I always try to give when I can give. I live in Atlanta and there are a lot of homeless people. I see people capable of giving and ignore them constantly. Nobody is entitled to somebody's help, but I feel if you can give, you should. If I don't have cash, I offer to buy them something with my card. If I have no money, I offer some of my food or water. If I have nothing, I at least say hello and acknowledge them as the human they are. I understand those who ignore them for safety as I have had dangerous interactions with the homeless, but if that isn't the case, why not help? I also try to spread kindness and positivity to those around me. Life is really hard and full of constant negatives, but simple things like asking if somebody is okay, complimenting them, helping them with something, or telling them it'll be okay can turn somebody's day around. If I see somebody looking very insecure, I compliment them. If I see someone looking lost, I offer help. If I see somebody visibly upset, I tell them that I may not know them, but I care and things will be okay. You don't have to do something huge and revolutionary to enact positive change. Just small simple things like giving extra change or smiling at somebody can be enough.

I hope to be the person I needed in the past. I have handled most of my life troubles on my own with no true guide. This led to bad decisions and situations. I always wished I had someone who understood and could guide me. I didn't though, but I want to be that person for others. The main thing I mentor those around me in is coping with mental health. Mental illness is something that can never be fully understood by someone who never dealt with it. Even if someone has had low mental health in the past, they can't fully grasp what an illness is like. However, it's hard to find help for other mentally ill people as they are struggling and confused too. I do not know everything, but I try my hardest to share what I've learned and what I do with those who need that guidance.

I advocate for better public transportation. One of the hugest things harming our climate is the gases and fuels leaked into our system by motor vehicles, but it is hard to find a good alternative. People need transportation to get to work, stores, schools, homes, etc. Some people are lucky enough to live in an area with great public transportation, but not everywhere does. Cities and towns further from cities have little to no public transportation for the people. This makes a situation where people have to use their cars to go places. While walking and biking are great alternatives, they aren't realistic for all situations. Most people work too far to walk. Many streets lack proper space for bikes. Areas that cater towards walking and biking citizens should encourage that over driving, but most places do not. Carpooling is a great alternative, but not everybody can do that. If you live far from where you work with no nearby coworkers, it's difficult. Also, it's not fair to ask someone to drive far out of their way to get you to work just to carpool. The point of carpooling is that it's simple, not difficult. Public transportation is the best solution as it will allow reliable transportation while slowing down pollution.

For a long time, I have dealt with bad self-esteem and body issues. From a young age up to now, I struggle with disordered eating and body dysmorphia. I hated going out because I felt every flaw about me was being picked at by everybody around me. I couldn't keep healthy friendships because I'd constantly compare myself to them and get jealous. I never wore what I wanted to wear because I was too insecure. However, things are different now. I still get insecure, I still struggle with my eating, and my body dysmorphia is very active, but I face it bravely and live my best life. I realized that my physical and mental health is more important than my looks. I bravely seek help when needed and recognize that progress isn't linear. I experiment with my style and wear a variety of clothes that I find cute, even if I worry if I look "fat" in them. I have a very outgoing personality. I use to be shy due to my hating my body, but now I'm unapologetically me. I speak up for body positivity and intuitive eating. This can be very hard and scary since people online are very mean. I have gotten endless hate just for saying I believe everybody, fat or skinny, should love themselves. It's an important topic to me so I bravely speak out about it. Even though it is very scary to speak out and live boldly, I do it because it's so important to educate people on body positivity, eating disorder prevention, and fatphobia. Especially since nowadays everyone uses filters, surgery, and photoshop to get their dream body, it's important to remind little girls and boys that they are perfect the way they are.

A change that I believe would make education better is more interactive classes. The education system has gotten better at allowing students hands-on experience with the things they're learning. As humans, we are not meant to sit in a chair all day. Especially in this day and age where children tend to have shorter attention spans, it is imperative to have engaging activities. Math classes can improve by having projects that utilize the skills they're learning. For example, in my high school geometry class, we had a project where we constructed a bridge out of noodles and tried to make it hold the most weight. To do this we had to use the math we were learning to make predictions. History classes can retell history in a way that children understand. There are two great examples of this. The "Brown Eye, Blue Eye," experiment was done during the civil rights movement to teach children about racism and discrimination. She switched the roles as well so everyone experienced both sides and understood. The second example is the "Third Wave" experiment. A teacher created a movement called the "Third Wave" and used it to demonstrate mob mentality and what led to things such as people following Hitler. It allowed students to fully grasp intense topics in a way they can relate to. English classes can have projects that relate to the content in the current book. For example, in middle school I read the book, "Roll of Thunder, Hear me Cry," and as a project, my teacher requested we compile a playlist of songs that related to the story and explain why. This was a good activity because it allowed students to fully understand the concepts in a story and transform it into a playlist of songs they like. Science is already interactive so not much change is needed there. Those are just very few examples of things that can be implemented in classrooms to keep students engaged and confirm they're learning.

A person I admire from history is Claudette Colvin. In a way, she started the civil rights movement. Her name is often erased in history and her legacy is forgotten. In 1995, Colvin refused to give up her seat to a white woman on a bus and was arrested. This act is what led to Rosa Parks doing the same thing. The civil rights movement was very planned out, things did not happen out of the blue as we thought. Rosa Parks' refusal to move on the bus was planned in advance. It still holds the same importance as it was a symbol and a sign that the oppressed were no longer going to allow themselves to be oppressed, but it was planned beforehand. They needed a female face for the movement, and unfortunately, Colvin didn't cut it. She was dark-skinned, she didn't have "good hair", and she got pregnant as a teen. Meanwhile, Parks was an accomplished, well-known woman with lighter skin and "good hair". Both women are very important and I am in no way trying to erase Rosa Parks as she is important, but, sadly, Colvin does not get the recognition she deserves. I admire her because she was unapologetically herself. That day on the bus, all her friends moved except her. Colvin did not look to see what others were doing or fall into submission, she followed her heart and mind. I am a very passionate (and stubborn) person like Colvin. If I believe something is wrong, I will not do it. Colvin was the same way. Having the courage to stand up for what is right is not easy, yet Colvin did it. She didn't do it for recognition or to go down in history, she did it for herself.

My goal in the future is to be a freelance American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter. I want to become an interpreter because it is a field that is in dire need of workers. I enjoy sign language. I've studied it for a few years now, and it truly is a beautiful language. I also love helping people and the Deaf community are a group of people who do need help. Despite it being 2022 ableism (discrimination against those with disabilities and/or special needs) and audism (discrimination against hard of hearing and deaf persons) is very rampant. As a black woman, I am well aware of what it is like to live in a society that does not accept you, so I want to make sure I do everything in my power to make sure others do not have to feel that way. Working as an interpreter will allow me to not only help provide services Deaf people need, but also interact with the community and learn what I can do with my hearing privilege to stand up against audism.

As somebody who is mentally ill and struggles with mental health, this is what I personally view as a practical solution. Validate the person. When you struggle with mental health you can feel crazy sometimes. You don't fully understand your emotions or why you feel the things you feel. To have somebody sit there and tell you it is okay to feel the way you're feeling and we will navigate this together can truly help so much. For example, I have depression. My mom would often try to cheer me up by reminding me how good my life is, how much I'm loved, and how I could have it so much worst. She does this from the goodness of her heart and means well, but it makes me feel worse. Now instead of just being depressed, I feel guilty. I'm asking myself why I am feeling so depressed when everything around me is alright. I believe there are certain steps you can take to validate other's feelings. First, listen to them. A lot of times all somebody wants is to have somebody to talk to. They may not even want any advice, just a listening ear. Next, allow them to feel. If they start crying, let them. These are emotions they have bottled up for a while and stifling them only makes it worst. Next, ask them what they want. Do they want advice? Support? A hug? Asking this can prevent you from invalidating them or upsetting them more. You can find out what they need, and give it to them. Finally, reassure them. Let them know their feelings are valid and that it is okay to not be okay.

I am diagnosed with multiple mental illnesses so optimism is very difficult for me. There are a few things I do to help regain optimism. First, I reflect on my past. I think of how every single time I felt like I hit rock bottom, I made it out. I think of how everything is temporary. My pain is temporary. When I am going through a depressive episode, it is really hard to remain positive. I feel so horrible and suicidal. When I feel myself getting those dark thoughts, I remind myself that this will end. In a few days, I won't feel this way anymore. Yes, it will come back because I have a disorder, but it also will go away each time. Second, I think of all the things I enjoy about life. I think of every small thing that makes me smile such as fresh morning air, the first bite of food after not eating, or the feeling you get after riding a rollercoaster. Thinking of these simple yet beautiful things reminds me of the beauty in life. Third, I think of all those who look up to me. I need to be living proof that things will get better and be okay. I want people who felt so alone and scared like past me to know that they aren't alone and there is a way to be better. Fourth, I fake it until I make it. I force the half-glass full mindset on. When I find myself being negative, I counter it with a positive thought. It is important to not suppress any feelings, even bad ones, but it is equally important to be able to replace those negative feelings with positive ones.

I am horrible at studying. For the longest time, I did not understand how to study. I would read my notes, yet nothing would stick. I would try to study in groups, but I always fell behind everyone. I'd re-watch lectures and still nothing. Until college, this was not a huge issue. I was a great test-taker. Most of it was common sense or we practiced it enough in class that I had a good grasp on it. College however is different. I have found that in college you end up teaching yourself most of the time. You are expected to learn and study on your own. There is no more fun Kahoot games or Jeopardy games for studying. You are given a textbook and paper and told "Good luck!". This led to me struggling to maintain my grades. I went from a straight-A student to someone who was okay with a "D" because it's better than an "F". Last year however I discovered a method that worked for me. Creating study guides was the way I could study. I am a people-pleaser. I always have been and probably always will be. I am way more motivated to study when I know my classmates are counting on me for a study guide. It gives me that extra pressure necessary to push through. Creating a study guide requires me to truly master the different topics and understandably explain them. I do this for every test now, even if I don't share the study guide. It feels less like studying and more like I'm pretending to be a teacher preparing her students for the test. I find it more fun that way and more helpful. Maybe others will as well.

I have quite the collection of mental illnesses so clearing my mind is a necessity. It is so easy to let your thoughts overtake you and send you spiraling. Sometimes it is easier to just give up and have a meltdown. I have an issue where one thought will turn into another and another. It is like a simple mishap will trigger every bad thing that has ever happened. All of these thoughts, memories, and feelings just combine together and grow. It takes a lot of work and resistance to fight back against those thoughts, but there is one tip that always helps me. The tip is separating facts from feelings. I try to recognize what is a realistic, provable thought and what is just a feeling. When I recognize something is just a feeling I then change the thought. When I get these thoughts I try to immediately put a halt to them. It is very difficult because there is always one part of my brain that wants to solidify those negative thoughts and bring me down. Sometimes I am not able to stop the thoughts and they grow out of control. I remind myself though that not every day can be a good day. Even the most powerful, talented, and smartest people have days where they just do not win. However, when I am able to I ask myself a few questions. First, I ask myself, "What are you feeling?". I try to determine what type of emotion it is. Is it sadness? Anger? Jealously? Next, I ask, "What triggered this thought?". If I can recognize the trigger I can learn to avoid or work through it. Then I ask myself "What actual facts do I have to support this thought?". Doing this makes me think logically, not emotionally. I normally am unable to list any facts and if I do they normally can be debunked. After this, I ask myself, "What are some facts that counteract this thought?". I typically end up realizing there is a lot more good than the one bad thing I am stuck on. Finally, I ask myself, "Is this thought a fact or a feeling?". It is almost always a feeling. That is how I change my thinking. For example, I could think, "I'm pathetic and I'll never be able to function in the real world with all my problems,". First, I'd identify that I'm feeling insecure, depressed, and hopeless. Second, I'd identify the trigger. Normally it is the fact one of my disorders made a normal task extra difficult. Maybe that day my depression was really bad and I was late to class because I spent hours trying to force myself out of bed. I then identify any evidence. I would likely argue my struggling to get out of bed is evidence, but that can be debunked. I got out of bed eventually. I was able to do my tasks. I could argue in the "real world" I won't have these accommodations. That is not true either because there are accommodations in workplaces as well and I barely use the ones I have for school, to begin with. I then look at the evidence that counteracts it. That includes the fact I'm succeeding in college, I've held jobs, and I've won against my mental illnesses many times. Finally, I realize, it is a feeling, not a fact. I change my thought to, "Right now I feel pathetic, but in reality, I am not,". This method has helped me prevent mental breakdowns and I highly recommend it.

Life has always been a challenge for me. I struggle with my mental and physical health. I wake up every day knowing my brain is wired differently and there is no cure. I cannot change my chemistry. I can only learn how to cope with it in better ways. This can get very discouraging. It makes me feel like I am set up to suffer and shouldn't even bother. I sometimes feel very hopeless and like things will never get better. Yet I have worked on changing this negative mindset. Some days are harder than others, but I have hope for my future. I know that my issues will not go away, but I also know I will learn how to ease them. I'll find the right medication. I'll learn more coping skills. I'll learn new ways to manage my chronic pain. Sometimes it is hard to look on the bright side and I end up in a dark place. It is hard to be positive when you constantly have negative thoughts. It is hard to have high hopes when your mind is hopeless. Despite this, I push through. A huge thing I try to remember is that only I can dictate my future. I can sit around and waste time wishing things were different or I can accept my circumstances and see the positives.

Years ago I went to see Matilda: The Musical. There was one quote from a song that has always stuck with me. The lyrics were "Just because you find that life's not fair it doesn't mean that you just have to grin and bear it. If you always take it on the chin and wear it you might as well be saying you think that's it's okay and that's not right,". It is saying that life is not fair and there will be a lot of struggles. However, this does not mean you sit and accept it. You have to speak out against the things you find unfair because as the lyric says, you might as well be saying you think that it's okay. I have always been taught choosing neutrality or silence is choosing to side with evil. If something is wrong and you sit back and watch you are enabling it. If you ever want anything to change or be better you need to speak about it. People have always gotten mad at me because I do not let things go, but if I see something that is unfair or wrong I will speak up against it. I feel it's our job as humans to use our voice to help others, especially those who do not have a voice.

Confidence to me means being secure in who you are. Confidence does not mean you see yourself as perfect, nobody is. It means you can recognize your flaws and still love yourself. Confidence is putting your opinion of yourself over the opinions of everybody else. I struggle a lot with confidence. I get very insecure about how I look and my body. One thing that helps me move past this is recognizing beauty is subjective. If some people find me ugly, that is okay. That is not a fault of mine, that is just their view. As for body issues, I remind myself that my body does so much for me everyday. Every single cell is constantly working to keep me alive. I should focus on taking care of my health not my aesthetic. I have struggled with eating disorders in the past, so it is very hard to value health over looks. I remind myself though it is better to gain weight but give your body the nutrition and love it deserves than to deprive my body to be skinnier. I also struggle with being confident in who I am as a person. One thing I remind myself is if I was a horrible person, I would not have friends and family who love me. Not everybody will like me and I need to not let that knock down my self worth. I also remind myself that bad people do not sit and ponder on if they're a good person or not. I'm working on accepting the fact that I am not perfect, nor is anybody else. We all have our flaws and areas we can improve in. If I can accept others have flaws, I can accept that I do to and it's okay.

My experience with mental health has influenced every aspect of my life. I have a lot of mental disorders, but the one I've seen influence me the most is my Obsessive Compulsion Disorder, better known as OCD. This disorder is very misunderstood so I will briefly explain it. It is not just being neat or a germaphobe (for some it may be though). OCD is having these intrusive thoughts that will not go away. Everybody gets intrusive thoughts, but these are different. The worst things imaginable will pop up in your head and play on repeat. The only way to get rid of these thoughts is by compulsions. These can be mental or physical. It can relate to patterns, counting, rituals, and more. My OCD has heavily influenced my beliefs. There are many different forms of OCD and one that I suffer from is religious OCD. This varies from person to person but my thoughts tend to be, "What if God hates me? What if God sees my intrusive thoughts and is disgusted? What if I accidentally worship the Devil?". These may not sound that serious, but these questions will keep me up at night. It will make me question who I am and what I believe. My compulsions vary, but my most common one is praying. I struggle to know if my prayer is a genuine one or a compulsive one. I struggle to even be sure if I have religious OCD due to my religious OCD. I'll get thoughts such as "What if these prayers are genuine and not compulsive, now you're praying less and therefore God will hate you?" which on its own is an OCD thought. Continuing on beliefs, I believe everybody deserves to experience love and everybody has the right to feel comfortable in their body and identity. Therefore I support the LGBT community. Despite that, I do suffer from sexual orientation OCD. Sexual orientation OCD makes me question my sexuality. This is distressing not because I do not want to be LGBT, but because I panic constantly about my identity. People question their identity all the time, but it is different when it is an intrusive thought. They don’t stem from anything and are based on nothing. I get thoughts like, "What if I'm transgender? What if I'm asexual? What if I do not like men?". I know that I’m not transgender or asexual. I know I like men. I have managed to battle this by deciding to not use labels. My OCD cannot make me question my sexuality if I choose not to have one. I know what I like and if I discover I like more than I originally thought, that is okay. My OCD has influenced my relationships. Growing up I was always a "daddy's girl", but randomly my brain decided that my dad can read my mind. This terrified me. Not only because I was a dumb teenager doing dumb teenage things, but because of my intrusive thoughts. I was so worried my dad could hear my intrusive thoughts and just my secrets in general that I completely avoided him. I could not be in the same room as him or even on the same floor. I would have panic attacks when I had to be alone with him. Whenever I had to be around him I had to mentally scream so that way he couldn't "hear my thoughts". I still struggle with the belief my dad can read my mind, but I am trying to mend our relationship and ignore the compulsion to avoid him. OCD has also influenced my relationship with my boyfriend. I get intrusive thoughts questioning my love for him. I know I am in love with my boyfriend but apparently, my OCD thinks otherwise. I get thoughts like, “What if I do not love him and I’m just pretending?” or “What if I’m not attracted to him?”. These lead me to constantly check to see if I love him or if I am attracted to him. I also struggle with the fear he is not “the one”. I am nineteen, I should not be stressed about finding “the one”. My thoughts will go, “What if he is not your soulmate? What if your actual soulmate is out there but you’ll never find them because you are with him?”. I fight these thoughts by remembering not to worry too much about the future. We are in a serious relationship and if things change, that is okay. Surprisingly, my OCD has not influenced my career goals, but my anxiety and depression have. I realized a while ago that working a constant full-time job will be a struggle unless I have accommodations. There are days when my mental illnesses make it impossible to leave. Either my depression keeps me in bed or my anxiety makes me too scared to leave. Most of the time I can pull through. This is mainly due to the anxiety of upsetting my coworkers being higher than my general anxiety. There are days though that I cannot. I used to beat myself up but I remembered if this was a physical illness and I was sick, I’d be allowed to be off. My mental illnesses make me sick and it is no different. Unfortunately, a lot of companies do not value mental health as much as physical. This means any career I have must be a career where I control my schedule. This is why I decided sign language interpreting was great for me. I choose my schedule, I get to help people, and I get to use a language I love so much. I guess for once my mental health had a great influence.

I want to be a freelance American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter, along with that I want to pursue acting and comedy. I also want to be able to help better the lives of others. I started learning ASL in my junior year of high school. At first, I only took it because all of my friends did as well, but I quickly fell in love with it. I have studied Spanish for years and started to learn German, but no language came as easy to me as sign language. Many people fail to recognize sign language as a real language, but it is. A language is a form of communication utilizing rules, grammar, and syntax. ASL has all of those, therefore it is a language and just as important as any other. In that class, I also learned a lot about Deaf history, culture, and struggles they face today. A lot of hearing people don’t know that most Deaf people aren’t living a sad life. Most see it as a trait, not a disability; many reject the word disability. To them, being Deaf or hearing is just like being a blonde or brunette. The world is not very Deaf friendly. They need people to sign for them and help them communicate. I want to be that person. Many interpreters, especially for schools, do not know proper ASL or are truly trained to work with Deaf children. The community lacks the resources they need and I want to be able to provide them. That is why I am attending Georgia State University in Fall 2020 and pursuing a bachelor’s degree in sign language interpreting. I also plan on having a minor in theater. I started theater second semester of my freshman year and have been in every show since. I loved working on stage, off stage, as the main character, or just ensemble. I just loved putting together something to entertain others. I specifically like comedy. I watch a lot of shows with dry or awkward humor such as The Office, Parks and Recreation, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Santa Clarita’s Diet, and my favorite, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. I loved how those shows made things that are normally not funny and turn them into something hilarious. I wanted to be a comedic actress like Drew Barrymore, Aubrey Plaza, or Kaitlyn Olson. Attending college in Atlanta opens a lot of opportunities to network and being a freelance interpreter means I can have a job I love and still have time to pursue other things. I know you go through more rejection than actual jobs, but I don’t expect to be a huge, famous actress. I just want to entertain, even if it’s only one person. Finally, I want to help others. Life is not easy and it has especially not been easy for me. I didn’t have a happy childhood and I’ve been through more things than some people go through in a lifetime. I’d always ask, “Why does God enjoy hurting me?,”, but I realized I’m looking at it the wrong way. Instead of dwelling on the past, I can use my past to help others. Going through what I’ve been through helped me become a more compassionate and open-minded person. I can put myself in anyone’s shoes and relate something to how they’re feeling and help. I believe I go through bad things so I can learn and help others. I’m still learning myself of course, but I have grown a lot and will only allow myself to grow further. My ultimate goal in life is to do a job I enjoy, and I enjoy sign language and acting.

Back in high school, I participated in theater. As a field trip, we all went to the Fox Theater in Atlanta to see Matilda: The Musical. In one song Matilda sings, "Just because you find that life's not fair it doesn't mean that you just have to grin and bear it... Just because I find myself in this story it doesn't mean that everything is written for me. If I think the ending is fixed already I might as well be saying I think that it's okay and that's not right,". That line has always stuck to me. In life we are constantly told that "life's not fair" and "it is what it is", and I don't necessarily agree to that. Yes, life has its downfalls, but everybody has the ability to change their life and situation. Instead of accepting that something is bad and just dealing with it, you can fight against it. I've always believed silence is compliance. As someone who spent their whole life battling mental illness, I understand how it feels to be stuck. My problems are not just caused by trauma, but genetics. It's a chemical imbalance. There is truly no cure. That tends to bring me down sometimes. It hurts to know that no matter what I'll always have these thoughts and feelings. Except, I don't have to. I can learn to cope with them and control them. That doesn't mean the problem will go away, but I can take control. When it comes to mental illness you can only heal if you allow yourself to heal. If you stay in the same place you won't get better. No matter how much medication you take or how many therapy sessions you attend you cannot improve unless you want to. Whenever I feel like giving up or I feel stuck I think of this lyric. It encourages me. It reminds me that if I am unhappy, I do not have to put up with it. I can fight it. My life is not set in stone, I can change things. Any issue there can be fixed. Nothing is truly permanent.