As a Black transgender man living in the South, I had grown accustomed to pushing through daily adversity— experiencing misgendering, racism, and the constant need to advocate for my existence—without pausing to address the toll it took on my mental and emotional health. I told myself I could handle it, but eventually the weight began to erode my sense of stability. When in search for a mental health therapist I increasingly became aware of the pain of searching for a reflection of yourself in the clinical mental health field—and finding none. As a bystander, I have listened to my people wrestle with the cost of living in their truth—facing isolation, rejection, and fear. These lived experiences do not discourage me; rather, they fuel an unshakable passion to become a clinical therapist. I feel called to hold space for those whose voices have too often been unheard, to be the representation I once searched for, and to help others heal, thrive, and live authentically. In a climate of growing hostility toward transgender individuals, I have committed myself to advancing mental health equity for marginalized communities—particularly Black and Brown transgender people whose needs are too often silenced or overlooked. Within the field of counseling, I aim to shed light on the intersectionality of mental health and the ways society shapes how transgender people see themselves. I am currently in my second year of the counseling program at Southern Methodist University, pursuing licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) with a specialization in LGBTQ-affirmative therapy—driven by the hope of creating safer, more affirming spaces for those who need them most. Outside of my academic career, I currently provide peer mentoring services for the National Black Trans Advocacy Coalition (BTAC), centered around enrichment to foster community and educate. Within this role, I support Transgender people of color(TPOC) in finding their footing in society and exploring the journey of living in their most authentic form. In addition, I served as a Life Skills Counseling Intern at Dallas Hope Charities, where I supported unhoused transgender and gender non-conforming youth by teaching life skills grounded in the eight domains of wellness. In this role, I also facilitated group support sessions and one-on-one mentoring to help clients navigate personal and systemic challenges including educational tools for career, familial system, and physical health. Furthermore, I have worked as an LGBTQ+ consultant, conducting site visits across 12 states to promote equity and inclusion in clinical and organizational spaces. My long-term goal is to create spaces where LGBTQIA+ individuals—especially youth of color—can heal, be heard, and rediscover their power. I will establish a private practice comprised of LGBTQIA+ therapists who can provide lifesaving, identity-affirming mental health care to our community. Together, we will foster safe spaces for expression without judgment, empower lives through education and support, and offer healing that is grounded in cultural competency and shared lived experience. With the current connections I have fostered, this allots me the opportunity to build partnerships amongst these organizations allowing for educational consulting, implementing wellness workshops & activities centered around Diversity and Inclusion, and most importantly an opportunity to connect with TPOCs nationally through partnership databases for mental health resources.

As a Black transgender man living in the South, I face daily adversity at the intersection of race, gender identity, and systemic oppression. I know intimately the pain of searching for a reflection of yourself in the clinical mental health field—and finding none. In my work as a teacher, I have watched counselors struggle for hours to truly connect with queer students of color, often falling short because they could not bridge the cultural and racial divide. As a trans man, I have listened to people wrestle with the cost of living in their truth—facing isolation, rejection, and fear. And in my own life, I navigate the compounded challenges of being misgendered, encountering racism, fearing violence, and being forced to reveal parts of myself I wish could remain private—all to access basic care. These lived experiences do not discourage me; rather, they fuel an unshakable passion to become a clinical therapist. I feel called to hold space for those whose voices have too often been unheard, to be the representation I once searched for, and to help others heal, thrive, and live authentically. In a climate of growing hostility toward transgender individuals, I have committed myself to advancing mental health equity for marginalized communities—particularly Black and Brown transgender people whose needs are too often silenced or overlooked. Within the field of counseling, I aim to shed light on the intersectionality of mental health and the ways society shapes how transgender people see themselves. I am currently in my second year of the counseling program at Southern Methodist University, pursuing licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) with a specialization in LGBTQ-affirmative therapy—driven by the hope of creating safer, more affirming spaces for those who need them most. Outside of my academic career, I currently provide peer mentoring services for the National Black Trans Advocacy Coalition (BTAC), centered around enrichment to foster community and educate. Within this role, I support Transgender people of color(TPOC) in finding their footing in society and exploring the journey of living in their most authentic form. In addition, I served as a Life Skills Counseling Intern at Dallas Hope Charities, where I supported unhoused transgender and gender non-conforming youth by teaching life skills grounded in the eight domains of wellness. In this role, I also facilitated group support sessions and one-on-one mentoring to help clients navigate personal and systemic challenges including educational tools for career, familial system, and physical health. Furthermore, I have worked as an LGBTQ+ consultant, conducting site visits across 12 states to promote equity and inclusion in clinical and organizational spaces. My long-term goal is to create spaces where LGBTQIA+ individuals—especially youth of color—can heal, be heard, and rediscover their power. I will establish a private practice comprised of LGBTQIA+ therapists who can provide lifesaving, identity-affirming mental health care to our community. Together, we will foster safe spaces for expression without judgment, empower lives through education and support, and offer healing that is grounded in cultural competency and shared lived experience. With the current connections I have fostered, this allots me the opportunity to build partnerships amongst these organizations allowing for educational consulting, implementing wellness workshops & activities centered around Diversity and Inclusion, and most importantly an opportunity to connect with TPOCs nationally through partnership databases for mental health resources.

As a Queer Person of Color (QPoC), I have experienced firsthand the scarcity of representation within the clinical mental health field. As a teacher, I have witnessed counselors attempt for hours to connect with queer students of color unable to cross the cultural and racial divide to reach them. As a transman, I have connected with individuals who questioned their choice to live in their authenticity because it left them abandoned and alone. As a transgender man of color, I have experienced the myriad of daily hurdles facing the trans and non-binary community: fear of being misgendered, fear of racism, fear of being assaulted, fear of being “exposed” or invalidated in cis-settings and having to repeatedly present as one’s previous self to verify basic information. These are but a few of the reasons I feel called to become a clinical therapist. Yet, before this calling could be heard, I had to experience my own awakening of spirit, mind, and body incited by the power of therapy. With years of self-reflection, discovery, and acceptance. My inner child was no longer hiding, and he could finally flourish, but most importantly, I was confident in owning my identity and living in my truth. These rich coins of empowerment laid the foundation for my purpose to work within the LGBTQIA+ community. After becoming a therapist in my own rite, I will provide my community a safe space of guidance on their healing journey while holding them accountable and aware of how to walk in their identities. To them, I have a duty to help alleviate their fears and build confidence that they are not alone and have every right to live their lives as their most authentic form, something that I only came to understand with the help of my therapist. On my educational path, I plan to study the intersection of mental health and important factors that play vital roles within the LGBTQIA+ community. With this scholarship, I can have access to the tools and resources that will bring me closer to the vision of opening a private practice comprised of queer therapists to provide lifesaving and life-changing mental health resources for the LGBTQIA+ community. Within this practice, I will have a nonprofit organization that aligns with positive gender-affirming care experiences, inclusive resources, and foundational freedom. Together we can provide safe spaces for expression without judgment, empower lives through education and guidance, and enrich our community.

As a Queer Person of Color (QPoC), I have experienced firsthand the scarcity of representation within the clinical mental health field. As a teacher, I have witnessed counselors attempt for hours to connect with queer students of color unable to cross the cultural and racial divide to reach them. As a transman, I have connected with individuals who questioned their choice to live in their authenticity because it left them abandoned and alone. As a transgender man of color, I have experienced the myriad of daily hurdles facing the trans and non-binary community: fear of being misgendered, fear of racism, fear of being assaulted, fear of being “exposed” or invalidated in cis-settings and having to repeatedly present as one’s previous self to verify basic information. These are but a few of the reasons I feel called to become a clinical therapist. Yet, before this calling could be heard, I had to experience my own awakening of spirit, mind, and body incited by the power of therapy. With years of self-reflection, discovery, and acceptance. My inner child was no longer hiding, and he could finally flourish, but most importantly, I was confident in owning my identity and living in my truth. These rich coins of empowerment laid the foundation for my purpose to work within the LGBTQIA+ community. After becoming a therapist in my own rite, I will provide my community a safe space of guidance on their healing journey while holding them accountable and aware of how to walk in their identities. To them, I have a duty to help alleviate their fears and build confidence that they are not alone and have every right to live their lives as their most authentic form, something that I only came to understand with the help of my therapist. On my educational path, I plan to study the intersection of mental health and important factors that play vital roles within the LGBTQIA+ community. With this scholarship, I can have access to the tools and resources that will bring me closer to the vision of opening a private practice comprised of queer therapists to provide lifesaving and life-changing mental health resources for the LGBTQIA+ community. Within this practice, I will have a nonprofit organization that aligns with positive gender-affirming care experiences, inclusive resources, and foundational freedom. Together we can provide safe spaces for expression without judgment, empower lives through education and guidance, and enrich our community.

As a Queer Person of Color (QPoC), I have experienced firsthand the scarcity of representation within the clinical mental health field. As a teacher, I have witnessed counselors attempt for hours to connect with queer students of color unable to cross the cultural and racial divide to reach them. As a transman, I have connected with individuals who questioned their choice to live in their authenticity because it left them abandoned and alone. As a transgender man of color, I have experienced the myriad of daily hurdles facing the trans and non-binary community: fear of being misgendered, fear of racism, fear of being assaulted, fear of being “exposed” or invalidated in cis-settings and having to repeatedly present as one’s previous self to verify basic information. These are but a few of the reasons I feel called to become a clinical therapist. Yet, before this calling could be heard, I had to experience my own awakening of spirit, mind, and body incited by the power of therapy. With years of self-reflection, discovery, and acceptance. My inner child was no longer hiding, and he could finally flourish, but most importantly, I was confident in owning my identity and living in my truth. These rich coins of empowerment laid the foundation for my purpose to work within the LGBTQIA+ community. After becoming a therapist in my own rite, I will provide my community a safe space of guidance on their healing journey while holding them accountable and aware of how to walk in their identities. To them, I have a duty to help alleviate their fears and build confidence that they are not alone and have every right to live their lives as their most authentic form, something that I only came to understand with the help of my therapist. On my educational path, I plan to study the intersection of mental health and important factors that play vital roles within the LGBTQIA+ community. With this scholarship, I can have access to the tools and resources that will bring me closer to the vision of opening a private practice comprised of queer therapists to provide lifesaving and life-changing mental health resources for the LGBTQIA+ community. Within this practice, I will have a nonprofit organization that aligns with positive gender-affirming care experiences, inclusive resources, and foundational freedom. Together we can provide safe spaces for expression without judgment, empower lives through education and guidance, and enrich our community.

As a Queer Person of Color (QPoC), I have experienced firsthand the scarcity of representation within the clinical mental health field. As a teacher, I have witnessed counselors attempt for hours to connect with queer students of color unable to cross the cultural and racial divide to reach them. As a transman, I have connected with individuals who questioned their choice to live in their authenticity because it left them abandoned and alone. As a transgender man of color, I have experienced the myriad of daily hurdles facing the trans and non-binary community: fear of being misgendered, fear of racism, fear of being assaulted, fear of being “exposed” or invalidated in cis-settings and having to repeatedly present as one’s previous self to verify basic information. These are but a few of the reasons I feel called to become a clinical therapist. Yet, before this calling could be heard, I had to experience my own awakening of spirit, mind, and body incited by the power of therapy. With years of self-reflection, discovery, and acceptance. My inner child was no longer hiding, and he could finally flourish, but most importantly, I was confident in owning my identity and living in my truth. These rich coins of empowerment laid the foundation for my purpose to work within the LGBTQIA+ community. After becoming a therapist in my own rite, I will provide my community a safe space of guidance on their healing journey while holding them accountable and aware of how to walk in their identities. To them, I have a duty to help alleviate their fears and build confidence that they are not alone and have every right to live their lives as their most authentic form, something that I only came to understand with the help of my therapist. On my educational path, I plan to study the intersection of mental health and important factors that play vital roles within the LGBTQIA+ community. With this scholarship, I can have access to the tools and resources that will bring me closer to the vision of opening a private practice comprised of queer therapists to provide lifesaving and life-changing mental health resources for the LGBTQIA+ community. Within this practice, I will have a nonprofit organization that aligns with positive gender-affirming care experiences, inclusive resources, and foundational freedom. Together we can provide safe spaces for expression without judgment, empower lives through education and guidance, and enrich our community.

As a Queer Person of Color (QPoC), I have experienced firsthand the scarcity of representation within the clinical mental health field. As a teacher, I have witnessed counselors attempt for hours to connect with queer students of color unable to cross the cultural and racial divide to reach them. As a transman, I have connected with individuals who questioned their choice to live in their authenticity because it left them abandoned and alone. As a transgender man of color, I have experienced the myriad of daily hurdles facing the trans and non-binary community: fear of being misgendered, fear of racism, fear of being assaulted, fear of being “exposed” or invalidated in cis-settings and having to repeatedly present as one’s previous self to verify basic information. These are but a few of the reasons I feel called to become a clinical therapist. Yet, before this calling could be heard, I had to experience my own awakening of spirit, mind, and body incited by the power of therapy. With years of self-reflection, discovery, and acceptance. My inner child was no longer hiding, and he could finally flourish, but most importantly, I was confident in owning my identity and living in my truth. These rich coins of empowerment laid the foundation for my purpose to work within the LGBTQIA+ community. After becoming a therapist in my own rite, I will provide my community a safe space of guidance on their healing journey while holding them accountable and aware of how to walk in their identities. To them, I have a duty to help alleviate their fears and build confidence that they are not alone and have every right to live their lives as their most authentic form, something that I only came to understand with the help of my therapist. On my educational path, I plan to study the intersection of mental health and important factors that play vital roles within the LGBTQIA+ community. With this scholarship, I can have access to the tools and resources that will bring me closer to the vision of opening a private practice comprised of queer therapists to provide lifesaving and life-changing mental health resources for the LGBTQIA+ community. Within this practice, I will have a nonprofit organization that aligns with positive gender-affirming care experiences, inclusive resources, and foundational freedom. Together we can provide safe spaces for expression without judgment, empower lives through education and guidance, and enrich our community.

As a Queer Person of Color (QPoC), I have experienced firsthand the scarcity of representation within the clinical mental health field. As a teacher, I have witnessed counselors attempt for hours to connect with queer students of color unable to cross the cultural and racial divide to reach them. As a transman, I have connected with individuals who questioned their choice to live in their authenticity because it left them abandoned and alone. As a transgender man of color, I have experienced the myriad of daily hurdles facing the trans and non-binary community: fear of being misgendered, fear of racism, fear of being assaulted, fear of being “exposed” or invalidated in cis-settings and having to repeatedly present as one’s previous self to verify basic information. These are but a few of the reasons I feel called to become a clinical therapist. Yet, before this calling could be heard, I had to experience my own awakening of spirit, mind, and body incited by the power of therapy. With years of self-reflection, discovery, and acceptance. My inner child was no longer hiding, and he could finally flourish, but most importantly, I was confident in owning my identity and living in my truth. These rich coins of empowerment laid the foundation for my purpose to work within the LGBTQIA+ community. After becoming a therapist in my own rite, I will provide my community a safe space of guidance on their healing journey while holding them accountable and aware of how to walk in their identities. To them, I have a duty to help alleviate their fears and build confidence that they are not alone and have every right to live their lives as their most authentic form, something that I only came to understand with the help of my therapist. On my educational path, I plan to study the intersection of mental health and important factors that play vital roles within the LGBTQIA+ community. With this scholarship, I can have access to the tools and resources that will bring me closer to the vision of opening a private practice comprised of queer therapists to provide lifesaving and life-changing mental health resources for the LGBTQIA+ community. Within this practice, I will have a nonprofit organization that aligns with positive gender-affirming care experiences, inclusive resources, and foundational freedom. Together we can provide safe spaces for expression without judgment, empower lives through education and guidance, and enrich our community.

As a Queer Person of Color (QPoC), I have experienced firsthand the scarcity of representation within the clinical mental health field. As a teacher, I have witnessed counselors attempt for hours to connect with queer students of color unable to cross the cultural and racial divide to reach them. As a transman, I have connected with individuals who questioned their choice to live in their authenticity because it left them abandoned and alone. As a transgender man of color, I have experienced the myriad of daily hurdles facing the trans and non-binary community: fear of being misgendered, fear of racism, fear of being assaulted, fear of being “exposed” or invalidated in cis-settings and having to repeatedly present as one’s previous self to verify basic information. These are but a few of the reasons I feel called to become a clinical therapist. Yet, before this calling could be heard, I had to experience my own awakening of spirit, mind, and body incited by the power of therapy. With years of self-reflection, discovery, and acceptance. My inner child was no longer hiding, and he could finally flourish, but most importantly, I was confident in owning my identity and living in my truth. These rich coins of empowerment laid the foundation for my purpose to work within the LGBTQIA+ community. After becoming a therapist in my own rite, I will provide my community a safe space of guidance on their healing journey while holding them accountable and aware of how to walk in their identities. To them, I have a duty to help alleviate their fears and build confidence that they are not alone and have every right to live their lives as their most authentic form, something that I only came to understand with the help of my therapist. On my educational path, I plan to study the intersection of mental health and important factors that play vital roles within the LGBTQIA+ community. With this scholarship, I can have access to the tools and resources that will bring me closer to the vision of opening a private practice comprised of queer therapists to provide lifesaving and life-changing mental health resources for the LGBTQIA+ community. Within this practice, I will have a nonprofit organization that aligns with positive gender-affirming care experiences, inclusive resources, and foundational freedom. Together we can provide safe spaces for expression without judgment, empower lives through education and guidance, and enrich our community.