Mental health is a universal issue that affects millions of people and does not discriminate. What is mental? Mental health is a medical condition that embodies a person's emotional and psychological well-being. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2025), “Mental health conditions are among the most common health conditions in the United States. Common mental health conditions include major depressive disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, panic disorder, and others.” I worked as a corrections officer for eleven years. Working in the field of corrections was both rewarding and mentally taxing because of the different personalities and mental illnesses of the inmates. Some inmates are physically and verbally aggressive. The aggression experienced and endured by the inmates does affect a person's mental and physical state. My perception of people has changed, and I have changed as an individual. My experience with mental health has shaped my goals, relationships, and understanding of the world by understanding people's behavior and why people act the way they do. Many factors contribute to mental health, such as psychological trauma, substance abuse, genetic predisposition, and adverse life events. My experience working as a corrections officer and dealing with mentally ill inmates has taught me to have compassion and empathy for others. Many inmates had come from broken homes where their parents were on drugs, one or both parents were incarcerated, physical and sexual abuse were present in the home, or one of the parents suffered from mental illness. These events that were endured affected the person's behavior, cognitive thinking, and life. I have learned not to judge a person but to offer assistance to help those who are in need. Mental health stigma is real. Many people stigmatize mental health because of the lack of understanding of what mental health is. We all have some type of mental issue. For example, if a person is experiencing financial or health issues, they may become depressed. A person may be going through the grief process and trying to understand how and why they are going through this unfortunate event in their life. The emotional and mental feelings you are experiencing do not make you less of a person, nor should you be treated as less of a person. It is always good to have a support system, such as family, friends, and community members, to help you get through unfortunate situations in your life. Mental health awareness is recognized in May. The purpose of dedicating the month of May to mental health awareness is to celebrate the recovery of mental health and not to stigmatize it. It brings support programs, professionals, and mental health communities together to let the world know that they are here to help. It is nothing to be ashamed of. We are all human, and we need each other. There is assistance available to all who need it. My experience with mental health was a tough experience at times, but most of all, it taught me to have compassion and empathy for all. Reference: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2025, June 9). About mental health. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/mental-health/about/index.html

I decided to make physical, spiritual, and mental health a priority in my life. I started working as a corrections officer in 2003 in good spirits, weighing approximately 175 pounds, and excited about life. Working in that capacity at the correctional facility was depressing and tiresome. We went on 12-hour shifts, and I began not to like people. As a female working in that disturbing environment, you are disrespected by male and female inmates. They will spit on you, throw feces, and even try to harm you. I knew this was not my future. I could not see myself working 25 years and retiring from that job. You see and learn another side of society that most people do not talk about. I began reading the Bible, watching motivational speakers such as Les Brown, Steve Harvey, David Goggins, and Eric Thomas to name a few. They motivated me to get my physical, spiritual, and mental health in order. I read several motivational and spiritual books such as Ten Commandments of Working in a Hostile Environment, The Blessing of Brokenness: Why God Allows Us to Go Through Hard Times, The Alchemist, Think and Grow Rich, The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are, and The Seat of the Soul. There is one thing that those books and motivational speakers have in common. They all talk about the body. The body is a powerful thing. You cannot just get your mental health in order and not take care of the body. The body is this empirical vessel that must be exercised, stimulated, and balanced. To take back control of myself, I joined a gym, took long walks, prayed, read inspiration material, and created a five-year plan for my life. I had to learn to put God first in everything I do. This is where my journey began. I was able to leave the correctional facility and started working for my current employer in 2013. It was delightful to go to work with a smile on my face and be of service to the public. I began to like people again. I started at Alabama Law Enforcement Agency as a dispatcher and transferred to the Criminal Justice Information Services in 2018. I am passionate about the work I do. There are advancement opportunities to apply for. I have enrolled in college to complete my bachelor’s degree in professional studies for Purdue University Global. This degree will afford me the opportunity to advance in my career as a Compliance Unit Specialist and hopefully a Compliance Unit Specialist Manager. My life turned around for the best. I had to get my mind, body, and soul as one to hear God’s voice and stay focused on the prize. When there is clarity, you can see things in a different light. I am an example of change for a greater cause. I can help others now since I have helped myself. Life is what you make it out to be.

I plan to use my legal education to successfully earn a bachelor’s degree in Professional Studies to advance at Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) as a Compliance Unit Specialist or Compliance Unit Specialist Manager. My goal and purpose are to lead and motivate a proficient team while building trust and interrelations through active communication, training, and exceptional work ethics. This area of expertise will allow me to enhance my education in law enforcement and better serve ALEA, other law enforcement agencies , and the court system. I will have a comprehensive understanding of the criminal justice system, criminal law, constitutional rights, ethics, and critical thinking. Working in compliance auditing, assisting law enforcement agencies, and courts, will enable me to train, inform, and guide them. This will ensure they will be in compliance with ALEA, Federal Bureau of Investigations, and Alabama laws. Following the laws, policies, and procedures ensures everyone is accountable and standards are maintained. Safety is my priority for the citizens of Alabama. To ensure criminal history records are updated, that requires all agencies doing their part to make it happen. It starts with a legal arrest, booking, court, and all documents submitted to the State. This is why Compliance Unit Specialist are critical for auditing. If an agency doesn't submit fingerprints to ALEA and the FBI, this will allow criminals to purchase firearms or a sex offender to work at our schools. Currently, I am the supervisor over the Criminal History Unit at ALEA. It takes hard work, dedication, and reading comprehension to service the entire state. Paying attention to details and entering information accurately into the database sensitive work. Entering the wrong adjudication or charge on a record could prevent a person from obtaining a job, purchasing a firearm, or not able to adopt a child. That is why checks and balances is so critical. I believe o can can make a difference not just in my community but for the state of Alabama. I have an embedded passion for law enforcement because there is so much good that can be done to make things better. It is an effort on everyone's part to build safe communities and to protect our precious children. If we don't start now, getting things back on order the way it should be, what kind of future will the next generation have? We will depend on our children to make conscious decisions and continue protecting the community. Without order there is chaos. Now is the time to lay out the blueprint to promote equity, justice, and diversity. It starts with me. It starts with us. Our future children won't know no more than what is taught to them. I will continue doing my due diligence serving the great State of Alabama. This scholarship will afford me the opportunity to earn my bachelor's degree for a greater opportunity. I am a single mother of three, citizen of Alabama, and believer in Christ. Philippians 4:13 states, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

My educational goal statement is to successfully earn a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice to advance at Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) as a Compliance Unit Specialist or Compliance Unit Specialist Manager. My goal and purpose are to lead and motivate a proficient team while building trust and interrelations through effective communication, training, and exceptional work ethics. This area of expertise will allow me to enhance my education in law enforcement and better serve Alabama law enforcement agencies and courts. I will have a comprehensive understanding of the U.S. criminal justice system, criminal law, constitutional rights, ethics, and critical thinking. Working in the field auditing and assisting the local police departments, sheriff's departments ,and courts; I will be able to train, inform, and guide them. This will ensure they will be in compliance with Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), and Alabama laws. Following the laws, policies, and procedures ensures that everyone is accountable and high standards are maintained. Working towards my future position and earning this degree is a relief knowing I am making the State of Alabama a safe place to live, work, and raise a family. Without order there is chaos. I want to raise my children in a safe environment and make certain they are protected. I want my children to go to safe schools and not worry about a possible school massacre. Marcus Tullius Cicero stated, “ The safety of the people shall be the highest law.” It takes all of us to do out part in making a healthy and cohesive society. Christ is first then family. The old fashion traditional values is what will preserve mankind. This scholarship would make a difference financially for me to obtain my degree in Criminal Justice. I am a single mother of three. I am motivated to earn a degree to get promoted at my place of employment for a higher income. I give back to my community every year by adopting a family through the Christmas Clearinghouse. It is a blessing to be a blessing to a family that will make their Christmas wish a reality. Tenacity is what sets me apart and drives my passion for this field. I am a hard worker and believe the mission comes first. I believe in doing the right thing when no one is watching. That is the cornerstone of integrity, character, honesty, self-respect, and truthfulness.