If you take a look at the progress I have made from my earlier collegiate years to now, you would be able to see the change from mostly A’s and B’s to failing every class in 2025. All semesters have their challenges, but many of the challenges I faced last year, I couldn’t overcome while being on top of my classes. I can say they gave me clarity on where I’m at and where I want to go. I’ve dealt with untreated mental issues for most of my life. March of 2025 I was able to start working with a psychiatrist who diagnosed me with depression and anxiety. While I’m grateful for the help and diagnosis, it’s not easy to manage. As we go through trial and error with medications and dosages, I experience many different side effects that make it difficult for me to function for days at a time. We’re in a better place now but there’s still work to do. At the beginning of this year, I switched insurance so I was able to start seeing a therapist. At this point in my mental health journey, there’s not much more medication alone can do. Failing all classes that year helped me come to terms with that since I always thought that antidepressants would be the magic fix. Not that the medication isn’t doing anything, there’s been great differences in other aspects of my life. I’ve shown improvements in my attendance at work, it’s easier to start tasks, whether it’s administrative, an errand, or just chores. Financially, I’d say I lost my footing once and never got it back, so from there it was a downward spiral. There was a common theme of me being stranded for days at a time because my car kept breaking down meaning I had to pay to get it fixed and also had to miss work. My finances got so bad that I was stuck in a vicious cycle of borrowing money, paying it back and borrowing it again. With money being this tight I was put in a position where I had to prioritize my income over my studies since I have no financial safety net. When I audited my finances, I realized the main thing getting in my way is my rent. With me only working 25 hrs/week on top of being full time at school this entire year, rent comes out to half of my income. Leaving me around $700/month for my car, groceries and other bills. While I don’t need to explain how barely having your basic needs met can cause strife in your life, I would like to emphasize how that’s my current situation on top of being 100% financially independent. Looking at my progress you can tell that I’m not a quitter. It’d be easy to drop out and avoid these last three classes. Instead, I’m applying myself more, going to therapy, and learning to ask for help because I know I can do it and it’ll be worth it, because nothing I’ve experienced in 2025 deterred me from wanting to become an accountant. If anything, it showed me exactly how much I want it. Trouble doesn’t last always and I’m excited to soon be in a position where I can help someone struggling like me. I already enjoy volunteering and giving my time to various organizations but in the future I want to be a philanthropist and work to provide scholarships and opportunities specifically for more women who look like me and want to pursue their dreams.