Marriage and Family Psychology is my dream major because I want to be a Marriage & Family Therapist since only 7.7% of African Americans are Marriage & Family Therapists. I want to be a part of that percentage because I see how often the mental health stigma negatively impacts the Black community. I see it in my community at school. I realized that when I attended one of the Black Student Union meetings after school. We talked about generational trauma, and so many of my peers strongly advocated unlearning the negative habits we were taught growing up. I saw that, and that conversation cemented my thoughts about being a Marriage & Family Therapist. While attending Spelman, I plan to learn about my community as much as possible, so I can return home with the tools and skills to unpack some of its issues. With the help of the David Michael Lopez Memorial Scholarship, I can achieve my goal of receiving the best education possible and a positive community. Since my mom and stepdad divorced, we have been living independently, and we’ve had to depend on her income for support. Though I am an only child, my mother has to handle other expenses, such as rent, utilities, and student loan debt. My mother always told me she didn’t want me to go to college, take out student loans, and pay student debt. The David Michael Lopez Memorial Scholarship will help take some of the burdens off of my mother while I attend Spelman. Thank you for reviewing my scholarship application and allowing me to showcase my leadership skills, academic achievements, and community service.

As I've gotten older, I realize that insecurities, low self-esteem, and low confidence all have a root. One way I have grown was in my confidence. As a child, I was always told I either "gained weight" or " lost weight." I had people poke and prod at my hair, my crown, and I was accustomed to getting my stomach poked at and called "a root beer belly." These seemingly small and insignificant actions planted a root of insecurity that sprouted up as low self-esteem, low confidence, and shame. Over this past year, I've grown confident because I dug up the root of insecurity. I realized I've grown through vocalizing my vulnerabilities, fears, and anxiety. When you start to vocalize the pain and insecurity, it can no longer control you. When you internalize it, it builds up to a point where you can't handle it anymore. One time, I had a massive panic attack, and I didn't know why I had the attack or what my triggers were. I had some unresolved trauma and shame that I didn't realize at the time; Later,I figured out why. When I started being honest with myself, it helped a lot. It was like when you hold something in for an extended period, and then you can finally let it out. That's how it felt to vocalize my insecurity because I could put words to my feelings and memories instead of actions. I could finally live and have the courage to express my feelings in a safe space. That space is my room with my Bible open, talking to God. He's the only one who helped me come to terms with my feelings since I could never be honest. When I gave my life to Christ, I had to learn to be honest with myself and others to grow properly. How could I grow if I was stuck in the same place as before? Now, I'm going, to be honest: sometimes, I still get worked up and fight my insecurities. It's an everyday battle. It's not something you can conquer in one day. It's like climbing up a mountain. Every day, you take a step to climb higher and higher until you reach its peak. This is what I think of when I am on my journey with God, except I'm not climbing the mountain alone. I have Jesus and the Holy Spirit on my side, helping, guiding, and encouraging me to live daily. One day I want to encourage and help others just like I was helped. That’s why I want to be a Marriage and Family Counselor. Being a Marriage & Family Counselor allows me to find systems that individuals were introduced to and raised in and break them down. Breaking systems is a great way to unlearn certain habits and relearn some healthy ones. Helping someone unlearn unhealthily and relearn healthy ones can impact the world because the person learning about healthy systems can teach the community around them. They can take the advice I've given them and address specific issues within their community. With the Growing with Gabby Scholarship, I can continue my education and become a Marriage & Family Counselor. I can also ease the financial burden of my mother. She has to take care of other expenses such as rent, utilities, and student loan debt. My mother always told me she didn’t want me to go to college, take out student loans, and pay student debt. With the help of the Growing with Gabby Scholarship, I can continue to support my community and make our goal come true.

The most pressing issue in the US is the mental health epidemic. According to the World Health Organization, 970 million people have mental health or substance disorders, but only 2% seek mental health services. In the US, only 46.2% (23.4 million people) sought mental health services. Out of the overall percentage, only 37.1% of African Americans sought mental health services. Because of these disparaging percentages, mental health should be the most pressing issue, but it isn't. The most common mental health disorders in the world are anxiety and depression. Because anxiety and depression are at an all-time high, we need more mental health professionals; however, there are over 1 million therapists globally and almost 199,811 in the US. How do 970 million people globally suffer from mental health/ substance disorders, but only 1 million are therapists? One day I want to be a part of that one million. I want to be a part of that one million because of my mental health journey and what I've seen in others. As I've grown older, I've noticed the impact anxiety and depression have on my community. This is why I want to study Marriage & Family Psychology at Spelman College. Being a Marriage & Family Counselor allows me to find systems that individuals were introduced to and raised in and break them down. Breaking systems is not a bad thing. It's a great way to unlearn certain habits and relearn some healthy ones. Helping someone unlearn and relearn healthy ones can impact the world because the person learning about healthy systems can teach the community around them. They can take the advice I've given them and address specific issues within their community. With more people starting to seek help for their mental health, it can have an astronomical impact on the world around them. Seeing my community struggle makes me want to help them and unlearn unhealthy habits and relearn healthy ones. I don't want my community to solve problems with violence and harmful coping mechanisms just because they don't know beneficial communication methods. Imagine how many issues would be solved if we had more people to teach effective communication. We would be a better world with it. Imagine how many lives would be saved if people had a shoulder to lean their heads on. This is another reason I want to be a part of that one million. I had someone to rely on throughout my mental health journey, some without. I want to be that someone. I want to be that person who can help others on their journey.