My dad loves to tell stories about how my love of sports came from the time we spent watching ESPN together while I sat in my high chair eating Cheerios. I’ve always loved sports and having a father who was an athlete-turned-coach, the importance of team sports was instilled in me at a very early age. My dad always says that the most important lessons we learn through sports have nothing to do with the game, but with life. As soon as I was old enough to play football, my dad registered me for the local team. While football wasn’t my true passion, I loved being on the field, being part of a team, and the competitive aspect of weekly games. After dabbling in a variety of sports, I ended up on my first soccer team, where I felt at home. From that point on, soccer has been an integral part of my life. The pitch is where I formed some of my most important relationships, faced some of my toughest challenges, and learned lessons that I will always carry with me. As a kid, I was diagnosed with several autoimmune diseases which, among other things, made me the smallest kid on every team. Up until about middle school, my size wasn’t a particular disadvantage because even though I was small, I was fast. As I got older and the level of competition increased, each game I would get thrown around like a ragdoll by opponents who seemed twice my size. My dad would always tell me to never let my emotions show on the field, so even as the most fouled player in every game for years on end, I never displayed my frustration. When I grew tired of eating dirt in nearly every game, I talked to my parents about getting into the gym and trying to bulk up. I knew that some aspects of my physical development were out of my control, but I also knew that if I put the energy and dedication into my diet and off-field exercises, I could improve my physicality and ultimately be a better asset to my team. After talking with my doctors, my dad and I embarked on a strength training regimen that both built me up physically and gave us hours of quality time each week. It was during one of our sessions that my father, a teacher with a Master’s in Counseling Psychology, spoke so enthusiastically about his role as a black man in an underrepresented field. I knew I was interested in psychology because of my fascination with whole the human mind works, but I didn’t quite realize how critical it is to have people of color in these positions until that day with my dad. Over 7 million black Americans reported a mental illness diagnosis in the past year, however, it is estimated that only 25% of black people in America seek mental health treatment when needed. This is a growing problem in the black community that urgently needs to be addressed. I believe that my purpose in life is to address this problem and dedicate myself to helping my community, and the only path that leads to achieving this goal is through higher education. Only 4.7% of psychologists are black and 32.5% are men; the primary reason that many black people, black men especially, don’t seek treatment is that they don’t feel represented. Using my formal education alongside the invaluable lessons I’ve learned on the field, I hope to be someone who can provide help and support to others.