I chose to pursue psychology because I have seen firsthand how mental health affects every aspect of a person’s life, especially during times of crisis. As a first-generation college student raised by a single immigrant mother, I grew up witnessing resilience in its most honest form. My mother faced cancer with determination and strength, continuing to care for me while navigating uncertainty and fear. Watching her endure these challenges showed me how deeply emotional well-being influences one’s ability to cope, heal, and move forward. At the same time, I experienced my own struggles with depression and severe anxiety. While my mother battled physical illness, I quietly faced mental health challenges that made daily functioning and academic focus difficult. Living through both experiences gave me a deeper understanding of how closely mental and physical health are connected. It taught me that healing is not only medical; it is emotional, psychological, and deeply human. These experiences motivated me to study psychology and pursue a career centered on mental health support and counseling. Navigating higher education while managing my mental health taught me self-awareness, resilience, and the importance of seeking help. There were moments when school felt overwhelming, not due to a lack of ambition, but because mental health struggles can make survival the priority. Through accessing support and developing coping strategies, I gained insight into how crucial accessible, compassionate mental health care truly is. This understanding continues to shape my academic path and long-term goals. I am currently an undergraduate psychology student with a strong academic record, preparing for graduate training in counseling-related fields. My long-term goal is to work in counseling focused healthcare roles that support individuals and families facing serious illness, trauma, or life-altering circumstances. I want to provide emotional guidance, psychoeducation, and advocacy to help people process fear, uncertainty, and major decisions with clarity and support. My experience in the mental health field includes volunteering in a cancer infusion center and a cancer genetics counseling clinic. In these settings, I have witnessed anxiety, grief, and emotional distress alongside resilience and hope. I have seen how active listening, empathy, and validation can significantly ease emotional burden. These experiences reinforced my belief that counseling and mental health support are essential components of ethical, effective healthcare. As a low-income, first-generation student, balancing academics, mental health, volunteering, and financial responsibilities has required persistence and discipline. These challenges strengthened my drive and deepened my commitment to mental health advocacy. Receiving the Ethan To Scholarship would reduce financial strain and allow me to focus more fully on my education and professional development. Most importantly, it would support my goal of honoring Ethan To’s legacy by promoting mental health awareness, reducing stigma, and helping others feel seen, supported, and understood.

Education is important to me because it represents hope, resilience, and the ability to transform hardship into purpose. As a first-generation college student raised by a single immigrant mother, I have learned that education is not just a privilege; it is a lifeline. My mother taught me the value of perseverance through her actions long before I ever understood it in words. When I was young, my mom was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer. I watched her balance treatment, motherhood, work, and fear all at once. Despite the pain and uncertainty, she showed strength in ways that shaped who I am today. After eleven years of being cancer free, her cancer has returned. Experiencing this twice in my lifetime has been heartbreaking, but it has also given me clarity, purpose, and a deep understanding of how fragile and precious life truly is. It is one of the main reasons education means so much to me, it is how I plan to fight back against the helplessness cancer creates. I am currently an undergraduate psychology student at a community college, preparing to transfer to a four-year university next fall. As a first-generation student, I navigate this journey without the guidance of family members who have experienced higher education before. I often teach myself how to apply for financial aid, choose courses, and plan for graduate school. While this can feel overwhelming, it has also made me independent, determined, and deeply proud of every milestone I reach. My long-term goal is to become a cancer genetic counselor. This dream was shaped by both personal experience and my volunteer work in a cancer infusion center and a cancer genetics counseling clinic, where I currently serve. Through these roles, I see firsthand how deeply cancer affects patients and their families; not just physically, but emotionally and mentally. I also see how powerful it is when patients are given knowledge, support, and someone who truly listens. I want to be that person for others someday. Education is the bridge between where I come from and where I am going. It gives me the tools to turn grief into purpose and fear into service. Every class I take honors the sacrifices my mother continues to make and the battles she continues to fight. I carry her strength with me into every classroom. The legacy I hope to leave is one of resilience, compassion, and possibility. I want to show future generations in my family that being first does not mean being alone, it means becoming a guide for those who come after. I hope to leave a professional legacy rooted in patient advocacy, cultural sensitivity, and trust, especially for families navigating the fear and uncertainty of cancer. Most of all, I hope my life becomes proof that pain does not have to define the future, education does.

As a first-generation college student, I strive to create an impact on my community and become involved in the spread of awareness in how truly important mental health is. I have felt a calling my entire life to be a reliable, trustworthy, and helpful person to others utilizing my empathy and calm demeanor. Since I was a child, I always wanted to be the person who would lend a listening ear or a shoulder to cry on to those around me. I like to think I have successfully achieved that goal but my ambitions have only grown stronger. I want to make a difference not only in my close community but school-wide, nation-wide, and eventually world-wide. In my adolescences, I had experienced tough times which required me to go see therapists and seek out mental health services. Yet I found that all these services were kept discrete and made the process of seeking help even more difficult than it already was. I have realized that as a college student, I now have opportunities and access to go out and start creating a difference in the promotion of these service which all schools have. I often take part in mental health activities on my campus which help promote healthy thinking and ways to get access to our mental health services on campus. I have successfully joined the Student Health Center on my campus and work to promote our services on campus whether at club events or being invited to speak in classes about the services we offer. I am actively trying to create a difference on my college campus and I hope this serves as a stepping stone into the awareness of mental health services available to students. I truly hope that my handing out of our card, speaking to those walking by on campus, and taking the time to speak to classes about where and how they can access our mental health services on campus makes a difference in one singular student's life. As I am just in my first semester of college, I see so much opportunity to do more. I want to start making differences outside of my community. Gaining a mentor, internships, working in clinics and more are all included in my ideas to try and make a positive impact outside of my community and overall broaden my community and make more of an impact. As I discover and acquire new skills in my college life, I hope to do more with my passion and abilities to create an even stronger positive impact on others