I thought I had developed solid skills in managing my emotions and coping with the struggles of life. It was at a very young age that I realized my father was an alcoholic. As a child I had a lot of health issues and was in and out of the hospital. I never recall my father staying at the hospital with my mom and I. I think my mom hoped that my illness would be enough to get my father to stop drinking, but it wasn’t. When I was five my mom left my dad due to his alcoholism. The last time I saw my father was when I was ten years old. My mom would not let me stay with him because I wasn’t safe, and then he simply stepped out of my life. Coincidentally, it was also around the age of ten when my mom started gardening. Helping her plant vegetables and flowers, tend to the garden, and ultimately harvest became a passion; I truly believe plants helped me heal and cope with my father’s abandonment. My passion for plants grew as I grew, and by the time I started high school I felt like I had it all together; I was confident and social and happy. As a sophomore in high school I had the privilege to apply to an early college program sponsored by our local school district and local community college. It was also during this year that the COVID-19 pandemic was impacting the US. This meant that my first experience with concurrent enrollment was remote, online learning. I will be honest; I struggled in this environment. By the end of my sophomore year I was doing my best to make it through classes and looking forward to a return of in person learning the upcoming year. However, I did not realize the impact being in full isolation for over a year truly had on me, and not just from the perspective of academics. I entered my Junior year of high school trying my best to focus on being successful in school, but I was suffering from severe depression and anxiety at the same time. As I started my second term, my family experienced a severe loss; my grandmother was killed in a very tragic accident. Other than my father, I had never experienced the loss of someone who was in my life on a daily basis, nor had I experienced the type of grief created by that kind of loss. This further compounded my mental health struggles and I soon found myself in one of the darkest spaces I had ever experienced. This, of course, had an impact on everything, including my academic success. I no longer had interest in the things I used to enjoy and look forward to, including gardening. Fortunately, I had a very strong support system. My mother recognized my mental health needs and I began therapy. I was able to work through my depression, anxiety and grief. I was able to refocus my efforts, re-engage with my love of plants, and recommit to my education. I entered my senior year with a renewed focus. It was then when I enrolled in my first biology class, and when I was introduced to plant science on a formal level I was hooked; that is when I decided on pursuing Environmental Biology with a focus in Botany. I am confident in my ability to thrive as I work toward completing my degree. And, when not in class or studying, I garden.