Mental health is very important as it effects all areas of our life. Finding success is very challenging when facing mental health challenges. These challenges are actually more common then we would like to admit. Despite mental health being considered "bogus" by some, I strongly believe that mental health is just as important as education. If your mental health is struggling you will not be able to learn as well as you could if you were also prioritizing mental health. When my mental health is at a low point, all other areas of my life struggle as well. Relationships, motivation, focus, work, ability to learn, and more are all negatively affected. When this happens I know I need to change something. I have struggled with anxiety, depression, and eating disorders for years. When these are at a high point, everything else starts to slip. I have learned the hard way that prioritizing activities, coping mechanisms, and seeking help are a necessity in my life. I am very passionate about my education, my job, and my relationships. When I don't focus on my well being all of those things become hindered. I grew up dancing and it has been one of my biggest passions. Once I started college all of my mental health struggles became even harder to cope with. This made me want to quit dancing, get away from the environment so focused on body image, and even quit school altogether. I eventually chose to get help and see a counselor, because I was tired of mental health controlling my life. This was a hard decision to make as I grew up hearing that Counselors are "bogus". I went, I learned new coping mechanisms, I found new ways of finding happiness, and I will never regret it. Today I have several ways of maintaining my mental wellness. The hardest part was finding ways that helped me. Not all strategies work for everyone. I did a lot of experimenting and getting out of my comfort zone. I had to learn to balance the things in my life. I had to create a routine that would help me balance school, work, and my personal life/time. In my case this meant taking a step back and not doing too much. I was constantly on the move and overwhelmed by the unbelievable amount of tasks on my to do list. Instead I limited myself to 15-18 credit hours a semester and made a conscious choice about how many jobs and hours I could balance a semester. This is a challenge still to this day, but knowing when to say no has changed my life. I have also learned to have a healthier relationship with exercise. Now I use it to stay healthy and relieve stress, instead of using it as a way of maintain standards. I chose to switch my focus in college from dance to Education. I still love dance and I completed a minor, but I decided that environment wasn't the best fit for me. Instead I spent less time in it and got to focus more of my time and effort on education degree. I even found a happy compromise by teaching dance. The last big change I have made was getting my dog certified as an ESA. Having him with me in my apartment has greatly helped. Our walks and his comfort in hard times has made my bad times more barrable. I am a strong believer of mental wellness and that everyone needs to find their own way of managing.

Mental health is very important as it effects all areas of our life. Finding success is very challenging when facing mental health challenges. These challenges are actually more common then we would like to admit. Despite mental health being considered "bogus" by some, I strongly believe that mental health is just as important as education. If your mental health is struggling you will not be able to learn as well as you could if you were also prioritizing mental health. When my mental health is at a low point, all other areas of my life struggle as well. Relationships, motivation, focus, work, ability to learn, and more are all negatively affected. When this happens I know I need to change something. I have struggled with anxiety, depression, and eating disorders for years. When these are at a high point, everything else starts to slip. I have learned the hard way that prioritizing activities, coping mechanisms, and seeking help are a necessity in my life. I am very passionate about my education, my job, and my relationships. When I don't focus on my well being all of those things become hindered. I grew up dancing and it has been one of my biggest passions. Once I started college all of my mental health struggles became even harder to cope with. This made me want to quit dancing, get away from the environment so focused on body image, and even quit school altogether. I eventually chose to get help and see a counselor, because I was tired of mental health controlling my life. This was a hard decision to make as I grew up hearing that Counselors are "bogus". I went, I learned new coping mechanisms, I found new ways of finding happiness, and I will never regret it. Today I have several ways of maintaining my mental wellness. The hardest part was finding ways that helped me. Not all strategies work for everyone. I did a lot of experimenting and getting out of my comfort zone. I had to learn to balance the things in my life. I had to create a routine that would help me balance school, work, and my personal life/time. In my case this meant taking a step back and not doing too much. I was constantly on the move and overwhelmed by the unbelievable amount of tasks on my to do list. Instead I limited myself to 15-18 credit hours a semester and made a conscious choice about how many jobs and hours I could balance a semester. This is a challenge still to this day, but knowing when to say no has changed my life. I have also learned to have a healthier relationship with exercise. Now I use it to stay healthy and relieve stress, instead of using it as a way of maintain standards. I chose to switch my focus in college from dance to Education. I still love dance and I completed a minor, but I decided that environment wasn't the best fit for me. Instead I spent less time in it and got to focus more of my time and effort on education degree. I even found a happy compromise by teaching dance. The last big change I have made was getting my dog certified as an ESA. Having him with me in my apartment has greatly helped. Our walks and his comfort in hard times has made my bad times more barrable. I am a strong believer of mental wellness and that everyone needs to find their own way of managing.

I decided to pursue higher education because I have a passion for teaching. I will be getting a bachelors degree in Elementary Education. On top of that I have been working towards a minor in dance and an endorsement in Early Childhood education. While in school I have been working as a dance instructor and I have gotten a lot of great experience working with children. I truly do believe I have found my calling and pursuing higher education will give me the qualifications I need. I am even considering going back to get a masters in education. None of my immediate family members have graduated college. Some of them went for a short period of time and then dropped out. I am passionate about being the first to graduate. I am prideful to be taking on this next step of my life. A college education opens up a lot of doors and I have learned an unbelievable amount so far. Thus far there have been some challenges being the first one, because I have no one in my family to ask my questions to. They have been a great supporter of my education and I know they believe in me. Both of my parents have good jobs, but they don't make a lot due to not having college degrees. This means they have not been much of a financial support throughout my college career so far. They contribute what they can and I am deeply grateful for the sacrifices they have made. This does mean that it is up to me to find funding. I worked very hard in high school and I have received some scholarships. These have greatly helped me, but I still pay thousands out of pocket each year. The career path I am choosing does not have very high salaries and I am trying to avoid student debt , as I would like to avoid the challenges of paying it off. This money would be very helpful and would alleviate some of the financial stress as I go into my last year of my bachelors program. I am so close to the finish line and all the help I can get would be greatly appreciated. I can't wait to be the first in my family to walk away with a college degree! I want to inspire children and be an advocate for better education. I believe in myself and I can't wait to help shape the future.

I am a dancer and I have found so much inspiration from Billie Eilish's music. I have created one of my favorite choreographic works to Ocean Eyes by Billie Eilish. It was a lyrical piece that focused on the sad ambiance of the song and played with the variety of percussive elements. I found deep emotional connection to this song and it inspired me to create a very expressive piece of art. I have always found hip hop to be a challenging style of dance. One year I had the opportunity to perform a hip hop piece to Bad Guy by Billie Eilish. This was the first hip hop piece that I felt very confident in performing. The provided a confidence in me and I thoroughly enjoyed that piece. The lyrics provide this sense of ego and tough guy attitude. It helped me get into character and attack the choreography. I have had struggles with mental health and Billie Eilish's What Was I Made For? has deeply resonated with me. It is very challenging to feel lost and as if you don't have your own identity. I have felt tied to things and when I lost those I didn't know who I was. Listening to this song helps me feel as though others have been in the same position. It also helps me remember that I am more than 1 thing and my title does not fall under someone else's claim.