Ever since I was 8 years old, I didn’t understand what was wrong with me. In the happiest of moments, I felt exhausted or I’d be quick to anger at such minor inconveniences. This struggle continued to develop throughout my life, pivoting from peace to chaos at the most inconvenient times. It was until I was older that I began to learn the importance of knowing what I could be doing to better my life. This process included me learning that I’d possibly need a diagnosis, unsure if my family would be supportive. My sister had always been open about her mental health, explaining how she acted and why she felt certain things because of her diagnosis of depression. It opened my eyes to realizing that if I could help myself as my sister did, there is a chance of experiencing life from a different perspective. Soon my brother joined my sister in sharing his experience with depression and anxiety. It was these intimate moments that helped me heal my relationship with them and discover new support systems. It was my siblings who made me realize that I as an individual am not like our parents and there is an importance to finding a unique solution to better my mental health. This is when I learned the value that I must put myself out there to make sure no one struggles alone, no matter the type of obstacle. If it weren't for my siblings, I would have been left uninformed about how to help myself, possibly letting my condition get worse. When it was finally time, I learned how to communicate with my parents about the importance of my mental health. I remained patient through their many questions and skepticism and eventually got myself an evaluation. My parent's opinions on mental health did not make me despise them, it made me realize how open-minded I must be in order to be supportive of those around me. I may never know what struggle someone is facing alone and how the impact of an open ear may be on them. Finally, after 8 years of handling my unstable condition, I was diagnosed with anxiety, depression, ADHD, and bipolar disorder. This news felt like a slap in the face for my family and me as we did not know how I could be treated. Luckily, my psychiatrist was able to successfully find a medicine that I would take daily for however long I choose to be on medication. After a couple of days of trial, I instantly felt better. My mind wasn't racing, the feeling of overthinking was gone, and I could concentrate more on what I love. This is where I was able to finally decide what I wanted to do in my life with a new clear mind and path set out for me. For my career, I’ve decided to be a graphic designer. I seek to pursue and create a world where we are all consciously aware of the social issue we face today and hope to achieve that through design. My work will be dedicated to creating a platform for myself to advocate for mental health since I owe those like my family and friends to become informed to save my life. My relationships, beliefs, and career have all been influenced on my journey through my mental health and I hope to create a positive impact on those around me to create a better world for anyone struggling just like I was. Whether it is teenagers or adults, everyone deserves an opportunity to be educated and learn to be supportive to others to possibly save the lives of hundreds.

Ever since I was 8 years old, I didn’t understand what was wrong with me. In the happiest of moments, I felt exhausted or I’d be quick to anger at such minor inconveniences. This struggle continued to develop throughout my life, pivoting from peace to chaos at the most inconvenient times. It was until I was older that I began to learn the importance of knowing what I could be doing to better my life. This process included me learning that I’d possibly need a diagnosis, unsure if my family would be supportive. My sister had always been open about her mental health, explaining how she acted and why she felt certain things because of her diagnosis of depression. It opened my eyes to realizing that if I could help myself as my sister did, there is a chance of experiencing life from a different perspective. Soon my brother joined my sister in sharing his experience with depression and anxiety. It was my siblings who made me realize that I as an individual am not like our parents and there is an importance to finding a unique solution to better my mental health. This is when I learned the value that I must put myself out there to make sure no one struggles alone, no matter the type of obstacle. If it weren't for my siblings, I would have been left uninformed about how to help myself, possibly letting my condition get worse. When it was finally time, I learned how to communicate with my parents about the importance of my mental health. I remained patient through their many questions and skepticism and eventually got myself an evaluation. My parent's opinions on mental health did not make me despise them, it made me realize how open-minded I must be in order to be supportive of those around me. I may never know what struggle someone is facing alone and how the impact of an open ear may be on them. Finally, after 8 years of handling my unstable condition, I was diagnosed with anxiety, depression, ADHD, and bipolar disorder. This news felt like a slap in the face for my family and me as we did not know how I could be treated. Luckily, my psychiatrist was able to successfully find a medicine that I would take daily for however long I choose to be on medication. After a couple of days of trial, I instantly felt better. My mind wasn't racing, the feeling of overthinking was gone, and I could concentrate more on what I love. This is where I was able to finally decide what I wanted to do in my life with a new clear mind and path set out for me. For my career, I’ve decided to be a graphic designer. I seek to pursue and create a world where we are all consciously aware of the social issue we face today and hope to achieve that through design. My work will be dedicated to creating a platform for myself to advocate for mental health since I owe those like my family and friends to become informed to save my life. My relationships, beliefs, and career have all been influenced on my journey through my mental health and I hope to create a positive impact on those around me to create a better world for anyone struggling just like I was. Whether it is teenagers or adults, everyone deserves an opportunity to be educated and learn to be supportive to others to possibly save the lives of hundreds.

Ever since I was 8 years old, I didn’t understand what was wrong with me. In the happiest of moments, I felt exhausted or I’d be quick to anger at such minor inconveniences. This struggle continued to develop throughout my life, pivoting from peace to chaos at the most inconvenient times. It was until I was older that I began to learn the importance of knowing what I could be doing to better my life. This process included me learning that I’d possibly need a diagnosis, unsure if my family would be supportive. My sister had always been open about her mental health, explaining how she acted and why she felt certain things because of her diagnosis of depression. It opened my eyes to realizing that if I could help myself as my sister did, there is a chance of experiencing life from a different perspective. Soon my brother joined my sister in sharing his experience with depression and anxiety. It was these intimate moments that helped me heal my relationship with them and discover new support systems. It was my siblings who made me realize that I as an individual am not like our parents and there is an importance to finding a unique solution to better my mental health. This is when I learned the value that I must put myself out there to make sure no one struggles alone, no matter the type of obstacle. If it weren't for my siblings, I would have been left uninformed about how to help myself, possibly letting my condition get worse. When it was finally time, I learned how to communicate with my parents about the importance of my mental health. I remained patient through their many questions and skepticism and eventually got myself an evaluation. My parent's opinions on mental health did not make me despise them, it made me realize how open-minded I must be in order to be supportive of those around me. I may never know what struggle someone is facing alone and how the impact of an open ear may be on them. Finally, after 8 years of handling my unstable condition, I was diagnosed with anxiety, depression, ADHD, and bipolar disorder. This news felt like a slap in the face for my family and me as we did not know how I could be treated. Luckily, my psychiatrist was able to successfully find a medicine that I would take daily for however long I choose to be on medication. After a couple of days of trial, I instantly felt better. My mind wasn't racing, the feeling of overthinking was gone, and I could concentrate more on what I love. This is where I was able to finally decide what I wanted to do in my life with a new clear mind and path set out for me. For my career, I’ve decided to be a graphic designer. I seek to pursue and create a world where we are all consciously aware of the social issue we face today and hope to achieve that through design. My work will be dedicated to creating a platform for myself to advocate for mental health since I owe those like my family and friends to become informed to save my life. My relationships, beliefs, and career have all been influenced by my journey through my mental health and I hope to create a positive impact on those around me to create a better world for anyone struggling just like I was. Whether it is teenagers or adults, everyone deserves an opportunity to be educated and learn to be supportive of others to possibly save the lives of hundreds.

Art and being creative has always played a valuable role in my life. Since I was young, it was how I expressed myself when I could not find the right words to form the right sentences. I am self-taught, so many of my early years meant experimenting with colors and shapes, proportions and compositions, adjusting my skills till everything looked right, even if I didn't understand why. My family was always supportive of my hobby because they saw the potential I had to grow into a great artist. Even when my upbringing was rocky and asking for new markers seemed like a burden financially, they always surprised me with new supplies every Christmas. Eventually, I could simply ask for supplies and their response remained the same,“ as long as you need it and it makes you happy, let's get it.” However, when high school began and my family became concerned about the career I was hoping to pursue, I finally decided on graphic design. I had tried to avoid this decision, claiming I wanted to be an engineer, but my skills in math and science could only support that statement for so long, so I gave in and told them what I truly wanted to dedicate my life to. At first, there was heavy skepticism from my family as none were familiar with a career in the arts. Being first-generation students, my siblings have paved the way as officers in the army and degrees in criminology or nursing. These fields were far beyond my dreams of being in the arts. Yet I explained to them how heavily drawing, illustrating, painting, and designing impacted my life every day and how it's a job necessary to the modern world. I pleaded to them how every day they need or see something that was designed by someone's hard work, whether it be the packaging of their favorite drink or their experience using an app. I learned how to use my skills in painting and drawing to become better in graphic design so I can one day create environmentally friendly products for a new generation of technology and innovation. I reminded them how proud I was of myself for painting a mural on my high school campus, one that I had designed and led others in completing. This was the type of work that fully complimented my leadership skills and creativity and it would have a positive impact on the community around us. After continuous discussions and conversations with people in the field, my dream was now a reality they too sought to complete with me. My dream of becoming a graphic designer is the best decision I will ever make because it not only will make me into a better person, skillfully and mentally, but it also means I have my family on my side through it all.

My main goal in life is to use my abilities in Graphic Design to normalize sustainable and reusable products. This goal will bring awareness to include actions that may save the environment in our daily lives while having a beautiful appearance to accompany the design. With the mix of my creativity in the arts and my knowledge of environmental science, I wish to bring joy to others knowing they have a product that satisfies them visually/functionally and also aids in the care of the Earth.