I am currently pursuing my associate’s degree in business administration and I have depression and anxiety. I am fortunate to say that I am in a good place with both conditions at this time, but that hasn’t always been the case. I was an anxious child but did not have my first noteworthy bout with depression until high school. My grandmother passed away and it felt like my world fell apart. The loss devastated me. I went from being a feisty, girly, honor roll student to an angry loner. I became unable to keep up with my physical appearance. I missed homecoming, prom and many other noteworthy events that I can never get back. I have a younger brother who suffers from more serious mental health issues. Due to this, I didn’t want to put more strain on my family by sharing the depth of my struggles. My parents were dealing with personal issues and were unable to grasp the severity of my mental state. My depression became so severe that I stopped eating. I lost thirty pounds in three months. I fell into obsessive behavior and thought patterns. I almost lost all hope of ever living a happy and productive life again. As graduation approached, my mother realized I need intervention. She began to consider if inpatient treatment was right for me. This seemed like the end of my world, as many things do to teenagers. So, I offered an alternative. I decided to join the United States Air Force. My mom was extremely concerned as to whether or not I could handle the stressor of military basic training. However, I’ve always been a tough and stubborn young lady who accomplishes any task that I set my mind to. I assured her I could do it. She promised to help me prepare. I applied to join the Air Force and I was accepted! We trained together and I left North Carolina for basic training in San Antonio, Texas three months after graduating from high school. Upon completion of training, I entered active duty service as a behavioral health technician. I wanted to help others struggling with mental health. My enlistment was five of the most rewarding years of my life. I still struggle with my mental health today, but I am proud to say that I am in a much better place. I’m thankful to my family for being a great support system. I am also incredibly grateful for the tools that I learned in the Air Force. I have made it a life goal to share the coping mechanisms that I learned with anyone who needs assistance. Mental health is just as important as physical health and should be prioritized just as highly. My goal is to complete my bachelor's degree in healthcare management and become a clinic administrator. I want all patients to feel comfortable, welcome and heard when receiving treatment. I’d like to be a voice for patients who cannot find their own. I also currently attend therapy regularly and hope to continue to fight the stigma surrounding mental health issues.

I have always loved writing because it provides me with a way of sharing my thoughts and feelings with the world. Words on paper just seem to flow with such ease, as opposed to saying them out loud. I love that you can say whatever is on your heart without the fear of judgment that we often encounter when speaking aloud. I’ve written about my family, my life experiences, my childhood, my fears and my dreams. I’ve poured my heart and imagination out onto paper with ink. Writing has also become a way to help me process the busy world around me. I’ve always felt like my thoughts pour in faster that I can decipher them. When I was younger, it could be overwhelming at times. I think what put me at ease the most with free writing is not having to find the “right” words to complete my thought. There is no specific way that you have to communicate things. I can express myself however I feel is best fitting and that is the most freeing feeling in the world. I can just lay it all out on paper, and reread it when I feel able to process the information. Writing has helped me work through anxiety, grief, depression and an entire active duty military term. The smell of a fresh notebook and the feeling of a pen in my hand instantly grounds me. No matter how overwhelmed or angry I may be in that moment, I can breathe with ease knowing that I can release those feeling onto paper. I do not have to endure the hardship of carrying such taxing emotions with me. Writing has helped me maintain my peace of mind in this crazy life. Furthermore, what would life be without books? Glorious books! What a boring existence we would all have to endure without magical stories we could retreat into at a moment’s notice. With currently working full time and being a full time student, sometimes I just need a mental breather. Nothing quite does it for me like cozying up at a little coffee shop with a great book. Who wants to be bombarded with the afflictions of the world when you can read about majestic dragons, fantastic wizards and enigmatic vampires instead? I’ve always found solace in the words of others. My hope is to one day write a book of my own. If my words can provide the same comfort that I’ve been provided by the words of others, I would consider it a life well spent.

I am currently pursuing my associate’s degree in business administration and I struggle with depression and anxiety. I am fortunate to say that I am in a good place with both conditions at this time, but that hasn’t always been the case. I was an anxious child but did not have my first noteworthy bout with depression until my junior year of high school. My grandmother passed away and it felt like my world fell apart. The loss devastated me. I went from being a feisty, girly, honor roll student to an angry loner. I became unable to keep up with my physical appearance. I missed homecoming, prom and many other noteworthy events that I can never get back. I have a younger brother who suffers from more serious mental health issues. Due to this I didn’t want to put more strain on my family by sharing the depth of my struggles. My parents were dealing with personal issues and were unable to grasp the severity of my mental state. My depression became so severe that I stopped eating. I lost thirty pounds in three months. I fell into obsessive behavior and thought patterns. I almost lost all hope of ever living a happy and productive life again. This carried over into my senior year. As graduation approached, my mother realized I needed intervention. She began to consider if inpatient treatment might be best for me. As a teenager who had always dreamed of attending university, this seemed like the end of my world. So, I offered an alternative. I decided to join the United States Air Force. I felt a change of environment would make a huge difference for me. My mom was extremely concerned as to whether or not I could handle the stressors of military basic training. However, I’ve always been a tough and stubborn young lady who accomplishes any task that I set my mind to. I assured her I could do it. She promised to help me prepare. I applied to join the Air Force and I was accepted! We trained together and I left North Carolina for basic training in San Antonio, Texas three months after graduating from high school. Upon completion of training, I entered active duty service as a behavioral health technician. I wanted to help others struggling with mental health. My enlistment was five of the most rewarding years of my life. I still struggle with my mental health today, but I am proud to say that I am in a much better place. I’m thankful to my family for being a great support system. I am also incredibly grateful for the tools that I learned in the Air Force. I have made it a life goal to share the coping mechanisms that I learned with anyone who needs assistance. Mental health is just as important as physical health and should prioritized just as highly. I currently attend therapy regularly and hope to continue to fight the stigma surrounding mental health issues.

I am a proud Air Force veteran. I completed five years of service on active duty and was honorably discharged. Being in the military was one of the most rewarding experience of my life. As Airmen, our main goal was to serve and protect the nation. While I was deeply thankful for training and knowledge in both aspects, I thoroughly enjoyed the service factor. I was fortunate enough to have opportunities to help the community in many ways. My unit participated in clothing a food collection drives that targeted underprivileged communities. We worked shifts at the local food bank to distribute the items we collected. We assisted with blood donation drives to support local hospitals and our troops who were deployed to overseas locations with fewer medical supplies. We visited retirement communities to spend time with residents who did not receive visits often. This was to ensure that the residents remained in good spirits, as that is a crucial element of wellness that is often overlooked. Sometimes we would provide entertainment for them as well by performing in parades or conducting color guard shows. It pulled at my heart to see how excited they would get while watching the performance. Many of the residents were veterans themselves, and they would tell us that they were fondly remembering the time that they served. It is a very humbling and special experience to fill the shoes of generations that came before you, and to hearsay that you are making them proud. My favorite volunteer experience was at a women's and children's domestic violence shelter. In addition to collecting donations, we spent a lot of time with the residents. It was such a gratifying experience to see the survivors regain that spark for life again. Many of the women just wanted someone to talk to. Someone to listen. More often than not, they did not wish to talk about their hardships but just make small talk. Most of my conversations were about girl things; makeup, clothes and trash tv. We smiled and laughed and even shed a few tears together. Due to the circumstances, I knew I would not see these women again, but the days we spent together were engraved into my heart for a lifetime. I still smile when looking back on the fond memories. I still enjoy doing similar volunteer events. While working full time, as well as attending school full time, I do not have as much free time to commit. I still give back when I can and hope to have more opportunities to do so in the future. Having had my own experiences in the past of being less fortunate, I am so grateful to be able to help those in similar situations however I can.

It’s time for the talk. Not the one about the birds and bees that most of us had to endure with our parents upon entering puberty. This is the talk that little black boys and girls have with their parents about the police. Usually, we’re around seven or eight, sometimes younger. We are taught early on to make ourselves as diminished and compliant as humanly possible if ever dealing with a policeman. Put your hands up. Keep them in plain view no matter what. Say yes and no sir, and never talk back. These are the steps that you must follow if you want to make it back home after the interaction. Law enforcement officers are supposed to protect the community. But what happens when those who have been chosen to serve and protect are the ones causing the most harm? Countless black Americans have lost their lives as a result of police brutality. Every time you turn on the news, a police officer is using excessive force on a black person. The majority of cases reported have resulted in these citizens falling victim to assault and battery, and even murder. To set this injustice right, the policing system must be reformed. We must completely dissect and amend the way that officers are trained to interact with citizens. Police brutality towards Black Americans is nothing new, we just have cell phones to capture it now. So it begs the question, what does this issue stem from? A lack of proper training and deeply rooted racial bias. The current guidelines for policing encourage violence. They fire first and ask questions later. Worst of all, it often only results in a slap on the wrist. “Protect and serve” has become a thing of the past. Black people are always accused of “police suspicion”, even if they haven’t done anything to warrant it. The law needs to be enforced for officers as well. You cannot arrest someone unless they are suspected beyond a reasonable doubt of committing a crime. If an officer violates this regulation, they should be charged. No suspensions. If they are endangering a citizen, make a serious example of them. Make them fear repercussions. Accountability is the first step. We must break this vicious cycle. Police violence is resulting in distrust and disdain towards law enforcement. Most black Americans do not feel that police have intentions of performing their duties correctly. We don’t feel safe interacting with them. That fear is then passed from one generation to the next. How do we fix it? Officers should be required to complete detailed training in racial and cultural bias as well as conflict resolution before being allowed to interact with the public. They should also be required to pass an exam as well as complete several hours working under observation before being allowed to work individually or with a partner. Put eyes on them, and hold them accountable for their actions. Secondly, there should be a minimum age requirement of twenty-five to become a police officer. Currently, the minimum age requirement for police officers varies for every state. It should be consolidated to twenty-five years old across the U.S. Many current studies prove that the average person doesn’t reach full maturity until the age of twenty-five. Lastly, police officers should not be allowed to perform wellness checks or respond to calls concerning mental health concerns. They do not have the proper training, and it rarely ends well. With these changes, I believe that we could see a desperately needed change in the current climate of violent police interactions with the black community.

Quality education is important because it will set apart those who want a prosperous future from those who are complacent with living in the paycheck to paycheck cycle that so many Americans fall into. Today, more careers require continued education, so a college degree can be crucial to your economic success. Higher education equips you with the ability to make more informed life choices and grants you greater access to financial literacy. You can stand in a room with fifty other individuals and you may be judged a certain way based off of your appearance, the way that you speak or carry yourself. You may be looked down upon. Education however cannot be judged as callously. Sure, your university may not be a top choice or have certain certifications. Maybe it is not the most noteworthy choice. All of that aside, at the end of the day, you still have a degree in your hand. Despite anything else, this sets you apart from other people. You are part of a small fraction of the population who chose to seek more for themselves. Less than forty percent of the population. It shows drive and determination and intelligence. You should also keep in mind an employer’s perspective when selecting an employee. Imagine reviewing two resumes from two different applicants. They have about the same level of experience. On the contrary, one applicant gained a higher education in the field. Which individual would you pick? You would most likely choose the applicant with a higher degree of education. Now, let’s dissect the situation even further. Today, employers are most often not only comparing two applicants, but tons of them. This means that you have to give a stronger effort in terms of making your application more appealing to the employer, and a higher degree of education may be the decisive factor that tips the scale in your favor. Education has brought value to me as a black woman, by allowing me to supersede the abilities and expectations of my ancestors. Throughout American history, black Americans have been purposely held back and forced to swallow their hopes and dreams time and time again. We were forced into mediocrity. Any expectations of moving up in society were immediately stomped out. So to be a black woman with the chance to do and be so much more, it would be an absolute travesty to let such a grand opportunity go to waste. And I will not. I want to command a room when I walk into it. Not just with beauty or wit, but with knowledge. The kind you gain from furthering your education. Combine that with the kind of knowledge we learn through our everyday interactions and that makes someone a force to be reckoned with. I dream of being a fiercely educated black woman. That is why my path to higher education brings so much value and pride to me.