There was a moment in my life when I stood on the precipice of a decision that could have ended everything. The thought of suicide didn’t arrive with the drama of a storm—it crept in subtly, like an option in a video game suddenly becoming available. It was a darkly surreal moment when the boundaries of my reality shifted, and I could almost see the button in my mind that, if pressed, would alter my path forever. That moment was born out of a deep struggle with my mental health, an overwhelming sense of being unwanted, and an inability to see a way forward. But it was also the beginning of my journey to healing. When I chose not to press that metaphorical button, I unknowingly started down a road that would shape my goals, transform my relationships, and broaden my understanding of the world. As with any rock bottom, the only way to go was up. I certainly came back up and beyond, as if all that negative potential energy shot me up into an amazing life that I didn't think I would reach. On a broader scale, my experience has profoundly influenced my worldview. I see the world through a lens of compassion, understanding that the people who appear the happiest may still be fighting hidden battles. Then other experiences like watching the movie titled "A Beautiful Mind" helped me to understand that people who are dealing with obvious trauma are not just difficult people and those who have struggles that we cannot understand are human too. I am driven to advocate for mental health awareness, to bring the darkness into the light so that it can fade away. I believe that by sharing our stories, we can help others feel less alone and empower them to seek the support they deserve. My future aspirations include pursuing a Doctorate Nurse Practitioner degree, which would enable me to conduct impactful research, teach at a professional level, and enhance my credibility. This advanced degree would support the broader influence of the book I am writing, which aims to expand readers' minds through imaginative narratives and inspire them to envision the best versions of themselves. Additionally, earning this degree would help me gain public recognition, which I hope to leverage in launching a nonprofit organization focused on promoting things like healthy habits, strong family values, community engagement, work dedication, financial literacy, and other essential principles that contribute to lasting positive change. In conclusion, my mental health journey has transformed my pain into purpose. It has given me the strength to envision a future where mental health is openly discussed, where seeking help is celebrated, and where everyone feels valued. Winning the Ethel Hayes Destigmatization of Mental Health Scholarship would not only support my education but also amplify my voice in this critical conversation. I am determined to honor my story and, in doing so, help others find hope in theirs.

First, I love all forms of art. I even believe that art is in everything we do, from the way we play music to the way we do our jobs to the way we pick up our forks. So, what do I love about writing? I love that it is like talking, but as a person who sometimes talks faster than he could think, I love how writing forces me to take things down a notch. It forces me to slow down my thoughts and even gives me the opportunity to look back at what I "said" and analyze it further. But enough about me. Let me tell you about why I love writing for other people. I would argue that writing has more potential than any other art form as it grants me access to create images, stories, and lessons in the minds of others, which act as completely unique canvases. It amazes me how words can seem like something in my head and have it manifest in a totally different way through someone else. It's fun when I write a silly poem about squirrels and their relationship with pearls and how the pearls throw their lives into whirls as the pearls cause quarrels. It's a bit more serious when I'm trying to get money from organizations like yours to help me pay off my crippling debt (I appreciate this opportunity so much). It's quite a bit more serious when I am writing about the struggles of a person who battles with substances, thoughts of ending their lives, or a has a complete lack of empathy. I write about the latter examples because I care about spreading love and compassion. I believe one of the most important things we can do in these times is learn to sympathize with others because it grants us a greater understanding of those whose lives differ from ours and more patience with those we cannot even begin to understand. These points are my motivation to return to school. I dream of earning a doctorate nurse practitioner degree. This would allow me to conduct research, teach on a professional level, and would add to my credibility. This degree would hopefully amplify the impact of the book that I am currently writing. The book is about imagination and its purpose is to expand the reader's mind with various perspectives and wild stories while using those perspectives and stories to imagine the best version of themselves. Of note, this book includes all stories kinds of stories from wholesome to funny to frighteningly realistic but without becoming too graphic. The degree would also aid me in getting public notoriety to help me start up a nonprofit organization aiming to teach people about things like healthy body and mind habits, the importance of wholesome family values and community, dedication to work, financial literacy, and anything else that has a true and lasting impact on our minds. The student loans from my nursing degree certainly make me reluctant to return to school, and probably will for years. The time I spend working to pay off the loans is time that I would otherwise use to work on my writing, volunteering, and other developments. Please consider me as a recipient so that I may pay down these harsh loans and return to purposeful productivity. Thank you for taking the time to read this and I thank the Creative. Inspired. Happy Mid-Career Writing Scholarship panel for establishing this fund. These sorts of things help alleviate anxieties and unlock potential, so that makes you partners in my pursuit of mental health improvement.

For me, success is directly measured by how happy I am. I believe this measure works well for just about anyone. I would say the homeless person who still smiles and laughs is more successful than the rich person who lives in paranoia at the thought of losing his fortune, the person enjoying survival in the woods more successful than the person with a steady job that they hate and boring day-to-day life, and the person who's spirituality is intact more successful than the one fruitlessly attending church every day. I realize that success is more complicated than this but as a person motivated to leave the best possible mark on this world, I find that I am happiest when my day is full of actions and progress that lead towards greatness and I am proud to have joyful days. I would even bet that many people out there are more share this sentiment with me. As a child, I wanted to save the world. I figured some aliens or zombies would take over the planet, or the world would go into another world war. As a very young boy who watched a tasteful amount of fantasy movies, I learned that the best way to save the world was to learn how to fight, fly airplanes, and yell at presidents. Growing up, I realized that the world doesn't need such drastic problems to require saving. I realized in high school that saving the world would probably be more complicated than my younger self had imagined. By late high school, I noticed that one of the biggest problems we have is our mental health. I have since then dedicated myself to saving our mental health. With the problem being our minds, I deduced that the issues would not be resolved by punching bad guys. After brainstorming practical ways to get me towards my goals, I earned a degree in nursing and I am now a registered nurse on a psychiatric unit, giving me real-world experience in some of the extreme cases of mental illness. I also study psychology independently by reading books written by psychologists and neurobiologists. My goal is to have a deep understanding of mental health issues, and the various things we can do to improve on them. This scholarship would help me return to school for a doctorate nurse practitioner degree. This degree would allow me to conduct research, teach on a professional level, and would add to my credibility. This would hopefully amplify the impact of the book that I am currently writing. The book is about imagination and its purpose is to expand the reader's mind with various perspectives and wild stories while using those perspectives and stories to imagine the best version of themselves. The degree would also aid me in getting public notoriety to help me start up a nonprofit organization aiming to teach people about things like healthy body and mind habits, the importance of wholesome family values and community, dedication to work, financial literacy, and anything else that has a true and lasting impact on our minds. Truth be told, these are goals that I pursue every day, and I am confident that my dedication will take me to where I want to be. However, the current $100,000 student loans from my nursing degree delay me from returning to school, and probably will for years. The time I spend working to pay off the loans is time that I would otherwise use to work on my writing, volunteering, and other developments. Please consider me as a recipient so that I may pay down these harsh loans. Thank you for taking the time to read this and I thank the Redefining Victory Scholarship panel for establishing this fund. These sorts of things help alleviate anxieties and unlock potential, so, that makes you partners in my pursuit of mental health improvement.

As a person who wants to be a hero, wants to work with people, and wants to work in a field full of opportunity both professionally and even geographically, nursing just made sense to me. From a personal standpoint, I have struggled with mental health for most of my teenage and early adult life. This has been a key influence in my career choice because I was also able to note how many people around me also struggled with mental health, so I knew I wanted to be a hero of this field. My professional focus is on mental health. My goals include pursuing a doctorate nurse practitioner degree, starting up a non-profit organization for mental health, and publishing books. As a doctorate nurse practitioner, I would be able to conduct my own research and teach professionally. That would mean that I could write hypotheses on prevalent issues (ie. psychological side effects such as ADHD caused by regular use of technology in populations of children or teaching spirituality practices to homeless populations and its effect on depression and drug use), use that data to impact legislation, and go on to teach all the things I've learned professionally. This would also help to establish my credibility, which would likely increase effectiveness and funding for my potential nonprofit organization. My nonprofit would focus on educating the public about things they can do to strengthen their mental health and hopefully, the community, which could have the domino effect of passing teachings forward so that we may all have access to not only knowledge on mentally healthy habits but a community that cares and connects. Regarding my writing, my books are about imagination, with the purpose of expanding the reader's mind, and then having them imagine the best version of themselves. This includes looking into their spirituality and religion, having a set of values that respect the individual but also promote love and kindness in the community, and teaching about other healthy habits in a fun and creative way. Personal accomplishments to date that have helped in my pursuit include becoming a registered nurse, reading many psychological and self help books to make myself a strong resource for educating on healthy habits, and beginning writing my books which has been a truly enriching endeavor as it encourages me to explore my own biases and also keep up to date with the things I want to write about. During nursing school, I was working as a nursing assistant on a med/surg floor for about four years, and now I work as a registered nurse on a psychiatric unit. I also volunteer with a church group for about 3 years, which includes playing music with a band, hosting fellowships, and teaching the youth. I understand this scholarship is for students who have not yet completed their graduate degrees, but I am driven to achieve higher levels of education and I am reluctant to follow though because of my already gargantuan student loans from RN schooling. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this entry and please consider me for this scholarship opportunity so that I may grow my baccalaureate nursing degree into a doctorate nursing degree.

I've spent most of my youth with a few minor mental health issues and a major depression, so I'm very familiar with mental health. Despite my problems, I've always wanted to be a hero, so after considering many other fields of work, deductive reasoning lead me into the mental health arena. As time went on, I've kept a close eye on all the issues that we have faced historically, issues we are facing at the moment, and issues that we might see in the future. As part of my passion, I have taken the prerogative of learning about all kinds of healthy habits in order to make myself the best resource for health. As a person constantly learning, my daily habits are constantly evolving, using scientifically sound resources to inform my decisions. So here's something about me; the daily habit I aspire to achieve daily. Wake up, drink water, meditate for minimum of 10 minutes, eat a well balanced breakfast, go for a walk (K-9 companionship encouraged), engage in productive things ( i.e. work, exercise, create art, be with loved ones), then spend the last hour of the day stretching, then reading. There are many smaller details not listed, but my word count is limited to 600. It is these kinds of things that I want to teach and encourage. My goals include pursuing a doctorate nurse practitioner degree, starting up a non-profit organization for mental health, and publishing books. As a doctorate nurse practitioner, I would be able to conduct my own research and teach professionally. That would mean that I could write hypotheses on prevalent issues (ie. psychological side effects such as ADHD caused by regular use of technology in populations of children or teaching spirituality practices to homeless populations and its effect on depression and drug use), use that data to impact legislation, and go on to teach all the things I've learned professionally. This would also help to establish my credibility, which would likely increase effectiveness and funding for my potential nonprofit organization. The idea for my nonprofit would focus on educating the public about things they can do to strengthen their mental health and hopefully, the community, which could have the domino effect of passing teachings forward so that we may all have access to not only knowledge on mentally healthy habits but a community that cares and connects. Regarding my writing, my books are about imagination, with the purpose of expanding the reader's mind, and then having them imagine the best version of themselves. This includes looking into their spirituality and religion, having a set of values that respect the individual but also promote love and kindness in the community, and teaching about other healthy habits in a fun and creative way. I believe in humanity, and I also believe that the world tends to give us back what we put into it. I want to be a force of love in this world so that I may inspire, support, and empower us to pursue healthy minds and bodies, giving us our best possible lives, families, and communities. I would also like to thank the Lena B. Davis Memorial Scholarship and its contributors for making efforts to help our society. I appreciate your time spent reading my application and would be forever grateful to receive this scholarship.

"The Creative Act: A Way of Being" by Rick Rubin There are main two reasons I recommend this book. The first reason is that it is a very easy read. The language is simple and very importantly, the chapters are broken up into very short, 2-3 page sections. I say this part is very important because people nowadays are used to viewing content in very short bursts and now have a difficult time dedicating 20-30 minute stretches of time to something like reading. This book makes it very simple to read for about 5 minutes in the morning to get the creative juices flowing. The second reason is that the book shows how anybody can be creative in their own way. It elegantly highlights how ubiquitous opportunity is in our lives and how anyone can be a conduit for the kind of creativity that suits them, so long as they open their minds to the possibility. This is a very modern book in my eyes because we do live in one of the most unique times in all of history. We have such abundant access to technology that it might be considered wasteful to not take advantage of it. Technology allows us to teach ourselves any art, whether it be a literal art such as music, or a profession like carpentry or electrical work. Then the technology also allows us to take our arts and crafts and share them with the world through media. So unlike self-help books like "Atomic Habits" or "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People", which I would otherwise recommend, I see this book as both very approachable and freeing. Approachable in its language and pacing. Freeing in its method of opening our eyes to the liberating joy of art. I believe art is becoming a lost art as technology facilitates increased time spent consuming media and the creation of said media being done by AI. There's little room for human creativity, but I hope that we can continue to push the envelope of human creativity. So, give this book a read and consider me for this scholarship opportunity. I want to spend my time creating things but unfortunately, I'm spending much of my time trying to pay off students debts, a common obstacle faced by my peers. Peers whom I would love to see dabbling in more creativity.

Growing up, depression and thoughts of suicide were my worst adversities. I was surrounded by people who normalized thoughts of suicide. My friends and even some family members would always joke about the sweet release of death and the nihilistic idea of "don't worry, one day it'll all be over". In hindsight, there are some other contributing mental factors that I never considered. My addiction to video games never seemed like an issue and nobody commented on my lack of physical activity so I thought it was normal to play video games 24/7. Eventually, the anxieties I've always had about whether or not I would be successful or happy in the future just seemed like thoughts that would never go away. And lastly, I never realized how spirituality and purpose affected our mental health. To me, it was normal to want to die, everybody wants to die, and anyone who wants to live is crazy. And for sure, there was nothing I could do differently to make me not want to die. To overcome this, I gradually started doing things to improve myself. I became more physically active, slowly conquered my addiction to video games, took up the daily habit of meditation, started exploring different belief systems and the values that they held, and started learning about positive perspectives, attitudes, and everything I could about healthy physical and mental health habits. Over time, the anxious rumination of "Will I be successful and happy?" turned into "How can I be happy and successful?" This change in wordplay made the world of a difference. Then as I grew in wisdom, focus, and resilience, I achieved the capacity to ponder what my true purpose would be. I was shaped by my dreams of leaving the world a better place than how I found it. My struggle with mental health plus my observations of those who were struggling made it obvious that we are facing a huge mental health crisis. I had found my target and I became motivated to get my mental health straight. In my current shape, I am passionate about preventative care. To strengthen our national preventative care, I want to return to school for a doctorate nurse practitioner degree. This would allow me to conduct research, teach on a professional level, and would add to my credibility. It would also hopefully amplify the impact of the book that I am currently writing. The book is about imagination and its purpose is to expand the reader's mind with various perspectives and wild stories while using those perspectives and stories to imagine the best version of themselves. The degree would also aid me in getting public notoriety to help me start up a nonprofit organization aiming to teach people about things mentioned in my book. Things like healthy body and mind habits, the importance of wholesome family values and community, dedication to work, financial literacy, and anything else that has a true and lasting impact on our minds. To someone facing similar adversities, here's the honest advice I would give. "[fudge] around and find out". Allow me to elaborate. What really kept me alive during my years of struggle was knowing that things could get better. To "[fudge] around" is to learn. Learn about healthy habits and perspectives. And to "find out" is to experience. See your own life improve before your eyes and use that experience to motivate the next. I would've never been where I am now if I ended my life when I wanted to. I've found happiness, and I know the rest of us can too.

Growing up, I wanted to be a police officer. My idea of positive action was to be a hero who beats up bad guys. As I got older, I realized that the true enemy of our society these days is the condition of our mental health, and if I tried to punch people in their brains, things would just get worse. I had to find another approach. So, I got into mental health nursing. As a youngster, even when I was still planning on being a cop, I wanted to serve as a social role model. I smiled at everyone, I was friends with the kids who were often excluded, I was always checking that everyone felt comfortable, and I tried my best to be a mediator. For me, if I was taking care of everyone around me, then I was taking care of myself. That is because I believe in good karma, good relationships, and "passing it forward". This behavior never ceased. When I got older, I felt more inclined to start fighting mental health problems but with love instead of fists. After graduating high school, I pursued a nursing career and ended up working on a behavioral health unit. All the while, I was learning more about physical and mental health and I made sure to actively but tastefully teach everything I was learning to anybody willing to listen. I always preach meditation, healthy diet and sleep habits, the importance of healthy and loving relationships, and the power of purpose. I always work to remain updated on these habits and practical ways to implement them into one's life. I'm lucky enough to work a job that involves teaching about all these healthy things, and I consistently go above and beyond because I so firmly believe that the things I teach to my patients will go on to their families and loved ones, making the domino effect of change. I also currently volunteer with a church group, where we play in the music ministry to spread love through sound, and often teach the youth, where we get to teach and be role models for the young ones. But it's not enough for me. I have things going on outside to help spread the knowledge too. I am currently writing a book about imagination, which guides the reader to imagine our real world of possibilities and then the best possible version of themselves. Likely the first of many books about imagination. I also hope to begin a nonprofit organization with the mission of spreading awareness of all the things that have a real and lasting impact on our mental health such as self-care, family values, and community. Lastly, I want to pursue the title of DNP which would allow me to research and teach in a professional capacity. Using data from my research, I hope to find the best ways to live a physically and mentally healthy lifestyle, and the best ways to teach those things to our communities. With enough data and willpower, I hope to even impact some laws and healthcare funding. Some examples, teaching children mindfulness exercises in schools to combat the ADHD epidemic we will be facing from excessive screen time, and giving healthcare providers incentives to use more holistic approaches to mental health like prescribing 30 minutes of outdoor walking five times a week to remedy depression. I still have a lot to learn, but I want to leave the world better than how I found it. Please consider me for this scholarship so that I may return to school and get these actions rolling!

"Always give 100%. Except when you're giving blood" - one of my co-volunteers. This quote actually relates to my first community service, which was donating blood in high school and I've donated about 5 gallons since then. Before addressing the essay question, I must divulge that improving mental health is my true calling. I have a deep love for everyone in the world and want to leave the world better than how it was when I got here. Everything I do is with this goal in mind. Nowadays, I am part of a church group that volunteers both in and out of the church. In the church, we are part of a music ministry, and many of us, including myself, teach the youth. Outside of church, we occasionally set up charity events like donation runs or concerts to raise money and give back to the community. Professionally, I am a psychiatric registered nurse. I use my time at work to go above and beyond positively impacting my patient's lives. I pay extra attention to my own thoughts and feelings, fortifying my patience and allowing me to be a calm resource for the patients to rely on, an outgoing nurse who reaches out to those who feel isolated, and a role model for everyone. My love for humanity and belief in a better future have powered me to do the following things. I consistently learn about everything that can improve our quality of life and fervently but tastefully teach anybody willing to listen. I stay informed about real problems that people face and take others' perspectives into account. I reach out to those who feel isolated and dedicate myself to making them feel included, even at the expense of looking foolish. Lastly, I push my comfort zone to make myself better at everything mentioned above. In the future, I want to return to school for a doctorate nurse practitioner degree. This would allow me to conduct research, teach on a professional level, and would add to my credibility. This degree would hopefully amplify the impact of the book that I am currently writing. The book is about imagination and its purpose is to expand the reader's mind with various perspectives and wild stories while using those perspectives and stories to imagine the best version of themselves. The degree would also aid me in getting public notoriety to help me start up a nonprofit organization aiming to teach people about things like healthy body and mind habits, the importance of wholesome family values and community, dedication to work, financial literacy, and anything else that has a true and lasting impact on our minds. I want everything I do to have a positive impact on the world. I love role modeling because I know I can inspire people to take better care of themselves which can have a domino effect of good change (one person behaves differently, the people around them will behave differently). I believe in my ability to teach and I am driven to publish books so that people may learn what they are capable of and start my nonprofit organization to reach an even larger community. The most important part, I will keep an open and curious mind so that I remain updated on both facts and perspectives. Thank you for taking the time to read this and I thank the Priscilla Shireen Luke Scholarship for establishing this fund. These sorts of things help alleviate anxieties and unlock potential, so that makes you partners in my pursuit of mental health improvement.

Today, it is very normal for kids to grow up with their faces in a screen, being fed mostly hormone/antibiotic-rich food by their low-income, single parents whom use substances when their child is asleep. That tells me that our children are at high risk for mental health issues. That's where I come in. I'm a registered nurse in psychiatry. Mental health is what really got me into nursing. I grew up surrounded by mental health issues, and I have deduced that if we can get our minds right, many other great things will follow. The best form is healthcare is primary care. How can we prevent mental health issues in children brought up with these statistical disadvantages, and what can we do to foster better parenthood? Please note, I am not attacking parents, but the current systems that are in place. Honestly, the pediatric side of mental health care is very intimidating to me. However, I find it imperative to address this population since they are the future of society and I fear for their turnout. I read about the psychology of all ages, and I hope to use that knowledge to make some changes for the youth by conducting mental health research and trying to impact the funding and infrastructure with my findings. Some ideas to help our child in the first paragraph. To combat the damage done by screen time, add mindfulness practices to schools for children of all ages. To promote nutritional education and creativity, provide young children with organic and colorful foods in grade school and make cooking classes a regular part of high school. To help alleviate or prevent financial stress, provide financial education for high-schoolers to help them learn financial mindsets and plan success (this could help young people practice delayed gratification and prevent impulsivity). To maintain our ability to use healthy coping skills, push for increased encouragement and availability for the arts. My career focus is on overall mental health, so a lot of what I do will be for adult mental health. Lets look at correlation between the status of a parents mental health and the overall health of their child. Notice in the first paragraph, I mentioned the parent with financial struggle, failed marriage, and substance misuse. I want to help this parent as well so that the child may have a better upbringing. If this parent learned how to take advantage of financial opportunities, they could get the more money for food, turn skills into trades, even from home, and create a budget to help establish a safe financial plan with a fund for emergencies and retirement. If they learned about both proper communication and appreciation for their partners, and about the vital character traits of a person who is worthy of a serious relationship, they might find a partner who can love them properly, serve as a parent for their children, and together, role model what a healthy relationship looks like. Then with proper treatment for their substance issues, they can be free of the emotional, physical, and financial side effects of it. I have a deep love for everyone in this world and I'm working to spread that love with practical solutions. I still have much to learn, but if you look on my bio, you'll see some of the efforts I'm making to learn and pursue a greater future. Thank you for taking the time to read this entry. I plan to make the world a better place for us and our children so I hope that my efforts reach you and your loved ones one day.

As a child, I wanted to save the world. I figured some aliens or zombies would take over the planet, or the world would go into another world war. As a very young boy who watched a tasteful amount of fantasy movies, I learned that the best way to save the world was to learn how to fight, fly airplanes, and yell at presidents. Growing up, I realized that the world doesn't need such drastic problems to need saving. My passion was saving the world, and I knew by then that it would probably be more complicated than my younger self had imagined. By late high school, I realized that one of the biggest problems we have is our mental health. I have since then dedicated myself to saving our mental health. With the problem being our minds, I deduced that the issues would not be resolved by punching bad guys. After brainstorming practical ways to get me towards my goals, I went to nursing school and I am now a registered nurse on a psychiatric unit, giving me real-world experience in some of the extreme cases of mental illness. I also study psychology independently by reading books written by psychologists and neurobiologists. My goal is to have a deep understanding of mental health issues, and the various things we can do to improve on them. As far as being a team player, my sport in high school was volleyball which I played for all four years, and I now play in an amateurs' league. In all of my work settings, my highest priority after making sure my role was covered was to increase morale. That involved making everyone in the setting feel comfortable with their peers, encouraging members to do their best in their roles, and sensibly empowering the team to love one another. Now, I volunteer with a church group, where I play in the music ministry, teach the youth, and participate in other sporadic volunteering opportunities. One path I'd love to take is returning to school for a doctorate nurse practitioner degree. This would allow me to conduct research, teach on a professional level, and would add to my credibility. This degree would hopefully amplify the impact of the book that I am currently writing. The book is about imagination and its purpose is to expand the reader's mind with various perspectives and wild stories while using those perspectives and stories to imagine the best version of themselves. The degree would also aid me in getting public notoriety to help me start up a nonprofit organization aiming to teach people about things like healthy body and mind habits, the importance of wholesome family values and community, dedication to work, financial literacy, and anything else that has a true and lasting impact on our minds. Truth be told, these are goals that I pursue every day, and I am confident that my dedication will take me to where I want to be. However, the $120,000 student loans from my nursing degree certainly impede me from returning to school, and probably will for years. The time I spend working to pay off the loans is time that I would otherwise use to work on my writing, volunteering, and other developments. Please consider me as a recipient so that I may pay down these harsh loans. Thank you for taking the time to read this and I thank the Morgan Levine Dolan law firm for establishing this fund. These sorts of things help alleviate anxieties and unlock potential, so that makes you partners in my pursuit of mental health improvement.

There is a Japanese idea called Ikigai, which loosely translates to "reason to live". It is the idea that work ought to be something you love, are good at, can be paid to do, and is needed by the world. The people who live life with this as a guide often live to one hundred years old, and maintain their independence all that time. This serves as some evidence that learning relevant skills can make us feel young. My Ikigai is serving our mental health. I've always had a deep concern for the mental well-being of the people around me. Having gone through trials of my own and seeing the people around me deal with theirs, I knew I wanted to take part in guiding people towards a healthier life. To make a career out of mental health, I took a few common skills and made them my own. Funny story here, I was taught at a young age that the ability to speak to people is one of the most important skills you can have. Schools rewarded us for active class participation, the adults in my life often modeled sociability, and all the wisest people I know and listen to have told me that people are the best resource in the world. So, I became such a social butterfly that I figured I was a natural extrovert, but very recently, I learned that I actually have many more introverted traits, and simply learned all the social skills through practice. I am sure glad I did, though. The skills of sociability specifically have made me the kind of person who can talk to anybody, especially those who nobody else wants to talk to. I suppose you could say that's why I work so naturally as a psychiatric nurse with a patient population of people who are often marginalized. I use my communication skills to make my patients feel safe and heard, while also teaching them how they can maintain and improve their life outside of the facility. However, work is just one example. Since elementary school, I've made sure to keep people included and comfortable in social situations. My ability to speak to people is complimented by my other vital skill, which is to learn. I make it a point to learn everything I can about psychology, healthy habits, spirituality, and community. These two skills together make it possible for me to reach audiences about topics that not everyone would often talk about. My learned inclination to make friends is boosted by all the interesting topics that I've learned about and my enthusiasm regarding these topics is often found to be contagious. This makes it possible to bolster conversations with other people about things like doing exercise to help with depression, getting involved with your community to bring a greater sense of purpose, and daily meditation to help one find spirituality, gratitude, and inner peace. My Ikigai is to be an incredible mental health model, and to make the world better through understanding and teaching the importance of physical health, individual mental health, family values, and community efforts. I have other skills like playing music and sports, keeping a clean living space, and writing, which help facilitate conversations. I use everything I have at my disposal to try to reach people and teach positive things. Thank you for reading my entry. Scholarships like this do great things for the mental health of our community and our future generations, so the Team ROX scholarship and its contributors have my deepest gratitude.

Psychology may not be the first thing people think of when they hear the word STEM. One major issue is that it is almost entirely subjective. Studying behavior is not something that can be recorded as black and white as the differential equations or Bernoulli's principle. For me, however, psychology is the most interesting field because of that. It is the only field of science that requires those exploring it to be entirely humble and aware of their individual and cultural morals and values. So, let me tell you more about me. I've always been interested in psychology. Watching movies, crime shows and documentaries about people with severe mental health issues has always intrigued me. In school, psychology, philosophy, and social studies were always the classes I loved to be in, and was most vocal in them. As time has progressed, I've taken my studies of the mind further in-depth by studying psychology and neurobiology independently by reading books written by doctors in those fields. I also currently work as a registered nurse in a psychiatric unit, where I see and guide people through their mental health crises. What inspired this career choice? Well, I've always wanted to be a hero. My first career choice was to be a police officer because I figured I could save the world by punching bad guys. However, as I grew older, I realized that the issues we face are much more complicated than a bunch of bad guys that need to be beaten up. I realized that society's problems are actually rooted in mental health and those problems need to be addressed with love and understanding. Thus my purpose is to love and understand the minds of all, so that I may innovate how we treat our mental health. One of my career aspirations is returning to school for a doctorate nurse practitioner degree. This would allow me to conduct research, teach on a professional level, and would add to my credibility. This degree would hopefully amplify the impact of another career aspiration of mine, which is to publish the book I am currently writing about imagination. Its purpose is to expand the reader's mind with various perspectives and wild stories while using those perspectives and stories to imagine the best version of themselves. The degree would also aid me in getting public notoriety to help me start up another career aspiration, a nonprofit organization aiming to teach people about things like healthy body and mind habits, the importance of wholesome family values and community, dedication to work, financial literacy, and anything else that has a true and lasting impact on our minds. Truth be told, these are goals that I pursue every day, and I am confident that my dedication will take me to where I want to be. However, the student loans from my nursing degree certainly impede me from returning to school, and probably will for years. The time I spend working to pay off the loans is time that I would otherwise use to work on my writing, volunteering, and other developments. Please consider me as a recipient so that I may take a chunk out of these harsh loans. Thank you for taking the time to read this and I thank the HM Family Scholarship for establishing this fund. These sorts of things help alleviate anxieties and unlock potential, so that makes you partners in my pursuit of mental health improvement.

The Earth is full of so much light and beauty that sometimes we miss the darkness hidden in all of our shadows. However, this has always been the case, so why does it matter now? Well, I would say that it has always mattered, and caring enough to do something about it is the only way we can improve. I have struggled with depression for most of my high school and college life. I’ve had addictions that I didn’t even realize were addictions. I know firsthand how these struggles play into each other. Looking from the outside, I could say that my seemingly harmless addiction to video games became toxic for the roots of my self-esteem, which clearly took catastrophic collateral damage. I was always able to tell myself that I should stay around to see if life gets any better, but as I got older, I felt more and more anger towards just being alive. I wanted to die more and more every day, despite curbing my addictions, taking on healthier habits, and picking up new hobbies. To be honest, I never once thought of killing myself as a real option. The knowledge that I could end my life was almost a sort of comfort for me. Until I was about twenty-four. That day, just a few too many things went wrong. It was a fleeting thought. But it was very real. I finally saw ending my life as a real option, and I got myself away from that thought quickly. I was able to distract myself long enough to stop crying and make an appointment with a therapist. After that, I never saw it as an option again. I was able to get through that crisis using the coping skills that I’ve been learning and I can honestly say that I was right, it was worth it to see how my life might end up. Continuing to meditate every day, spending time with friends and family, meeting new people, learning from everyone, and taking care of my physical health have allowed me to learn so many things and make an amazing life for myself. Now I preach these kinds of things to anyone who seems receptive. Speaking honestly, my journey into mental health work actually started before this crisis. As bad as my depression was, it was very easy for me to forget my problems when I had company. Any person in the vicinity could distract me from myself. Being with other people allowed me to take a better look at the world around me. I noticed, before I graduated high school, that many of our minds are not in great condition. So many of my friends joked about their thoughts of suicide, worries about the future, their nonchalance towards the vices that control their lives, and the traumas that might’ve contributed to some of these problems. I knew something was wrong, and I knew that society could do better. I wanted to play my part in this, so I consider myself blessed to have been able to study nursing and get a job in a mental health facility. I’m doing my part now, and looking for ways to make the world better. Thank you for taking the time to read my story. It means a lot to me that this scholarship was established. Seeing how financial strain is so detrimental to mental health, I know that this money can put someone in a much more stable position in life.

My career is mental health-centered. Since before graduating high school, I've been interested in mental health. Between my battles and seeing everyone around having their own issues, my natural inclination was to pursue this field of work. As time went on, I've only become more and more aware of all the issues that we have faced historically, issues we are facing at the moment, and issues that we might see in the future. My goals include pursuing a doctorate nurse practitioner degree, starting up a non-profit organization for mental health, and publishing books. As a doctorate nurse practitioner, I would be able to conduct my own research and teach professionally. That would mean that I could write hypotheses on prevalent issues (ie. psychological side effects such as ADHD caused by regular use of technology in populations of children or teaching spirituality practices to homeless populations and its effect on depression and drug use), use that data to impact legislation, and go on to teach all the things I've learned professionally. This would also help to establish my credibility, which would likely increase effectiveness and funding for my potential nonprofit organization, which would focus on educating the public about things they can do to strengthen their mental health and hopefully, the community, which could have the domino effect of passing teachings forward so that we may all have access to not only knowledge on mentally healthy habits but a community that cares for one another. Regarding my writing, my books are about imagination, with the purpose of expanding the reader's mind, and then having them imagine the best version of themselves. This includes looking into their spirituality and religion, having a set of values that respect the individual but also promote love and kindness in the community, and teaching about other healthy habits in a fun and creative way. I believe in humanity, and I also believe that the world tends to give us back what we put into it. I want to be a force of love in this world to inspire, support, and empower us to pursue healthy minds and bodies, giving us our best possible lives, families, and communities. With all that said, I'm no exception to the imperfections of the mind. The most pressing mental health issue that I struggle with is the anxiety and frustration that comes with my student loans. I am currently a registered nurse employed on a psychiatric unit, I work side jobs and have been spending time trying to find scholarships, dreaming of the day I finally pay off my debt. Balancing these things while also writing my books and volunteering with my church group is both entertaining and stressful for me. I'll carry on with a smile on my face, especially as I learn more about gratitude and accountability, but any financial support receive would be so greatly appreciated. I want to go back to school, but I must work full-time just to live and make the minimum payments on my huge debt. Thank you for taking the time to read my entry, if I win this scholarship, it would take me one step closer to being able to return to school. No matter who the scholarship goes to, I'll continue to pursue my goals and I will always appreciate the Trinity Lodge 127 PH Scott Heckstall Scholarship and its contributors for making efforts to help our society.

Nursing was not my first choice in careers. Growing up, I wanted to be a police officer. I was driven to be a hero, a role model, and to be loved by girls. As I got older, I realized two very important things; you don’t need to beat up bad guys to be a hero, and maybe the true enemy of our society these days is the condition of our mental health. These are the true reasons I got into nursing. I also happened to notice that nurses can be great role models and that one loving, supportive woman could push me further than I ever would’ve imagined. I hope to achieve a mental renaissance. I currently work as a mental health nurse, I independently study psychology books, I’m discovering my own spirituality, and I’m in the process of writing a philosophy/self-help book that aims to stretch the reader's imagination, and then guide them to imagine themselves at their best capacity. This is all in the name of discovering and sharing what kinds of things we need to do as individuals and families to make our society happier and safer. I’m dedicated to boosting the awareness of healthy habits like exercise, meditation, maintaining healthy relationships, financial literacy, participating in community, and exploring faith. I have plans to go back to school once I’m in a better financial situation so that I may become a doctorate nurse practitioner, which would grant me the ability to teach in a professional capacity and do official research on things that impact our mental health. I hope to inspire the community to be loving to themselves and everyone around them. I challenge people to push their physical limits, explore intimidating paths like becoming financially free or finding a god, test their patience in the face of their adversaries, and raise the community along with them. I work hard to be a role model both in my professional and personal life by doing all these things myself. I personally have faith in humanity and I wish to see America grow past our individualistic culture, and move towards a community-based culture in which individuals care about things like their work, their families, and their neighbors. One thing that stood out to me about Maureen was the part about driving people to their appointments. This is the kind of humble act that can change a life. I imagine the impact that would have on this patient's son or daughter. The heartwarming feeling of seeing someone volunteer their time to drive your parent to an appointment. Not to mention the joy experienced by that patient themself. This is why I joined a church group despite my agnostic beliefs. I wanted to share my abilities with a group that gets together to make positive impacts and serves as community role models. I love to teach the young generation about how to love and respect others, inspire and welcome the peers of my generation to be their best selves, and instill hope in the older generation that the world won’t catch fire before or after they pass. Thank you for taking the time to read this entry. The financial burden of pursuing higher education prevents a lot of great minds from taking that leap and the financial anxieties weigh heavily on those who do. Scholarships like this make a positive impact on the thing I care about the most: our mental health.

I remember the day I was ready to die. In the months and years before, one thought often came to mind. "It's just not worth it." The thought was entering my mind more and more frequently. However, I was always able to fight it off with thoughts of "well, maybe things won't be so bad forever." Then that week, just a few too many things went wrong and I became convinced that if things had been getting worse for so long, then why would it turn around now? Growing up, I was surrounded by people who normalized thoughts of suicide. My friends and even some family members would always joke about the sweet release of death and the nihilistic idea of "don't worry, one day it'll all be over". In hindsight, there are some other contributing mental factors that I never considered. My addiction to video games never seemed like an issue. Nobody commented on my lack of physical activity so I thought it was normal to play video games 24/7. Then the anxieties I've always had about whether or not I would be successful or happy in the future just seemed like thoughts that would never go away. And lastly, I never realized how spirituality and purpose affected our mental health. To me, it was normal to want to die, everybody wants to die, and anyone who wants to live is crazy. And for sure, there was nothing I could do differently to make me not want to die. The day came when suddenly I actually thought about it killing myself. I've always thought about different ways I could end my life, but when I was sitting there really thinking about it, I couldn't figure out what to do. I called a therapist and made an appointment. I told myself to wait until I at least talk to this person before I end my life. Maybe they could talk me out of it. Lucky for me, my life was actually on quite an upswing at the time, I was just having a really bad week. Here's what did change. In the years before that day, I was becoming more physically active. Countless benefits there. I had actually conquered my addiction to video games almost a decade before this event, but the lasting feelings of isolation from that addiction were still slowly loosening its grip. I was then and still am learning about positive perspectives and attitudes. Shortly after this event, the addition of daily meditation to my routine magically lessened the frequency and duration of these negative thoughts. Over time, the anxious rumination of "Will I be successful and happy?" turned into "How can I be happy and successful?" This change of wordplay in my life made the world of a difference. Then as I grew in wisdom, focus, and resilience, I achieved the capacity to ponder what my true purpose would be. My experience with my mental health, plus my observations of the people around me and the things I would hear on the news, led me to believe that our mental health was not being given proper attention. I want to contribute to fixing that! The actions I'm taking now toward my goal include learning psychology and even some neurobiology independently by reading books written by experts in those fields, exploring various religions and belief systems to broaden my perspectives, and learning everything I can about the things that impact our quality of life so that I may spread the knowledge. Career-wise, I am currently a registered nurse on a behavioral health unit, where I work with people through the worst times in their lives, and I love being a support system and role model for my patients. However, I do see the flaws of healthcare, and that's why I am passionate about preventative care. To bring me towards the goal of strengthening our national preventative care, I want to return to school for a doctorate nurse practitioner degree. This would allow me to conduct research, teach on a professional level, and would add to my credibility. This degree would hopefully amplify the impact of the book that I am currently writing. The book is about imagination and its purpose is to expand the reader's mind with various perspectives and wild stories while using those perspectives and stories to imagine the best version of themselves. The degree would also aid me in getting public notoriety to help me start up a nonprofit organization aiming to teach people about things mentioned in my book like healthy body and mind habits, the importance of wholesome family values and community, dedication to work, financial literacy, and anything else that has a true and lasting impact on our minds. I want to see the world be better and I know that we can do better. I am dedicated to improving our quality of life and powered by love for all to help people take care of themselves, live with healthy perspectives, and pursue the best version of themselves through community education. Truth be told, these are goals that I pursue every day, and I am confident that my dedication will take me to where I want to be. However, the student loans from my nursing degree certainly impede me from returning to school, and probably will for years. The time I spend working to pay off the loans is time that I would otherwise use to work on my writing, volunteering, and other developments. Please consider me as a recipient so that I may bring down these harsh loans. Thank you for taking the time to read this and I thank Calvin Rosser and Elevate Mental Health Awareness Scholarship for establishing this fund. These sorts of things help alleviate anxieties and unlock potential, so that makes you partners in my pursuit of mental health improvement.