As a student athlete, I know how important mental health is, and our society often puts it at the bottom of the list of priorities. I don't have a lot of experience with loss, and I realize how fortunate I am to be able to write that. One experience I can share however happened last year when a girl in my volleyball club committed suicide, and it had a ripple effect throughout. I did not know her very well, but did have several friends who did and who were deeply impacted by her tragic passing. I am someone who has deep empathy for others, and her passing made me very sad. I was sad for her, for her family, for all those who knew her, and for the future she would never have. It really made me think about how important mental health is and how it should be everyone's top priority. Sure, grades and sports matter, but the mental health of these individuals matter the most. I am getting ready to graduate high school and will be studying Psychology in college. I have always wanted to help others and to use my empathetic nature to benefit society. I hope to make a difference in the mental health field and to help everyone who comes my way no matter who that may be. I am not sure exactly the path that I will take, but I know what it will be a path to serve people who are struggling in one way or another. I hope to be able to make mental health a priority in our society, so that we can be proactive rather than reactive when it comes to suicide prevention. I have always heard that suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem, and sadly, that strikes me as very true and tragic. It also makes me think that the best way to prevent suicide is to encourage others to seek out help in the hopes that there can be other solutions that aren't so permanent. With that said, I know that I don't know everything when it comes to mental illness and suicide, but I am hoping to learn more and help, so that I can assist the broken in building bridges to a healthier life both mentally and physically. It saddens me to think about anyone who has taken their life. I can't imagine how bad life must have felt for them.

Growing up living in a single parent household has been tough at times. An obstacle my mom and I are still sometimes struggling with is being tight with money. My father hasn't paid child support for the last several months, and it is effecting my mom and I a great amount. My father lost his job almost two years ago and dug himself into a hole he can't crawl out of. (He is an alcoholic and left us when I was five, but that's a story for another day.) Now that he does not pay child support, my mom has lost a lot of money, and has had to work two jobs as a day and night school teacher to make ends meet. Sports have played a big role in my life, and my mom has been my biggest fan, working tirelessly to make sure I can play club volleyball which has been my escape from reality. Volleyball is always something I can rely on no matter the circumstance. Because of my mom, I was able to play club volleyball and was recently recruited to play at the Division 1 level. (I am so grateful!). Volleyball has had a huge impact on my life because it has opened doors for me like going to a college where I will be able to study psychology which I am very passionate about. Also, sports has taught me many invaluable lessons like the value of connection, the reward of hard work and determination, and how discipline can translate on and off the court to one's success, just to name a few. I can't imagine where I'd be without sports. Whether on the volleyball court, the track, the flag football field, sports have helped to shape and guide me in the best of ways. I am looking for scholarship money to help lower the cost of what I will have to eventually pay back and to lower the loans my mom will have to take out. She took out loans for my sister when she was an undergrad student and who is currently in medical school, and now she will be taking out loans for me. My dad will not be taking out loans for me. He wouldn't be able to even if he wanted to because of his credit history and being unemployed. Like my mom and my sister, I want to make a difference in the lives of others, and that is why I am going into the field of Psychology with the purpose to serve people in their mental health struggles. Any amount of financial assistance to help me along my journey would be so much appreciated. I'm trying to help my mom take out as little as possible for me by earning some scholarship money. Thank you for taking the time to consider me for your scholarship.

I have chosen to go to a private school in New York, so I can continue to play the sport I love, volleyball while also studying Psychology which I am very passionate about. As a result, I am in great need of financial assistance because I live with my mother who has been a single mother, raising me alone since I was five. My father, who I don't have much of a relationship with, lost his job about a year ago and stopped paying my mom child support. She is a teacher, working not only day school, but also night school five days a week to make ends meet. Because of my mom, I was able to play club volleyball and was recently recruited to play at the Division 1 level. I feel very blessed and excited, but I am nervous about how I will pay for all of this. I received merit money for my grades, but I still have about 26,000 dollars a year that I will have to pay for. My mom will likely do what she did for my sister and take out Parent Plus loans for me which I will then have to pay back. I am looking for scholarship money to help lower the cost of what I will have to eventually pay back and to lower the loans my mom will have to take out. She took out loans for my sister when she was an undergrad student and who is currently in medical school, and now she will be taking out loans for me. My dad will not be taking out loans for me. He wouldn't be able to even if he wanted to because of his credit history and being unemployed. I am hoping to go as far as I can in terms of my education. After getting my Bachelor's Degree, I will go for my Master's, and then might go on from there. I have seen first hand how much an education can cost. My sister takes out over 90,000 dollars a year in medical school, so I am looking to be proactive to cut down some of my own costs. Like my sister, I want to make a difference in the life of others, and that is why I am going into the field of Psychology with the purpose to serve people in their mental health struggles. Any amount of financial assistance to help me along my journey would be so much appreciated. Thank you for taking the time to consider me for your scholarship.

Imagine waking up at 3 am with a headache so horrible that you can't open your eyes while at the same time, you have a stomach ache so bad that you want to throw up. Suffering with migraines has definitely challenged my mental health. They can be incredibly debilitating and physically painful, and the lingering impact directly connects to my mental health. They are an added stress of worry and anxiety, not knowing when they will decide to show up again. Anytime I get a migraine, I have to stop what I am doing and cancel all plans because they often interfere with my vision and mental clarity. There is nothing like a migraine that makes one stop everything, and they remind me how important it is to take care of myself because without being healthy, one can't thrive in other areas. Besides migraines, I do live a very active and busy lifestyle, so it can be difficult to balance sports, academics, work, etc., while also finding time for self-care, but I have learned that it's crucial for me to take care of myself, or I can not excel in all of those other areas. I have also learned that I don't have to sacrifice my mental health in order to be the best. I just have to do my best and that includes self-care. Down time is very important to me, and when I am not prioritizing it, I am often cranky and I experience burn-out, so I listen to that voice that tells me to slow down. Every day that I have a list of to-do's, I always try to incorporate a to-do of relaxation. My mental health impacts my academic performance and personal life a great deal. It is important to me that I take care of myself mentally, so I can excel in the classroom, in sports, socially, and in my personal life. The steps I take to make sure my mental state is at the top of my list are things like taking breaks when needed, not basing my whole mood off of sports or school, having time for my family and friends, prioritizing sleep, and making sure I have me time. Knowing I have a good support system is also important because if I feel that my mental health is not at its best, I have people to talk to and listen to me. Making my mental health a priority is a big focus of mine because I am going into the Psychology field. I know that in order to help others with their mental health, I need to be mentally healthy.