I am 16 years old, soon to be 17 in August. I am a closeted gay and trans man. I live in a strictly Christian household that looks down on the LGBT+ community and mental health. I am also secretly a Satanist/Atheist and dating the love of my life who is currently working so hard in marine boot camp. I have another partner, which I am not romantic with but we are good friends. I'm working hard to be a military nurse and also to leave my final year of high school ready to work and leave my home. Mental health has been one of the hardest things I have ever struggled with in my life. I want to thank the Trevor Project which allowed me to talk when I knew that it was unsafe to talk or express to my family. I have a cutting issue that was forcefully discovered by my family when my older sister decided to look through my electronics without my permission. This made my whole family call me out and take away my items which only left me with my school laptop. At the time I was romantic with my trans partner but was discovered that same day by my older sister. I was called a lesbian and that I was discussing. That I was going to hell and burn. This left me and that partner too afraid to be romantic which only left us platonic to this day. I was heavily questioned if I was trans and that if I was I was going to be hit. I was left so broken and ashamed that day and it was all treated as if I committed a crime. My sister then kept looking through my messages. Told me to just get fat that way I could hurt myself in a way that didn't involve cutting. This event happened in March of 2023. This event has affected me forever. This had given me the motivation to work hard and enter my school's LGBT+ club which has accepted me with open arms. I do not wish for anyone to go through what I had to. I want to be a nurse to support others who are in a tight situation with themselves. I wish to be the person that lets others know that I am a trustworthy person. I am now vice president of the club and proud to accept others who are closeted and can be open in school.

Volunteering was something I used to need for my family and now I do it whenever the possibility is opened. My first volunteering job was in middle school and it was a food bank donation area that we would clean, set up, and open every Friday every month. It was ok for my 3 years but year 4 wasn't the best due to a change in the management but I found another place to volunteer that year. The food donation service was an excellent place where I found out I liked volunteering. I enjoyed working with others and helping others. Translation, clean up, organization, setting up the sign-ups, opening doors, greeting others, and moving the food to some people's cars. It was a nice escape from my home life and I got to finally socialize. We did time to time have issues that we needed students to solve ourselves. Such as how to fix the sign-in glitches and bugs. What to do if we have too much or too little of an item. How to fix signs/prevent food to be stolen. I love environments that allowed me to think more. It pushed us volunteers to show our best work for the community. Allowed us to experiment with new ways to allow people to get food. Back then we would get rid of all the boxes that contained the food and the shoppers would need to have a bag or they would just have to carry it. We then found out it would be better to keep some boxes for people who didn't have a bag. This made the moving job worth it and less line traffic for others. My mother would also shop where I would volunteer because we couldn't afford a lot of food for a family of seven. Now because my older sister works and because we moved out of a run-down apartment things have been better. This would push me to work hard and try my best to help my parents save money. I also liked this job because I didn't like being surrounded by a lot of my family so this was a good way to escape. Now, I do different volunteering jobs such as working in my church and helping with serving food for people who come to the church. I am not very religious but I do enjoy seeing people thanking me for the food. Now, I am responsible to pay for my collage which I always knew. I'm now working and studying hard to be a nurse because it is a job that will allow me to work for others and with others.

"Help others." This was something my family would tell me over and over. Shopping, helping older seniors get heavy stuff in their car or cart. Even in church serving food we bring to others who get hungry afterward. It's always nice to see others smile or know that something good can happen once in a while. I plan to be a nurse and enter the military to be a military nurse to help and serve the community which has fought for us and their families, who help support nurses as well. Being a nurse is something I've always wanted since I was little and I would love to support my friends who plan to enter the Air Force and Navy. I also want to support my boyfriend who is currently entering and training for the Marines. When he works hard I only would want to work as hard next to him. Nursing and health sciences have always been one of my favorite subjects and it is so interesting and interesting to see how the body works. I also have to pay for my college since I live in a household of seven, so paying for everyone's college would not be an easy task. This would help me pay for my 2-year community college and then enter a university. I'm also saving to move out of my household and live with my boyfriend because it would help my mental health. I am currently at the bottom of my life but I try to motivate myself more day by day. I would also want to help people in the same situation. In this decade things for younger people haven't been as easy so I would want to help them and younger people with mental health. I want to be that person someone could talk to and be able to help them a baby step at a time. During middle school, I would help my old neighborhood by giving away food and helping translate and give put the food away in their homes. This motivated me to push to help with clothes drives and food drives for my church so they could be given away to El Salvador and Guatemala. Feeding church members for double church, helping sew up blankets for babies for a school project with others, babysitting and petsitting. This has been of the reasons why I decided to be a nurse.

I am a trans boy, I will never be seen as one with my family and others. I've always wanted to find a distraction from life as it moved on and on. I've gotten into art and creativity. Doing digital art to vent out my feelings with the satisfaction to see others related to the feeling of my artwork. Then later I had to move away from such people leaving me alone and outside of my comfort zone. Moving made me feel like others wouldn't be like me. During the move, I discovered military nursing. I've always thought of nursing, as I liked jobs that included people or an environment where you could learn from your coworkers and become friends. Also the idea of helping others who were in your position or once were in your past was something I wanted to do. Then as I moved to my new school I brought it up for the first time to my family as such I liked to keep quiet with them. My school liked the idea that I had such a big goal in mind. I did as well because it gave me a motivation and goal that I knew I could happily walk towards too. I then took an anatomy class and it was the best thing ever. I love my teacher and my new friends but the information I could take in and teach others made me feel so good. It has now pushed me to do the jumpstart program and take early nursing classes. I hope to complete my goal and become a 66S, critical care nurse in the military and helps other glid through the job because I haven't found much information for this kind of job. It's one of my future goals and I very much hope I can make it. Another thing I would want to do is help, I've been to the hospital many times as a child and the best part of the hospital was the staff. Even when things seem rough they would keep a smile. I wish to do the same for a person. I wish to make a person feel like a hospital is a nice place to be even if things get rough. Another thing I also would want to do is help people in my position who don't feel like or are not accepted by their families. I would want to help them find resources. I'm trans and I've felt alone since elementary school where I never understood why I never felt like a girl. I want to help and support others in so many other ways. Regardless of who they are.

A boy who has finally left his past and become his self with change and motivation of partners and friends.

I am a trans boy, I will never be seen as one with my family and others. I've always wanted to find a distraction from life as it moved on and on. I've gotten into art and creativity. Doing digital art to vent out my feelings with the satisfaction to see others related to the feeling of my artwork. Then later I had to move away from such people leaving me alone and outside of my comfort zone. Moving made me feel like others wouldn't be like me. During the move, I discovered military nursing. I've always thought of nursing, as I liked jobs that included people or an environment where you could learn from your coworkers and become friends. Also the idea of helping others who were in your position or once were in your past was something I wanted to do. Then as I moved to my new school I brought it up for the first time to my family as such I liked to keep quiet with them. My school liked the idea that I had such a big goal in mind. I did as well because it gave me a motivation and goal that I knew I could happily walk towards too. I then took an anatomy class and it was the best thing ever. I love my teacher and my new friends but the information I could take in and teach others made me feel so good. It has now pushed me to do the jumpstart program and take early nursing classes. I hope to complete my goal and become a 66S, critical care nurse in the military and helps other glid through the job because I haven't found much information for this kind of job. It's one of my future goals and I very much hope I can make it. Another thing I would want to do is help, I've been to the hospital many times as a child and the best part of the hospital was the staff. Even when things seem rough they would keep a smile. I wish to do the same for a person. I wish to make a person feel like a hospital is a nice place to be even if things get rough. Another thing I also would want to do is help people in my position who don't feel like or are not accepted by their families. I would want to help them find resources. I'm trans and I've felt alone since elementary school where I never understood why I never felt like a girl. I want to help and support others in so many other ways. Regardless of who they are. These are the positive effects I would want on me, the people I care about and my future co-workers. I want to do my best in college and the soon last year of high school.

The extracurricular activities I'm currently in now and from the past have truly been the greatest and been my greatest support as a human being. Where I discovered more of my personal passions and personal self. Right now I'm in two clubs. SAGA, which is for LGBQLA+ and Allie's students comes together to spread positivity and rights. I'm also in the Art Club, which teaches many art forms and how art can help the community. The Art Club helps a child spread out their ideas no matter what level they are on. This can help improve and let a child see how they think with their minds. Such as people who are very like cartoons might like to draw in a very similar way. People who like cars might like to draw up new models of cars. This helps the school community find what they want to do when they are older. Also even if the job is less creative helps that person find similar creativity. This can help with jobs that want creativity, problem-solving, attention to detail and ideas. The art club also helps the neighborhood community by using art as a way to raise money. For example, we currently made bowls and plates for food service. This will be done after school and will let us feed others and then donate to the Grassroots Crisis. The Grassroots Crisis needs all the support it can get and can help the student body. The SAGA club helps closeted people, LGBTQ+, or even allies help support people who want to know more about the LGBT and rights of the people. I am currently closeted and find a lot of support in this very group. They respect my pronouns and rights of privacy to my new name and gender. This helps the student body find trust in adults and people. Helps people grow a connection with students and helps them get educated on people who are different and do not get accepted by most people. This club also plans to make a bake sale for the SAGA club and that way we also can donate to support other LGBT youth groups. We also give LGBT merch to people who want it cheaper or more available. Also, it's hidden for people who live in an environment who are against gay people. I get to make art prints for the community and I hope they like it. This lets others show off their talents and see how they can use them for the greater good. This is how extracurricular activities help students feel more involved and open. Lets them make new friends and benefits the the community and themselves.

I am a trans man and Im not accepted by my family. They currently took away some of my stuff for my identity and I cannot do things in my room due to that same reason as well. Even my church doesn't accept people who are IGBT+. I only hope to work hard and get into Critical Care Nursing. This thrives me to work hard and do my best for others and myself. I believe this will help me relate and emphasize with people who are Trans and LGBT+. Right now a lot of the older generation doesn't put that respect for others. Especially in health care, I want to make them feel comforted and wanted in the world. I would like to treat my and other patients with the respect I wanted. Things such as using pronouns that they want to use. I would also understand if their parents will not accept or not use those pronouns. I would also like to help them find a therapist for their mental health if needed. Many people who are LGBT+ are most likely to be in harm's way mentally. The suicide rate is very high and I believe with could help lower the chances or at least let them help others when they are more comfortable as well. They spread that type of positivity and health awareness is what's needed in the community. LGBT or not, we all need that little push. I would also like to help them find resources for any dysphoria and any questions as well. Such as "who is a good person to ask for hormones?" and "What to do if you don't trust your parent/your parent doesn't accept you?" I had to go through that all alone and now as I'm becoming 17; Im working extra hard with the classes I pick and choose. Comfort and acceptance are one of the most needed things as you grow up. I would love to become someone's support and help them through. Also to educate the young about health and health safety. I also would want to help anyone trying to enter the career I plan to enter because I don't find much on how to become a critical care nurse. Being a critical care nurse for the army means supporting them and the families of the people serving our country. It would be my greatest honor to help out and become a great part of that community and to help it grow and flourish.