At 43 years old, I am finally stepping into the life I always hoped was possible. Returning to school to finish my bachelor’s degree in social work is not just an academic decision—it’s the culmination of decades of personal struggle, growth, and resilience. My path here has not been linear, but every detour has deepened my commitment to becoming a therapist who specializes in mood disorders and Cluster B personality disorders, with a special focus on psychodrama as a healing tool. I first started college in 1999, full of hope but unknowingly carrying burdens that made academic success feel just out of reach. At the time, I didn’t know I had learning disabilities—specifically dyscalculia and ADHD. Without diagnoses, I internalized my struggles as personal failures. I saw classmates grasping concepts I couldn’t, and I assumed I just wasn’t cut out for college. It wasn’t until I was in my 40s that I finally received the correct diagnoses. The sense of clarity and relief was profound. Suddenly, my past made sense—not as a timeline of failures, but as a reflection of unmet needs. Alongside these academic challenges, I’ve also battled serious mental health issues. For most of my adult life, I lived with undiagnosed borderline personality disorder, depression, and anxiety. These conditions affected nearly every area of my life, including my ability to focus, follow through, and believe in my own potential. It wasn’t until I entered treatment at the age of 42 that I began to truly heal. Therapy—especially the blend of structure and emotional depth it offered—changed the way I see myself. It taught me how to navigate the chaos that had shaped so much of my past. For the first time, I understood that my mind wasn’t broken. It was trying to survive. That experience not only changed my life—it gave me my purpose. I want to become the kind of therapist who can offer that same clarity and support to others. I am particularly drawn to working with individuals who have mood and personality disorders, because I understand how isolating and misunderstood these diagnoses can be. I want to help people move beyond survival—to rediscover the parts of themselves that illness may have buried. I am especially interested in psychodrama as a therapeutic modality. The creative, embodied, and expressive nature of psychodrama resonates deeply with me, and I believe it offers a path to healing that words alone often cannot reach. Today, I am on track to complete my bachelor’s degree in social work within the next year and a half. I am proud of every step I’ve taken to get here. I no longer see my age or history as a disadvantage—instead, I bring a level of lived experience, insight, and empathy that can’t be taught in a classroom. My journey has made me a better student, a more thoughtful peer, and, I believe, a future therapist who will be able to meet clients where they are with patience and compassion. Financially, returning to school has required significant sacrifices. I’m a parent to an incredible 9-year-old boy—he’s in fourth grade, loves Scouts, and brings so much light and motivation into my life. Balancing school and parenting isn’t always easy, but I’m doing everything I can to make this dream a reality—not just for me, but for him too. Scholarships are essential not just to ease the financial burden, but to allow me to fully focus on my education and fieldwork. Every dollar of support brings me closer to becoming a therapist who can help others transform their pain into progress. I’m not the student I was at 18. I’m more focused, more grounded, and finally equipped—with the tools, diagnoses, treatment, and insight I needed all along. I carry both lived experience and academic purpose into this next chapter. My goal is to apply everything I’ve gained—insight, education, and experience—to help others find the stability and healing I’ve been so fortunate to discover myself. Thank you for considering my application. Your support would not only ease the financial burden of my education—it would help me continue on the path to becoming a therapist who serves with compassion, integrity, and a deep commitment to healing and equity. This opportunity means more than funding; it’s an investment in the kind of care I hope to provide to those who need it most.