My decision to further my education and becoming the first in my family to go to college was based on the recent news that my elderly father was diagnosed with bladder cancer. He also had a major heart attack 2 years, my husband and I traveled to Texas to move him home with us in Illinois. I realized how short life really can be and wanted to go into nursing. Struggling with mental illness is something I have dealt with for as long as I can remember. It runs through my family on both of my parent's sides. Due to that, a history of abuse, and traumatic experiences, it has become a very persistent problem. Not only is there a stigma about it, but seeking help seemed like admitting there was something wrong with me. My mother and father's side of the family suffered with depression, alcoholism and drug addiction. I never enjoyed drinking alcohol but I had a short bout of smoking in my early twenties. Due to depression and anxiety, I cannot count the number of times I felt like giving up. With the help of therapy and medication, I can see the bright side of things and work through issues with much better tools. Alcoholism is a horrible disease. It makes a person think they are dealing with their problems when in reality, they are destroying those who care about them. My father, through his many decades of drinking not only hurt us but embarrassed me as well. I will never forget that and have always been an advocate against drunk driving. As a child, I was the subject of abuse at the hands of my older brother. Not only did I experience molestation, I was psychologically tortured as well. I was brainwashed into thinking I would be hurt or killed as well as my mother. For this reason I kept quiet about it until it seemed like everything was crashing down. I finally was able to tell the truth and seek the help I so desperately needed. Prior to getting professional help, I tried to self medicate through drug use. This of course only turned out horrible and was in a much worse state than I had started. I am so blessed to have such a loving and understanding mother. She never judged me and was always looking for ways to help. My mom and daughter are the reason I am here today. I truly believe they saved my life. Before I enrolled into college, I decided that going into psychology was a fascinating subject of study. It is amazing to me that everyone has unique thought processes. One person who has had their set of lifelong experiences, can think completely differently than someone else. Even with similar brain structures, the chemical properties can vary significantly. Currently I am a Mental Health Tech at a prestigious hospital where I live. I work with young and adolescent teenagers in an inpatient hospitalization program. Through my life's experience I can connect to these kids on a level that is very beneficial to them. My hope is to somehow make a difference in their lives. Thank you for your consideration for this scholarship and will use it to further my education.

Struggling with mental illness is something I have dealt with for as long as I can remember. It runs through my family on both of my parent's sides. Due to that, a history of abuse, and traumatic experiences, it has become a very persistent problem. Not only is there a stigma about it, but seeking help seemed like admitting there was something wrong with me. My mother and father's side of the family suffered with depression, alcoholism and drug addiction. I never enjoyed drinking alcohol but I had a short bout of smoking in my early twenties. Due to depression and anxiety, I cannot count the number of times I felt like giving up. With the help of therapy and medication, I can see the bright side of things and work through issues with much better tools. Alcoholism is a horrible disease. It makes a person think they are dealing with their problems when in reality, they are destroying those who care about them. My father, through his many decades of drinking not only hurt us but embarrassed me as well. For example, when I was in elementary school, he drunkenly drove and crashed through an auto parts store nearly killing a woman inside. It was on the news that night for everyone to see. This story brought shame and embarrassment that I had never felt before. Kids I went to school asked and even made fun of me relentlessly about it. I will never forget that and have always been an advocate against drunk driving. As a child, I was the subject of abuse at the hands of my older brother. Not only did I experience molestation, I was psychologically tortured as well. I was brainwashed into thinking I would be hurt or killed as well as my mother. For this reason I kept quiet about it until it seemed like everything was crashing down. I finally was able to tell the truth and seek the help I so desperately needed. Prior to getting professional help, I tried to self medicate through drug use. This of course only turned out horrible and was in a much worse state than I had started. I am so blessed to have such a loving and understanding mother. She never judged me and was always looking for ways to help. My mom and daughter are the reason I am here today. I truly believe they saved my life. Before I enrolled into college, I decided that going into psychology was a fascinating subject of study. It is amazing to me that everyone has unique thought processes. One person who has had their set of lifelong experiences, can think completely differently than someone else. Even with similar brain structures, the chemical properties can vary significantly. Currently I am a Mental Health Tech at a prestigious hospital where I live. I work with young and adolescent teenagers in an inpatient hospitalization program. Through my life's experience I can connect to these kids on a level that is very beneficial to them. My hope is to somehow make a difference in their lives. Thank you for your consideration for this scholarship and will use it to further my education and career in ways that I can only imagine.

My decision to further my education and becoming the first in my family to go to college was based on the recent news that my elderly father was diagnosed with bladder cancer. He also had a major heart attack 2 years, my husband and I traveled to Texas to move him home with us in Illinois. I realized how short life really can be and wanted to go into nursing. I want to help as many people as possible with my future career as a nurse. Before I enrolled into college, I decided that going into psychology was a fascinating subject of study. It is amazing to me that everyone has unique thought processes. One person who has had their set of lifelong experiences, can think completely differently than someone else. Even with similar brain structures, the chemical properties can vary significantly. Currently I am a Mental Health Tech at a prestigious hospital where I live. I work with young and adolescent teenagers in an inpatient hospitalization program. Through my life's experience I can connect to these kids on a level that is very beneficial to them. My hope is to somehow make a difference in their lives. Struggling with mental illness is something I have dealt with for as long as I can remember. It runs through my family on both of my parent's sides. Due to that, a history of abuse, and traumatic experiences, it has become a very persistent problem. Not only is there a stigma about it, but seeking help seemed like admitting there was something wrong with me. My mother and father's side of the family suffered with depression, alcoholism and drug addiction. I never enjoyed drinking alcohol but I had a short bout of smoking in my early twenties. Due to depression and anxiety, I cannot count the number of times I felt like giving up. With the help of therapy and medication, I can see the bright side of things and work through issues with much better tools. Alcoholism is a horrible disease. It makes a person think they are dealing with their problems when in reality, they are destroying those who care about them. My father, through his many decades of drinking not only hurt us but embarrassed me as well. For example, when I was in elementary school, he drunkenly drove and crashed through an auto parts store nearly killing a woman inside. It was on the news that night for everyone to see. This story brought shame and embarrassment that I had never felt before. Kids I went to school asked and even made fun of me relentlessly about it. I will never forget that and have always been an advocate against drunk driving. As a child, I was the subject of abuse at the hands of my older brother. Not only did I experience molestation, I was psychologically tortured as well. I was brainwashed into thinking I would be hurt or killed as well as my mother. For this reason I kept quiet about it until it seemed like everything was crashing down. I finally was able to tell the truth and seek the help I so desperately needed. Prior to getting professional help, I tried to self medicate through drug use. This of course only turned out horrible and was in a much worse state than I had started. I am so blessed to have such a loving and understanding mother. She never judged me and was always looking for ways to help. My mom and daughter are the reason I am here today. I truly believe they saved my life.

Currently I am a Mental Health Tech at a prestigious hospital where I live. I work with young and adolescent teenagers in an inpatient hospitalization program. Through my life's experience I can connect to these kids on a level that is very beneficial to them. My hope is to somehow make a difference in their lives. I believe in always being there for my family and friends whenever they need someone to talk to. Everyone matters, Everyone is enough! Thank you for your consideration for this scholarship and will use it to further my education and career in ways that I can only imagine.

Struggling with mental illness is something I have dealt with for as long as I can remember. It runs through my family on both of my parent's sides. Due to that, a history of abuse, and trauuma experiences, it has becyome a very persistent problem. Not only is there a stigma about it, but seeking help seemed like admitting there was something wrong with me. My mother and father's side of the family suffered with depression, alcoholism and drug addiction. I never enjoyed drinking alcohol but I had a short bout of drug use in my early twenties. Due to depression and anxiety, I cannot count the number of times I felt like giving up. With the help of therapy and medication, I can see the bright side of things and work through issues with much better tools. Alcoholism is a horrible disease. It makes a person think they are dealing with their problems when in reality, they are destroying those who care about them. My father, through his many decades of drinking not only hurt us but embarrassed me as well. For example, when I was in elementary school, he drunkenly drove and crashed through an auto parts store nearly killing a woman inside. It was on the news that night for everyone to see. This story brought shame and embarrassment that I had never felt before. Kids I went to school asked and even made fun of me relentlessly about it. I will never forget that and have always been an advocate against drunk driving. As a child, I was the subject of abuse at the hands of my older brother. Not only did I experience molestation, I was psychologically tortured as well. I was brainwashed into thinking I would be hurt or killed as well as my mother. For this reason I kept quiet about it until it seemed like everything was crashing down. I finally was able to tell the truth and seek the help I so desperately needed. Prior to getting professional help, I tried to self medicate through drug use. This of course only turned out horrible and was in a much worse state than I had started. I am so blessed to have such a loving and understanding mother. She never judged me and was always looking for ways to help. My mom and daughter are the reason I am here today. I truly believe they saved my life. Before I enrolled into college, I decided that going into psychology was a fascinating subject of study. It is amazing to me that everyone has unique thought processes. One person who has had their set of lifelong experiences, can think completely differently than someone else. Even with similar brain structures, the chemical properties can vary significantly. Currently I am a Mental Health Tech at a prestigious hospital where I live. I work with young and adolescent teenagers in an inpatient hospitalization program. Through my life's experience I can connect to these kids on a level that is very beneficial to them. My hope is to somehow make a difference in their lives. Thank you for your consideration for this scholarship and will use it to further my education and career in ways that I can only imagine.

Struggling with mental illness is something I have dealt with for as long as I can remember. It runs through my family on both of my parent's sides. Due to that, a history of abuse, and trauuma experiences, it has becyome a very persistent problem. Not only is there a stigma about it, but seeking help seemed like admitting there was something wrong with me. My mother and father's side of the family suffered with depression, alcoholism and drug addiction. I never enjoyed drinking alcohol but I had a short bout of drug use in my early twenties. Due to depression and anxiety, I cannot count the number of times I felt like giving up. With the help of therapy and medication, I can see the bright side of things and work through issues with much better tools. Alcoholism is a horrible disease. It makes a person think they are dealing with their problems when in reality, they are destroying those who care about them. My father, through his many decades of drinking not only hurt us but embarrassed me as well. For example, when I was in elementary school, he drunkenly drove and crashed through an auto parts store nearly killing a woman inside. It was on the news that night for everyone to see. This story brought shame and embarrassment that I had never felt before. Kids I went to school asked and even made fun of me relentlessly about it. I will never forget that and have always been an advocate against drunk driving. As a child, I was the subject of abuse at the hands of my older brother. Not only did I experience molestation, I was psychologically tortured as well. I was brainwashed into thinking I would be hurt or killed as well as my mother. For this reason I kept quiet about it until it seemed like everything was crashing down. I finally was able to tell the truth and seek the help I so desperately needed. Prior to getting professional help, I tried to self medicate through drug use. This of course only turned out horrible and was in a much worse state than I had started. I am so blessed to have such a loving and understanding mother. She never judged me and was always looking for ways to help. My mom and daughter are the reason I am here today. I truly believe they saved my life. Before I enrolled into college, I decided that going into psychology was a fascinating subject of study. It is amazing to me that everyone has unique thought processes. One person who has had their set of lifelong experiences, can think completely differently than someone else. Even with similar brain structures, the chemical properties can vary significantly. Currently I am a Mental Health Tech at a prestigious hospital where I live. I work with young and adolescent teenagers in an inpatient hospitalization program. Through my life's experience I can connect to these kids on a level that is very beneficial to them. My hope is to somehow make a difference in their lives. Thank you for your consideration for this scholarship and will use it to further my education and career in ways that I can only imagine.

Struggling with mental illness is something I have dealt with for as long as I can remember. It runs through my family on both of my parent's sides. Due to that, a history of abuse, and trauuma experiences, it has becyome a very persistent problem. Not only is there a stigma about it, but seeking help seemed like admitting there was something wrong with me. My mother and father's side of the family suffered with depression, alcoholism and drug addiction. I never enjoyed drinking alcohol but I had a short bout of drug use in my early twenties. Due to depression and anxiety, I cannot count the number of times I felt like giving up. With the help of therapy and medication, I can see the bright side of things and work through issues with much better tools. Alcoholism is a horrible disease. It makes a person think they are dealing with their problems when in reality, they are destroying those who care about them. My father, through his many decades of drinking not only hurt us but embarrassed me as well. For example, when I was in elementary school, he drunkenly drove and crashed through an auto parts store nearly killing a woman inside. It was on the news that night for everyone to see. This story brought shame and embarrassment that I had never felt before. Kids I went to school asked and even made fun of me relentlessly about it. I will never forget that and have always been an advocate against drunk driving. As a child, I was the subject of abuse at the hands of my older brother. Not only did I experience molestation, I was psychologically tortured as well. I was brainwashed into thinking I would be hurt or killed as well as my mother. For this reason I kept quiet about it until it seemed like everything was crashing down. I finally was able to tell the truth and seek the help I so desperately needed. Prior to getting professional help, I tried to self medicate through drug use. This of course only turned out horrible and was in a much worse state than I had started. I am so blessed to have such a loving and understanding mother. She never judged me and was always looking for ways to help. My mom and daughter are the reason I am here today. I truly believe they saved my life. Before I enrolled into college, I decided that going into psychology was a fascinating subject of study. It is amazing to me that everyone has unique thought processes. One person who has had their set of lifelong experiences, can think completely differently than someone else. Even with similar brain structures, the chemical properties can vary significantly. Currently I am a Mental Health Tech at a prestigious hospital where I live. I work with young and adolescent teenagers in an inpatient hospitalization program. Through my life's experience I can connect to these kids on a level that is very beneficial to them. My hope is to somehow make a difference in their lives. Thank you for your consideration for this scholarship and will use it to further my education and career in ways that I can only imagine.

Struggling with mental illness is something I have dealt with for as long as I can remember. It runs through my family on both of my parent's sides. Due to that, a history of abuse, and trauma experiences, it has becyome a very persistent problem. Not only is there a stigma about it, but seeking help seemed like admitting there was something wrong with me. My mother and father's side of the family suffered with depression, alcoholism and drug addiction. I never enjoyed drinking alcohol but I had a short bout of drug use in my early twenties. Due to depression and anxiety, I cannot count the number of times I felt like giving up. With the help of therapy and medication, I can see the bright side of things and work through issues with much better tools. Alcoholism is a horrible disease. It makes a person think they are dealing with their problems when in reality, they are destroying those who care about them. My father, through his many decades of drinking not only hurt us but embarrassed me as well. For example, when I was in elementary school, he drunkenly drove and crashed through an auto parts store nearly killing a woman inside. It was on the news that night for everyone to see. This story brought shame and embarrassment that I had never felt before. Kids I went to school asked and even made fun of me relentlessly about it. I will never forget that and have always been an advocate against drunk driving. As a child, I was the subject of abuse at the hands of my older brother. Not only did I experience molestation, I was psychologically tortured as well. I was brainwashed into thinking I would be hurt or killed as well as my mother. For this reason I kept quiet about it until it seemed like everything was crashing down. I finally was able to tell the truth and seek the help I so desperately needed. Prior to getting professional help, I tried to self medicate through drug use. This of course only turned out horrible and was in a much worse state than I had started. I am so blessed to have such a loving and understanding mother. She never judged me and was always looking for ways to help. My mom and daughter are the reason I am here today. I truly believe they saved my life. Before I enrolled into college, I decided that going into psychology was a fascinating subject of study. It is amazing to me that everyone has unique thought processes. One person who has had their set of lifelong experiences, can think completely differently than someone else. Even with similar brain structures, the chemical properties can vary significantly. Currently I am a Mental Health Tech at a prestigious hospital where I live. I work with young and adolescent teenagers in an inpatient hospitalization program. Through my life's experience I can connect to these kids on a level that is very beneficial to them. My hope is to somehow make a difference in their lives. Thank you for your consideration for this scholarship and will use it to further my education and career in ways that I can only imagine.

Struggling with mental illness is something I have dealt with for as long as I can remember. It runs through my family on both of my parent's sides. Due to that, a history of abuse, and trauma experiences, it has becyome a very persistent problem. Not only is there a stigma about it, but seeking help seemed like admitting there was something wrong with me. My mother and father's side of the family suffered with depression, alcoholism and drug addiction. I never enjoyed drinking alcohol but I had a short bout of drug use in my early twenties. Due to depression and anxiety, I cannot count the number of times I felt like giving up. With the help of therapy and medication, I can see the bright side of things and work through issues with much better tools. Alcoholism is a horrible disease. It makes a person think they are dealing with their problems when in reality, they are destroying those who care about them. My father, through his many decades of drinking not only hurt us but embarrassed me as well. For example, when I was in elementary school, he drunkenly drove and crashed through an auto parts store nearly killing a woman inside. It was on the news that night for everyone to see. This story brought shame and embarrassment that I had never felt before. Kids I went to school asked and even made fun of me relentlessly about it. I will never forget that and have always been an advocate against drunk driving. As a child, I was the subject of abuse at the hands of my older brother. Not only did I experience molestation, I was psychologically tortured as well. I was brainwashed into thinking I would be hurt or killed as well as my mother. For this reason I kept quiet about it until it seemed like everything was crashing down. I finally was able to tell the truth and seek the help I so desperately needed. Prior to getting professional help, I tried to self medicate through drug use. This of course only turned out horrible and was in a much worse state than I had started. I am so blessed to have such a loving and understanding mother. She never judged me and was always looking for ways to help. My mom and daughter are the reason I am here today. I truly believe they saved my life. Before I enrolled into college, I decided that going into psychology was a fascinating subject of study. It is amazing to me that everyone has unique thought processes. One person who has had their set of lifelong experiences, can think completely differently than someone else. Even with similar brain structures, the chemical properties can vary significantly. Currently I am a Mental Health Tech at a prestigious hospital where I live. I work with young and adolescent teenagers in an inpatient hospitalization program. Through my life's experience I can connect to these kids on a level that is very beneficial to them. My hope is to somehow make a difference in their lives. Thank you for your consideration for this scholarship and will use it to further my education and career in ways that I can only imagine.

Struggling with mental illness is something I have dealt with for as long as I can remember. It runs through my family on both of my parent's sides. Due to that, a history of abuse, and trauma experiences, it has becyome a very persistent problem. Not only is there a stigma about it, but seeking help seemed like admitting there was something wrong with me. My mother and father's side of the family suffered with depression, alcoholism and drug addiction. I never enjoyed drinking alcohol but I had a short bout of drug use in my early twenties. Due to depression and anxiety, I cannot count the number of times I felt like giving up. With the help of therapy and medication, I can see the bright side of things and work through issues with much better tools. Alcoholism is a horrible disease. It makes a person think they are dealing with their problems when in reality, they are destroying those who care about them. My father, through his many decades of drinking not only hurt us but embarrassed me as well. For example, when I was in elementary school, he drunkenly drove and crashed through an auto parts store nearly killing a woman inside. It was on the news that night for everyone to see. This story brought shame and embarrassment that I had never felt before. Kids I went to school asked and even made fun of me relentlessly about it. I will never forget that and have always been an advocate against drunk driving. As a child, I was the subject of abuse at the hands of my older brother. Not only did I experience molestation, I was psychologically tortured as well. I was brainwashed into thinking I would be hurt or killed as well as my mother. For this reason I kept quiet about it until it seemed like everything was crashing down. I finally was able to tell the truth and seek the help I so desperately needed. Prior to getting professional help, I tried to self medicate through drug use. This of course only turned out horrible and was in a much worse state than I had started. I am so blessed to have such a loving and understanding mother. She never judged me and was always looking for ways to help. My mom and daughter are the reason I am here today. I truly believe they saved my life. Before I enrolled into college, I decided that going into psychology was a fascinating subject of study. It is amazing to me that everyone has unique thought processes. One person who has had their set of lifelong experiences, can think completely differently than someone else. Even with similar brain structures, the chemical properties can vary significantly. Currently I am a Mental Health Tech at a prestigious hospital where I live. I work with young and adolescent teenagers in an inpatient hospitalization program. Through my life's experience I can connect to these kids on a level that is very beneficial to them. My hope is to somehow make a difference in their lives. Thank you for your consideration for this scholarship and will use it to further my education and career in ways that I can only imagine.

Struggling with mental illness is something I have dealt with for as long as I can remember. It runs through my family on both of my parent's sides. Due to that, a history of abuse, and trauma experiences, it has becyome a very persistent problem. Not only is there a stigma about it, but seeking help seemed like admitting there was something wrong with me. My mother and father's side of the family suffered with depression, alcoholism and drug addiction. I never enjoyed drinking alcohol but I had a short bout of drug use in my early twenties. Due to depression and anxiety, I cannot count the number of times I felt like giving up. With the help of therapy and medication, I can see the bright side of things and work through issues with much better tools. Alcoholism is a horrible disease. It makes a person think they are dealing with their problems when in reality, they are destroying those who care about them. My father, through his many decades of drinking not only hurt us but embarrassed me as well. For example, when I was in elementary school, he drunkenly drove and crashed through an auto parts store nearly killing a woman inside. It was on the news that night for everyone to see. This story brought shame and embarrassment that I had never felt before. Kids I went to school asked and even made fun of me relentlessly about it. I will never forget that and have always been an advocate against drunk driving. As a child, I was the subject of abuse at the hands of my older brother. Not only did I experience molestation, I was psychologically tortured as well. I was brainwashed into thinking I would be hurt or killed as well as my mother. For this reason I kept quiet about it until it seemed like everything was crashing down. I finally was able to tell the truth and seek the help I so desperately needed. Prior to getting professional help, I tried to self medicate through drug use. This of course only turned out horrible and was in a much worse state than I had started. I am so blessed to have such a loving and understanding mother. She never judged me and was always looking for ways to help. My mom and daughter are the reason I am here today. I truly believe they saved my life. Before I enrolled into college, I decided that going into psychology was a fascinating subject of study. It is amazing to me that everyone has unique thought processes. One person who has had their set of lifelong experiences, can think completely differently than someone else. Even with similar brain structures, the chemical properties can vary significantly. Currently I am a Mental Health Tech at a prestigious hospital where I live. I work with young and adolescent teenagers in an inpatient hospitalization program. Through my life's experience I can connect to these kids on a level that is very beneficial to them. My hope is to somehow make a difference in their lives. Thank you for your consideration for this scholarship and will use it to further my education and career in ways that I can only imagine.

Struggling with mental illness is something I have dealt with for as long as I can remember. It runs through my family on both of my parent's sides. Due to that, a history of abuse, and trauma experiences, it has becyome a very persistent problem. Not only is there a stigma about it, but seeking help seemed like admitting there was something wrong with me. My mother and father's side of the family suffered with depression, alcoholism and drug addiction. I never enjoyed drinking alcohol but I had a short bout of drug use in my early twenties. Due to depression and anxiety, I cannot count the number of times I felt like giving up. With the help of therapy and medication, I can see the bright side of things and work through issues with much better tools. Alcoholism is a horrible disease. It makes a person think they are dealing with their problems when in reality, they are destroying those who care about them. My father, through his many decades of drinking not only hurt us but embarrassed me as well. For example, when I was in elementary school, he drunkenly drove and crashed through an auto parts store nearly killing a woman inside. It was on the news that night for everyone to see. This story brought shame and embarrassment that I had never felt before. Kids I went to school asked and even made fun of me relentlessly about it. I will never forget that and have always been an advocate against drunk driving. As a child, I was the subject of abuse at the hands of my older brother. Not only did I experience molestation, I was psychologically tortured as well. I was brainwashed into thinking I would be hurt or killed as well as my mother. For this reason I kept quiet about it until it seemed like everything was crashing down. I finally was able to tell the truth and seek the help I so desperately needed. Prior to getting professional help, I tried to self medicate through drug use. This of course only turned out horrible and was in a much worse state than I had started. I am so blessed to have such a loving and understanding mother. She never judged me and was always looking for ways to help. My mom and daughter are the reason I am here today. I truly believe they saved my life. Before I enrolled into college, I decided that going into psychology was a fascinating subject of study. It is amazing to me that everyone has unique thought processes. One person who has had their set of lifelong experiences, can think completely differently than someone else. Even with similar brain structures, the chemical properties can vary significantly. Currently I am a Mental Health Tech at a prestigious hospital where I live. I work with young and adolescent teenagers in an inpatient hospitalization program. Through my life's experience I can connect to these kids on a level that is very beneficial to them. My hope is to somehow make a difference in their lives. Thank you for your consideration for this scholarship and will use it to further my education and career in ways that I can only imagine.

Losing both of my brothers to drug and alcohol abuse has influenced my decision to pursue a career in mental health. Struggling with mental illness is something I have dealt with for as long as I can remember. It runs through my family on both of my parent's sides. Due to that, a history of abuse, and trauma experiences, it has becyome a very persistent problem. Not only is there a stigma about it, but seeking help seemed like admitting there was something wrong with me. My mother and father's side of the family suffered with depression, alcoholism and drug addiction. I never enjoyed drinking alcohol but I had a short bout of drug use in my early twenties. Due to depression and anxiety, I cannot count the number of times I felt like giving up. With the help of therapy and medication, I can see the bright side of things and work through issues with much better tools. Alcoholism is a horrible disease. It makes a person think they are dealing with their problems when in reality, they are destroying those who care about them. My father, through his many decades of drinking not only hurt us but embarrassed me as well. For example, when I was in elementary school, he drunkenly drove and crashed through an auto parts store nearly killing a woman inside. It was on the news that night for everyone to see. This story brought shame and embarrassment that I had never felt before. Kids I went to school asked and even made fun of me relentlessly about it. I will never forget that and have always been an advocate against drunk driving. As a child, I was the subject of abuse at the hands of my older brother. Not only did I experience molestation, I was psychologically tortured as well. I was brainwashed into thinking I would be hurt or killed as well as my mother. For this reason I kept quiet about it until it seemed like everything was crashing down. I finally was able to tell the truth and seek the help I so desperately needed. Prior to getting professional help, I tried to self medicate through drug use. This of course only turned out horrible and was in a much worse state than I had started. I am so blessed to have such a loving and understanding mother. She never judged me and was always looking for ways to help. My mom and daughter are the reason I am here today. I truly believe they saved my life. Before I enrolled into college, I decided that going into psychology was a fascinating subject of study. It is amazing to me that everyone has unique thought processes. One person who has had their set of lifelong experiences, can think completely differently than someone else. Even with similar brain structures, the chemical properties can vary significantly. Currently I am a Mental Health Tech at a prestigious hospital where I live. I work with young and adolescent teenagers in an inpatient hospitalization program. Through my life's experience I can connect to these kids on a level that is very beneficial to them. My hope is to somehow make a difference in their lives. Thank you for your consideration for this scholarship and will use it to further my education and career in ways that I can only imagine.

Struggling with mental illness is something I have dealt with for as long as I can remember. It runs through my family on both of my parent's sides. Due to that, a history of abuse, and trauma experiences, it has becyome a very persistent problem. Not only is there a stigma about it, but seeking help seemed like admitting there was something wrong with me. My mother and father's side of the family suffered with depression, alcoholism and drug addiction. I never enjoyed drinking alcohol but I had a short bout of drug use in my early twenties. Due to depression and anxiety, I cannot count the number of times I felt like giving up. With the help of therapy and medication, I can see the bright side of things and work through issues with much better tools. Alcoholism is a horrible disease. It makes a person think they are dealing with their problems when in reality, they are destroying those who care about them. My father, through his many decades of drinking not only hurt us but embarrassed me as well. For example, when I was in elementary school, he drunkenly drove and crashed through an auto parts store nearly killing a woman inside. It was on the news that night for everyone to see. This story brought shame and embarrassment that I had never felt before. Kids I went to school asked and even made fun of me relentlessly about it. I will never forget that and have always been an advocate against drunk driving. As a child, I was the subject of abuse at the hands of my older brother. Not only did I experience molestation, I was psychologically tortured as well. I was brainwashed into thinking I would be hurt or killed as well as my mother. For this reason I kept quiet about it until it seemed like everything was crashing down. I finally was able to tell the truth and seek the help I so desperately needed. Prior to getting professional help, I tried to self medicate through drug use. This of course only turned out horrible and was in a much worse state than I had started. I am so blessed to have such a loving and understanding mother. She never judged me and was always looking for ways to help. My mom and daughter are the reason I am here today. I truly believe they saved my life. Before I enrolled into college, I decided that going into psychology was a fascinating subject of study. It is amazing to me that everyone has unique thought processes. One person who has had their set of lifelong experiences, can think completely differently than someone else. Even with similar brain structures, the chemical properties can vary significantly. Currently I am a Mental Health Tech at a prestigious hospital where I live. I work with young and adolescent teenagers in an inpatient hospitalization program. Through my life's experience I can connect to these kids on a level that is very beneficial to them. My hope is to somehow make a difference in their lives. I have always loved heavy metal, rock and alternative rock music. My love for it started in the 80s with Guns n Roses, Skidrow and Bon Jovi. Currently I am listening to Seether, Staind and Disturbed. When listening to this kind of music, I am able to tune out the rest of the world, turn up the volume and get into a zone of creativity and relaxation. Thank you for your consideration for this scholarship and will use it to further my education and career in ways that I can only imagine.

Struggling with mental illness is something I have dealt with for as long as I can remember. It runs through my family on both of my parent's sides. Due to that, a history of abuse, and trauma experiences, it has becyome a very persistent problem. Not only is there a stigma about it, but seeking help seemed like admitting there was something wrong with me. My mother and father's side of the family suffered with depression, alcoholism and drug addiction. I never enjoyed drinking alcohol but I had a short bout of drug use in my early twenties. Due to depression and anxiety, I cannot count the number of times I felt like giving up. With the help of therapy and medication, I can see the bright side of things and work through issues with much better tools. Alcoholism is a horrible disease. It makes a person think they are dealing with their problems when in reality, they are destroying those who care about them. My father, through his many decades of drinking not only hurt us but embarrassed me as well. For example, when I was in elementary school, he drunkenly drove and crashed through an auto parts store nearly killing a woman inside. It was on the news that night for everyone to see. This story brought shame and embarrassment that I had never felt before. Kids I went to school asked and even made fun of me relentlessly about it. I will never forget that and have always been an advocate against drunk driving. As a child, I was the subject of abuse at the hands of my older brother. Not only did I experience molestation, I was psychologically tortured as well. I was brainwashed into thinking I would be hurt or killed as well as my mother. For this reason I kept quiet about it until it seemed like everything was crashing down. I finally was able to tell the truth and seek the help I so desperately needed. Prior to getting professional help, I tried to self medicate through drug use. This of course only turned out horrible and was in a much worse state than I had started. I am so blessed to have such a loving and understanding mother. She never judged me and was always looking for ways to help. My mom and daughter are the reason I am here today. I truly believe they saved my life. Before I enrolled into college, I decided that going into psychology was a fascinating subject of study. It is amazing to me that everyone has unique thought processes. One person who has had their set of lifelong experiences, can think completely differently than someone else. Even with similar brain structures, the chemical properties can vary significantly. Currently I am a Mental Health Tech at a prestigious hospital where I live. I work with young and adolescent teenagers in an inpatient hospitalization program. Through my life's experience I can connect to these kids on a level that is very beneficial to them. My hope is to somehow make a difference in their lives. Thank you for your consideration for this scholarship and will use it to further my education and career in ways that I can only imagine.

Struggling with mental illness is something I have dealt with for as long as I can remember. It runs through my family on both of my parent's sides. Due to that, a history of abuse, and trauma experiences, it has becyome a very persistent problem. Not only is there a stigma about it, but seeking help seemed like admitting there was something wrong with me. My mother and father's side of the family suffered with depression, alcoholism and drug addiction. I never enjoyed drinking alcohol but I had a short bout of drug use in my early twenties. Due to depression and anxiety, I cannot count the number of times I felt like giving up. With the help of therapy and medication, I can see the bright side of things and work through issues with much better tools. Alcoholism is a horrible disease. It makes a person think they are dealing with their problems when in reality, they are destroying those who care about them. My father, through his many decades of drinking not only hurt us but embarrassed me as well. For example, when I was in elementary school, he drunkenly drove and crashed through an auto parts store nearly killing a woman inside. It was on the news that night for everyone to see. This story brought shame and embarrassment that I had never felt before. Kids I went to school asked and even made fun of me relentlessly about it. I will never forget that and have always been an advocate against drunk driving. As a child, I was the subject of abuse at the hands of my older brother. Not only did I experience molestation, I was psychologically tortured as well. I was brainwashed into thinking I would be hurt or killed as well as my mother. For this reason I kept quiet about it until it seemed like everything was crashing down. I finally was able to tell the truth and seek the help I so desperately needed. Prior to getting professional help, I tried to self medicate through drug use. This of course only turned out horrible and was in a much worse state than I had started. I am so blessed to have such a loving and understanding mother. She never judged me and was always looking for ways to help. My mom and daughter are the reason I am here today. I truly believe they saved my life. Before I enrolled into college, I decided that going into psychology was a fascinating subject of study. It is amazing to me that everyone has unique thought processes. One person who has had their set of lifelong experiences, can think completely differently than someone else. Even with similar brain structures, the chemical properties can vary significantly. Currently I am a Mental Health Tech at a prestigious hospital where I live. I work with young and adolescent teenagers in an inpatient hospitalization program. Through my life's experience I can connect to these kids on a level that is very beneficial to them. My hope is to somehow make a difference in their lives. Thank you for your consideration for this scholarship and will use it to further my education and career in ways that I can only imagine.

Struggling with mental illness is something I have dealt with for as long as I can remember. It runs through my family on both of my parent's sides. Due to that, a history of abuse, and trauma experiences, it has become a very persistent problem. Not only is there a stigma about it, but seeking help seemed like admitting there was something wrong with me. My mother and father's side of the family suffered with depression, alcoholism and drug addiction. I never enjoyed drinking alcohol but I had a short bout of drug use in my early twenties. Due to depression and anxiety, I cannot count the number of times I felt like giving up. With the help of therapy and medication, I can see the bright side of things and work through issues with much better tools. Alcoholism is a horrible disease. It makes a person think they are dealing with their problems when in reality, they are destroying those who care about them. My father, through his many decades of drinking not only hurt us but embarrassed me as well. For example, when I was in elementary school, he drunkenly drove and crashed through an auto parts store nearly killing a woman inside. It was on the news that night for everyone to see. This story brought shame and embarrassment that I had never felt before. Kids I went to school asked and even made fun of me relentlessly about it. I will never forget that and have always been an advocate against drunk driving. As a child, I was the subject of abuse at the hands of my older brother. Not only did I experience molestation, I was psychologically tortured as well. I was brainwashed into thinking I would be hurt or killed as well as my mother. For this reason I kept quiet about it until it seemed like everything was crashing down. I finally was able to tell the truth and seek the help I so desperately needed. Prior to getting professional help, I tried to self medicate through drug use. This of course only turned out horrible and was in a much worse state than I had started. I am so blessed to have such a loving and understanding mother. She never judged me and was always looking for ways to help. My mom and daughter are the reason I am here today. I truly believe they saved my life. Before I enrolled into college, I decided that going into psychology was a fascinating subject of study. It is amazing to me that everyone has unique thought processes. One person who has had their set of lifelong experiences, can think completely differently than someone else. Even with similar brain structures, the chemical properties can vary significantly. Currently I am a Mental Health Tech at a prestigious hospital where I live. I work with young and adolescent teenagers in an inpatient hospitalization program. Through my life's experience I can connect to these kids on a level that is very beneficial to them. My hope is to somehow make a difference in their lives. Thank you for your consideration for this scholarship and will use it to further my education and career in ways that I can only imagine.