My name is Nyah Winbush, and I am a recent graduate from Ball State University, looking to pursue my MSW to become a clinical social worker. Ever since I was a child, I have had various role models who have shown me the true definition of being a successful Black woman. Aside from the careers and the financial stability, the one thing that stuck out to me was their commitment to their communities. My grandmother, for example, was a nurse at Riley Hospital, along with serving her community through her church, volunteering, and showing up for others in her community when they needed a helping hand. I have had the amazing opportunity to be immersed in organizations that have deepened my commitment to helping and serving my community. As a 2024 initiate of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Incorporated, I have the ability to do many things in my community, such as school supply drives, mental health workshops, and more. Being surrounded by other Black women who have the goal of giving back and being servant community leaders has given me the stellar example of what being a successful woman means. Along with this, I am a member of the National Association for Colored Women's Clubs, which has the motto of "lifting as we climb", which I believe is a perfect motto to have. This means that, as I am blessed with the successes that I have obtained, it is important to simultaneously uplift others as well. The biggest impact I hope to make in my community is to change the stigma surrounding mental health. As a child, I suffered from anxiety and depression. A stigma that I saw growing up was that having a mental illness made you look "weak" or "not strong enough". Many times, I would wonder why I had the thoughts that I had, wondering if there was simply something wrong with me. My family didn't talk about mental health issues, and it was deemed as something minuscule due to me being a child with "nothing to worry about". This stigma caused me to suffer in silence for years until I finally decided to speak up and advocate for my mental health. As I talked to my family more, I learned that mental health wasn't something that was normally talked about. Not only because of the stigma within our community, but also the perception that it gives to other individuals who are counting us out simply due to our skin color. My goal as I enter the professional field is to make sure that no child ever wonders if their mental health matters, and to be the change that I and many others needed. Not only do I want to be the change, but I also want to be a trailblazer to honor the ones who paved the way for me today. My goal is to open my practice in trauma-informed and culturally responsive care. I want to cultivate a space where individuals, especially in marginalized communities, feel safe, loved, seen, and heard. I also want to ensure that these services are individualized for each client, affordable, and accessible to the community. This scholarship would allow me to get the most out of my education, to use my professional knowledge, and apply it to my work as I serve my community.

My name is Nyah Winbush, and I am a May 2025 graduate of Ball State University and an incoming Masters of Social Work student starting this fall. I have had the amazing opportunity to be a part of various organizations that focus on the mental health and wellbeing of individuals of color, such as Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Incorporated and the National Association for Colored Women's Club. My commitment to these organizations, my interest in mental health, as well as my personal experiences have ignited my desire to help others in marginalized communities. As a child, I suffered with very bad anxiety and depression. A stigma that I saw growing up was that having a mental illness considered you "weak" or "not strong enough". Many times, I would wonder why I would have the thoughts that I had, wondering if there was simply something wrong with me. My family didn't talk about mental health issues, and it was deemed as something that was miniscule due to me being a child with "nothing to worry about'. This stigma caused me to suffer in silence for years until I finally decided to speak up and advocate for my mental health. My goal as I enter the professional field is to make sure that no child ever wonders if their mental health matters, and to be the change that I needed. As I have slowly learned more about the importance of mental health, I learned that I began to internalize my pain and suffer in silence. I believe that many individuals in marginalized communities neglect their mental health, whether it be due to the stigma surrounding mental health or simply because many forms of healthcare are unaffordable to individuals. As I began to go to therapy, I realized that I simply could not connect with my therapist, and I believe that a reason was that I could not see myself in her. There were some issues that I had that relayed back to my experiences as a Black child going to predominantly white schooling. According to the National Association of Social Workers, only around 22% of social workers are African American. This is a driving force for why I chose the social work path for my career. I truly believe that representation matters, and being able to talk to individuals who see your experiences and can relate to them allows clients to be seen, heard, and valued. As a future clinical social worker, my goal is to open my own practice in trauma-informed and culturally responsive care. I want to cultivate a space where individuals, especially in marginalized communities, feel safe, loved, seen, and heard. I also want to ensure that these services are individualized for each client, affordable, and accessible to the community. I truly believe that with the Arnetha Venetta Austin Bishop, I can continue my work in the community as well as honor those who came before me. Being able to give back to the community that lifted me up with empathy, respect, and compassion would allow me to be apart of breaking the stigma of mental health and helping as many individuals as I can.

I believe that giving back to others is one of the best things you can do in your lifetime. I am thankful to have had such an amazing role model who demonstrated giving back/helping others. My grandmother, Gloria, spent most of her time giving back to others and I am very thankful that I got to see it firsthand. She gave back to others ranging from immediate family to people she didn't even know. My grandmother was a nurse for over 30 years at Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, Indiana. When she retired, I was glued to her hip. I would spend countless weekends with her, so I was able to grow up seeing all that she would do for others. One of the examples that stuck with me was the Christmas toy drive that would happen in downtown Indianapolis every Christmas season. Every year, I would go with her to get toys for children who may not receive presents and she would take them and give them to the drive. She would help take care of sick church members and do things such as go sit with them on days when their caregiver had to work and bring them food/ whatever necessities they needed. She did all of this without complaint or hesitation. Something that I thankfully got from my grandma is a big heart. One thing that stuck out to me about her kindness is the fact that she didn't do it for the expectation of anything in return. She did it because she knew that helping others made her happy. Unfortunately, my grandma was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2014. This, of course, forced her to stop doing what she usually did in her day-to-day life. When she was first physically and mentally impacted by the disease in the beginning stages, a lot of the individuals that she would help didn't reach out to offer help or support. Looking on the outside, I was deeply hurt for my grandma. At her time when she needed the most support, she was disregarded. However, when she had the ability to communicate how she felt, she expressed that she didn't do those things because she wanted people to do the same in return. She did it because she knew that that was why she was on this earth, to help others. That statement has stayed in my heart for many years. I live with the goal of being a light to others even if I don't know them. This is also why I chose my major as psychology with a minor in neuroscience. Being able to have a job where I am able to help others is a way that I can continue my grandma's legacy while doing the thing that I know she loved the most. I believe there are many reasons why it is important to help others. One of the biggest reasons is because you never know what someone is going through. On the outside, someone may seem like they are perfectly fine, however, you never know what they are doing through. One kind statement or compliment could make their day more than you could ever imagine. There have been many times when I have been in my head about a situation, and one kind word or statement has helped me feel better. I believe that the more we give back and help others, the better the world will be overall. With this, I hope to use my career to help others as well as help on a day-to-day basis.

Imagine being dropped off in the middle of nowhere. You don't know where you are, or who the people are around you. It feels like a parallel universe in which you are floating around in confusion and discomfort. This scenario is just the beginning of what individuals with Alzheimer's disease face during the later stages of the disease. Alzheimer's has robbed my family and many others in the United States of essential people and memories. My grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2014. Since then, I have been greatly impacted by the disease, however, it opened a door for me to uncover my passions and the impact that I want to leave in this world. I am the daughter of a single mother who is also a caregiver to my grandmother. Because of this, I turned into a secondary caregiver at a young age. I am not negatively saying this, for I know that it is the least I can do for my family. However, I do know that being in this position has forced me to grow up at an early age and be exposed to the realities of life. From going to neurology appointments with my grandma to me being her secondary mind when not knowing where items were around the house, it showed me how much this disease can impact not the individual but their families. According to the National Institute of Health, Alzheimer's Disease is 2-3 times more likely to affect African American individuals compared to their white counterparts. This is very important due to the reality that many people in our community don't receive the same care as their white counterparts. My family has had situations where we had to advocate for my grandmother due to inadequate treatment from healthcare professionals. This forced us to have to seek out individuals that truly want the best for my grandma's care. I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. This mindset has been my comfort in the storm on many different occasions. Due to the experiences that I have had with Alzheimer's disease, I began to have a passion for the mind and how it works. At first, I wanted to just explore the mental health side of psychology. As someone who suffers from anxiety, I wanted to figure out why mine and many others' brains worked in this way. I wanted to put a name and a reason to the feelings that I have felt my entire life. After my first semester of college, I decided to add neuroscience as a minor and pursue that path. I was torn due to my interest in both mental health and the biological health of the brain, however, I realized that I want to do both. If offered the scholarship, I will use it to continue to pursue my studies at Ball State University. With my degree, I plan to go into the research sector of neuroscience and psychology. I want to work with individuals and not only find treatments for diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease but use my knowledge to help find mental health resources for families going through the experience of having a family member with the disease. I want to be a safe space for other members of the African American community that may be hesitant that they may not receive adequate care due to their skin color. I hope to make an impact on others such as many have done for my family, and I will always be an advocate for those who are in need.

Being emotionally available and always allowing myself to be a resource in times of need is how I make the people in my life feel loved. I believe that having someone that you can openly talk to and allow you to discuss how you were feeling in the moment makes a big difference in how a person feels after a situation. One thing that I have done recently when my friends have had emotional episodes at school is to pull them aside and let them get their emotions out and explain to me what is going on. Doing this allows them to assess their situation. After that, I try to give the best advice from my standpoint and from my experience to help them come up with solutions if possible. If not possible I always try to focus on the positives of a situation, which I believe helps put it into perspective. With my family, I'm grateful that we've created a space where we openly talk about our emotions. A big example of this is my mom who is a caregiver to my grandmother who has Alzheimer's. Caregivers have a big responsibility and a lot of times it is stressful and comes with emotional burdens and blocks. Many times there are situations where I sit down and talk to her about how she feels. From this, I have learned to develop an understanding of others' feelings so that I can help them in the future. This has also influenced my desire to work in the field of psychology. Overall, my goal is to be someone my family, friends, and others know they have to talk to when they're in a time of emotional distress.