened. I couldn't eat correctly and felt like I couldn't breathe every time I tried to eat. I started getting depressed; I was unable to eat my favorite foods. During this time, I would also get comments about my body. I always felt insecure, wishing I was skinnier and prettier. I would cry in my room alone, never mentioning it to anyone. Little did I know I had anxiety, and it was growing worse. One night during my junior year, I felt unable to breathe. I've experienced this before; however, this felt more extreme. So, my mom took me to the nearest urgent care. While sitting in the room, I broke out into tears. The nurse suggested I had an anxiety attack and that it could happen anywhere at any time, even doing the things I loved. Since that day, I began having more and more anxiety attacks. It's still hard to eat, and I've become increasingly anxious about the future and many more things. I don't remember when I started to worry so much, but it caused me great distress. The feeling in my stomach before each attack always scares me. I've slipped into depression along with my anxiety. I cry and experience anxiety attacks more frequently. But to others, they may assume I'm perfectly fine, just shy. Through all this, I used music, games, and help from loved ones to help me cope. I have a passion for house-building. I discovered I wanted to be a residential architect. I spend time listening to music, building homes, designing layouts, and the personality of each home I build. Seeing the ideas in my head come to life makes me cheerful. I also went to my family for help. I finally told them how I had been struggling. It felt better knowing I could go to someone and that I was not drowning in worries and unpleasant thoughts alone. I began dating my boyfriend, who is always there, understands, and has replenished my confidence. I've been more determined to graduate and go to college to earn a master's. I want to prosper in my career despite dealing with mental health daily and hopefully overcoming it. I hope anyone reading my story knows you are not alone.

Growing up, my family traveled and lived in both Louisiana and Texas. We would tour homes, and I fell in love with their design and every detail that made the house unique. I especially loved the traditional Texan home. As my parents worked, my dad working across state lines and my mom working in a nearby town, I was unable to participate in after-school activities like many of my classmates. However, this allowed me to gain a greater love for home design. I would explore various home styles and layouts. I would even draw my own homes and floorplans to build unique homes in home-building games. Then, in 2018, my family and I moved into our first home. We were so excited to have our own home. I remember smiling ear to ear with joy when we were cleared to move in, and that feeling of joy and unconditional happiness is a feeling I want other people to feel. To have a home they love and cherish, to grow memories in. To watch their kids grow up or to get old in. Whether it is someone's starter home or their dream home, I want them satisfied. So, as my love for homes and design grew, I learned what I wanted to be: a residential architect. Residential architecture is more than just designing homes; it's about witnessing my creations come to life. Being an architect means you are committed to making it an efficient living space and creating a unique, safe space for occupants. Architecture is progressing further to help minimize environmental impact as well. I want to make a change, even if small, to help the environment and the communities. However, I've realized that the path to becoming an architect has challenges. For someone like me, who has struggled with math and anxiety for years, the journey has seemed daunting. Still, I am passionate about architecture and have discovered that many architects face similar difficulties. They have inspired me to stay determined and get my degree. In addition, I also learned that there is a significantly lower number of women architects in the field than men. Additionally, NPR.org states that "there were 121,603 licensed architects working in the U.S. and only 2% — 2,492 — are Black. Of those, only 566 are Black women." I want to contribute to changing those numbers. I'm determined to contribute to shifting these statistics by pursuing my passion for architecture and being a part of change. I hope to inspire others to pursue their dreams regardless of who they are and what they know.

Why do I want to pursue a career in architecture? Since I was a young girl, I admired homes and their unique designs, curves, styles, and more. Initially, I did not know what I wanted to be when I grew up. My mom recommended I be an author due to my big imagination and excellent writing skills. But I did not think it was for me. Around middle school, I started playing games where you could design your own homes—for example, the Sims 4. I always loved the game but did not begin with exemplary skills and would make boxes for homes, but I am sure my Sims loved it. Despite my terrible skills, I gained a passion for home design and improved my skills as the years passed. Homes can be unique, small or big, and are all beautiful in their own ways. I studied different types of architecture in homes, reviewed floor plans, and watched videos of other residential architects to get a grasp and ask for advice. I learned I wanted to see my work come to life and people cheerful about their dream home I helped design. According to LinkedIn, "In America, women make up 50% of architect students, but only 17% of registered architects are women." Not only will I be helping contribute to the percentage of women in architecture, but I will also be graduating with my master's degree. I want to see how proud my family will be once I walk across the stage, graduating with a master's degree in architecture, because it will show how hard I've worked over the years for that moment. However, going to school for architecture may be challenging. Every year, numerous students drop out of architecture, and I know architecture will require quite a bit of mathematics, which is my main drawback. I will do my best, even if I must get tutors and study daily to accomplish my goals. I used to make As and Bs, never thinking I'd ever be a straight-A student before graduating; math had always got me down. But in my junior year, I got my first banner roll, and I've been a straight-A student ever since. I took college algebra at the beginning of my senior year, ending with a 97 A. I was worried I would not do well in college math, but seeing I made such an outstanding grade made me more hopeful for what the future brings me. I should never let worry take over because if you fall, you should always get up, and I will take steps every day to make that happen; I am determined to get my degree.