I am an individual who thrives in the face of an adversary. In my senior year of high school, I was a dual high school and college student. I didn't see this as a challenge, but instead, as an opportunity to learn and grow. But in my personal life, I was struggling to come to terms with my recent diagnosis of OCD. OCD causes me to obsess over things outside of my control to the point of absolute exhaustion. This made juggling work, school, and my personal life harder than it should be. Winter break came and I was granted time off of work to focus on my mental health. It is so easy to ignore the fact that you are struggling and drown yourself in distractions, but if you never confront the hurt you will only continue to ache. Exactly one week into my break my home of over 12 years was crushed by a tree during a wind storm; leaving tree branches and insulation scattered in all three bedrooms. My plans to address my mental health were now forgotten as the stress of becoming homeless two weeks before Christmas took priority in my frantic mind. Without even realizing it this journey forced me to find myself and my true purpose in life. I continued my education at Lakeland the following semester and used school as a distraction from the stress of finding a home. I found my Abnormal Psychology class to bring life back in me; I would feel energized by the class discussion and the assigned readings. I was learning about something that I’m passionate about, that I genuinely want to learn more about, and the experience was freeing. Psychology brought something out of me that I didn’t know I had to offer the world, and this gave me the hope and inspiration that I so desperately craved. My spring semester was a turning point for me both personally and academically. My psychology professor noticed my skills and ambition and nominated me for the Outstanding Psychology Student of the Year award, which I received in May of 2022. This award acted as an alter moment for me—as my therapist would say—and proved to me my abilities and skills are unique and rememberable. It allowed me to see for the first time in my life the resilience I possess and utilize every day. I could have given up in December when I was left hopeless and felt I was broken beyond repair, I could have taken the spring semester off and seen the addition of school as a burden I cannot handle, but I chose to preserver. There was a purpose for my life that I had yet to fulfill, and there was a positive difference in the world I had yet to make. Looking back at this past year of my life I am left in shock at the person I am today. I am a woman who is strong in my faith, my identity, and in my passion for life. The struggles I had to face have pushed me further than I ever thought imaginable and helped mold me into the person I am today. This is only the beginning of my story, but I’m done holding myself back from accomplishing my true purpose in this life. Helping children predisposed to mental health struggles would be a dream come true. I see myself in every one of those children and I feel their silent suffering; I truly believe my purpose is to become a therapist and teach them how to control and calm their worried minds.

My dream version of my future self is a woman who has contributed great things to the field of psychology, helped many children struggling with mental health issues, uses her immense knowledge in psychology to be a great mom and wife, and most of all, happy.

I am an individual who thrives in the face of an adversary. In my senior year of high school, I was a dual high school and college student. I didn't see this as a challenge, but instead, as an opportunity to learn and grow. But in my personal life, I was struggling to come to terms with my recent diagnosis of OCD. OCD causes me to obsess over things outside of my control to the point of absolute exhaustion. This made juggling work, school, and my personal life harder than it should be. Winter break came and I was granted time off of work to focus on my mental health. It is so easy to ignore the fact that you are struggling and drown yourself in distractions, but if you never confront the hurt you will only continue to ache. Exactly one week into my break my home of over 12 years was crushed by a tree during a wind storm; leaving tree branches and insulation scattered in all three bedrooms. My plans to address my mental health were now forgotten as the stress of becoming homeless two weeks before Christmas took priority in my frantic mind. Without even realizing it this journey forced me to find myself and my true purpose in life. I continued my education at Lakeland the following semester and used school as a distraction from the stress of finding a home. I found my Abnormal Psychology class to bring life back in me; I would feel energized by the class discussion and the assigned readings. I was learning about something that I’m passionate about, that I genuinely want to learn more about, and the experience was freeing. Psychology brought something out of me that I didn’t know I had to offer the world, and this gave me the hope and inspiration that I so desperately craved. My spring semester was a turning point for me both personally and academically. My psychology professor noticed my skills and ambition and nominated me for the Outstanding Psychology Student of the Year award, which I received in May of 2022. This award acted as an alter moment for me—as my therapist would say—and proved to me my abilities and skills are unique and rememberable. It allowed me to see for the first time in my life the resilience I possess and utilize every day. I could have given up in December when I was left hopeless and felt I was broken beyond repair, I could have taken the spring semester off and seen the addition of school as a burden I cannot handle, but I chose to preserver. There was a purpose for my life that I had yet to fulfill, and there was a positive difference in the world I had yet to make. Looking back at this past year of my life I am left in shock at the person I am today. I am a woman who is strong in my faith, my identity, and in my passion for life. The struggles I had to face have pushed me further than I ever thought imaginable and helped mold me into the person I am today. This is only the beginning of my story, but I’m done holding myself back from accomplishing my true purpose in this life. Helping children predisposed to mental health struggles would be a dream come true. I see myself in every one of those children and I feel their silent suffering; I truly believe my purpose is to become a therapist and teach them how to control and calm their worried minds.

I am an individual who thrives in the face of an adversary. In my senior year of high school, I was a dual high school and college student. I didn't see this as a challenge, but instead, as an opportunity to learn and grow. But in my personal life, I was struggling to come to terms with my recent diagnosis of OCD. OCD causes me to obsess over things outside of my control to the point of absolute exhaustion. This made juggling work, school, and my personal life harder than it should be. Winter break came and I was granted time off of work to focus on my mental health. It is so easy to ignore the fact that you are struggling and drown yourself in distractions, but if you never confront the hurt you will only continue to ache. Exactly one week into my break my home of over 12 years was crushed by a tree during a wind storm; leaving tree branches and insulation scattered in all three bedrooms. My plans to address my mental health were now forgotten as the stress of becoming homeless two weeks before Christmas took priority in my frantic mind. Without even realizing it this journey forced me to find myself and my true purpose in life. I continued my education at Lakeland the following semester and used school as a distraction from the stress of finding a home. I found my Abnormal Psychology class to bring life back in me; I would feel energized by the class discussion and the assigned readings. I was learning about something that I’m passionate about, that I genuinely want to learn more about, and the experience was freeing. Psychology brought something out of me that I didn’t know I had to offer the world, and this gave me the hope and inspiration that I so desperately craved. My spring semester was a turning point for me both personally and academically. My psychology professor noticed my skills and ambition and nominated me for the Outstanding Psychology Student of the Year award, which I received in May of 2022. This award acted as an alter moment for me—as my therapist would say—and proved to me my abilities and skills are unique and rememberable. It allowed me to see for the first time in my life the resilience I possess and utilize every day. I could have given up in December when I was left hopeless and felt I was broken beyond repair, I could have taken the spring semester off and seen the addition of school as a burden I cannot handle, but I chose to preserver. There was a purpose for my life that I had yet to fulfill, and there was a positive difference in the world I had yet to make. Looking back at this past year of my life I am left in shock at the person I am today. I am a woman who is strong in my faith, my identity, and in my passion for life. The struggles I had to face have pushed me further than I ever thought imaginable and helped mold me into the person I am today. This is only the beginning of my story, but I’m done holding myself back from accomplishing my true purpose in this life. Helping children predisposed to mental health struggles would be a dream come true. I see myself in every one of those children and I feel their silent suffering; I truly believe my purpose is to become a therapist and teach them how to control and calm their worried minds.

I am an individual who thrives in the face of an adversary. In my senior year of high school, I was a dual high school and college student. I didn't see this as a challenge, but instead, as an opportunity to learn and grow. But in my personal life, I was struggling to come to terms with my recent diagnosis of OCD. OCD causes me to obsess over things outside of my control to the point of absolute exhaustion. This made juggling work, school, and my personal life harder than it should be. Winter break came and I was granted time off of work to focus on my mental health. It is so easy to ignore the fact that you are struggling and drown yourself in distractions, but if you never confront the hurt you will only continue to ache. Exactly one week into my break my home of over 12 years was crushed by a tree during a wind storm; leaving tree branches and insulation scattered in all three bedrooms. My plans to address my mental health were now forgotten as the stress of becoming homeless two weeks before Christmas took priority in my frantic mind. Without even realizing it this journey forced me to find myself and my true purpose in life. I continued my education at Lakeland the following semester and used school as a distraction from the stress of finding a home. I found my Abnormal Psychology class to bring life back in me; I would feel energized by the class discussion and the assigned readings. I was learning about something that I’m passionate about, that I genuinely want to learn more about, and the experience was freeing. Psychology brought something out of me that I didn’t know I had to offer the world, and this gave me the hope and inspiration that I so desperately craved. My spring semester was a turning point for me both personally and academically. My psychology professor noticed my skills and ambition and nominated me for the Outstanding Psychology Student of the Year award, which I received in May of 2022. This award acted as an alter moment for me—as my therapist would say—and proved to me my abilities and skills are unique and rememberable. It allowed me to see for the first time in my life the resilience I possess and utilize every day. I could have given up in December when I was left hopeless and felt I was broken beyond repair, I could have taken the spring semester off and seen the addition of school as a burden I cannot handle, but I chose to preserver. There was a purpose for my life that I had yet to fulfill, and there was a positive difference in the world I had yet to make. Looking back at this past year of my life I am left in shock at the person I am today. I am a woman who is strong in my faith, my identity, and in my passion for life. The struggles I had to face have pushed me further than I ever thought imaginable and helped mold me into the person I am today. This is only the beginning of my story, but I’m done holding myself back from accomplishing my true purpose in this life. Helping children predisposed to mental health struggles would be a dream come true. I see myself in every one of those children and I feel their silent suffering; I truly believe my purpose is to become a therapist and teach them how to control and calm their worried minds.

I am an individual who thrives in the face of an adversary. In my senior year of high school, I was a dual high school and college student. I didn't see this as a challenge, but instead, as an opportunity to learn and grow. But in my personal life, I was struggling to come to terms with my recent diagnosis of OCD. OCD causes me to obsess over things outside of my control to the point of absolute exhaustion. This made juggling work, school, and my personal life harder than it should be. Winter break came and I was granted time off of work to focus on my mental health. It is so easy to ignore the fact that you are struggling and drown yourself in distractions, but if you never confront the hurt you will only continue to ache. Exactly one week into my break my home of over 12 years was crushed by a tree during a wind storm; leaving tree branches and insulation scattered in all three bedrooms. My plans to address my mental health were now forgotten as the stress of becoming homeless two weeks before Christmas took priority in my frantic mind. Without even realizing it this journey forced me to find myself and my true purpose in life. I continued my education at Lakeland the following semester and used school as a distraction from the stress of finding a home. I found my Abnormal Psychology class to bring life back in me; I would feel energized by the class discussion and the assigned readings. I was learning about something that I’m passionate about, that I genuinely want to learn more about, and the experience was freeing. Psychology brought something out of me that I didn’t know I had to offer the world, and this gave me the hope and inspiration that I so desperately craved. My spring semester was a turning point for me both personally and academically. My psychology professor noticed my skills and ambition and nominated me for the Outstanding Psychology Student of the Year award, which I received in May of 2022. This award acted as an alter moment for me—as my therapist would say—and proved to me my abilities and skills are unique and rememberable. It allowed me to see for the first time in my life the resilience I possess and utilize every day. I could have given up in December when I was left hopeless and felt I was broken beyond repair, I could have taken the spring semester off and seen the addition of school as a burden I cannot handle, but I chose to preserver. There was a purpose for my life that I had yet to fulfill, and there was a positive difference in the world I had yet to make. Looking back at this past year of my life I am left in shock at the person I am today. I am a woman who is strong in my faith, my identity, and in my passion for life. The struggles I had to face have pushed me further than I ever thought imaginable and helped mold me into the person I am today. This is only the beginning of my story, but I’m done holding myself back from accomplishing my true purpose in this life. Helping children predisposed to mental health struggles would be a dream come true. I see myself in every one of those children and I feel their silent suffering; I truly believe my purpose is to become a therapist and teach them how to control and calm their worried minds.

I am an individual who thrives in the face of an adversary. In my senior year of high school, I was a dual high school and college student. I didn't see this as a challenge, but instead, as an opportunity to learn and grow. But in my personal life, I was struggling to come to terms with my recent diagnosis of OCD. OCD causes me to obsess over things outside of my control to the point of absolute exhaustion. This made juggling work, school, and my personal life harder than it should be. Winter break came and I was granted time off of work to focus on my mental health. It is so easy to ignore the fact that you are struggling and drown yourself in distractions, but if you never confront the hurt you will only continue to ache. Exactly one week into my break my home of over 12 years was crushed by a tree during a wind storm; leaving tree branches and insulation scattered in all three bedrooms. My plans to address my mental health were now forgotten as the stress of becoming homeless two weeks before Christmas took priority in my frantic mind. Without even realizing it this journey forced me to find myself and my true purpose in life. I continued my education at Lakeland the following semester and used school as a distraction from the stress of finding a home. I found my Abnormal Psychology class to bring life back in me; I would feel energized by the class discussion and the assigned readings. I was learning about something that I’m passionate about, that I genuinely want to learn more about, and the experience was freeing. Psychology brought something out of me that I didn’t know I had to offer the world, and this gave me the hope and inspiration that I so desperately craved. My spring semester was a turning point for me both personally and academically. My psychology professor noticed my skills and ambition and nominated me for the Outstanding Psychology Student of the Year award, which I received in May of 2022. This award acted as an alter moment for me—as my therapist would say—and proved to me my abilities and skills are unique and rememberable. It allowed me to see for the first time in my life the resilience I possess and utilize every day. I could have given up in December when I was left hopeless and felt I was broken beyond repair, I could have taken the spring semester off and seen the addition of school as a burden I cannot handle, but I chose to preserver. There was a purpose for my life that I had yet to fulfill, and there was a positive difference in the world I had yet to make. Looking back at this past year of my life I am left in shock at the person I am today. I am a woman who is strong in my faith, my identity, and in my passion for life. The struggles I had to face have pushed me further than I ever thought imaginable and helped mold me into the person I am today. This is only the beginning of my story, but I’m done holding myself back from accomplishing my true purpose in this life. Helping children predisposed to mental health struggles would be a dream come true. I see myself in every one of those children and I feel their silent suffering; I truly believe my purpose is to become a therapist and teach them how to control and calm their worried minds.

The stress I was under trying to "find myself" in my adolescence was immense. I had begun therapy a few months after my 17th birthday and was soon thereafter diagnosed with OCD. I learned something so vital to my identity-- the fact that I obsess over things outside of my control to the point of absolute exhaustion-- was not normal. I remember being five years old crying to my mother without words to explain how I was feeling. I have a name to the feeling inside my mind, but now what? This realization struck me so hard, and I was left completely lost at the thought of discovering who I truly was. I was juggling being the first in my family to fully tackle college, balancing school with my full-time job, and tackling the mountain that was discovering myself. Without even realizing it this journey forced me to find myself and my true purpose in life. I found my Abnormal Psychology class to bring life back in me; I would feel energized by the class discussion and the assigned readings. I was learning about something that I’m passionate about, that I genuinely want to learn more about, and the experience was freeing. Psychology brought something out of me that I didn’t know I had to offer the world, and this gave me the hope and inspiration that I so desperately craved. My spring semester was a turning point for me both personally and academically. My psychology professor noticed my skills and ambition and nominated me for the Outstanding Psychology Student of the Year award, which I received in May of 2022. This award acted as an alter moment for me—as my therapist would say—and proved to me my abilities and skills are unique and rememberable. It allowed me to see for the first time in my life the resilience I possess and utilize every day. There was a purpose for my life that I had yet to fulfill, and there was a positive difference in the world I had yet to make. Looking back at this past year of my life I am left in shock at the person I am today. I am a woman who is strong in my faith, my identity, and in my passion for life. The struggles I had to face have pushed me further than I ever thought imaginable and helped mold me into the person I am today. This is only the beginning of my story, but I’m done holding myself back from accomplishing my true purpose in this life. Helping children predisposed to mental health struggles would be a dream come true. I see myself in every one of those children and I feel their silent suffering; I truly believe my purpose is to become a therapist and teach them how to control and calm their worried minds. I could not be more excited for the journey ahead of me. I was recently accepted into Cleveland State's Honors College which will allow me to begin working on a research project during my senior year. I'm hoping to gain as much experience in my undergraduate years to prepare for graduate school. Just one scholarship would help me in accomplishing this goal, and I thank you for taking the time to read my story. But, this is not the end of my story, in fact, it's only the beginning.

The stress I was under trying to "find myself" in my adolescence was immense. I had begun therapy a few months after my 17th birthday and was soon thereafter diagnosed with OCD. I learned something so vital to my identity-- the fact that I obsess over things outside of my control to the point of absolute exhaustion-- was not normal. I remember being five years old crying to my mother without words to explain how I was feeling. I have a name to the feeling inside my mind, but now what? This realization struck me so hard, and I was left completely lost at the thought of discovering who I truly was. I was juggling being the first in my family to fully tackle college, balancing school with my full-time job, and tackling the mountain that was discovering myself. Without even realizing it this journey forced me to find myself and my true purpose in life. I found my Abnormal Psychology class to bring life back in me; I would feel energized by the class discussion and the assigned readings. I was learning about something that I’m passionate about, that I genuinely want to learn more about, and the experience was freeing. Psychology brought something out of me that I didn’t know I had to offer the world, and this gave me the hope and inspiration that I so desperately craved. My spring semester was a turning point for me both personally and academically. My psychology professor noticed my skills and ambition and nominated me for the Outstanding Psychology Student of the Year award, which I received in May of 2022. This award acted as an alter moment for me—as my therapist would say—and proved to me my abilities and skills are unique and rememberable. It allowed me to see for the first time in my life the resilience I possess and utilize every day. There was a purpose for my life that I had yet to fulfill, and there was a positive difference in the world I had yet to make. Looking back at this past year of my life I am left in shock at the person I am today. I am a woman who is strong in my faith, my identity, and in my passion for life. The struggles I had to face have pushed me further than I ever thought imaginable and helped mold me into the person I am today. This is only the beginning of my story, but I’m done holding myself back from accomplishing my true purpose in this life. Helping children predisposed to mental health struggles would be a dream come true. I see myself in every one of those children and I feel their silent suffering; I truly believe my purpose is to become a therapist and teach them how to control and calm their worried minds.

When I was younger and I imagined what I wanted to do with my life, I saw my life through the eyes of my parents. "Maybe I'll become a hairdresser like my mom!", but the more I thought about it, the more uncomfortable I was with the idea. I couldn't imagine myself doing hair for the rest of my life, but I feared this realization might mean I truly have no idea who I want to become. I felt disconnected from my family and quite lonely in the process of discovering myself. The stress I was under trying to "find myself" in my adolescence was immense. I had begun therapy a few months after my 17th birthday and was soon thereafter diagnosed with OCD. I learned something so vital to my identity-- the fact that I obsess over things outside of my control to the point of absolute exhaustion-- was not normal. This realization struck me so hard, and I was left completely lost at the thought of discovering who I truly was. I was juggling being the first in my family to fully tackle college, balancing school with my full-time job, and tackling the mountain that was discovering myself. Learning that I had been struggling with a mental illness my whole life was earth-shattering. I was left to pick up the pieces of myself and attempt to put them back together when I never quite figured out how they fit together in the first place. One individual stood out during this time, and that was my therapist. Looking back at the vital role she played in my life, it furthered my love for psychology into the focus of clinical psychology. Specifically, with children predisposed to mental health struggles. The struggles I had to face have pushed me further than I ever thought imaginable and helped mold me into the person I am today. This is only the beginning of my story, but I’m done holding myself back from accomplishing my true purpose in this life. Helping children predisposed to mental health struggles would be a dream come true. I see myself in every one of those children and I feel their silent suffering; I truly believe my purpose is to become a therapist and teach them how to control and calm their worried minds.

I am an individual who thrives in the face of an adversary. In my senior year of high school, I was a dual high school and college student. I didn't see this as a challenge, but instead, as an opportunity to learn and grow. But in my personal life, I was struggling to come to terms with my recent diagnosis of OCD. OCD causes me to obsess over things outside of my control to the point of absolute exhaustion. This made juggling work, school, and my personal life harder than it should be. Winter break came and I was granted time off of work to focus on my mental health. It is so easy to ignore the fact that you are struggling and drown yourself in distractions, but if you never confront the hurt you will only continue to ache. Exactly one week into my break my home of over 12 years was crushed by a tree during a wind storm; leaving tree branches and insulation scattered in all three bedrooms. My plans to address my mental health were now forgotten as the stress of becoming homeless two weeks before Christmas took priority in my frantic mind. Without even realizing it this journey forced me to find myself and my true purpose in life. I continued my education at Lakeland the following semester and used school as a distraction from the stress of finding a home. I found my Abnormal Psychology class to bring life back in me; I would feel energized by the class discussion and the assigned readings. I was learning about something that I’m passionate about, that I genuinely want to learn more about, and the experience was freeing. Psychology brought something out of me that I didn’t know I had to offer the world, and this gave me the hope and inspiration that I so desperately craved. My spring semester was a turning point for me both personally and academically. My psychology professor noticed my skills and ambition and nominated me for the Outstanding Psychology Student of the Year award, which I received in May of 2022. This award acted as an alter moment for me—as my therapist would say—and proved to me my abilities and skills are unique and rememberable. It allowed me to see for the first time in my life the resilience I possess and utilize every day. I could have given up in December when I was left hopeless and felt I was broken beyond repair, I could have taken the spring semester off and seen the addition of school as a burden I cannot handle, but I chose to preserver. There was a purpose for my life that I had yet to fulfill, and there was a positive difference in the world I had yet to make. Looking back at this past year of my life I am left in shock at the person I am today. I am a woman who is strong in my faith, my identity, and in my passion for life. The struggles I had to face have pushed me further than I ever thought imaginable and helped mold me into the person I am today. This is only the beginning of my story, but I’m done holding myself back from accomplishing my true purpose in this life. Helping children predisposed to mental health struggles would be a dream come true. I see myself in every one of those children and I feel their silent suffering; I truly believe my purpose is to become a therapist and teach them how to control and calm their worried minds.

I grew up in a Christian household and never really questioned my faith. The existence of God has always made sense to me, and there was immense comfort in knowing I was created with a purpose. During my adolescent years I seemed to forget that, or at least, believe that God created everyone with a purpose... but me. I have always struggled with my mental health. I remember crying to my mother when I was five years old without the words to explain how I was feeling. It wasn't until I turned 17 that I began therapy and got diagnosed with OCD. OCD found its way to intervene in every area of my life, including my faith. My whole life I have had an obsessive mind and it's exhausting! My brain would tell me I have to pray every time I thought something bad, or could have thought something bad. By the time I was diagnosed, my relationship with God was extremely strained because every single prayer I prayed felt forced. I was living in a mind convinced that she had to fight this battle alone. Christmas break after my senior year was the lowest point in my life. I was struggling professionally and personally, I was a dual high school and college student, and I had little to no meaning in my life. I had convinced myself that I was a mistake... a worthless mistake who was destined for failure. I prayed to God to just let me go so I wouldn't have to struggle on this earth any longer. I felt I would only let Him down with my life. But, God never let me go. I kept waking up each day and taking it one day at a time. I kept going to therapy, and having a Christian therapist helped me during those dark times in my faith. Every day felt a little bit better than the previous one, and every therapy session helped clear the fog within my mind. I learned to recognize who I saw in the mirror and show love to her instead of hatred. I began going to church again and surrounded myself with people to glorify God with. Faith is a lifelong journey. But the knowledge that I have God on my side and He created me with a purpose helps me persevere. I wouldn't be here today without the love God has given me, the amazing people He has blessed me with in my life, and this amazing opportunity He has given me to go to school and further my education. Without even realizing it this journey forced me to find myself and my true purpose in life. Looking back at this past year of my life I am left in shock at the person I am today. I am a woman who is strong in my faith, my identity, and in my passion for life. The struggles I had to face have pushed me further than I ever thought imaginable and helped mold me into the person I am today. This is only the beginning of my story, but I’m done holding myself back from accomplishing my true purpose in this life. Helping children predisposed to mental health struggles would be a dream come true. I see myself in every one of those children and I feel their silent suffering; I truly believe my purpose is to become a therapist and teach them how to control and calm their worried minds.

On December 11th, 2021, a tree fell on my family home of over 12 years. That fall was my first semester of college, and I was thriving at Lakeland. I enjoyed my classes, the critical thinking aspect of my workload, and was even simultaneously working as a shift supervisor at Chick-Fil-A. From the outside, I appeared to be a star student, but that just goes to show how easy it is to overlook the component of mental health. The fall of 2021 was a low point for my mental health. I had had an obsessive mind my whole life, anxiety that would make it hard to concentrate, and occasional bouts of depression, but still, I was left unprepared. I started therapy in August and then was diagnosed in October with OCD; my mind picks things out of my control to obsess about to the point of absolute exhaustion. I remember being five years old crying to my mother without the words to explain how I was feeling. I have a name to the feeling inside my mind, but now what? Without even realizing it this journey forced me to find myself and my true purpose in life. I continued my education at Lakeland the following semester and used school as a distraction from the stress of finding a home. I found my Abnormal Psychology class to bring life back in me; I would feel energized by the class discussion and the assigned readings. I was learning about something that I’m passionate about, that I genuinely want to learn more about, and the experience was freeing. Psychology brought something out of me that I didn’t know I had to offer the world, and this gave me the hope and inspiration that I so desperately craved. My spring semester was a turning point for me both personally and academically. My psychology professor noticed my skills and ambition and nominated me for the Outstanding Psychology Student of the Year award, which I received in May of 2022. This award acted as an alter moment for me—as my therapist would say—and proved to me my abilities and skills are unique and rememberable. It allowed me to see for the first time in my life the resilience I possess and utilize every day. I could have given up in December when I was left hopeless and felt I was broken beyond repair, I could have taken the spring semester off and seen the addition of school as a burden I cannot handle, but I chose to preserver. There was a purpose for my life that I had yet to fulfill, and there was a positive difference in the world I had yet to make. Looking back at this past year of my life I am left in shock at the person I am today. I am a woman who is strong in my faith, my identity, and in my passion for life. The struggles I had to face have pushed me further than I ever thought imaginable and helped mold me into the person I am today. This is only the beginning of my story, but I’m done holding myself back from accomplishing my true purpose in this life. Helping children predisposed to mental health struggles would be a dream come true. I see myself in every one of those children and I feel their silent suffering; I truly believe my purpose is to become a therapist and teach them how to control and calm their worried minds.