The most significant influence in my life has always been my mother. Diagnosed with lupus when I was just three years old, her life took a sudden and dramatic shift. She had to stop working to manage her health, endure multiple knee surgeries, and confront the physical and emotional challenges that came with chronic illness. Even when the world seemed to put her on pause, she remained the most active force in mine—offering her strength, wisdom, and unconditional love every step of the way. My mother didn’t return to work until I turned 18. During that time, she faced not only the difficulties of living with a chronic illness but also the harsh reality of ageism as an older woman trying to re-enter the workforce. Yet, despite the setbacks and rejections, she never let bitterness take root. Instead, she became a mentor in our community, a shoulder to cry on for friends and family, and—most importantly—my biggest supporter. She always reminded me that limitations placed on us by others don’t define our potential, and that strength is found in perseverance, empathy, and showing up even when it’s hard. Watching my mom navigate life with grace and grit shaped both my character and my career aspirations. I’ve struggled with depression since middle school and often felt overwhelmed by the pressure to succeed despite the emotional battles I was fighting. But every time I wanted to give up, I thought of her. Her resilience taught me that I could create purpose from pain and use my own experiences to help others. That’s why I chose to study psychology. As a Black queer woman who also quietly struggles with depression and anxiety, I understand how difficult it is to find mental health care that feels safe and affirming. With only 4% of licensed psychologists in the U.S. identifying as Black, I know how important it is to be part of changing that. I want to become a licensed counselor or clinical psychologist focused on serving marginalized populations—especially LGBTQ+ individuals, immigrants, refugees, women, and children of color. My mother taught me that healing begins with being seen, heard, and believed. Through every counseling session I lead in the future, every student I mentor, and every voice I uplift, I will be honoring her legacy. Her quiet strength gave me the courage to dream—and my life's work will be dedicated to making sure others find that same courage within themselves.

As someone who came from a family of women who have all gone to college or have graduated from college, I feel that I must uphold the legacy of my mother and aunties. A lot of the women in my family grew up in the days when women were mostly household wives and took care of the children. But looking at the accomplishments of the women in my family getting their degrees, becoming business owners, and becoming bosses of their own, I find it extremely motivating that they took those first steps as being black women who went to school and made a career for themselves when women working and black women working was very taboo topic. I would love to go to school and flourish in my dream career of psychology and become a psychologist who owns her own office and is the CEO. I know it would not only make my family proud but myself proud to uphold my dreams of a powerful independent young woman being able to succeed on her own. A fond memory of mine I can remember is seeing my mom come home from work and still being able to put food on the table, play with me as a kid, and still take me to daycare every day. She was also the one who always took me to soccer practice, took me to play dates, took me to my doctor's appointments, and always made sure that I had what I needed to be taken care of. Seeing my own Grandma take care of my aunts and my mom, and have a stable job for 30-plus years is an amazing accomplishment, especially being a black woman in the South and a housewife. For years black women have been disadvantaged and haven't had the same opportunities within the work field or in education. I want to show society that those hardships that have been put on me since a child won't stop me from accomplishing my dreams of going to college and earning my degree. There is also a disproportionate amount of women against men in the psychology field and I would like to close that gap as much as possible when I’m older. I want to be an inspiration for young women that will follow me in my family to see me as a role model and to see that they will be able to accomplish anything they want to and that their education is possible no matter what hardships the world will try to put upon them.

Mental health and learning about mental health has always been a topic of mine that I hold near and dear to my heart. Wellness and health isn't always just about your physical. Your mental and emotional health is just as important and deserves as much care and attention as your physical well-being. When I earn my degree in psychology, I plan on becoming a licensed therapist for minority children and young adults who have experienced sexual abuse at the hands of their family. I chose this career because so many children who have emotional and physical trauma never get the help or guidance to heal, especially black children, and then grow up as unhealed adults. I would like to help these kids and young adults who come from unfortunate circumstances to work through their trauma with someone who looks like them and can give them a sense of familiarity and comfort within therapy. Providing not only affordable but reliable for people in my community is a goal of mine I know I will accomplish. My degree will provide me with the resources to take those steps and reach out to those who may not even know their available options for therapy. I want to emphasize the importance of spreading the information around to those in my community who come from a life of struggles, and to know they haven't been ignored. I hear you. Mental health is no joke, as I come from a family of people who suffer from depression, anxiety, and Bipolar Disorder. The stigma that my family members have felt from being ostracized to suffering in private really pains me to see. No one no matter their gender or race should feel as a burden because of their mental problems or feel as though they are a problem. I've seen how depression impacts my parents, my friends, and even myself. It's a constant state of figuring yourself out and having patience with yourself. And that is what I will offer to my future patients. The space to feel zero pressure and to know it's okay to go through those rough moments in life. It doesn't make you weak. It doesn't mean you're less of a person. And it doesn't mean you're a bad person. It's never your fault for having these problems and seeking help is the most honorary step you can take towards knowing you will be okay in the end.

Although we go through life with many different traits and personality characteristics, optimism and honesty are two of the most important things any individual can practice. Such easy words, but with so much weight and baggage. Optimism is something that we all can struggle with possessing, and it's quite understandable. Life takes us on a joyride with curves and hills along the way, especially when we’re least expecting it. And sometimes those sharp parts can dull our outlooks on life. Sometimes they leave scars so prominent it’ll take years just to see them fade. But they always teach us lessons. Always a constant reminder that you were once going through the most turbulent lesson of your life. But you got through it. You pushed through even when those moments felt like a lifetime. It’s so easy for us to be the opposite of optimistic, pessimistic. It’s easy to seek out the bad apples over the good ones. Until suddenly the pain gets a little bit better day by day. Until you can wake up in the morning with less weight on your shoulders. Knowing that the future holds a greater outcome and greater peace than that small fraction of a terrible moment is enough to keep your heart in the right place. Honesty, though sounding so simple, is one of the hardest things we humans practice. We keep our most raw and truest opinions to ourselves in fear of hurting our loved ones, in fear of upsetting someone. We’re taught from a young age that “honesty is the best policy” and being truthful is one of the biggest respects we can give to someone. But sometimes being allowed to speak freely is shunned. It’s taboo, even disrespectful, especially when youth try to speak their minds. How can something we were taught from as young as 2 years old be deemed “disobedient”? Why am I being shut down for yearning for my voice to be heard? And even though there is backlash in speaking the truth, it should never stop you. Being afraid to have open conversations with people will only set yourself back from living in the freedom of being unapologetically you. Once you have the confidence of understanding your own thoughts and headspace, you can conquer anything the world tries to throw in your path. For me, these two words have been carrying me through to a happier place in life for as long as I can remember. No matter how bad it’s seemed or how close I was to giving up and losing hope, optimism and honesty had my back. By believing in myself and that “time will heal all wounds”, it kept me going. By not being afraid of being confrontational, being honest with those who have wronged me or hurt me, I was able to release all the harboring resentment and pain in my soul. It’s not an easy journey, and I definitely take it a day at a time. But I’m always getting better, always.