I was talking with a friend one day about his new job at the VA in South Dakota. It was his dream job and I was thrilled to share his excitement. He told me he wished he could clone me and have me work in every VA facility as a social worker. I was taken aback because at the time I was in the process of applying for a graduate program in social work, something I hadn’t told him yet. I then told him my plans and he said, “I know. It’s the only logical choice for you.” Even though social work isn’t my original field of study, I have come to recognize that it is indeed the only logical choice for me. I don’t know how to explain WHAT I do to help others with their mental health because, in my eyes, all I do is simply exist. I bring a safe place for people by simply existing. I allow people to feel heard by simply existing. I help others feel loved by simply existing (and an occasional buddy check). I know how to exist because I know what it’s like to not want to exist. I have done a lot of research and self exploration surrounding the grieving process. After being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at 17 years old, I spent about 10 years going through what I later recognized as the grieving process. I was able to come to acceptance that I can still live a full life with my condition and maybe even help others along the way. I made awareness ribbon jewelry, took speaking engagements, and told my story while listening to others and encouraging them to find resilience in their struggles. If I can help people find resilience by simply existing, I can only imagine how much more I can do with the tools I will receive by obtaining a masters degree in social work. I have received compliments such as, “You are one of the best listeners I know,” “You’re able to create a safe space for venting,” “You are insightful, “You are accepting and empathetic,” “I feel safe with you,” and “I love your heart.” It makes me feel like I am going on the right path. Receiving the ADHDAdvisor’s Mental Health Advocate Scholarship would be an enormous help for me as I work toward my goals. Thank you for your time.

My motivation for working in the mental health field stems from my own struggles with mental health and my desire to influence others to have a better experience in life. I wish I could give you a list of credentials to say why I’m the perfect candidate for this award, but I don’t have many because social work is not my original field of study. Most of my expertise is lived experience and mentorship from various counselors, family members, friends, and co-workers. I feel that these things have helped lead me toward the social work field that one very analytical autistic veteran friend described as being “the only logical choice” for me. When I was 17, I was diagnosed with a debilitating illness called rheumatoid arthritis. I was the only person I knew with my condition and therefore had nobody to talk to about it. I was misunderstood because nobody could relate to my situation. I felt very alone and had a very dark grieving process. After some adaptation and coming to accept that I will still be able to live a full life with my condition, I started to spread awareness of disabilities and be an advocate for people with chronic illness. Even though my knees and hips are artificial, my hands are disfigured, and many of my joints have deteriorated, I realize that my empathy, my ambition, and my intuition are intact. I have found that there aren’t many professions I can go into with those qualities that will pay enough to support me and my family without having a higher degree. I am excited to start a masters of social work program at the University of North Dakota where I have been accepted and plan to start in January 2025. I have received compliments such as, “You are one of the best listeners I know,” “You’re able to create a safe space for venting,” “You are insightful, “You are accepting and empathetic,” “I feel safe with you,” and “I love your heart.” If I can make positive impacts by simply being myself, I can imagine how much greater my impact will be with the tools and knowledge I will receive with this education. I have seen positive impacts I have made by volunteering in my community and local schools. I have been able to teach thousands of people about rheumatoid arthritis, disabilities, and chronic illness through social media. I am known among my friends and acquaintances as someone who is very easy to talk to and who is a good listener. I have had two therapists tell me that I have many qualities that would help me be a good therapist. All of these things have helped validate my decision to go into social work. I am excited to continue positively impacting my community, my friends, and my cohort as I work toward this degree.

When I was 17 years old, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease called rheumatoid arthritis. By the time I was 22 years old, my joints had deteriorated so much that I was walking on crutches full-time. At that time, I had a full-time job as a receptionist, and part of my duties was to check our post office box every morning before opening the office. One day after I hobbled out of the post office with a tote bag full of letters and catalogs hanging from the handle of one of my crutches, I noticed a man in a white pickup looking at me. I was used to people staring at me as I was extremely thin and unable to stand up straight, so I just put the bag of mail and my crutches in my car, climbed in and drove to work. When I arrived at my office and exited my car, I was frightened to see the man in the white pickup had pulled into the parking lot as well. Trying to ignore him, I was taken aback when he rolled down his window and yelled to me, “Do you have MS?” I stood still for a moment, then replied, “No, I have rheumatoid arthritis.” “Oh, I thought maybe you had MS,” he said. Then he proceeded to tell me about a multi-level-marketing company he belonged to that sells supplements that have been “proven” to help people with MS. I tried to be polite and thank him for his concern as I hobbled into work and he took his sales pitch elsewhere, but I was completely astonished at the audacity that he had to follow me from the post office to my place of work to try to sell something to a vulnerable individual with a physical disability. I realized then that I had become part of a community that is frequently targeted by uninformed people who are trying to get further along in their own pursuits. Now, 18 years and seven surgeries later, I am returning to school crutch-free to go after my own pursuits. Pursuits of a masters degree in social work. My hands are disfigured and many of my joints have deteriorated, but my intelligence, my love, and my intuition are intact. I have found that there aren’t many professions I can go into with those qualities that will pay enough to support me and my family. At least not without having a higher degree. Social work isn’t my original field of study, but I feel like it’s a perfect fit for me based on my empathetic nature and caring personality. Whether I end up in private practice, the VA, or as a school social worker, I will work to make sure everyone I talk to feels important and feels heard. I know what it’s like to feel like an inanimate object. A sale for supplements. A lump on a log because I can’t walk. A number to help fulfill equal opportunity requirements. A checkmark on a to-do list for ADA accommodations. It’s taken me years to reclaim my identity as a person. I want to help others do the same.

Something that I love about Wicked is how it has had such an incredible impact on a large number of people. Musicals have changed so much throughout the years, yet this musical remains beloved within the world. Here’s what the musical Wicked means to me. Something about me is that I have very empathic tendencies. I can’t not be touched by the music I hear. I can listen to the same songs over and over, and I'm still so often touched as I hear them and experience emotions through them. Sometimes I feel more with lyrics, but sometimes just playing the melody is what I need. Wicked is by far a soundtrack that has both. The music follows the rules of a strong musical that would do well on Broadway. But it doesn’t just copy someone else's rules. It’s like Stephen Schwartz created a whole new game. And I’m not sure I’m on board. Too many people have stayed up late to rehearse for their tryouts to be a part of Wicked. They spend time second-guessing their audition choices wondering if it’s too bold of a choice, but then time passes and it’s too late to change. That night when they go home, back to what is probably a very average bedroom, they can’t sleep because of all of the overthinking. Ah yes, overthinking. It's something that takes way too much time in my mind. It makes it difficult to believe my thoughts. I have lost trust in my ability to have accurate instincts. I try to close those thoughts, but my brain likes to stay open like my eyes when I see a cute guy. Despite having these thoughts, I need to keep moving forward and take a leap to get over my biases against Mr. Schwartz. It's obvious that he’s not trying to ruin people’s lives by making them overthink. I think this time he is working to improve lives. I think his attempt is to try to provide an opportunity for young people to feel seen. To think that defying the norms of society will loosen the gravity that humankind has on them. I believe Mr. Schwartz wants us to think that we can change the world. And I'll tell you what, I think it’s right to try. I think we should be defying the things that are holding us back from our goals. The gravity of this kind of thinking is very powerful, and Wicked has shown people like me and you that we can be successful by doing good things. I can't deny that Wicked has had an incredible pull on my heartstrings. The story of an underdog like Elphaba speaks to me. If someone asked me if I want to go with them to see the movie Wicked, I’d definitely say, “I’m down.”

My name is Riley Howard and I am applying for the Steven Penn Bryan Scholarship to help pay for expenses related to obtaining a masters degree in social work. Even though social work isn’t my original area of study, I have come to recognize that it is a great fit for me based on my empathic personality and lived experience having a chronic illness. I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis at 17 years old while being a very active university student. I felt rushed to finish my bachelor’s degree through a vocational rehabilitation program while trying to navigate my new diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis. I don’t think my young mind had the time or bandwidth to fully recognize my strengths and how to expand them through education. The bulk of my 20’s and 30's were spent going through the grieving process of my diagnosis, having surgeries to repair RA damage, learning how to raise children while having a chronic illness, and trying to be a good employee as a secretary which for a time was a flexible job that would work with my deteriorating health. Only after coming to accept that I can still live a fulfilling life, have I been able to better evaluate myself and the positive traits I have that could be beneficial in the workplace. There’s a ripple effect that connects various areas of our health. When one area is focused on improving, others tend to follow. I believe the mind, soul, and body are very connected. Not only is mental health important to perform our best in our relationships, it helps us perform our best in our daily physical tasks. I have noticed physical symptoms of poor mental health such as shaking/jittering, chest tightness, and headaches. On the flip side, having poor physical health can contribute to poor mental health. I noticed that going from a very active teenager to being confined to bed for days at a time because of my medical condition played a big role in the deterioration of my mental health. The grieving process has helped bring me peace and want to share my journey to help others. Maintaining mental wellness through multiple applications of exercise and therapy have been instrumental in my life. I enjoy physical therapy to help keep my muscles and joints active, hiking to rejuvenate my soul, and reading to exercise my brain. I have received compliments such as, “You are one of the best listeners I know,” “You are insightful, “You are accepting and empathetic,” “I feel safe with you,” and “I love your heart.” It makes me feel like I am going on the right path to helping others achieve good mental wellness along with me. I hope to help others find the right avenues of physical, spiritual, and mental exercises to facilitate good health. Even though my knees and hips are artificial, my hands are disfigured, and many of my joints have deteriorated, I realize that my love, my heart, and my intuition are intact. I have found that there aren’t many professions I can go into with those qualities that will pay enough to support me and my family without having a higher degree. As a single mother on Social Security Disability, I don’t have space in my budget to take on an extensive schooling program by myself. I wouldn’t be able to get the education necessary to do so without generous donors such as yourselves. I hope to be considered for the Steven Penn Bryan Scholarship. Thank you for your time and consideration.

My name is Riley Howard and I am applying for the Mental Health Importance Scholarship to help pay for expenses related to obtaining a Masters degree in Social Work. My motivation for working in the mental health field stems from my own struggles with mental health and my desire to influence others to have a better experience in life. Whether it’s picking up trash at the park while my kids play, being a listening ear to someone having a hard time, or giving a loved one a hug, I strive to leave everything and everyone better than I find them. I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis when I was 17 years old. Only after going through my long grieving process and coming to accept that I can still lead a fulfilling life despite my increasing physical limitations, have I been able to find joy and light that I’ve found reflected in people I encounter every day. As someone who has seen the effects of poorly treated mental health disorders in others and myself, I feel motivated to do as much as I can to improve mental health care. I have found peace in the grieving process and have tried to encourage people to recognize that we can adapt to the unforeseen challenges that life puts before us. I believe the mind and the body are very connected. Not only is mental health important to perform our best in our relationships, it helps us perform our best in our daily tasks. I have noticed physical symptoms of poor mental health such as shaking/jittering, chest tightness, throat constriction, and headaches. On the flip side, having poor physical health can contribute to poor mental health. I noticed that going from a very active teenager to being confined to bed for days at a time because of my medical condition played a big role in the deterioration of my mental health. I maintain my mental wellness through physical and mental activity. I enjoy physical therapy to help keep my muscles and joints active. Additionally, I enjoy hiking and being in nature which have a rejuvenating effect on my body and my mind. When my mental wellness is in a good space, I have seen other people benefit from my energy. I have received compliments such as, “You are one of the best listeners I know,” “You’re able to create a safe space for venting,” “You are insightful, “You are accepting and empathetic,” “I feel safe with you,” and “I love your heart.” It makes me feel like I am going on the right path to helping others achieve good mental wellness along with me. Even though my knees and hips are artificial, my hands are disfigured, and many of my joints have deteriorated, I realize that my mind, my love, my heart, and my intuition are intact. I have found that there aren’t many professions I can go into with those qualities that will pay enough to support me and my family without having a higher degree. Therefore, I am pursuing a degree that will allow me to gain employment and utilize my natural qualities to create a better life for me and my children. I hope to be considered for the Mental health Importance Scholarship to help reach my goals of improving mental health resources in my community. Thank you for your time and consideration.

My name is Riley and I’m applying for the Harvest Achievement Scholarship to help with expenses related to obtaining a Masters of Social Work degree. I am confident I can excel in Social Work despite having physical limitations. These limitations have helped me think outside of the box for ways to find accountability for my projects and goals. I am slow to move, but I have a lot of ambition and desire to do good in my community. I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis when I was 17 years old. I endured a very difficult grieving process that has challenged every aspect of my life. My goals changed because my deteriorating joints made it impossible to train to climb Everest. I lost friendships because I didn’t know how to explain that I was in too much pain to leave my bed. My religious beliefs were called into question because of the anger I felt toward a deity that would allow such a “ridiculous” disease to exist. My work experience has been limited to simple, unfulfilling secretarial jobs with employers that would be flexible to my physical limitations. Only after going through my long grieving process and coming to accept that I can still lead a fulfilling life despite my increasing physical limitations, have I been able to find joy and light that I’ve found reflected in people I encounter every day. I think my accountability comes from my high value of service. I have had a few experiences that have helped adjust how I view and perform service, including having four young adults unexpectedly stop to help me pick up hundreds of spilled beads in the middle of a busy midway without me asking. I admired their ability to see a need and step in to fill it. Things like that have shaped my service by jumping in when I see a need, not being afraid to ask for service if I need it - which has been a big adjustment for an independent woman, and volunteering in a time where there are people who have decreased ability, ambition, and accountability. An example of how my accountability with service has led to my success is volunteer work in my kids' schools. I began volunteering when my older went to kindergarten where I would go on my lunch break to quiz the kids on their letter recognition and plan and organize class parties. Within a couple of years, I had lost my full-time job and divorced my girls’ dad. I didn’t want to feel like a “drain on society” because I was not working, so I increased my volunteer work in and around the school by becoming involved in PTA (Parent Teacher Association) and picking up trash around the school. Because of my accountability of service to my community, I am currently in my second year as PTA President, I have been offered a job at the school in the office - which I accepted, and the school saw my service efforts and decided to create a “Volunteer of the Year” award because of my service. While I don’t love my chronic illness, it has given me opportunities, relationships, and experiences that I otherwise would not have had in my life. I don’t know what my accountability would look like today if I didn’t have a chronic illness, but I can see that my efforts to contribute to my community are paying off. I hope to be considered for the Harvest Achievement Scholarship and I thank you for your time.

For a long time I had wondered what was so exciting about the Olympics. There are World Championships for all of the different sports every year and many of the same athletes compete against each other every year. Simone Biles won the all-around over Rebecca Andrade in 2023, Katie Ledecky has scores of world titles over several years, Ryan Crouser has been in the top spot for shot put for 3 years in a row - two world championships and one olympics. So what is so significant about the Olympics? I think I’ve figured it out. Pride and patriotism. I see the Olympics as a worldwide showcase where countries are competing in all events in a short amount of time. It provides an opportunity for patriots of all countries to cheer for, support, be disappointed with, and celebrate en mass. We look for our flag in all contests and feel the collective excitement of the entire crowd. I loved that the Team USA fans were so united as we all cheered for athletes representing our country. In my home, we were rooting the loudest for Suni Lee in gymnastics. As someone with an incurable disease myself (rheumatoid arthritis), I related to her experience of sudden, unexplained health issues that completely changed our lives. What I adore most about her is her tenacity and ability to push through her challenges, to heal enough to go back to training and ultimately compete in the worlds largest sporting competition. From her beautiful choreography, show stopping smile, and powerful music choice from Lindsey Stirling, her floor routine performances were the highlights for my family. It’s kind of an odd idea to feel a personal and loving connection to someone I have never met, yet that kind of connection is exactly what helps increase the significance of the Olympic experience. Whether it was cheering on Suni Lee, holding my breath with Bobby Finke while he swam the 800, or taking in the stunning Tahitian sights as Carissa Moore surfed, my two girls and I were overjoyed to watch the Olympics this year and cheer on Team USA.

My name is Riley Howard and I am applying for the Elevate Mental Health Scholarship to help pay for expenses related to obtaining a Masters degree in Social Work. My motivation for working in the mental health field stems from my own struggles with mental health and my desire to influence others to have a better experience in life. Whether it’s picking up trash at the park while my kids play or giving a loved one a hug, I strive to leave everything and everyone better than I find them. I can only imagine how many people can connect with the mission of this scholarship. As someone who has seen the effects of poorly treated mental health in others and myself, I feel motivated to do as much as I can to improve mental health care. I have found peace in the grieving process and have tried to encourage people to recognize that we can adapt to the unforeseen challenges that life puts before us. I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis when I was 17 years old. I endured a very difficult grieving process that has challenged every aspect of my life. My goals changed because my deteriorating joints made it impossible to train to climb Everest. I lost friendships because I didn’t know how to explain that I was in too much pain to leave my bed. My religious beliefs were called into question because of the anger I felt toward a deity that would allow such a “ridiculous” disease to exist. My work experience has been limited to simple, unfulfilling secretarial jobs with employers that would be flexible to my physical limitations. Only after going through my long grieving process and coming to accept that I can still lead a fulfilling life despite my increasing physical limitations, have I been able to find joy and light that I’ve found reflected in people I encounter every day. I wish I could give you a list of credentials to say why I’m the perfect candidate for this award, but I don’t have many because social work is not my original field of study. Most of my expertise is lived experience and mentorship from various counselors, family members, friends, and co-workers. I feel that these things have helped lead me toward this field that one very analytical autistic veteran friend described as being “the only logical choice” for me. I have had two therapists tell me that I have many qualities that would help me be a good therapist. These people along with many others have helped validate my decision to go into social work. I have received compliments such as, “You are one of the best listeners I know,” “You’re able to create a safe space for venting,” “You are insightful, “You are accepting and empathetic,” “I feel safe with you,” and “I love your heart.” It makes me feel like I am going on the right path to achieve my desire in the best way possible. I would like to work to improve the accessibility of affordable and quality mental health care and treatments, particularly for low income communities. I have seen issues with youth on Medicaid being limited to facilities that are overbooked and unable to consistently schedule the same counselor. I’ve seen Medicare patients who can’t find an office that will accept their coverage. I’ve seen school children have appointments canceled with the school social worker - the only therapist parents are able to have their child see due to work conflicts - because there have been other crises on school grounds that have taken them away. Because of these issues, I see youth who don’t make progress because there’s no continuity with counselors, I see elderly and disabled persons go without therapy or go into debt for therapy because they cannot use their coverage, and I see children feeling lonely and forgotten when the social worker doesn’t come to pick them up for their scheduled appointment. I recognize that I can't do it all and I can’t do it alone, but I like to think that I can create a ripple effect that can reach further than I will be able to recognize. Like the young boy throwing starfish back into the ocean, I know I can’t make a difference to everybody. But hopefully I can impact even just one person to recognize that they have value. Even though my knees and hips are artificial, my hands are disfigured, and many of my joints have deteriorated, I realize that my mind, my love, my heart, and my intuition are intact. I have found that there aren’t many professions I can go into with those qualities that will pay enough to support me and my family without having a higher degree. Therefore, I am pursuing a degree that will allow me to gain employment and utilize my natural qualities to create a better life for me and my children. I hope to be considered for the Elevate Mental Health Awareness Scholarship to help reach my goals of improving mental health resources in my community. Thank you for your time and consideration.

As someone whose main goals in life are to leave everything and everyone I encounter better than I found them, I strongly resonate with the beautiful tribute written for Jennifer Gephart. I am a single mother of two girls and have the added struggle of trying to navigate motherhood and employment with a chronic illness called Rheumatoid Arthritis and subsequent disability. I am applying for the Jennifer Gephart Memorial Working Mothers Scholarship to help with expenses related to obtaining a Masters of Social Work degree which I believe will help me create a bigger positive impact in my community. When I was finally blessed with my first child after nine years of marriage, I was faced with significant postpartum depression and "mom guilt" for going back to work at an unfulfilling job and leaving my baby at daycare. By the time I got off work, picked up my daughter, drove home, fixed dinner and got her fed, there was only an hour left in the day to play and get to know my child while being significantly exhausted with the added efforts my body was making combating Rheumatoid Arthritis. I remember sitting my 18-month old daughter in her high chair one evening with a paper to color on in front of her. I had a small box of crayons that I was going to get one color at a time for her, hold it up and ask if she wanted, "blue", "red", "yellow", and so on until she was able to identify which color she wanted. Before I could even pull out the first color, she very clearly said, "I want brown." I started crying both tears of love that she was so bright, and tears of grief because I was not the one teaching her. After that experience, I realized the impacts I was striving to make as a working mom needed to be refocused to make the most out of the relatively little time and energy I had to spend with my children. Daycare and preschool were doing a wonderful job fulfilling the needs that I was unable to, so I started volunteering with my children's' schools and activities. I volunteered to bring snacks to preschool, spent my lunch breaks quizzing kindergarten classmates on letter recognition, planned class parties, coached soccer, and became involved with PTA. When I lost my full-time job after 12 years of employment, I continued to volunteer at the school almost daily to show support for my kids and still feel like l had value to society. Even though my knees and hips are artificial, my hands are disfigured, and many of my joints have deteriorated, I realize that my mind, my love, my heart, and my intuition are intact. I have found that there aren’t many professions I can go into with those qualities that will pay enough to support me and my family without having a higher degree, therefore I am pursuing a degree that will allow me to gain employment and utilize my natural qualities to create a better life for me and my children. I wouldn’t be able to get the education necessary to do so without generous donors such as yourselves. As a single mother on Social Security Disability, I don’t have space in my budget to take on an extensive schooling program by myself. Therefore I would be most grateful to be considered for the Jennifer Gephart Memorial Working Mothers Scholarship. Thank you for your time and consideration.