As a mentor, I hope that I can impact others by being a positive influence and leader through my personal experiences. I have learned over the course of my college experience that being a human service worker, teacher, and advocate for people with disabilities may come at ease in being someone who has also utilized disability services and actively participates in the community. My mentorship will be valued because I too have underwent the need for assistance, advocacy, and support from my education setting and workplace. As a mentor and future educator to people with disabilities, I hope to be a valuable source of information and guidance.

One thing that I have learned that changed my perspective on something significant in my life is understanding that disabilities don't make someone unable to do something, but change the way they approach doing something with the abilities they do have. In being a special education major and recently discovering my own diagnosis of a disability, understanding the unique abilities of those who have documented disabilities and providing them with the tools and services they need to achieve abilities make all grounds equally accessible. The significance of knowing this information allows me to, as an individual with a disability and a future educator, have an awareness that anything is possible despite someone being different.

I act locally to affect positive change for my community by being a person with a disability working in the disability service field. In understanding and being educated on all of the stigmas people with disabilities face as well as adversity, inability to accommodate properly, and lack of understanding of one's needs because of their impairments, I aim to be an advocate for those like myself in educational, vocational, or community based settings. As a current undergraduate student who previously was a special education major but now resides in rehabilitation and human services, I have learned about myself (my needs) and what others may desire, aspire for, and need with assistance of their rights and advocacy. I hope to someday utilize my knowledge and further my experiences as a human service worker in being an occupational therapist. As of now, I am a student, club member, and employee at a center for independent living in my area. The positive change that I am optimistic to evoke from my roles is that in order to properly assist those with disabilities, one with a disability can help them best; with an understanding of the personal experiences one may endure and how needs can be met based on commonality.

One practical solution for helping more people who struggle with mental health is understanding that mental health struggles are so common and coping mechanisms should be individualized. Mental health can stem from various sources like genetics, childhood trauma(s), disabilities, and traumatic events that one has endured at one point in their life. Every situation that one can go through or that connects to their mental health is their own individual experience. Also, the diagnosis of a mental illness is individual to the person; no other person will have the exact same symptoms, thoughts, or coping mechanisms that alleviate the pain. The solution to this would be acknowledging the personal identity of the individual enduring a mental health struggle. The desires, aspirations, hobbies, and support system of the person can create plans or mechanisms to use when feeling down, or in a state of decline. With an awareness of who the person genuinely is, the steps to getting better are more possible.

Optimism or having inclined hopefulness for situational outcomes has been difficult as an undergraduate student but has ultimately allowed me to succeed and understand my abilities. From the beginning of enrollment at a university, I was doubtful of my academic abilities and participating in classes due to not understanding my learning style and what functioning would entail in a classroom with a learning disability. With time, and eventually in my junior year, I was granted the ability to utilize the disability center, OASIS, to have accommodations that would assist me in learning, taking assessments, and participating in all that the university has to offer. The optimism that I have held over the past three years and currently still have as a soon to be graduating student has allowed me to be patient in receiving the tools I need in order to be successful. As someone who loves school and understands the purpose of an IEP, I feel that without optimism, I would not have kept going or saw potential in myself as much as I do today.

My experiences of having Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have been full of both hardship and success that have led to me where I stand today as an undergraduate student, club president, friend, and positive influence for my peers. In first being diagnosed I was reluctant on sharing parts of myself, my story, and differences due to masking for several years and only being viewed as the "shy classmate that is somewhat strange." I have always had a difficult time making friends with peers especially since I have never been surrounded with those who had the same passions as myself- learning about those who are diverse or unique and/or understanding what it means to have "special needs." When I enrolled at ESU, I was suddenly greeted with a disabled community. This community was not just of my professors and academic advisor, but my classmates who also had disabilities and wanted to someday be a professional that would help children like themselves; a teacher we never had growing up, a therapist, someone who genuinely understood what the needs and goals were for someone with an IEP or 504 plan. My motivation for pursuing higher education comes from exactly that. I want to represent my community and my diagnosis of ASD in being a future educator and human service worker. Those with disabilities can be exceptional mentors for those like themselves in classrooms, workplaces, and the community. I feel that I am a good candidate for this scholarship as I hope to help people with learning disabilities and or other disabilities, like myself. In studying special education and rehabilitation services I have not only learned about what is entailed to help someone with a disability but have also greatened an understanding of myself and my own needs.

I relax and take care of my mental health by starting off with acknowledging my previous accomplishments and hardships. As a full time student, I have put a lot of hard work into my academics and planning for next semester's academics as a senior in college. Recognizing that I have built and established a steady work flow, have been consistent in turning in my assignments, and participating in learning allows me to settle and grant myself time to relax. After I appreciate my accomplishments thus far, I utilize my time by indulging in the small leisure activities that I do outside of school. These activities can be but are not limited to spending time with my close friends, grabbing coffee with my brother, painting, reading, and going on walks. My mental health recently has been very sporadic in preparing for my final year at college. I have been very anxious in wanting to "do what's best" for my schooling and also future career choice. To relax, I settle myself in knowing that everything I have done so far and currently do will someday be worth while and ay off.

A time where I was persistent was the first time I advocated for myself; with accommodations and services for my disability. Persistence is the ongoing effort to do something til there is a desired outcome. Persistence can also turn into resilience with time as overcoming obstacles becomes natural, doable, or motivating. In advocating for myself, I was unaware of the obstacles and discrimination to those with disabilities. Since I am fairly new to understanding my diagnosis and the services I needed, I didn't know that getting what I needed to succeed and function would mean overcoming barriers and negativity from peers who don't understand or hold ableist tendencies/ perspectives towards those like myself. Prior to my diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder, I had faced the obstacle of asking for help at school. When approaching my advisor at the time, I was told that I was "too smart to be Autistic." This obstacle I faced was overcame post of my diagnosis and configuring all that I needed in order to succeed in a school environment as someone with an invisible disability. Once I had my diagnosis, I was able to show that if I got the help I needed, I could surpass any goals I have already met and succeed further by having the tools to assist me in functioning. I persisted through the notion of being told I didn't need help because of my already established academic integrity but the ignorance of assuming that those who get good grades, don't need assistance. Disabilities don't account for grade point averages. They only make the successes more difficult to obtain.

If I had $1,000 I would use it towards finally residing in a dorm on campus. Over the past three years in attending an undergraduate program, I have been commuting to my university's campus to receive my education. This upcoming semester I received information that I would have to commute to campus five days out of the week, which is every school day, in order to graduate on time. In hopes to keep up with the rest of my class, I decided it would be in my best interest to try to, to avoid commuting a long distance every day, to live in a dorm to support my academic needs. On campus housing would grant me more opportunities to join extra curricular activities and socialize with my peers. I would also have an ample amount of time, compared to that of commuting, to complete assignments and study. Since attending my university, I have been unable to join as many clubs as I would have liked, and dedicate more time to learning and appreciating my school's campus since I also have continuously worked in order to commute and pay for gas expenses. If I had $1,000, I would use it to broaden my opportunities as a college student before graduating next spring.

My goals for the future will encapsulate all of the progress and handwork I have done so far in being an undergraduate student. In the course of the past three years, I have learned more about myself and have also gained experiences that will support me in attaining my future goals. In my future, I would like to possess a job that relates to my major. I would like to make connections in communities to build partnerships to assist me in helping others. I want to help people with disabilities be integrated into work settings, their communities, and in relationships. I want to become an advocate for those who are in need of supports and services to participate in settings that can be made inclusive. My goals for the future mean continuing to learn and understand the many attributes of meeting goals for myself, so that I can help others meet goals for things they desire to achieve.

One thing that gives me hope that the future will be better is future educators. At my university specifically, all students undergo classes that educate them on the distinct aspects of classroom management, teaching skills, and inclusivity that may be inside any kind of class. With the world today and more so in the part of Pennsylvania I reside in, educators at any level are desperately needed. The need for educators has been a result of, but not limited to the impacts of COVID-19 and emotional regulation in children. Today's future educators will have an understanding of the needs of children in regards to their mental health and understanding their emotions. This will connect to allowing students to obtain a knowledge of their emotions, their needs, and how to communicate to their adult mentors. Alongside of the education that undergraduates will obtain when holding a job after graduation in the next few years, they will also have a sense of empathy towards mental health and disabilities in their field due to universities and colleges providing education on all-inclusiveness. The educators of the future will change how children approach school, learn, and participate in their classes.

In order to ensure that I treat others with empathy, I make sure to understand that everyone is different and has abilities and needs that are unique to them. Empathy comes with perceiving others with equal opportunity and accepting that they may approach situations or think differently than you do. In order to properly provide my peers with empathy, I take into account that I will someday work with other people who have disabilities. In my workforce, I will have to accept that all of my clients have particular needs, desires, and aspirations that will be different than my own. To provide others with empathy you have to support them with their perspectives and decisions. Empathy comes from the heart in acknowledging that we are all different and will take on the world in distinctive ways.

Confidence is having self awareness in who you are and being proud of the unique features you offer as an individual. In understanding the characteristics that make up your identity, you are embracing the traits that make you, you. To me, confidence comes over time as you learn about yourself and grow. I am working on being more confident in myself by embracing my distinct traits and feeling empowered by who I am. I am doing this by continuing to follow and do what makes me happy, showing off my qualities, and being a part of inclusive groups that have similar or the same traits as I do. Communities support each other, and I hope to continuously evolve as I acknowledge who I am.

My goals for the future involve schooling, advocacy, and career development and obtaining. I hope to someday use my degree in human services to achieve my goals in reducing stigmas against those with disabilities in workplaces, schools, and community settings. Advocacy will come in play when I inform others and create outlets for information to help reduce such stigmas; advocating for those with intellectual, developmental, or other disabilities. I hope to do this mores with continuation of my schooling in attending a master's program and furthermore in the human service career industry. My future will allow me, a person with a disability, to let others like me know that anything is possible and goals can be met with the right support system, services, and information.

One practical solution for helping more people who struggle with mental health is providing awareness and communicating effectively. As someone who has endured depression and currently struggles with anxiety, my peers have a huge impact on my day-to-day experiences struggling with mental illness. Asking friends, relatives, or peers how they are doing, what you could to do help, or regularly checking in on them can make a difference in their approaches to every day. With mental illness, many feel alone and if communication is provided with an awareness of what one is going through, they will feel much less alone than before.

Eating disorders have impacted my life in both ways that I have overcame and some that I endure everyday. Having both Bulimia and Anorexia from ages 9 to 18 have led me to having an unbalanced relationship with food and not understanding the positive characteristics it holds in nourishing my body, helping me grow, and allowing me to enjoy outings where my friends or relatives would have meals. At the end of my high school career, I found myself finally understanding that the numbers of calories were not worth missing relationships and confidence over. I gained the understanding that the enemy never was eating, the food, or my body. The enemy was the thought of always needing less. My eating disorder understanding changed once I realized that my obsessive eating could connect to my Autism and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. In educating myself through social media and credible online resources, I have found that there is an interlink of disordered eating and ASD. With acknowledgment of being undiagnosed and being bullied when I was younger, I hope to use my experiences and reduce stigma by being an advocate and information resource for those who are neuro-divergent and struggle with any kind of disordered eating. Furthermore, I can provide support for others struggling with eating disorders within my current college experience by creating flyers, joining inclusive clubs, and being an outlet of resource for my peers.

My experiences with Autism have been full of hardship, overcoming, and difficulty but also redeeming, rewarding, and confidence providing. Over the past year, being just diagnosed with ASD and OCD this past December, I have experienced burnout unlike I have ever before. Burnout and overstimulation for myself has always led to periods of isolation in being nonverbal and mostly unproductive for days or weeks at a time. As a college student, being in a period of burnout is utterly difficult and quickly turns into devastation when grades are involved. Accommodations and setting time aside to self regulate and understand my needs is what has helped me be more aware that I can be in school and have a disability. My motivation for pursuing a higher education would be that I can assist those like myself in educational or community based settings. My understanding of my needs and what can help me has allowed me to further be involved in what needs others may face and what I can do, as a possible future human service worker, to help them feel at ease, accomplished, and engaged in their settings. I hope to someday use my education to learn more about what I can do as an autistic individual in communities with advocacy, empathy, and knowledge. I feel that I am a good candidate for this scholarship because of my devotion to wanting to help others like myself with a disability. In my fall semester of school last year, I had the opportunity to student teach in a preschool age classroom. In this classroom there was only one student with ASD and him and I gravitated towards one another immediately. This student teaching experience and my knowledge of ASD allowed me to teach and assist this student on learning how to communicate, take breaks, and avoid overstimulation with the use of tools like sunglasses, swim toys, textured mats and blankets. I hope to be able to have more of these experiences after graduation in working with others who have disabilities or other needs.

One of my life goals is to be an occupational therapist, or someone who assists those with disabilities or other needs in doing daily activities. Growing up my younger brother, diagnosed with central auditory processing disorder, attended Good Shepard for occupational therapy. I watched the therapist perform many different tactics in trying to assist my brother with speech, his movement, and his writing. I always was curious to how doing such consistent and small tasks built skills, and overall watched my brother grow into a very talkative and confident person. Since entering college, I had a desire of working with people who have disabilities or other needs. What I didn't know was that I was, at the time, undiagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder and OCD. I always had an idea that these disabilities could be present but never truly knew or understood how they made me different than my peers. In understanding the importance of accommodations, advocacy, and skill building, I want to go into a field that I will be able to help those like myself and my brother with their needs and daily activities. Post-secondary education will help me get there in order to learn about the laws and legislations in the human service industry, the different kinds of human services, and even the needs of people and how those needs can be met in various different ways. College so far has been rewarding and redeeming because of being able to work with, tutor, and assist other people with disabilities and know that after graduation, my purpose for schooling will be fulfilled.

I act locally to affect positive change in my community by educating myself and my peers on inclusivity in community and educational environments. Recently this past December, I received my diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder. I found myself very drawn to helping others with disabilities prior to this diagnosis, and after realized that my own needs and perspectives greatly assist those who are also on the spectrum, have an intellectual disability, or are in need of assistance by a peer. In being a college student with a disability, I provide change in promoting the idea that people with disabilities are capable and can be educated. In being an employee of a workplace, I promote the idea that people with disabilities can have needs but also meet goals and expectations, and even be an asset to a team. In being a student teacher last semester, I learned that positive change comes by assisting those who are not easily understood- and for me, that was a young boy with Autism. By educating myself and applying what I knew, I helped him understand himself and how to participate in his classroom with accurate tools and how to communicate his needs by saying, "I need" or "I'd like to." The positive changes that are present in my community have started with empathy, advocacy, and communication. I am continuing with regards to my major of human services, to strive for inclusivity in every setting.

After graduating from college, I hope to impact the world by proving that those with intellectual disabilities are capable to participate in graduate programs, well-paying jobs, and exposure to community settings that engage in advocacy and self-confidence. I plan to do this by staying true to myself, continuing my education, and understanding that my stance on human services, my major, is more impactful because of my disability. I hope to help those who are like me feel more welcomed in society and understand that their needs can be met in order to have more inclusive and welcoming settings.