Research studies show that being part of marginalized groups results in toxic stress and intergenerational trauma. However, early interventions can provide youth with healthy coping mechanisms to decrease stress and improve emotional well-being. Due to my marginalized and intersecting identities, I am often othered in professional contexts. Knowing firsthand the effects of intergenerational trauma, I am more motivated to follow this career path and promote social change. By pursuing a career as a Social Worker, I could provide services to children and youth at no cost and minimize these effects, teach children better-coping strategies, support mental health, and promote equity. From a young age, I knew I wanted to help others, a goal influenced by a transformative experience with a Hospice Grief Counselor after my dad’s passing. My dad passed away suddenly in 2014, leaving behind my pregnant mom, three sisters, and me. Although I was only 12 years old, struggling with grief, I found that my mom often turned to me for help. I knew I needed help and got connected with a Hospice Grief Counselor. After weeks of speaking with one, I finally found healing and was tremendously helped. It was the first time in four years that I felt I was being supported and taken care of. While I was raised to believe my strength was measured by my ability to hide my emotions and care for others, my counselor taught me that true strength is acknowledging and overcoming your feelings. After counseling, my perspective changed; while it may sound cliche, my whole life changed. My grief counselor taught me that one needs to feel to deal with emotions to heal from past trauma. My school counselor helped me grow and overcome the challenges I was facing. I would not be where I am today if it had not been for help from my counselors; they are why I have chosen the path I am on today. With a Master's Degree and a license to practice, I, too, could help others by promoting overall growth and supporting mental and emotional health needs. As a Social Worker, I hope to empower, support, empathize with, guide, and help clients who have lost all hope, improving their lives. I also hope that by working as a Social Worker I can help destigmatize mental health and heal my community. By working in mental health, I am able to advocate for prioritizing mental health in each of my clients and the community as a whole.

Research studies show that being part of marginalized groups results in toxic stress and intergenerational trauma. However, early interventions can provide youth with healthy coping mechanisms to decrease stress and improve emotional well-being. Due to my marginalized and intersecting identities, I am often othered in professional contexts. Knowing firsthand the effects of intergenerational trauma, I am more motivated to follow this career path and promote social change. By pursuing a career as a Social Worker, I could provide services to children and youth at no cost and minimize these effects, teach children better-coping strategies, support mental health, and promote equity. From a young age, I knew I wanted to help others, a goal influenced by a transformative experience with a Hospice Grief Counselor after my dad’s passing. My dad passed away suddenly in 2014, leaving behind my pregnant mom, three sisters, and me. Although I was only 12 years old, struggling with grief, I found that my mom often turned to me for help. I knew I needed help and got connected with a Hospice Grief Counselor. After weeks of speaking with one, I finally found healing and was tremendously helped. It was the first time in four years that I felt I was being supported and taken care of. While I was raised to believe my strength was measured by my ability to hide my emotions and care for others, my counselor taught me that true strength is acknowledging and overcoming your feelings. After counseling, my perspective changed; while it may sound cliche, my whole life changed. My grief counselor taught me that one needs to feel to deal with emotions to heal from past trauma. My school counselor helped me grow and overcome the challenges I was facing. I would not be where I am today if it had not been for help from my counselors; they are why I have chosen the path I am on today. With a Master's Degree and a license to practice, I, too, could help others by promoting overall growth and supporting mental and emotional health needs. As a Social Worker, I hope to empower, support, empathize with, guide, and help clients who have lost all hope, improving their lives. I also hope that by working as a Social Worker I can help destigmatize mental health and heal my community.

Growing up in a Mexican household with very open-minded parents, I was fortunately taught to appreciate all the different cultures that contribute to and make up our world. My grandma always said “nunca debemos olvidar ni avergonzarnos de quiénes somos y de dónde venimos,” - we must never forget or be ashamed of who we are or where we come from. Meaning, we should always present our culture with pride. However, this never meant that we should ignore or disrespect other cultures, races, identities, or ethnicities. Instead, we should value them equally as we do our own. These values taught to me by my parents and grandma are values I will keep and use moving forward in my career and life. We all have internal biases, and acknowledging them is the first step in breaking them down. Understanding experiences different from our own and becoming more self-aware is crucial in this process. Culture plays a significant role in an individual's upbringing, shaping their beliefs, values, communication, health, and identity. As a student pursuing a career in social work, being aware of these connections can help better understand clients and their situations, facilitating effective assessments and helping them grow, heal, and adjust. Going into a career like social work, travel is crucial and an incredibly transformative experience to truly expose yourself to different cultures, perspectives, and environments. This exposure leads not only to personal growth and development but also to cultural competence, . Traveling helps an individual immerse themselves in a culture they may have previously known nothing about. After experiencing this immersion, the individual will become more empathetic, and understanding, and can reconnect with social justice by being surrounded by people and places that are sometimes forgotten. Travel is transformative for everyone, but as a social worker, travel also helps them be a better helper. By understanding the impact culture, environment, and perspective have on an individual, a social worker is better able to understand their client from a more open-minded view. Which in turn would allow the social worker to be a better helper to their client by enhancing the delivery of services to people with varying cultural experiences associated with their race, ethnicity, gender, class, sexual orientation, religion, age, or disability.

Research studies show that being part of marginalized groups results in toxic stress and intergenerational trauma. However, early interventions can provide youth with healthy coping mechanisms to decrease stress and improve emotional well-being. Due to my marginalized and intersecting identities, I am often othered in professional contexts. Knowing firsthand the effects of intergenerational trauma, I am more motivated to follow this career path and promote social change. By pursuing a career as a Social Worker, I could provide services to children and youth at no cost and minimize these effects, teach children better-coping strategies, support mental health, and promote equity. From a young age, I knew I wanted to help others, a goal influenced by a transformative experience with a Hospice Grief Counselor after my dad’s passing. My dad passed away suddenly in 2014, leaving behind my pregnant mom, three sisters, and me. Although I was only 12 years old, struggling with grief, I found that my mom often turned to me for help. I knew I needed help and got connected with a Hospice Grief Counselor. After weeks of speaking with one, I finally found healing and was tremendously helped. It was the first time in four years that I felt I was being supported and taken care of. While I was raised to believe my strength was measured by my ability to hide my emotions and care for others, my counselor taught me that true strength is acknowledging and overcoming your feelings. After counseling, my perspective changed; while it may sound cliche, my whole life changed. My grief counselor taught me that one needs to feel to deal with emotions to heal from past trauma. My school counselor helped me grow and overcome the challenges I was facing. I would not be where I am today if it had not been for help from my counselors; they are why I have chosen the path I am on today. With a Master's Degree and a license to practice, I, too, could help others by promoting overall growth and supporting mental and emotional health needs. As a Social Worker, I hope to empower, support, empathize with, guide, and help clients who have lost all hope, improving their lives. I also hope that by working as a Social Worker I can help destigmatize mental health and heal my community.

Research studies show that being part of marginalized groups results in toxic stress and intergenerational trauma. However, early interventions can provide youth with healthy coping mechanisms to decrease stress and improve emotional well-being. Due to my marginalized and intersecting identities, I am often othered in professional contexts (e.g., misunderstood by doctors, therapists, or educators). Knowing firsthand the effects of intergenerational trauma, I am more motivated to follow this career path and promote social change. By pursuing a career as a Social Worker, I could provide services to children and youth at no cost and minimize these effects, teach children better-coping strategies, support mental health, and promote equity. From a young age, I knew I wanted to help others, a goal influenced by a transformative experience with a Hospice Grief Counselor after my dad’s passing. My dad passed away suddenly in 2014, leaving behind my pregnant mom, three sisters, and me. Although I was only 12 years old, struggling with grief, I found that my mom often turned to me for help. It was almost as if the roles had been reversed, and suddenly I was responsible for caring for her and my siblings. I ensured my mom ate when she was too depressed to get out of bed, reminded her to pay bills, and took on many other tasks. I also helped care for my older and younger sisters, providing them with the support she could not. Unfortunately, at the end of the day, I found that I was still dealing with losing someone. At 16 years old, I felt years of grief dragging me down. My grades were slipping, my mental health was slowly deteriorating, I was numb after years of ignoring my grief, and felt completely lost. I knew I needed help and got connected with a Hospice Grief Counselor. After weeks of speaking with one, I finally found healing and was tremendously helped. It was the first time in four years that I felt I was being supported and taken care of. While I was raised to believe my strength was measured by my ability to hide my emotions and care for others, my counselor taught me that true strength is acknowledging and overcoming your feelings. After my grief counseling sessions ended, I connected with a school counselor. She provided both socio-emotional support and academic counseling which meant she understood the intersection of emotional well-being and academic success through a holistic approach. She knew my grades had slipped as a result of my mental health, and she provided me with the support to get back on track, my 2.8 GPA had turned into a 4.0 the following school year. After counseling, my perspective changed; while it may sound cliche, my whole life changed. My grief counselor taught me that one needs to feel to deal with emotions to heal from past trauma. My school counselor helped me grow and overcome the challenges I was facing. I would not be where I am today if it had not been for help from my counselors; they are why I have chosen the path I am on today. With a Master's Degree and a license to practice, I, too, could help others by providing holistic interventions and strategies that promote overall growth, advocate for students toward academic equity, and support their mental and emotional health needs. As a Social Worker, I hope to empower, support, empathize with, guide, and help clients who have lost all hope, improving their lives. I also hope that by working as a Social Worker I can help destigmatize mental health and heal my community.

Research studies show that being part of marginalized groups results in toxic stress and intergenerational trauma. However, early interventions can provide youth with healthy coping mechanisms to decrease stress and improve emotional well-being. Due to my marginalized and intersecting identities, I am often othered in professional contexts (e.g., misunderstood by doctors, therapists, or educators). Knowing firsthand the effects of intergenerational trauma, I am more motivated to follow this career path and promote social change. By pursuing a career as a Social Worker, I could provide services to children and youth at no cost and minimize these effects, teach children better-coping strategies, support mental health, and promote equity. From a young age, I knew I wanted to help others, a goal influenced by a transformative experience with a Hospice Grief Counselor after my dad’s passing. My dad passed away suddenly in 2014, leaving behind my pregnant mom, three sisters, and me. Although I was only 12 years old, struggling with grief, I found that my mom often turned to me for help. It was almost as if the roles had been reversed, and suddenly I was responsible for caring for her and my siblings. I ensured my mom ate when she was too depressed to get out of bed, reminded her to pay bills, and took on many other tasks. I also helped care for my older and younger sisters, providing them with the support she could not. Unfortunately, at the end of the day, I found that I was still dealing with losing someone. At 16 years old, I felt years of grief dragging me down. My grades were slipping, my mental health was slowly deteriorating, I was numb after years of ignoring my grief, and felt completely lost. I knew I needed help and got connected with a Hospice Grief Counselor. After weeks of speaking with one, I finally found healing and was tremendously helped. It was the first time in four years that I felt I was being supported and taken care of. While I was raised to believe my strength was measured by my ability to hide my emotions and care for others, my counselor taught me that true strength is acknowledging and overcoming your feelings. After my grief counseling sessions ended, I connected with a school counselor. She provided both socio-emotional support and academic counseling which meant she understood the intersection of emotional well-being and academic success through a holistic approach. She knew my grades had slipped as a result of my mental health, and she provided me with the support to get back on track, my 2.8 GPA had turned into a 4.0 the following school year. After counseling, my perspective changed; while it may sound cliche, my whole life changed. My grief counselor taught me that one needs to feel to deal with emotions to heal from past trauma. My school counselor helped me grow and overcome the challenges I was facing. I would not be where I am today if it had not been for help from my counselors; they are why I have chosen the path I am on today. With a Master's Degree and a license to practice, I, too, could help others by providing holistic interventions and strategies that promote overall growth, advocate for students toward academic equity, and support their mental and emotional health needs. As a Social Worker, I hope to empower, support, empathize with, guide, and help clients who have lost all hope, improving their lives. I also hope that by working as a Social Worker I can help destigmatize mental health and heal my community.

To me, a leader is someone who provides support for their communities to achieve goals. According to the theory of social justice, everyone should have equitable access to education, economic resources, health, and opportunities. Equitable access to all these resources is a goal many individuals from marginalized communities aim to have. Recently, I was able to be a leader and engage in advocacy towards educational equity and promote social justice in my community. Growing up in a small low-income and marginalized town as a first-generation low-income student, going to a four-year university after high school graduation was a dream I wouldn’t be able to make true. Luckily, I had the option to attend Community College and then transfer to a California State University, which is the best decision I could have made. While going to community college was the only option for me, counselors at my high school made it seem like it was the worst decision possible. They made me feel as if I was throwing away the possibility of having a successful future if I started there, not realizing the financial burden it would put on my family and I or that there were too many responsibilities at home I could not leave behind. So, it was the only option that me–and many of my classmates–had. I shared this experience with coordinators from my local school district. I explained to them that it was unfair that only University of California representatives were recruiting and sharing resources at high schools so that the only message they were receiving was to apply to four-year universities. It made the students who were planning to attend community college–like those who had family obligations and couldn’t move, needed flexible class options to work full-time, or couldn’t afford tuition–feel as though we were being left behind without a strong path forward. After sharing my personal experience and the experiences of some of my classmates with the local school district employees, they took my input and decided to hire a team of community college representatives to work at the main three high schools in the district to provide support and encouragement to all of those students who cannot or do not wish to attend a four-year university immediately after high school. By students knowing they have a community college option, they become aware of a meaningful and affordable path to higher education. Additionally, this project is also helping students connect with a guidance counselor in order to build a long-term plan to fulfill course requirements and then transfer.

To me, a leader is someone who provides support for their communities to achieve goals. According to the theory of social justice, everyone should have equitable access to education, economic resources, health, and opportunities. Equitable access to all these resources is a goal many individuals from marginalized communities aim to have. Recently, I was able to be a leader and engage in advocacy towards educational equity and promote social justice in my community. Growing up in a small low-income and marginalized town as a first-generation low-income student, going to a four-year university after high school graduation was a dream I wouldn’t be able to make true. Luckily, I had the option to attend Community College and then transfer to a California State University, which is the best decision I could have made. While going to community college was the only option for me, counselors at my high school made it seem like it was the worst decision possible. They made me feel as if I was throwing away the possibility of having a successful future if I started there, not realizing the financial burden it would put on my family and I or that there were too many responsibilities at home I could not leave behind. So, it was the only option that me–and many of my classmates–had. I shared this experience with coordinators from my local school district. I explained to them that it was unfair that only University of California representatives were recruiting and sharing resources at high schools so that the only message they were receiving was to apply to four-year universities. It made the students who were planning to attend community college–like those who had family obligations and couldn’t move, needed flexible class options to work full-time, or couldn’t afford tuition–feel as though we were being left behind without a strong path forward. After sharing my personal experience and the experiences of some of my classmates with the local school district employees, they took my input and decided to hire a team of community college representatives to work at the main three high schools in the district to provide support and encouragement to all of those students who cannot or do not wish to attend a four-year university immediately after high school. By students knowing they have a community college option, they become aware of a meaningful and affordable path to higher education. Additionally, this project is also helping students connect with a guidance counselor in order to build a long-term plan to fulfill course requirements and then transfer. Through my leadership skills, I hope to continue advocating and working towards achieving goals for my and other communities who have been marginalized.

To me, a leader is someone who provides support for their communities to achieve goals. According to the theory of social justice, everyone should have equitable access to education, economic resources, health, and opportunities. Equitable access to all these resources is a goal many individuals from marginalized communities aim to have. Recently, I was able to be a leader and engage in advocacy towards educational equity and promote social justice in my community. Growing up in a small low-income and marginalized town as a first-generation low-income student, going to a four-year university after high school graduation was a dream I wouldn’t be able to make true. Luckily, I had the option to attend Community College and then transfer to a California State University, which is the best decision I could have made. While going to community college was the only option for me, counselors at my high school made it seem like it was the worst decision possible. They made me feel as if I was throwing away the possibility of having a successful future if I started there, not realizing the financial burden it would put on my family and I or that there were too many responsibilities at home I could not leave behind. So, it was the only option that me–and many of my classmates–had. I shared this experience with coordinators from my local school district. I explained to them that it was unfair that only University of California representatives were recruiting and sharing resources at high schools so that the only message they were receiving was to apply to four-year universities. It made the students who were planning to attend community college–like those who had family obligations and couldn’t move, needed flexible class options to work full-time, or couldn’t afford tuition–feel as though we were being left behind without a strong path forward. After sharing my personal experience and the experiences of some of my classmates with the local school district employees, they took my input and decided to hire a team of community college representatives to work at the main three high schools in the district to provide support and encouragement to all of those students who cannot or do not wish to attend a four-year university immediately after high school. By students knowing they have a community college option, they become aware of a meaningful and affordable path to higher education. Additionally, this project is also helping students connect with a guidance counselor in order to build a long-term plan to fulfill course requirements and then transfer.

Research studies show that being part of marginalized groups results in toxic stress and intergenerational trauma. However, early interventions can provide youth with healthy coping mechanisms to decrease stress and improve emotional well-being. Due to my marginalized and intersecting identities, I am often othered in professional contexts (e.g., misunderstood by doctors, therapists, or educators). Knowing firsthand the effects of intergenerational trauma, I am more motivated to follow this career path and promote social change. By pursuing a career as a School Social Worker, I could provide services to children and youth at no cost and minimize these effects, teach children better-coping strategies, and promote equity. From a young age, I knew I wanted to help others, a goal influenced by a transformative experience with a Hospice Grief Counselor after my dad’s passing. My dad passed away suddenly in 2014, leaving behind my pregnant mom, three sisters, and me. Although I was only 12 years old, struggling with grief, I found that my mom often turned to me for help. It was almost as if the roles had been reversed, and suddenly I was responsible for caring for her and my siblings. I ensured my mom ate when she was too depressed to get out of bed, reminded her to pay bills, and took on many other tasks. I also helped take care of my older and younger sisters, providing them with the support that she could not. Unfortunately, at the end of the day, I found that I was still dealing with losing someone. At 16 years old, I felt years of grief dragging me down. My grades were slipping, my mental health was slowly deteriorating, I was numb after years of ignoring my grief, and felt completely lost. I knew I needed help and got connected with a Hospice Grief Counselor. After weeks of speaking with one, I finally found healing and was tremendously helped. It was the first time in four years that I felt I was being supported and taken care of. While I was raised to believe my strength was measured by my ability to hide my emotions and care for others, my counselor taught me that true strength is acknowledging and overcoming your feelings. After my grief counseling sessions ended, I connected with a school counselor. She provided both socio-emotional support and academic counseling which meant she understood the intersection of emotional well-being and academic success through a holistic approach. She knew my grades had slipped as a result of my mental health, and she provided me with the support to get back on track, my 2.8 GPA had turned into a 4.0 the following school year. After counseling, my perspective changed; while it may sound cliche, my whole life changed. My grief counselor taught me that one needs to feel to deal with emotions to heal from past trauma. My school counselor helped me grow and overcome the challenges I was facing. I would not be where I am today if it had not been for help from my counselors; they are why I have chosen the path I am on today. With a Master's Degree and a license to practice, I, too, could help others by providing holistic interventions and strategies that promote overall growth, advocate for students toward academic equity, and support their mental and emotional health needs.

Research studies show that being part of marginalized groups results in toxic stress and intergenerational trauma. However, early interventions can provide youth with healthy coping mechanisms to decrease stress and improve emotional well-being. Due to my marginalized and intersecting identities (first-generation, low-income, Chicana, daughter of a widow), I am often othered in professional contexts. Knowing the effects of intergenerational trauma, I am more motivated to follow a career path in mental health and promote social change. I've always wanted to aid others, a goal influenced by a transformative experience with a Grief Counselor after my dad’s passing. He passed away in 2014, leaving behind my pregnant mom, sisters, and me. Although I was only 12 years old, I found that my mom often turned to me for help. It was almost as if the roles had been reversed, and suddenly I was responsible for caring for her and my siblings. I ensured my mom ate when she was too depressed to get out of bed, reminded her to pay bills, and many other tasks. Unfortunately, at the end of the day, I found that I was still dealing with losing someone. At 16 years old, I felt years of grief dragging me down. My grades were slipping, my mental health was slowly deteriorating, and I felt completely lost. I knew I needed help and got connected with a Grief Counselor. My counselor taught me that true strength is acknowledging and overcoming your feelings. After counseling, my perspective changed. I would not be where I am today if it had not been for help from my counselors; they are why I have chosen the path I am on today. With a Master's Degree and a license to practice, I, too, could help others by supporting one's mental and emotional health needs.

Research studies show that being part of marginalized groups results in toxic stress and intergenerational trauma. However, early interventions can provide youth with healthy coping mechanisms to decrease stress and improve emotional well-being. Due to my marginalized and intersecting identities (low-income, daughter of a widow, first-generation, Chicana), I am often othered in professional contexts. Knowing firsthand the effects of intergenerational trauma, I am more motivated to follow this career path and promote social change. By pursuing a career as a School Social Worker, I could provide services to children and youth at no cost and minimize these effects, teach children better coping strategies, and promote equity. From a young age, I knew I wanted to help others, a goal influenced by a transformative experience with a Hospice Grief Counselor after my dad’s passing. My dad passed away suddenly in 2014, leaving behind my pregnant mom, three sisters, and me. Although I was only 12 years old, struggling with grief, I found that my mom often turned to me for help. It was almost as if the roles had been reversed, and suddenly I was responsible for caring for her and my siblings. I ensured my mom ate when she was too depressed to get out of bed, reminded her to pay bills, and took on many other tasks. I also helped care for my older and younger sisters, providing them with the support she could not. Unfortunately, at the end of the day, I found that I was still dealing with losing someone. At 16 years old, I felt years of grief dragging me down. My grades were slipping, my mental health was slowly deteriorating, I was numb after years of ignoring my grief, and felt completely lost. I knew I needed help and got connected with a Hospice Grief Counselor. After weeks of speaking with one, I finally found healing and was tremendously helped. It was the first time in four years that I felt I was being supported and taken care of. While I was raised to believe my strength was measured by my ability to hide my emotions and care for others, my counselor taught me that true strength is acknowledging and overcoming your feelings. After my grief counseling sessions ended, I connected with a school counselor. She provided both socio-emotional support and academic counseling which meant she understood the intersection of emotional well-being and academic success through a holistic approach. She knew my grades had slipped as a result of my mental health, and she provided me with the support to get back on track, my 2.8 GPA had turned into a 4.0 the following school year. After counseling, my perspective changed; while it may sound cliche, my whole life changed. My grief counselor taught me that one needs to feel to deal with emotions to heal from past trauma. My school counselor helped me grow and overcome the challenges I was facing. I would not be where I am today if it had not been for help from my counselors; they are why I have chosen the path I am on today. With a Master's Degree and a license to practice, I, too, could help others by providing holistic interventions and strategies that promote overall growth, advocate for students toward academic equity, and support their mental and emotional health needs.

Research studies show that being part of marginalized groups results in toxic stress and intergenerational trauma. However, early interventions can provide youth with healthy coping mechanisms to decrease stress and improve emotional well-being. Due to my marginalized and intersecting identities, I am often othered in professional contexts (e.g., misunderstood by doctors, therapists, or educators). Knowing firsthand the effects of intergenerational trauma, I am more motivated to follow this career path and promote social change. By pursuing a career as a School Social Worker, I could provide services to children and youth at no cost and minimize these effects, teach children better-coping strategies, and promote equity. From a young age, I knew I wanted to help others, a goal influenced by a transformative experience with a Hospice Grief Counselor after my dad’s passing. My dad passed away suddenly in 2014, leaving behind my pregnant mom, three sisters, and me. Although I was only 12 years old, struggling with grief, I found that my mom often turned to me for help. It was almost as if the roles had been reversed, and suddenly I was responsible for caring for her and my siblings. I ensured my mom ate when she was too depressed to get out of bed, reminded her to pay bills, and took on many other tasks. I also helped take care of my older and younger sisters, providing them with the support that she could not. Unfortunately, at the end of the day, I found that I was still dealing with losing someone. At 16 years old, I felt years of grief dragging me down. My grades were slipping, my mental health was slowly deteriorating, I was numb after years of ignoring my grief, and felt completely lost. I knew I needed help and got connected with a Hospice Grief Counselor. After weeks of speaking with one, I finally found healing and was tremendously helped. It was the first time in four years that I felt I was being supported and taken care of. While I was raised to believe my strength was measured by my ability to hide my emotions and care for others, my counselor taught me that true strength is acknowledging and overcoming your feelings. After my grief counseling sessions ended, I connected with a school counselor. She provided both socio-emotional support and academic counseling which meant she understood the intersection of emotional well-being and academic success through a holistic approach. She knew my grades had slipped as a result of my mental health, and she provided me with the support to get back on track, my 2.8 GPA had turned into a 4.0 the following school year. After counseling, my perspective changed; while it may sound cliche, my whole life changed. My grief counselor taught me that one needs to feel to deal with emotions to heal from past trauma. My school counselor helped me grow and overcome the challenges I was facing. I would not be where I am today if it had not been for help from my counselors; they are why I have chosen the path I am on today. With a Master's Degree and a license to practice, I, too, could help others by providing holistic interventions and strategies that promote overall growth, advocate for students toward academic equity, and support their mental and emotional health needs.

Research studies show that being part of marginalized groups results in toxic stress and intergenerational trauma. However, early interventions can provide youth with healthy coping mechanisms to decrease stress and improve emotional well-being. Due to my marginalized and intersecting identities, I am often othered in professional contexts (e.g., misunderstood by doctors, therapists, or educators). Knowing firsthand the effects of intergenerational trauma, I am more motivated to follow this career path and promote social change. By pursuing a career as a School Social Worker, I could provide services to children and youth at no cost and minimize these effects, teach children better-coping strategies, and promote equity. From a young age, I knew I wanted to help others, a goal influenced by a transformative experience with a Hospice Grief Counselor after my dad’s passing. My dad passed away suddenly in 2014, leaving behind my pregnant mom, three sisters, and me. Although I was only 12 years old, struggling with grief, I found that my mom often turned to me for help. It was almost as if the roles had been reversed, and suddenly I was responsible for caring for her and my siblings. I ensured my mom ate when she was too depressed to get out of bed, reminded her to pay bills, and took on many other tasks. I also helped take care of my older and younger sisters, providing them with the support that she could not. Unfortunately, at the end of the day, I found that I was still dealing with losing someone. At 16 years old, I felt years of grief dragging me down. My grades were slipping, my mental health was slowly deteriorating, I was numb after years of ignoring my grief, and I felt completely lost. I knew I needed help and got connected with a Hospice Grief Counselor. After weeks of speaking with one, I finally found healing and was tremendously helped. It was the first time in four years that I felt I was being supported and taken care of. While I was raised to believe my strength was measured by my ability to hide my emotions and care for others, my counselor taught me that true strength is acknowledging and overcoming your feelings. After counseling, my perspective changed; while it may sound cliche, my whole life changed. My grief counselor taught me that one needs to feel to deal with emotions to heal from past trauma. My school counselor helped me grow and overcome the challenges I was facing. I would not be where I am today if it had not been for help from my counselors; they are why I have chosen the path I am on today. With a Master's Degree and a license to practice, I, too, could help others by providing holistic interventions and strategies that promote overall growth, advocate for students toward academic equity, and support their mental and emotional health needs. Everyone faces adverse experiences in their life that shape who they become. I was fortunate enough to begin building a support system with my counselor who not only led me but also guided me and supported me as I tried to find the right path for myself. My advice to others is to find support in your family, friends, classmates, community, etc. to help catch you when you fall, and pick you up again.

Research studies show that being part of marginalized groups results in toxic stress and intergenerational trauma. However, early interventions can provide youth with healthy coping mechanisms to decrease stress and improve emotional well-being. Due to my marginalized and intersecting identities, I am often othered in professional contexts (e.g., misunderstood by doctors, therapists, or educators). Knowing firsthand the effects of intergenerational trauma, I am more motivated to follow this career path and promote social change. By pursuing a career as a School Social Worker, I could provide services to children and youth at no cost and minimize these effects, teach children better-coping strategies, and promote equity. From a young age, I knew I wanted to help others, a goal influenced by a transformative experience with a Hospice Grief Counselor after my dad’s passing. My dad passed away suddenly in 2014, leaving behind my pregnant mom, three sisters, and me. Although I was only 12 years old, struggling with grief, I found that my mom often turned to me for help. It was almost as if the roles had been reversed, and suddenly I was responsible for caring for her and my siblings. I ensured my mom ate when she was too depressed to get out of bed, reminded her to pay bills, and took on many other tasks. I also helped take care of my older and younger sisters, providing them with the support that she could not. Unfortunately, at the end of the day, I found that I was still dealing with losing someone. At 16 years old, I felt years of grief dragging me down. My grades were slipping, my mental health was slowly deteriorating, I was numb after years of ignoring my grief, and felt completely lost. I knew I needed help and got connected with a Hospice Grief Counselor. After weeks of speaking with one, I finally found healing and was tremendously helped. It was the first time in four years that I felt I was being supported and taken care of. While I was raised to believe my strength was measured by my ability to hide my emotions and care for others, my counselor taught me that true strength is acknowledging and overcoming your feelings. After my grief counseling sessions ended, I connected with a school counselor. She provided both socio-emotional support and academic counseling which meant she understood the intersection of emotional well-being and academic success through a holistic approach. She knew my grades had slipped as a result of my mental health, and she provided me with the support to get back on track, my 2.8 GPA had turned into a 4.0 the following school year. After counseling, my perspective changed; while it may sound cliche, my whole life changed. My grief counselor taught me that one needs to feel to deal with emotions to heal from past trauma. My school counselor helped me grow and overcome the challenges I was facing. I would not be where I am today if it had not been for help from my counselors; they are why I have chosen the path I am on today. With a Master's Degree and a license to practice, I, too, could help others by providing holistic interventions and strategies that promote overall growth, advocate for students toward academic equity, create a positive impact, and support their mental and emotional health needs.

Going to university after high school is a goal many people have and, unfortunately, many are unable to meet. Growing up in a small low-income town as a first-generation low-income student, going to a four-year university after high school graduation was a dream I wouldn’t be able to make true. Luckily, I was able to attend Community College and then transfer to a CSU. While going to community college was the only option for me, counselors at my high school made it seem like it was the worst decision possible. I was made to feel like I was throwing away the possibility of having a successful future if I started there. They did not consider the financial burden it would put on my family and me or that there were too many responsibilities at home I could not leave behind. So, it was the only option that I–and many of my classmates–had. I shared this experience with coordinators from my local school district. I explained to them that it was unfair that only University of California representatives were recruiting and sharing resources at high schools, so the only message students were receiving was to apply to four-year universities. It made the students who were planning to attend community college–like those who had family obligations and couldn’t move, needed flexible class options to work full-time, or couldn’t afford tuition–feel as though we were being left behind without a strong path forward. The dristrict took my input and decided to hire a team of community college representatives to work at the three main high schools in the district to provide support and encouragement to all of those students who cannot or do not wish to attend a four-year university immediately after high school. By students knowing they have a community college option, they become aware of a meaningful and affordable path to higher education. Additionally, this project (2+2 Project) is also helping students connect with a guidance counselor to build a long-term plan to fulfill course requirements and then transfer to the closest CSU, a campus that is proud to help transfer students continue their educational goals. Through my experience working with the district and local community college coordinators, I learned how important it is to provide support to and advocate for others. Had I not decided to talk to these individuals and share with them my experiences and those of my peers, this project would not have gone any further. It would have stopped at just an idea. But because I spoke up and advocated, I was able to take part in this amazing project that will help many students, especially those in marginalized communities. From this experience, I learned the importance of advocating for those who often can not advocate for themselves, and it is a lesson I plan to take into my training as a Social Worker. I greatly appreciate the skills and opportunities I have gained at CSUMB and will continue using them to enact positive change.

Research studies show that being part of marginalized groups results in toxic stress and intergenerational trauma. However, early interventions can provide youth with healthy coping mechanisms to decrease stress and improve emotional well-being. Due to my marginalized and intersecting identities, I am often othered in professional contexts (e.g., misunderstood by doctors, therapists, or educators). Knowing firsthand the effects of intergenerational trauma, I am more motivated to follow this career path and promote social change. By pursuing a career as a Social Worker, I could provide services to children and youth at no cost and minimize these effects, teach children better-coping strategies, support mental health, and promote equity. From a young age, I knew I wanted to help others, a goal influenced by a transformative experience with a Hospice Grief Counselor after my dad’s passing. My dad passed away suddenly in 2014, leaving behind my pregnant mom, three sisters, and me. Although I was only 12 years old, struggling with grief, I found that my mom often turned to me for help. It was almost as if the roles had been reversed, and suddenly I was responsible for caring for her and my siblings. I ensured my mom ate when she was too depressed to get out of bed, reminded her to pay bills, and took on many other tasks. I also helped care for my older and younger sisters, providing them with the support she could not. Unfortunately, at the end of the day, I found that I was still dealing with losing someone. At 16 years old, I felt years of grief dragging me down. My grades were slipping, my mental health was slowly deteriorating, I was numb after years of ignoring my grief, and felt completely lost. I knew I needed help and got connected with a Hospice Grief Counselor. After weeks of speaking with one, I finally found healing and was tremendously helped. It was the first time in four years that I felt I was being supported and taken care of. While I was raised to believe my strength was measured by my ability to hide my emotions and care for others, my counselor taught me that true strength is acknowledging and overcoming your feelings. After my grief counseling sessions ended, I connected with a school counselor. She provided both socio-emotional support and academic counseling which meant she understood the intersection of emotional well-being and academic success through a holistic approach. She knew my grades had slipped as a result of my mental health, and she provided me with the support to get back on track, my 2.8 GPA had turned into a 4.0 the following school year. After counseling, my perspective changed; while it may sound cliche, my whole life changed. My grief counselor taught me that one needs to feel to deal with emotions to heal from past trauma. My school counselor helped me grow and overcome the challenges I was facing. I would not be where I am today if it had not been for help from my counselors; they are why I have chosen the path I am on today. With a Master's Degree and a license to practice, I, too, could help others by providing holistic interventions and strategies that promote overall growth, advocate for students toward academic equity, and support their mental and emotional health needs.

Research studies show that being part of marginalized groups results in toxic stress and intergenerational trauma. However, early interventions can provide youth with healthy coping mechanisms to decrease stress and improve emotional well-being. Due to my marginalized and intersecting identities, I am often othered in professional contexts (e.g., misunderstood by doctors, therapists, or educators). Knowing firsthand the effects of intergenerational trauma, I am more motivated to follow this career path and promote social change. By pursuing a career as a School Social Worker, I could provide services to children and youth at no cost, minimize these effects, teach children better coping strategies, and promote equity. From a young age, I knew I wanted to help others, a goal influenced by a transformative experience with a Hospice Grief Counselor after my dad’s passing. My dad passed away suddenly in 2014, leaving behind my pregnant mom, three sisters, and me. Although I was only 12 years old, struggling with grief, I found that my mom often turned to me for help. It was almost as if the roles had been reversed, and suddenly I was responsible for caring for her and my siblings. I ensured my mom ate when she was too depressed to get out of bed, reminded her to pay bills, and took on many other tasks. I also helped care for my older and younger sisters, providing them with the support she could not. Unfortunately, at the end of the day, I found that I was still dealing with losing someone. At 16 years old, I felt years of grief dragging me down. My grades were slipping, my mental health was slowly deteriorating, I was numb after years of ignoring my grief, and I felt completely lost. I knew I needed help and got connected with a Hospice Grief Counselor. After weeks of speaking with one, I finally found healing and was tremendously helped. It was the first time in four years that I felt I was being supported and taken care of. While I was raised to believe my strength was measured by my ability to hide my emotions and care for others, my counselor taught me that true strength is acknowledging and overcoming your feelings. After my grief counseling sessions ended, I connected with a school counselor. She provided both socio-emotional support and academic counseling which meant she understood the intersection of emotional well-being and academic success through a holistic approach. She knew my grades had slipped as a result of my mental health, and she provided me with the support to get back on track, my 2.8 GPA had turned into a 4.0 the following school year. After counseling, my perspective changed; while it may sound cliche, my whole life changed. My grief counselor taught me that one needs to feel to deal with emotions to heal from past trauma. My school counselor helped me grow and overcome the challenges I was facing. I would not be where I am today if it had not been for help from my counselors; they are why I have chosen the path I am on today. With a Master's Degree and a license to practice, I, too, could help others by providing holistic interventions and strategies that promote overall growth, advocate for students toward academic equity, and support their mental and emotional health needs.

My community of Watsonville, California, is home to predominantly low-income Latinx families. Much of the population is foreign-born, and the town of Watsonville has a higher poverty rate than the national average. It is known that being a part of marginalized groups results in toxic stress and intergenerational trauma. However, early interventions such as therapy and providing youth with healthy coping mechanisms can show decreased amounts of stress and improve emotional well-being. For these reasons, I plan to work as a children’s therapist at a practice where they can receive high-quality counseling at very low rates to accommodate the lower-income families of Watsonville. As an undergraduate student, I have had the opportunity to implement many of these psychology practices and concepts through volunteer work experiences. For 8 weeks, I volunteered at a local elementary school, working closely with 4th-grade students. The local school proudly serves the underprivileged community of Watsonville, where 78% percent of its students were identified as minorities. While at this school, I taught a mindfulness course that I created myself. After a short lesson, I would also run mindful activities such as painting, journaling, music, and deep breathing exercises using materials I'd paid for myself. I was inspired to teach these young children mindfulness, as it is known that being part of marginalized groups results in toxic stress and intergenerational trauma. However, early interventions such as therapy can provide youth with healthy coping mechanisms that can decrease stress and improve emotional well-being. Through interventions, identifying personal stressors, and restoring mental health, I hoped to increase the overall well-being of the children I worked with and hopefully influence change in my community overall by sharing the importance of mental health. In the summer of 2022, I volunteered at Camp Erin, a free weekend camp Hospice of Santa Cruz County hosts annually. As a teen, I had the amazing opportunity to attend Camp Erin as a camper, surrounded by people who were going through similar experiences. This time around, I was a volunteer at Camp Erin. My role was to help provide a safe place allowing grieving children and teens to share feelings, normalize the grief process, and model healthy coping skills. Through this volunteer experience, I was working to create a safe space to talk about emotions, grief, and mental health with youth from my community. I provided them with the support that many of them needed during this difficult time of loss. I will be volunteering again this summer as I hope to continue to work around creating a more safe and less stigmatized community around mental health and improving your overall well-being.

For 12 years, I grew up in a happy two-parent household where I always felt supported. I had the love and support of two parents. But suddenly, in 2014, my dad passed away, leaving behind my pregnant mom and 3 daughters. The switch from a two-parent to a single-parent household was sudden and difficult. Whereas I always felt like I was being supported before, I suddenly felt like I had to step up and be the support for my mother and siblings. This new and sudden responsibility was a lot to handle, I went from being a child or having the responsibilities of a parent in an instant. This disrupted my grief and resulted in worsening my mental health. Because I was struggling, I decided to reach out to a grief counselor. My grief counselor helped me practice healthy coping skills and taught me how to address these new responsibilities. While initially I was upset with my mother for allowing her 12-year-old to take on these responsibilities, my counselor helped me reconnect with my mom. My counselor taught me to appreciate and forgive my mom, while also being able to support her, and take care of my own mental health. Fast forward to 9 years later, I am now a first-generation student psychology major, working towards a career in children and mental health counseling. This career path was greatly influenced by both my experience being raised by a single mother and receiving support from a grief counselor. Through those experiences, I found that I too want to support children from adverse childhood experiences. I wish to support children who may also be growing up in single-mother households as I am. I plan to support single-parent children as they carry what feels like the weight of the world on their shoulders as I did. And most importantly, I want to counsel single-mother families to help them collectively support each other. While I was once mad that I was being raised by a single mother and had to share the responsibilities of a parent. I know am incredibly grateful for my mom. She is my hero, she is who I wish to make proud. All my hard work has been for her. I now realize the weight of the world not only laid on my shoulders, but it laid on her shoulders as well. We were simply sharing the weight to ensure that we both didn’t fall.

To continue to achieve my career aspirations while confronting mental adversity, I have created steps to help me reach all my goals. As an incredibly anxious person, I often struggle with voicing opinions, connecting with my peers, and taking risks. However, to achieve my carer aspirations, I need to be more outspoken, connect with those around me, and be prepared to put myself out there despite my constant anxiety. Therefore, I created my four-step plan, which helps me confront and overcome my mental adversity as I work towards achieving my career aspirations. The first step I take to continue to achieve my career aspirations is to identify what specifically is my adversity. At some point in the day, I stop and ask myself, what is causing me distress? Is it my belief about a specific situation and or is it specifically the situation that is leading to my distress? In the case of my anxiety, it is usually my irrational beliefs about a situation that results in my anxiety. After identifying the adversity, I then set a strategy for how I will overcome my mental adversity. The strategy may be reaching out to my therapist for help, deciding whether to overcome this on my own, or reaching out to my loved ones for support. My third step is setting a realistic goal to overcome my mental adversity. The key being: realistic. Setting a realistic goal helps ensure that in case of failure, it won’t result in disappointment or worsen my mental health. So, my goal may be to talk to my therapist within a week and have a temporary fix for what is currently causing my anxiety. Or it may be to target my current irrational beliefs and challenge them. Or it may be to develop a long-term plan to overcome anxiety. Lastly, I will implement a plan to prevent this adversity in the future. This last step may also be a part of my goal of receiving treatment which would help me beat anxiety in the long term. Or create a personal strategy to cope with adversity in the future. These steps have helped me, and continue to help me overcome my mental adversity as I continue working towards my career aspirations. While in this case, I related them closely to my own anxiety, the main four steps may be generalized to various situations. Identify what is your current adversity, set a strategy or strategies to overcome your adversity, and set a realistic goal for when and how you want your outcomes to be, and the final step is to set a plan for preventing the same adversity to occur in the future.

If a peer was discouraged from attending college, I would let them know that while I support them unconditionally, college would be a great way to be productive while figuring out what they wish to do for the rest of their lives. I would let them know that college is a great way to explore various career paths and that by taking electives they could find what their passion is while still getting credits that could apply to their degree later. I would also like to let them know the statistics of going to college to help them decide if college is a good idea for them. People who attend college have more employment options, higher career satisfaction, higher pay, job stability, networking, and much more. Informing my peer of these facts/statistics may convince them to attend college. I think that telling them my college and career plans may be helpful so that they know and understand that they wouldn't be going through this process on their own. Also, if I ask them what their ultimate life goals were, I would tell them how college would help them get there. For example, if a peer tells me they want to be a police dispatcher. While that career only requires a high school degree, I would tell them how an associate's degree in criminal justice, psychology, or communications would more likely secure them a job. It would also help them perform better in their job, making them more likely to receive a promotion or higher pay. After giving my peer this advice to convince them to go to college, I would ensure to let them know that they wouldn't be alone in the process. The application process is usually what discourages students (especially first-generation minorities) from attending college. So I would make sure my peer knows that I would be there to help them throughout the whole process so we could succeed in college together.

Ever since my dad had passed away, happiness was something incredibly difficult for me to achieve. I was in a constant state of distress but didn't want to acknowledge my pain. Until a couple of years ago at a Grief Camp where a counselor made a speech about healing and grief, then instructed us to write an unwanted/negative emotion on a rock and throw it into the stream. After I threw my rock, I felt the biggest sense of relief; I had finally felt pure happiness at the thought of this being the first step of my healing process.

As a first-gen minority student, you don't often feel as if you've achieved much because your family doesn't always understand what strength it took you to get there. For example, when I was accepted into the 4 CSU's I applied to my mom and family members didn't get as excited or proud of me as I hoped they would. I was quickly upset and disappointed in myself feeling as if this accomplishment wasn't as impressive as I thought. Later I found that my mom thought all you had to do to apply for a University was submit a general application and you were automatically accepted. Once I explained to her that only a portion of students are accepted based on academics, extracurriculars, and essays she quickly felt guilty for not making a big deal over getting accepted into all the schools I applied for. About a week after I explained to her what it actually takes to get into the schools you applied to, I got a call from my grandma. She was so excited for me, she said how proud she was of me for overcoming all obstacles and reaching my dreams. She said that my dad would be so proud. This wasn't the only call I got after that, suddenly my phone was filled with messages from all my proud family members. I later found out that my mom explained to them what it took to get into college. It seemed that they didn't understand what it took to get into schools either. The praise and love I received from all of my family once the process of admissions was explained to them, is when I knew this was my greatest achievement to date. It wasn't only that I was accepted into all schools I applied to, but what lead up to this big achievement. The stress of working full time while taking 14+ units every semester. Helping out my widowed mother with chores around the house and taking care of my younger sister while being in a virtual class. Working to getting above a 3.0 every semester. Getting accepted into 4-year Universities after 2 years in community college was the next chapter of my life. It was the next step towards reaching my career goals, educational goals, and lifelong goals. This experience taught me that no matter what life throws at you, as long as you are determined to reach your goal, nothing could stop you. The proud messages and smiles from my family after being accepted made all past struggles worth it. I found that all this work isn't only for me, but my family. Getting accepted into 4-years will lead to furthering my education into graduate school, then becoming a social worker, LMFT, or Forensic psychologist will allow me to have a decent-paying and steady job to support my family members who weren't given the same opportunities as me. Acceptance into University may not be as important to others because instead there is graduation, or a 4.0, or winning a scholarship. But to me, it isn't just being accepted into school, but showing my family that despite all of our struggles it is possible to continue and strive for something better. Being admitted/accepted means that another door of opportunity was opened.

Of the 11 million families with children under the age of 18, and no spouse present, about 8.5 million of those families are supported by a single mother. As I reflect on my family and our history, I see the common pattern of single mothers having to support their children all alone. Some of the mothers are widowed, others have been separated, and some have been left. My family is predominantly made up of women, grandmothers, great grandmothers, aunts, great-great-grandmothers, there are few father figures to point out. Nonetheless, every one of the single mothers is the most hard-working, empowering, strong people I have ever met in my life. My grandma was a victim of an abusive marriage, she was beaten, verbally abused, and shot in the leg by her husband once when she tried to leave. Together they had 5 children with my grandpa being the main provider for the family, my grandma worked but didn't earn enough to provide for her children herself. But once her two eldest sons, my dad, and uncle, saved up enough money and created a life in the United States they helped her leave the abusive marriage and also move to the United States with their three younger sisters. Here my grandma worked tirelessly for years, cleaning houses in an attempt to make enough money to support her family. Alone she raised 5 amazing children to be as hardworking, independent and caring as she is. Alone she created a life here for herself, her children, and future generations. My dad, learning from his fathers mistakes, was the complete opposite of my grandfather. He was never verbally or physically abusive towards my mom, my sisters, or me. Unfortunately, almost 7 years ago he passed away leaving my mother a widow. In an instant, my mom was left with the sole responsibility of taking care of three daughters while a month pregnant with what would be the fourth daughter. My mom was used to being mostly a stay at home mom, only working part-time because my father was our main source of income. Without warning, she was left with the responsibility of paying all the bills, taking care of three children, and alone in her pregnancy preparing for the fourth child. Still, after the countless stressors she was facing, not once did my mom give up. My mom, just like my grandmother, powered through every obstacle life continued to throw at her without ever complaining. From them and the single mothers all around me, I have learned what it is to be a strong and independent woman. Of course, it is twice as difficult to raise a family alone than with a partner, but it is not impossible. With strength and dedication, a woman will fight to do what is best for their family, she will do everything in her power to support her family. Growing up in a single mother household has taught me everything about what it is to be a woman. We are strong, we are hard-working, we are independent, we break but we can always get back up. Having a single mother and being surrounded by single mothers shows me that alone I could do anything, I could make a life for myself without anyone's help. Being raised by a single mother brings me confidence and encourages me to be the best version of mySELF. In the future I see myself having reached my lifelong dream of becoming a Forensic Psychologist. I will be proud that I got myself there. Being surrounded by resilient women would have taught me that no one will get me to where I want to be, I would have gotten myself there with dedication. To reach my goals I will continue doing as I do now, working full time, going to school full time, maintaining above a 3.0 GPA, and applying to as many scholarships as I can to be able to put myself through school. Right now financial assistance and working full time are putting me through college, as much as I enjoy working where I do, it's draining getting off a 9-hour+ shift then doing homework for numerous classes. A scholarship like this one is what helps me more than anything. It allows me to take a couple of days off work and instead focus on school so that I have a better chance of becoming a Forensic Psychologist. I am confident that eventually, I'll make it there, I am lucky to have been raised by the most resilient and courageous mother who has taught me that no dream is too far.

Of the 11 million families with children under the age of 18, and no spouse present, about 8.5 million of those families are supported by a single mother. As I reflect on my family and our history, I see the common pattern of single mothers having to support their children all alone. Some of the mothers are widowed, others have been separated, and some have been left. My family is predominantly made up of women, grandmothers, great grandmothers, aunts, great-great-grandmothers, there are few father figures to point out. Nonetheless, every one of the single mothers is the most hard-working, empowering, strong people I have ever met in my life. My grandma was a victim of an abusive marriage, she was beaten, verbally abused, and shot in the leg by her husband once when she tried to leave. Together they had 5 children with my grandpa being the main provider for the family, my grandma worked but didn't earn enough to provide for her children herself. But once her two eldest sons, my dad, and uncle, saved up enough money and created a life in the United States they helped her leave the abusive marriage and also move to the United States with their three younger sisters. Here my grandma worked tirelessly for years, cleaning houses in an attempt to make enough money to support her family. Alone she raised 5 amazing children to be as hardworking, independent and caring as she is. Alone she created a life here for herself, her children, and future generations. My dad, learning from his fathers mistakes, was the complete opposite of my grandfather. He was never verbally or physically abusive towards my mom, my sisters, or me. Unfortunately, almost 7 years ago he passed away leaving my mother a widow. In an instant, my mom was left with the sole responsibility of taking care of three daughters while a month pregnant with what would be the fourth daughter. My mom was used to being mostly a stay at home mom, only working part-time because my father was our main source of income. Without warning, she was left with the responsibility of paying all the bills, taking care of three children, and alone in her pregnancy preparing for the fourth child. Still, after the countless stressors she was facing, not once did my mom give up. My mom, just like my grandmother, powered through every obstacle life continued to throw at her without ever complaining. From them and the single mothers all around me, I have learned what it is to be a strong and independent woman. Of course, it is twice as difficult to raise a family alone than with a partner, but it is not impossible. With strength and dedication, a woman will fight to do what is best for their family, she will do everything in her power to support her family. Growing up in a single mother household has taught me everything about what it is to be a woman. We are strong, we are hard-working, we are independent, we break but we can always get back up. Having a single mother and being surrounded by single mothers shows me that alone I could do anything, I could make a life for myself without anyone's help. Being raised by a single mother brings me confidence and encourages me to be the best version of mySELF. In the future I see myself having reached my lifelong dream of becoming a Forensic Psychologist. I will be proud that I got myself there. Being surrounded by resilient women would have taught me that no one will get me to where I want to be, I would have gotten myself there with dedication. To reach my goals I will continue doing as I do now, working full time, going to school full time, maintaining above a 3.0 GPA, and applying to as many scholarships as I can to be able to put myself through school. Right now financial assistance and working full time are putting me through college, as much as I enjoy working where I do, it's draining getting off a 9-hour+ shift then doing homework for numerous classes. A scholarship like this one is what helps me more than anything. It allows me to take a couple of days off work and instead focus on school so that I have a better chance of becoming a Forensic Psychologist. I am confident that eventually, I'll make it there, I am lucky to have been raised by the most resilient and courageous mother who has taught me that no dream is too far.

Meet my friend, Victoria, the most hearted person to ever walk this earth. I’ve known of Victoria my entire life but only truly met her a year and a half ago when I began working at my Orthodontists office. In this short period of time, I’ve found Victoria to be the most selfless, kind, amazing, and knowledgeable person I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. Victoria has an infinite amount of love to give and luckily I’ve been on the receiving side of it. Before I began to work with her I was timid and pessimistic, I found life to be an endless cycle of disappointment. Contrary to myself, Victoria was born with a glass half full perspective of life and was empathetic to those who are discourteous. She taught me that for my world to open up and improve I had to let go of negative thinking, guilt, and past pain in order for healing, forgiveness, and positivity to be let in. That it’s important to remember that only a quarter of my life has been explored and there is an infinite amount of things I have yet to reach and uncover. Victoria has shown me the importance of following a path that is guided by my heart and steered by my soul. My friend, Victoria, has given me a clearer and optimistic view of the world, of my life. There aren't enough words in the English dictionary to express my thanks to her for showing me there is more to life than sadness and despair. After being stuck in a depressive episode for years I feel that I am finally being rescued by a friend. Thank you for everything.