My career path has been defined by selflessness– the nature of mental health services means that every day when you show up, you give a large part of yourself to the cause. You put your cup forward and let people in need fill it up. At the end of the day, when you come home, you do your best to empty it. And the next day you come in ready to do it all over again. I am an Onsite Supervisor for a Peer Support center in Northern California. Peer support is the idea that someone who has lived through something is educated in the skills of how to survive (and thrive) through it, enough to help others. Peer support is primarily used in the mental health world. It’s a completely free, accessible mental health resource– unlike therapy or psychiatry. I share this because peer support is a big portion of my life. I am conducting my own independent undergraduate research project on how youth peer support could be used to help mitigate the youth mental health crisis in my community. Right now I am conducting a survey of youth that could be used to help support the cause of peer support in the future, help the advance of scientific knowledge in general, and help create a framework for the creation of a potential future youth peer support program. I believe this is very kind. My work on this project takes about 10 hours of work per week. This doesn’t sound like much, but in addition to my working, it adds up. It’s mostly me working in the dawn hours before I have to drive to my office. In addition to this, I also engage in selflessness by tutoring the woman I supervise on computer skills. She’s a 74-year-old woman, but she wants to be skilled in computers. Despite it being difficult, I take time out of my work schedule to help her learn those skills daily. I also have volunteered heavily with many different organizations. I spent 200 hours volunteering in a social media/administrative capacity with Telehelp Ukraine towards the beginning of the war, when the medical needs of rural Ukrainians were dire. I also have volunteered in the Social Services department at Zuckerberg Memorial Hospital, helping with odd tasks such as creating a list of notaries for their patients. I also volunteer on Sonoma County’s Measure O board, which helps decide where funds are allocated for mental health funds. I try to spend my time outside of work wisely. I have also worked on two different research projects to help advance science. One was on the effect of local Tule Elk reintroduction on local plant life, and the other was on the diversity of local mushrooms over 10 years. I believe dedicating my time to measuring specimens and inputting and analyzing data is selfless. Finally, to top it off, I run an international study community where I teach others accountability, goal-setting, and project management. I strive to invest in the personal and professional growth of everyone around me, including friends, family, and members of the community. I believe it’s important to help lift those closest to you with you. For example, last week I presented at a conference with two of the community’s members to help boost their resumes during a time they were struggling to land jobs. I believe that the effort I have put into helping others grow, strengthening my community, and improving the body of scientific knowledge has been a good endeavor of mine. Thank you so much for reading!

In December 2017 I stood on a curb, squinting my eyes in the dark to check whether my bus was coming. It was 7 PM, the last bus, my last chance to get somewhere safe to sleep for the night. I was homeless, and I would be for the next 3 months. The Tubbs Fire had eliminated my housing, and now it was on me to start again. I rode that bus, and a train, and a subway, 5 hours a day to get to Hayward, where my boyfriend at the time gave me a safe space to sleep. But first… I had to get there. I shuffled nervously in my too-big clothes I wore to try to disguise the fact that I was a woman. My mental health has always affected my academic performance and my personal life. As a person with undiagnosed Bipolar Type II, being around me until I sought treatment was a rollercoaster. One week I could be warm, welcoming, and supportive. The next week I could be easily angered, and almost hostile. These coincided with my tumultuous cycles of mood. I frequently lost friends and partners. As for my academic performance, two years ago I was sporting the badge of a 2.6 GPA. I have now climbed to a 2.9 GPA, and by the end of this semester I am certain I will earn a 3.0. I have sustained between a 4.0 and 3.7 semester GPA since seeking treatment. Mental health has defined much of my life. I am a non-traditional college student due to the large break I took from my undergraduate degree in 2020. I took a year off to focus on and stabilize my mental health. I sat in the office of my psychiatrist, feeling so vulnerable as I revealed all of my struggles. She prescribed me a variety of medications to stabilize the neurotransmitters my brain had all in a jumble, and nowadays I couldn’t be happier. Besides taking medications twice a day on time, there are a variety of other activities I engage in to support my mental health. I journal daily. I make time in my schedule to hang out with my boyfriend and friends or to just be with myself. I know that mental health, like physical health, is a trait you must maintain. I also encourage my friends and my partner to take care of their mental health. The message in our modern society too often focuses on self-sacrifice, but in reality you must take care of yourself before you can achieve your goals. No longer that girl standing underneath a bus stop, I look towards the future now. I want to give back in the same way I have been helped– as a mental health provider. It is my goal to become a psychiatrist. This is the only career I want to pursue. Thank you so much for reading, Shannon McEntee

“A union is for the workers…” started the organizer of the UAW 4811. A room full of student tutors looked back at him, unsure as he spoke. They then stared down at their Member Registration cards indecisively. Although I was only 19 then, I knew what my decision would be. I signed the card with a flourish. I had been educated from a very young age about the importance of unions and how our predecessors had fought for them, how they had lost lives for them. I wasn’t about to squander their gift to me, their progeny. My father was a union man. Although as I aged he moved to owning his own business, he was an electrical tradesman in the early years of my life. He always emphasized how much the union did for him, and how much it could do for me if I helped organize. I had heard this lesson since I was a little girl, and I carried the reminder as I grew up. I have carried this dedication to workers’ rights throughout my life. I value the fact that we can bring each other up as workers. This fact has also inspired my career direction; once I graduate with my bachelor’s I want to pursue a Master’s of Public Health in the next 2 years. After that, I will apply to medical school and specialize in Psychiatry. The same lessons that taught me to support my fellow workers have spread into a desire to work in a helping profession, supporting those who need help the most. I can’t imagine any other career goal for myself. This goal was inspired by an event that happened when I was only 16– I was the one to find that my boyfriend of the time had committed suicide. It was originally his dream to become a doctor. At that age, I hadn’t even considered that I could be a doctor too, but this event inspired me to pursue it. I had to prevent this from happening to anyone again. I needed to contribute to saving lives who might otherwise have been lost to depression. I feel as though I’m making my father proud, who is also a veteran. And my grandfather was before him. I am doing my best to carry the legacy of hard work and dedication to a cause that my family has set in stone for generations. Thank you for reading my story.

I sat in a dark, catastrophically messy room all alone in the early hours of the morning. I had been awake all night. Struggling to sleep, or sleeping too much, had been a struggle lately. I had no reason to get out of bed– I had given up on trying to attend my classes weeks ago. I had no friends or partner to visit me. I had no mentors, no family members concerned about me. I was entirely on my own. Except for the Internet. A technology that many people attribute to different mental health disorders, and some label as a scourge of our society. However, it provided me access to a wide range of support for my condition that I wouldn’t have been able to access otherwise. There was virtual symptom tracking; this allowed me to figure out the choices that made my depression dip in severity. There was digital mental healthcare, such as lists of support groups and therapists offering free or low-cost sessions. There were also the resources cited by other people who had gone through the same thing, as well as friends who were struggling as well. We formed a camaraderie. Without the existence of the Internet, we would’ve been entirely on our own. But because we had access to connections to others from all across the world, we weren’t stuck in our rooms facing our demons on our own. The Internet was key to my recovery. I’m sure it has been key for other people too. For this reason I think the Internet inspires me most. It’s a technology that has changed how the world functions fundamentally, however it has also changed mental healthcare for the better. Thank you for reading!

In the morning, I put on my sweat-wicking underclothes and my professional work garb over top. I buckle on a helmet and wheel my bike out of the garage. My heels are in my bag and so is my makeup. When I first started riding my bike to work, I would show up soaked in sweat. But since I started doing this more regularly, I’m able to attend work without looking like I just ran a marathon. I live about 10 miles away from where I work. When you’re a new biker, those 10 miles are HARD. However, this choice is more healthy for me and the environment than when I used to drive to work. I’ve lost 20 pounds, and the carbon I’ve prevented from entering the atmosphere is nigh uncountable. Nowadays, I only use a car when I absolutely have to. I bike everywhere, and the weight of the guilt of knowing my contribution to climate change is much lifted now. In addition, I work to grow most of my own food. I have a little garden behind my house and I participate in a community garden initiative. We share our crops, and even though it can result in eating a lot of the same vegetable for weeks, it’s worth it to know my food came from local sources– without the carbon footprint of truckers bringing my food to me. Food can sometimes be trucked in from hundreds or thousands of miles away. Most people don’t think of the consequences of buying food from a non-local grocery store, but I do my best to consider this carefully as I conduct my shopping. Because I come from a blue-collar family I can’t afford to exclusively shop at locavore stores, but I try to limit my purchases to necessities at the stores I do visit. In the interest of being as sustainable as possible, I also shop exclusively at thrift stores. This seems like a much better choice compared to department stores or online. Instead of having every little purchase shipped to me, I visit thrift stores to find a gently used version of the item. I find all of my clothes this way, and many household items. When my roommate and I were running low on silverware, we found an entire set at a thrift store. Why buy them at a department store churning the same set out for a much higher footprint? I believe it’s vital for everyone to reduce their carbon footprint because I know we’re all responsible for climate change. However, that means we’re all equally able to help stop climate change– as much as possible. There are so many choices each person makes each day that could help turn the tide. I do my part to choose the best choices I can for the Earth. Thank you for reading!

In December 2017 I stood on a curb, squinting my eyes in the dark to check whether my bus was coming. It was 7PM, the last bus, my last chance to get somewhere safe to sleep for the night. I was homeless, and I would be for the next 3 months. The Tubbs Fire had eliminated my housing, and now it was on me to start again. I rode that bus, and a train, and a subway, 5 hours a day to get to Hayward, where my boyfriend at the time gave me a safe space to sleep. But first… I had to get there. I shuffled nervously in my too-big clothes I wore to try to disguise the fact that I was a woman. My mental health has always affected my academic performance and my personal life. As a person with undiagnosed Bipolar Type II, being around me until I sought treatment was a rollercoaster. One week I could be warm, welcoming, and supportive. The next week I could be easily angered, and almost hostile. These coincided with my tumultuous cycles of mood. I frequently lost friends and partners. As for my academic performance, two years ago I was sporting the badge of a 2.6 GPA. I have now climbed to a 2.9 GPA, and by the end of this semester I am certain I will earn a 3.0. I have sustained between a 4.0 and 3.7 semester GPA since seeking treatment. Mental health has defined much of my life. I am a non-traditional college student due to the large break I took from my undergraduate degree in 2020. I took a year off to focus on and stabilize my mental health. I sat in the office of my psychiatrist, feeling so vulnerable as I revealed all of my struggles. She prescribed me a variety of medications to stabilize the neurotransmitters my brain had all in a jumble, and nowadays I couldn’t be happier. Besides taking medications twice a day on-time, there are a variety of other activities I engage in to support my mental health. I journal daily. I make time in my schedule to hang out with my boyfriend and friends or to just be with myself. I know that mental health, like physical health, is a trait you must maintain. I also encourage my friends and my partner to take care of their mental health. The message in our modern society too often focuses on self-sacrifice, but in reality you must take care of yourself before you can achieve your goals. No longer that girl standing underneath a bus stop, I look towards the future now. I want to give back in the same way I have been helped– as a mental health provider. It is my goal to become a psychiatrist. This is the only career I want to pursue. Thank you so much for reading, Shannon McEntee

In December 2017 I stood on a curb, squinting my eyes in the dark to check whether my bus was coming. It was 7 PM, the last bus, my last chance to get somewhere safe to sleep for the night. I was homeless, and I would be for the next 3 months. The Tubbs Fire had eliminated my housing, and now it was on me to start again. I rode that bus, and a train, and a subway, 5 hours a day to get to Hayward, where my boyfriend at the time gave me a safe space to sleep. But first… I had to get there. I shuffled nervously in the too-big clothes I wore to try to disguise the fact that I was a woman. My mental health has always affected my academic performance and my personal life. As a person with undiagnosed Bipolar Type II, being around me until I sought treatment was a rollercoaster. One week I could be warm, welcoming, and supportive. The next week I could be easily angered, and almost hostile. These coincided with my tumultuous cycles of mood. I frequently lost friends and partners. As for my academic performance, two years ago I was sporting the badge of a 2.6 GPA. I have now climbed to a 2.9 GPA, and by the end of this semester I am certain I will earn a 3.0. I have sustained between a 4.0 and 3.7 semester GPA since seeking treatment. Mental health has defined much of my life. I am a non-traditional college student due to the large break I took from my undergraduate degree in 2020. I took a year off to focus on and stabilize my mental health. I sat in the office of my psychiatrist, feeling so vulnerable as I revealed all of my struggles. She prescribed me a variety of medications to stabilize the neurotransmitters my brain had all in a jumble, and nowadays I couldn’t be happier. Besides taking medications twice a day on time, there are a variety of other activities I engage in to support my mental health. I journal daily. I make time to hang out with my boyfriend and friends or just be with myself. I know that mental health, like physical health, is a trait you must maintain. I also encourage my friends and my partner to take care of their mental health. The message in our modern society too often focuses on self-sacrifice, but in reality you must take care of yourself before you can achieve your goals. No longer that girl standing underneath a bus stop, I look towards the future now. I want to give back in the same way I have been helped– as a mental health provider. It is my goal to become a psychiatrist. This is the only career I want to pursue. I plan to obtain a Master's of Public Health in the next 2 years, and then pursue medical school in the next 5. Thank you so much for reading, Shannon McEntee

In December 2017 I stood on a curb, squinting my eyes in the dark to check whether my bus was coming. It was 7 PM, the last bus, my last chance to get somewhere safe to sleep for the night. I was homeless, and I would be for the next 3 months. The Tubbs Fire had eliminated my housing, and now it was on me to start again. I rode that bus, and a train, and a subway, 5 hours a day to get to Hayward, where my boyfriend at the time gave me a safe space to sleep. But first… I had to get there. I shuffled nervously in the too-big clothes I wore to try to disguise the fact that I was a woman. My mental health has always affected my academic performance and my personal life. As a person with undiagnosed Bipolar Type II, being around me until I sought treatment was a rollercoaster. One week I could be warm, welcoming, and supportive. The next week I could be easily angered, and almost hostile. These coincided with my tumultuous cycles of mood. I frequently lost friends and partners. As for my academic performance, two years ago I was sporting the badge of a 2.6 GPA. I have now climbed to a 2.9 GPA, and by the end of this semester I am certain I will earn a 3.0. I have sustained between a 4.0 and 3.7 semester GPA since seeking treatment. Mental health has defined much of my life. I am a non-traditional college student due to the large break I took from my undergraduate degree in 2020. I took a year off to focus on and stabilize my mental health. I sat in the office of my psychiatrist, feeling so vulnerable as I revealed all of my struggles. She prescribed me a variety of medications to stabilize the neurotransmitters my brain had all in a jumble, and nowadays I couldn’t be happier. Besides taking medications twice a day on time, there are a variety of other activities I engage in to support my mental health. I journal daily. I make time in my schedule to hang out with my boyfriend and friends or to just be with myself. I know that mental health, like physical health, is a trait you must maintain. I also encourage my friends and my partner to take care of their mental health. The message in our modern society too often focuses on self-sacrifice, but in reality you must take care of yourself before you can achieve your goals. No longer that girl standing underneath a bus stop, I look towards the future now. I want to give back in the same way I have been helped– as a mental health provider. It is my goal to become a psychiatrist. This is the only career I want to pursue. Thank you so much for reading, Shannon McEntee

I was the one who found my high school boyfriend after he committed suicide. This experience scarred me and marked my high school and early college career with adversity and strife. This was in addition to a childhood marred by neglect from my parents, as well as food insecurity caused by our poverty-level income from their blue-collar jobs. Altogether, I felt like I was born on the wrong foot. I wasn’t prepared for what life had in store for me initially, but I learned the skills and values I needed to thrive. I learned resilience, strength, and self-reliance instead of giving up into hopelessness. My challenges didn’t stop in high school– in college I lived through the Tubbs Fire of 2017, which caused me to become briefly homeless for 3 months; I lived through untreated Bipolar Disorder Type II that I had no familial support for receiving treatment; and I attended school during the Covid-19 pandemic. These events only solidified that it was my choice whether to let these things permanently stop me or not. I only became more determined. I decided to take this bull by the horns. I received housing through applying for a grant through my university. The income allowed me to put a deposit down on a room and pay my first month’s rent. I sought out a therapist who was willing to treat me for free, and I applied for a low-cost psychiatric nurse. Within a year, my Bipolar Type II was stabilized– and I was able to focus on my work once again. Finally, I wasn’t bouncing between hypomania and depression anymore– I was a calm neutral that allowed me to complete my goals. I knew I had potential academically. In 2015, I earned a 1930 on my SAT, a 90th percentile score. Once my mental illness was treated, I was able to earn a 4.0 GPA for the semester I returned to classes. I have earned between a 3.6 and a 4.0 GPA each semester since then. I knew I had to take care of myself in the future. To maintain my mental wellness, I engage with it similarly to how I maintain my physical wellness. I make sure my diet is balanced– by taking all the right medications my providers have prescribed for me. I exercise– by journaling frequently, checking to make sure my moods are balanced. I talk to my friends about my progress. I see my providers even when I feel well, because even maintenance of a healthy state is needed. This is because I knew what things were like when my mental health was bad, and I never want to return to that state of mind. Mental health is vital to be able to reach for your full potential; academically, socially, and professionally. More people should value their mental health more. My stable mental health has allowed me all the accomplishments in my recent school career, to maintain a partner and a friend group for 4 years, and to hold several jobs at the same time professionally. Currently I work two jobs– first as an Assistant Manager for a peer support center, and secondly as a Research Assistant. I was recently promoted to the Assistant Manager position after working two consistent years as a Peer Support Specialist. I am considering getting a third job to make ends meet. This scholarship would allow me to focus on school instead of taking up more hours and working harder just to survive. Thank you for reading.

My parents are blue-collar workers. My mom is a pastry chef, and my dad is a contractor. Neither went to college. College would’ve gotten in the way of surviving. When they had me and my little sister, their one hope for us was that we would be able to make better lives for ourselves. Without hesitation, I took the SAT and signed up for college– and the student debt that comes with it. However as soon as I arrived on campus, I realized that my academic career would be defined by struggle for many years. Despite being a good high-school student, I had no one to guide me in college life. My parents were clueless about the rigors of university because they had never attended themselves. There was no one I could turn to to help me figure it all out. I was beginning to struggle as I entered my second year. Then several unprecedented things happened. A wildfire ripped through my city during my sophomore year, in 2017. The Tubbs Fire. It vaporized the poorest part of the city and the richest in a morning. I had already been struggling with my mental health before this point, but the fire marked a turning point. I stopped being able to get myself to class, or even out of bed, for days at a time. I wondered what was happening to me, and if it was all my fault, while the sky was red outside and there were pillars of smoke in the distance. I had no one to advise me, to tell me that I needed to treat my mental health struggles before I could succeed in school. Instead, I found out the hard way. I took a Leave of Absence from school, intent on getting to the root of my mental health problems before enrolling again. I didn’t let my struggles stop me, I just put a temporary hold on my academic career. And now, things are so much better. I attend school full-time while working two jobs part-time– something I never could have managed before. I have been recently promoted to Assistant Manager/Onsite Supervisor for a peer support center. Previously, I was a Peer Support Specialist for those experiencing homelessness and/or mental health concerns. However heartrending the work was, I felt inspired by the strength and resilience of their stories. In the past, during the pandemic, I worked as a pharmacy technician for a pharmacy chain. This meant that, as there was an extreme risk in working with very sick people coming to our pharmacy door, I still did my best to provide good service and supply folks with their medications. I felt lightened by the good nature of my work. In addition, throughout these jobs and the simultaneous school obligations, I volunteered extensively. Altogether, this has lead to a firm belief that life is about giving. Life is about pushing through the struggles yourself, and then turning around to help others through their own struggles. Because we’re all on this Earth together, which means we’re destined to make life better for others too. Though I’ve given a lot, I could always give more. I’m currently working on an undergraduate research project to improve mental healthcare options for youth through peer support. I also intend to dedicate my career to helping the mental health of others. I want to become a Psychiatrist and volunteer with Doctors Without Borders, and also provide free or low-cost sessions to those in need. In college, I am pursuing degrees in Psychology and Biology because of this. Thank you for reading my story.

My original reason for enrolling in my current degrees, Biology (BS) and Psychology (BA) bachelor’s programs, is a loss I experienced when I was only 16 years old. I grew up in a poverty-stricken area, and many of my friends growing up struggled with their mental health. When we were both 16, my boyfriend at the time committed suicide– and I was the one to find him. This had a massive effect on the course of my life. I decided that I must dedicate myself to preventing this from happening to others. I resolved myself to become a Psychiatrist. However, when I started college my parents explained that they couldn’t support me. They’re both blue-collar workers. They explained that I would never be able to ask them for help if I fell on hard times. For 4 years, I relied on student loans. However, as my own mental health worsened, my time in school extended beyond that. Financial aid ended. And I realized that no matter the situation, no matter how unfair it felt, it was up to me to support my dreams. I started working. I worked a series of difficult jobs: pharmacy technician during the pandemic, disability employment case manager helping people with disabilities retain and get jobs, and peer support specialist for those experiencing mental illness and/or homelessness. Now, I am an Assistant Manager for a peer support center. I used to work full-time while also juggling school full-time, however now I work part-time. This is why I’m asking for your support– paying for school myself is no longer possible, and I have to rely on predatory private student loans. However, working while being in school taught me the valuable skill of time management. Because of that, I'm able to get more done with my 24 hours than other students. I'm incredibly grateful for this skill. I have already used the knowledge I have gained from these programs to benefit society. I am currently halfway through a research project on a new mental health service, youth peer support, that could benefit young people experiencing mental health challenges. There have been many surveys testing whether youth peer support works, however there have been none testing whether this program is desirable to the youth. This is the niche my research is filling. I am working with the Sonoma County Office of Education to disperse my survey to high school students; local university professors to give it to college students; and a local charitable organization, the Community Foundation, to fund it. I anticipate that regardless of the outcome of the survey we will have gained valuable scientific knowledge that will advance youth mental health services significantly. In the future, I hope to use my degrees and my knowledge to support those who haven’t often been supported. I hope to volunteer with Doctors Without Borders, as well as volunteer my time as a psychiatrist in free or low-cost sessions for those who desperately need it– such as those experiencing homelessness. I am currently looking into the possibility of another job, and this scholarship would prevent me from finding one. I would be able to rely on my own income just a little bit longer. Thank you so much for your consideration.

When I was a kid I knew we were in poverty. Black mold was climbing up the walls in my bedroom, right next to my head when I slept in my bed. Food was scarce, and I was lectured for not eating everything on my plate. But my parents were too proud to use social services such as SNAP, also known as food stamps, to support us. I grew up knowing that I was disadvantaged compared to my classmates. I grew up in Ukiah, a place full of the vineyards of wine families, as well as suburbs full of the lower-class everyman. Some of my classmates were the heir to fortunes, while my friends and I were trying to get by. The things we couldn’t afford only grew over time. My mental illness, Bipolar Disorder Type II, started to emerge when I was around 8 years old. I began to have extreme paranoia, distrust, and moods that rocketed from highs to lows. My parents couldn’t afford a therapist, let alone a child psychiatrist, and so… I just had to survive through it. It would take until I was 23 years old before I could afford treatment. As we aged, the struggles in my little community only increased. Several of my friends expressed suicidal thoughts and my partner at 16 years old committed suicide. I was the one who found him. I struggled with intense depression and suicidal ideation until I sought treatment and learned to accept my grief. I thought everything would get better when I moved away from my neglectful family, however in 2017 the Tubbs Wildfire raced through my city. As a result, I became homeless for 3 months. This was the last straw for me struggling with my mental health on my own– this was when I began seeing healthcare professionals. I took my life back from the grips of poverty, inequity, and the mental illnesses I had been struck with. Because of the way I had been supported and helped in my treatment journey, I am dedicated to pursuing Psychiatry as my end career goal. I am determined to give back in the exact way I have been helped. Currently, I am working as an Assistant Manager/Onsite Supervisor for a peer support center. After almost a decade of being unable to hold down a job due to my untreated Bipolar Disorder, I have now been working at this company reliably for the last 3 years. I have spoken at 3 conferences about the benefits of youth peer support. This is also the topic of my own independent undergraduate research project– whether youth peer support programs are desirable by the youth. As someone who experienced mental illness from a very young age, I have my heart set on creating better mental health programs for our children. Altogether, I know that my past– which has informed me better than any textbook could– is key to my future. I know how homelessness harms you. I know how severe mental illness makes living almost impossible. I know what healthcare support you need to get out of those holes. Poverty, homelessness, suicide ideation, and natural disasters can all bring your life to a standstill while your mental health dives. As a physician in the future, I plan to volunteer with Doctors Without Borders, practice in either rural or disadvantaged locations, and offer plenty of free or low-cost sessions to those in desperate need. My career is nothing without giving back. Please consider supporting me in my journey. Thank you.

I am several different descriptors: impoverished, disadvantaged, disabled, in recovery from mental illness, previously homeless, a victim of wildfire, and a scientist. I first began my independent research project in 2022. I work as an Assistant Manager at a peer support center, where those who have experienced mental illness support those who are struggling with their mental health. Because of my connections in the industry and my own belief that peer support is the answer to our mental health crisis (because it’s affordable, accessible, and does not require many years of training), I started diving into evidence-based practices to prove it. Science was the method. I want to examine whether youth, aged 14 to 24, want youth peer support. This age group is when most mental health concerns tend to start emerging, so I believe this research is vital. Immediately, I set out and contacted a local psychology instructor about my project. She came on board as my research mentor. I contacted the Sonoma County Office of Education, who were then willing to disperse my surveys to highschool students. I reached out to a local charitable foundation, who expressed that they would be willing to contact donors to support our cause. I am now waiting on IRB approval to begin my study. This project lays out why I am pursuing dual degrees in Biology and Psychology– I am deeply interested in supporting everyone’s mental health through more accessible healthcare. I intend to specialize in Psychiatry in medical school, but me offering free and low-cost sessions can only help a handful. To support more people we need an institutional solution. I hope to start a nonprofit that offers youth peer support solutions for our children. One out of three children has an anxiety disorder, and one out of every four children has a mental health condition. Change is desperately needed. Every time I reflect on why I’m working as hard as I am to attend school, my job, my duties to my research project, and other goals such as scholarship applications– I just remember where I came from. When I was that homeless girl on the streets, getting harassed because I was a vulnerable woman. When I was that person struggling with their mental health, too poor to pursue treatment. When my disability wasn’t just a fact, but an obstacle. There are so many people like the person I used to be who desperately need help. And I intend to give it to them. I refuse to let my dreams fail because of the life I was born into. I work as hard as I can to repair my GPA, solidify projects that will get me into a Master’s degree program and then medical school, and pursue growth. This scholarship will help me because I am currently working part-time while attending school. I used to work full-time, which was unmanagable while also attending school full-time. However, my life is now completely unaffordable. I will have to rely on predatory private student loans to cover my tuition and my basic costs of living, unless I find another solution. Please consider supporting me in my journey to help others. Thank you so much.

I am several different descriptors: impoverished, disadvantaged, disabled, in recovery from mental illness, previously homeless, a victim of wildfire, and a scientist. I first began my independent research project in 2022. I work as an Assistant Manager at a peer support center, where those who have experienced mental illness support those who are struggling with their mental health. Because of my connections in the industry and my own belief that peer support is the answer to our mental health crisis (because it’s affordable, accessible, and does not require many years of training), I started diving into evidence-based practices to prove it. Science was the method. I want to examine whether youth, aged 14 to 24, want youth peer support. This age group is when most mental health concerns tend to start emerging, so I believe this research is vital. Immediately, I set out and contacted a local psychology instructor about my project. She came on board as my research mentor. I contacted the Sonoma County Office of Education, who were then willing to disperse my surveys to highschool students. I reached out to a local charitable foundation, who expressed that they would be willing to contact donors to support our cause. I am now waiting on IRB approval to begin my study. This project lays out why I am pursuing dual degrees in Biology and Psychology– I am deeply interested in supporting everyone’s mental health through more accessible healthcare. I intend to specialize in Psychiatry in medical school, but me offering free and low-cost sessions can only help a handful. To support more people we need an institutional solution. I hope to start a nonprofit that offers youth peer support solutions for our children. One out of three children has an anxiety disorder, and one out of every four children has a mental health condition. Change is desperately needed. Every time I reflect on why I’m working as hard as I am to attend school, my job, my duties to my research project, and other goals such as scholarship applications– I just remember where I came from. When I was that homeless girl on the streets, getting harassed because I was a vulnerable woman. When I was that person struggling with their mental health, too poor to pursue treatment. When my disability wasn’t just a fact, but an obstacle. There are so many people like the person I used to be who desperately need help. And I intend to give it to them. I refuse to let my dreams fail because of the life I was born into. I work as hard as I can to repair my GPA, solidify projects that will get me into a Master’s degree program and then medical school, and pursue growth. This scholarship will help me because I am currently working part-time while attending school. I used to work full-time, which was unmanagable while also attending school full-time. However, my life is now completely unaffordable. I will have to rely on predatory private student loans to cover my tuition and my basic costs of living, unless I find another solution. Please consider supporting me in my journey to help others. Thank you so much.

When I was a kid I knew we were in poverty. Black mold was climbing up the walls in my bedroom, right next to my head when I slept in my bed. Food was scarce, and I was lectured for not eating everything on my plate. But my parents were too proud to use social services such as SNAP, also known as food stamps, to support us. I grew up knowing that I was disadvantaged compared to my classmates. I grew up in Ukiah, a place full of the vineyards of wine families, as well as suburbs full of the lower-class everyman. Some of my classmates were the heir to fortunes, while my friends and I were just trying to get by. The things we couldn’t afford only grew over time. My mental illness, Bipolar Disorder Type II, started to emerge when I was around 8 years old. I started to have extreme paranoia, distrust, and moods that rocketed from highs to lows. My parents couldn’t afford a therapist, let alone a child psychiatrist, and so… I just had to survive through it. It would take until I was 23 years old before I could afford treatment. As we aged, the struggles in my little community only increased. Several of my friends expressed suicidal thoughts and my partner at 16 years old committed suicide. I was the one who found him. I struggled with intense depression and suicidal ideation until I sought treatment and learned to accept my grief. I thought everything would get better when I moved away from my neglectful family, however in 2017 the Tubbs Wildfire raced through my city. As a result, I became homeless for 3 months. This was the last straw for me struggling with my mental health on my own– this was when I began seeing healthcare professionals. I took my life back from the grips of poverty, inequity, and the mental illnesses I had been struck with. Because of the way I had been supported and helped in my treatment journey, I am dedicated to pursuing Psychiatry as my end career goal. I am determined to give back in the exact way I have been helped. Currently, I am working as an Assistant Manager/Onsite Supervisor for a peer support center. After almost a decade of being unable to hold down a job due to my untreated Bipolar Disorder, I have now been working at this company reliably for the last 3 years. I have spoken at 3 conferences about the benefits of youth peer support. This is also the topic of my own independent undergraduate research project– whether youth peer support programs are desirable by the youth. As someone who experienced mental illness from a very young age, I have my heart set on creating better mental health programs for our children. Altogether, I know that my past– which has informed me better than any textbook could– is key to my future. I know how homelessness harms you. I know how severe mental illness makes living almost impossible. I know what healthcare support you need to get out of those holes. Poverty, homelessness, suicide ideation, and natural disasters can all bring your life to a standstill while your mental health dives. As a physician in the future, I plan to volunteer with Doctors Without Borders, practice in either rural or disadvantaged locations, and offer plenty of free or low-cost sessions to those in desperate need. Please consider supporting me in my journey. Thank you.

As a disabled and Autistic student (diagnosed when I was 22), I face a lot of challenges. However, I have decided to turn something about myself that’s seen as a weakness into a strength. In 2022, I wrote a 75,000-word nonfiction book. The title is “Different: A Guide to Autism” as written by an Autistic person. There exist many books on the possible genetic causes and symptomology of Autism, however few exist that explore how to cope with the symptoms. There are especially none based on research of the Autistic community to tap into advice, tips, and tricks on how to thrive in our modern world as an Autistic person. I decided to fill that niche. A big part of the book, beyond symptomology and how to cope with it, is historical research. Here’s my reasoning: Autism is a genetic disorder, which means it must be passed down from ancestor to progeny. That means some of our parents, and their parents, and so on, must have occasionally been Autistic– although the diagnosis didn’t exist until the 1940s. This must have included historical celebrities, such as scientists, inventors, etcetera– as Autism can sometimes predispose you to great skill in your field. Though we can never confirm nor deny the diagnosis status of someone who lived decades or centuries ago, we can postulate based on the information we have. Here are some individuals I’m conducting research into, and the evidence I’ve found so far that may suggest they could have potentially been Autistic. Alan Turing - social awkwardness, eccentricity, and genius Benjamin Banneker - fixated on minute details Charles Darwin - ability to hyperfocus, large attention to detail, dedication to a narrow task Emily Bronte - discomfort with leaving home, strong negative emotional reactions, uncomfortable with social situations Emily Dickinson - eccentricity, isolation, struggled with social situations Henry Cavendish - extreme singlemindedness, ritualistic, passion for quantitative exactness Isaac Newton - hardly spoke, would get so engrossed in his work he forgot to eat, bad-tempered with his few friends Lewis Carroll - difficulties with social interactions, obsession with science Ludwig Wittgenstein - did not talk until 4 years old, had narrow interests, struggled with relationships Marie Curie - uncomfortable in social situations, reserved, socially awkward Michelangelo - obsessive about routine, agitated if routine disrupted Nikola Tesla - carefully regimented daily schedule, physical and vocal tics, narrow obsession Paul Dirac - very repetitive behavior, isolated, spoke rarely Thomas Jefferson - was shy, could not relate to others, obsessed with redesigning his house Virginia Woolf - took longer than average to learn how to speak, intensely shy, obsessed with pens I hope to conduct more research into these individuals, diving into primary sources such as their diaries and letters, as well as secondary sources such as biographies written by family members. For example, Thomas Jefferson’s letters, and a biography of Marie Curie written by her sister Eve. Thank you so much for reading about my interests!

The Lord of the Rings changed my life. Unlike most people, I read the books first– and loved them– when I was about 16. My father, who had suggested I read the books, hadn’t told me there was such a powerful female figure in them– or I would have read them much sooner. I felt incredibly inspired because I had no female role models in my life before then. My mother was firmly under the boot of my father and they fought often, and all the teachers in my life didn’t fit the personality I wanted for myself. Besides for them, I wasn’t let out of the house often. I didn’t know anyone else to model myself after. I felt like I was lost at sea as a teenager, trying to figure out who I was. But the character of Eowyn guided me to an answer. A few years later, with a group of about a dozen friends, I watched the Lord of the Rings films for the first time. Many of my friends hadn’t seen the films before either. It was a little party, and we were all so focused on the screen. I felt like the Fellowship was just like my band of assembled friends– who had many different talents and capabilities. I had brought them all together as a study group initially. Our purpose was to excel in our classes and improve our lives. Like the Fellowship, we had a vital purpose, but we were friends too. We LOVED the movies. We watched the Director’s Edition, and it bridged the gap between the reading and viewing experiences by translating practically every moment of the books into film. Almost everything, save Bombadil, was there on the big screen. Seeing my favorite characters move around in live-action, I felt a rising love in my chest for these characters I had read about. When Eowyn arrived in the second movie, I felt like I was looking at a potential older version of myself. I was barely 20 at the time– shy, quiet, anxious, with untreated mental illness. I thought of myself as naturally incapable, impotent. I had to push myself to leave the house at all. But Eowyn showed me the way out of that dark pit. She showed me that, sometimes, your greatest strength is what others think is your greatest weakness. Many of the characters dismissed her just because she was female. But she proved them wrong by being a vital figure in the end, killing the Witch King. Could I too be a vital figure in my life, and in the lives of my friends? I started working to address my flaws. I wanted to be more capable, and strong. I sought treatment for my mental health and became more active physically. I felt I was actually becoming the center of my own life for the first time. A rock for my partners, and my friends, instead of an anxious liability. The book-to-movie adaption of the Lord of the Rings did this for me. I’m so incredibly grateful that Peter Jackson made such strong films. I wouldn’t be the same person without them. Thank you for reading!

To say that I had social anxiety almost feels like an understatement, though it was my diagnosis. I think in addition to my social anxiety I had some severe agoraphobia before I pursued treatment. To give you an idea, I would peel back the curtains on my house, about 4 years ago during the start of COVID-19, and peer down at the parking lot– trying to divine if my roommate’s car was home. I was so terrified of running into her in our house that I would look for her car before going downstairs. I would do the same when I wanted to leave the house. A neighbor in their yard would stop me from catching my bus, or going for that walk I wanted to go on. I couldn’t even walk around my house without having a panic attack if my roommate was downstairs. This was because I believed that everyone was always staring at me, judging me, and having ill-intended thoughts about me. My solution was to hide myself away (not very productive.) My anxiety first started to get bad when I was going to high school. It was so bad that I had a breakdown that resulted in my having to change schools to one that had thousands fewer students. At the time, I didn’t even know if I could go to college. To this day, even after receiving treatment, I still struggle to walk around my college’s campus. I was terrified that someone might talk to me. I felt like an object of judgment and shame, despite just being a short, normal girl. My heart would race whenever I was out of the house. Passing cars, passing people, in class, walking around campus– I felt unsafe everywhere. After the 2017 Tubbs fire that razed half my city, which plunged me into a horrible mental health state, I decided enough was enough. I was going to take back my life from the mental illness that had taken it over. I pursued talking to a therapist who was willing to provide treatment for free. I used my remaining funds to lock down a psychiatrist. I worked a job in customer service, untreated, to afford the treatment. I felt terror every time I went to work, but I pushed myself to keep going. There had to be a light at the end of this tunnel. We started me on medication that has effectively changed my life. I’m able to leave the house with only pangs of fear that I’m easily able to quash. I don’t know how I was living without it before. To this day, I’m still pushing forward academically and in my career. I promised myself that I would pursue and earn my degrees regardless of any challenges I faced. I intend to finish my bachelor’s degree program, then pursue a Master’s of Public Health, and then medical school. I want to become a psychiatrist, because at age 16 I found my boyfriend after he had committed suicide. I want to prevent that from happening to other people, and I want to give back in the way I have been helpful. This is all I want to do with my life. So I kept going. I earned for myself my stability and I’m so incredibly thankful that I’m now living the life I built. I’m so incredibly thankful for modern medicine and what it has done for me. I feel like I’ve been given a chance at life I never would have had otherwise. Thank you for reading my story.

I was the one who found my high school boyfriend after he committed suicide. This experience scarred me and marked my high school and early college career with adversity and strife. In addition to a childhood marred by neglect from my parents, as well as food insecurity caused by our poverty-level income from their blue-collar jobs. Altogether, I felt like I was born on the wrong foot. I wasn’t prepared for what life had in store for me initially, but I learned the skills and values I needed to thrive. I learned resilience, strength, and self-reliance instead of giving up to hopelessness. My challenges didn’t stop in high school– in college I lived through the Tubbs Fire of 2017, which caused me to become briefly homeless for 3 months; I lived through untreated Bipolar Disorder Type II that I had no familial support for receiving treatment; and I attended school during the Covid-19 pandemic. These events only solidified the fact that it was my choice whether to let these things permanently stop me or not. I became only more determined. I decided to take this bull by the horns. I received housing through applying for a grant through my university. The income allowed me to put a deposit down on a room and pay my first month’s rent. I sought out a therapist who was willing to treat me for free, and I applied for a low-cost psychiatric nurse. Within a year, my Bipolar Type II was stabilized– and I was able to focus on my work once again. Finally, I wasn’t bouncing anymore between hypomania and depression– I was a calm neutral that allowed me to complete my goals. I knew I had potential academically. I had earned a 1930 on my SAT in 2015, a 90th percentile score. Once my mental illness was treated, I was able to earn a 4.0 GPA for the semester I returned to classes. I have earned between a 3.6 and a 4.0 each semester since then. I knew I had to take care of myself going forward. Currently I work two jobs– first as an Assistant Manager for a peer support center, and secondly as a Research Assistant. I was recently promoted to the Assistant Manager position after working two consistent years as a Peer Support Specialist. I am considering getting a third job to make ends meet. This scholarship would allow me to focus on school instead of taking up more hours and working harder just to survive. My ultimate career goal is to become a psychiatrist, however there are many steps along that path. Before I apply to medical school, I intend to earn my Master’s in Public Health with a focus on Community Health. This scholarship would help me achieve my objectives by making school more affordable, and allowing me to work less to focus more on school. In the future, I plan to volunteer with Doctors Without Borders, as well as offering entirely free sessions for the neediest members of my community. I remember what it was like to be homeless and struggling, as well as deep in your battles with mental health. I am determined to give back in the same way I have been helped. Thank you for reading.

I was the one who found my high school boyfriend after he committed suicide. This experience scarred me and marked my high school and early college career with adversity and strife. In addition to a childhood marred by neglect from my parents, as well as food insecurity caused by our poverty-level income from their blue-collar jobs. Altogether, I felt like I was born on the wrong foot. I wasn’t prepared for what life had in store for me initially, but I learned the skills and values I needed to thrive. I learned resilience, strength, and self-reliance instead of giving up to hopelessness. My challenges didn’t stop in high school– in college I lived through the Tubbs Fire of 2017, which caused me to become briefly homeless for 3 months; I lived through untreated Bipolar Disorder Type II that I had no familial support for receiving treatment; and I attended school during the Covid-19 pandemic. These events only solidified the fact that it was my choice whether to let these things permanently stop me or not. I became only more determined. In high school I earned a 3.2 GPA, however in college my GPA dropped due to all the events I mentioned. Despite these struggles, on my SAT I earned a 1930 total in 2015– in the 90th percentile. I am planning to take the GRE shortly, and I am certain that will excel as well. Since entering recovery for my mental illnesses, I have earned between a 4.0 GPA and a 3.6 GPA for each semester I have been enrolled in. My ultimate career goal is to become a psychiatrist, however there are many steps along that path. Before I apply to medical school, I intend to earn my Master’s in Public Health with a focus on Community Health. This scholarship would help me achieve my objectives by making school more affordable, and allowing me to work less to focus more on school. Currently, I work two jobs– first as an Assistant Manager for a peer support center, and secondly as a Research Assistant. I am considering getting a third job to make ends meet. This scholarship would allow me to focus on school instead of taking up more hours and working harder just to survive. In the future, I plan to volunteer with Doctors Without Borders, as well as offering entirely free sessions for the neediest members of my community. I remember what it was like to be homeless and struggling, as well as deep in your battles with mental health. I am determined to give back in the same way I have been helped. Thank you for reading.

My parents are blue-collar workers. My mom is a pastry chef, and my dad is a contractor. Neither went to college. College would’ve gotten in the way of surviving. When they had me and my little sister, their one hope for us was that we would be able to make better lives for ourselves. Without hesitation, I took the SAT and signed up for college– and the student debt that comes with it. However as soon as I arrived on campus, I realized that my academic career would be defined by struggle for many years. Despite being a good high-school student, I had no one to guide me in college life. My parents were clueless about the rigors of university because they had never attended themselves. There was no one I could turn to to help me figure it all out. I was beginning to struggle as I entered my second year. Then several unprecedented things happened. A wildfire ripped through my city during my sophomore year, in 2017. The Tubbs Fire. It vaporized the poorest part of the city and the richest in a morning. I had already been struggling with my mental health before this point, but the fire marked a turning point. My mental health got markedly worse. I stopped being able to get myself to class, or even out of bed, for days at a time. I wondered what was happening to me, and if it was all my fault, while the sky was red outside and there were pillars of smoke in the distance. I had no one to advise me, to tell me that I needed to treat my mental health struggles before I could succeed in school. Instead, I found out the hard way. I took a Leave of Absence from school, intent on getting to the root of my mental health problems before enrolling in school again. I saw a psychiatrist and a therapist. I didn’t let my struggles stop me, I just put a temporary hold on my academic career. And now, things are so much better. I attend school full-time while working two jobs part-time– something I never could have managed before. I have been recently promoted to Assistant Manager/Onsite Supervisor for a peer support center. Previously, I was a Peer Support Specialist for those experiencing homelessness and/or mental health concerns. This was a very hard job. I would drive out into the community, meeting homeless individuals where they lived– on the street. We would talk about their goals and how to achieve those goals, as well as helping them work for a brighter future. However heartrending the work was, I felt inspired by the strength and resilience of their stories. In the past, during the pandemic, I worked as a pharmacy technician for a pharmacy chain. This meant that, as there was an extreme risk in working with very sick people coming to our pharmacy door, I still did my best to provide good service and supply folks with their medications. I felt lightened by the good nature of my work. In addition, throughout these jobs and the simultaneous school obligations, I volunteered extensively. I volunteered for an organization providing virtual medical access to rural Ukrainians who had no support during the initial stages of the war. I provided social media support and updates for doctors as to the status of the war in relation to healthcare needs. I volunteered for local hospitals, such as St. Joseph’s Memorial Hospital in Santa Rosa and Zuckerberg General in San Francisco, providing check-ins for patients at the former and providing support to the social services division at the latter. I gained several heartwarming stories from patients at St. Joseph’s, and I was able to help the social workers at Zuckerberg General with their workload. Altogether, this has led to a firm belief that life is about giving. Life is about pushing through the struggles yourself, and then turning around to help others through their own struggles. Because we’re all on this Earth together, which means we’re destined to make life better for others too. Though I’ve given a lot, but I could always give more. I’m currently working on an undergraduate research project to improve mental healthcare options for youth through peer support. I also intend to dedicate my career to helping the mental health of others. Thank you for reading my story.

For the past two years, my career has been dedicated to mental health– specifically to a burgeoning concept called “peer support.” I was a Peer Support Specialist for two years, however now I am an Assistant Manager/Onsite Supervisor at a peer support center. In peer support, someone who has survived mental health challenges and is stable in their recovery supports someone else who is currently in the trenches. This creates a person-to-person discussion space that is very different from the authority levels present when talking to a therapist. In the peer support program, I worked in for two years, I helped recently homeless individuals transition into their new housing. There are a large number of homeless individuals who are given low-cost housing, who then have to drop out and back to homelessness due to lack of social support. They may struggle with something as simple as being unable to figure out how to pay rent through an app, and for that reason be evicted. That’s where we come in. We can help with teaching needed skills to reintegrate back into housing, and even go beyond that to support success in hobbies and going back to school. This work has been hard on me and my coworkers. It involves constantly letting others fill up your cup with their worries, fears, and needs-- and then you must empty it every day to allow space for yourself and your concerns. However, I am absolutely dedicated to a career in public service and servitude. That was my job from July 2022 to July 2024. I used to work out in the community, driving out practically anywhere across two counties to support folks. I deeply enjoyed this work, and I found it more fulfilling than anything else in my life. I looked forward to working each weekday, excited to find out how my participants were doing and the updates about what was going on in their lives and what they wanted to work on next. I moved on from that job to my current job, a part-time job, to go back to school. I am still working to complete my degree. I am only two semesters away from receiving my dual degrees in Biology, Psychology, and my English minor. My end goal is to become a psychiatrist. I intend to use all I have learned through both my schooling, and all of my various career experiences– as a pharmacy technician on the front line during the pandemic; as an employment specialist helping folks with disabilities stay employed; as a shelter assistant for elderly homeless folks during the pandemic; and now as an assistant manager to a peer support center helping those who need it most– all to ensure I can be the best psychiatrist I can be. When I become a psychiatrist, I plan to offer low-cost services. I plan to volunteer my time. I plan to be readily available to those who would not otherwise receive any help. I think it is vital that healthcare, especially mental healthcare, is both equitable and inclusive– including people like me who have had their mental health challenges– for it to be truly accessible. It also needs to not hide behind a triple-digit price tag. I would love to join Doctors Without Doctors and other nonprofit and volunteering organizations to do the most good possible. If my work, if my choice of career, helps even just one person, it will have been worth it. That’s my mantra. Thank you for reading!

My career path has been defined by selflessness– the nature of mental health services means that every day when you show up, you give a large part of yourself to the cause. You put your cup forward and let people in need fill it up. At the end of the day, when you come home, you do your best to empty it. And the next day you come in ready to do it all over again. I am an Onsite Supervisor for a Peer Support center in Northern California. Peer support is the idea that someone who has lived through something is educated in how to survive (and thrive) through it, enough to help others. Peer support is primarily used in the mental health world. It’s a completely free, accessible mental health resource– unlike therapy or psychiatry. I share this because peer support is a big portion of my life. I am conducting my own independent undergraduate research project on how youth peer support could be used to help mitigate the youth mental health crisis in my community. Right now I am conducting a survey of youth that could be used to help support the cause of peer support in the future, help the advance of scientific knowledge in general, and help create a framework for creating a potential future youth peer support program. I believe this is very selfless. My work on this project takes about 10 hours of work per week. This doesn’t sound like much, but in addition to my work, it adds up. It’s mostly me working in the dawn hours before I have to drive to my office. In addition to this, I also engage in selflessness by tutoring the woman I supervise on computer skills. She’s a 74-year-old woman, but she wants to be skilled in computers. Despite it being difficult, I take time out of my work schedule to help her learn those skills daily. I also have volunteered heavily with many different organizations. I spent 200 hours volunteering in a social media/administrative capacity with Telehelp Ukraine towards the beginning of the war, when the medical needs of rural Ukrainians were dire. I also have volunteered in the Social Services department at Zuckerberg Memorial Hospital, helping with odd tasks such as creating a list of notaries for their patients. I also volunteer on Sonoma County’s Measure O board, which helps decide where funds are allocated for mental health funds. I try to spend my time outside of work wisely. I have also worked on two different research projects to help advance science. One was on the effect of local Tule Elk reintroduction on local plant life, and the other was on the diversity of local mushrooms over 10 years. I believe dedicating my time to measuring specimens and inputting and analyzing data is selfless. Finally, to top it off, I run an international study community where I teach others accountability, goal-setting, and project management. I strive to invest in the personal and professional growth of everyone around me, including friends, family, and members of the community. I believe it’s important to help lift those closest to you with you. For example, last week I presented at a conference with two of the community’s members to help boost their resumes during a time they were struggling to land jobs. I believe that the effort I have put into helping others grow, strengthening my community, and improving the body of scientific knowledge has been a very selfless endeavor of mine. Thank you so much for reading!

Legends and Lattes and Bookshops and Bonedust are must-haves. Absolutely. More than anything else that has been popular on Booktok, I believe. Why? To me, because of Viv. I grew up in a house where you could lay in bed and stare up at the streaks of black mold on the wall next to your head, and up on the ceiling. I had parents who didn’t understand what Autism is, let alone considering that I had it (I would get diagnosed at age 22.) I was treated like a rude little monster who just wanted to cause trouble, when in actuality I would only cover my ears and beg for the music to be turned down on the stereos because it was hurting me. “Music can’t hurt!” they would insist. To add insult to injury, I was always incredibly small. To this day I am a height of 4’8”, and even back in the day everyone towered over me. I felt powerless. I felt stupid. I felt like the definition of stuck. I wasn’t allowed beyond the backyard fence, and certainly not in the front yard, where “little girls like me got snatched up all the time.” I sat in the backyard and poked holes in the dirt with sticks while my friends were having sleepovers and birthday parties. As I grew up, I started to develop an understanding of the woman I wanted to be. I didn’t want to feel powerless, stupid, stuck, caged anymore. I was tired of being treated like the tiniest little living doll at school. Sick to death of everyone talking to me like if they exposed me to the world, I would break. In my mind, I was tough. Strong. Capable. A fighter. An adventurer. Someone who could box, and win. It took until age 16 for me to find a role model that I could actually model myself after. But if Legends and Lattes had been written two decades earlier, perhaps I could have had that sooner. Someone to guide the exact balance of what I so desperately wanted to be– muscled but kind at all times, helpful but firm when the situation calls for it. Someone who values training in the gym (a la Bookshops and Bookdust’s training sessions) because that rewards you with being capable enough to protect and help your friends. Etc. Instead, I wanted those features as a kid but I didn’t know it was possible. I didn’t know any female characters who were tough and muscled. I didn’t know it was OK for a woman to be big without her being the butt of a joke, or ugly, or just plain evil. I wanted to be a good guy who could take care of others with my strength and capability. And Viv is that! That’s all Viv does! I love it! Legends and Lattes caused an explosion on Booktok. To this day, it’s hard to get a book reserved at my small suburb’s local library– of the 10 they have on the shelves, all are always reserved. It’s still so incredibly popular despite being released 2 years ago, and I love its effect on the Booktok community because of that. Travis Baldree participated in NaNoWriMo to write this novel and didn’t expect to gain an explosion of popularity on Booktok, but here we are! I’m a little picky with the books I read, but when the Booktok recommendations fit me… oh they fit incredibly well. Thank you for reading!

Before I turn the key in the peer support center’s door at 8:30, my day starts much earlier. At about 3:00, I hop out of bed. I wasn’t always a morning person, but it’s the only way I can get things done. It might be a habit I picked up from my dad, a veteran. I hop on an international study voice call with my friends– a community I started about 4 years ago that has swollen to about 300 members. There’s always someone on the call, whether they’re from Europe, Asia, or Australia. After saying good morning (or afternoon, evening) I start my routine. On my workdays, I set aside 3 goals for the day I must achieve before I head to work. With all the projects I’m balancing, they’ve been quite a lot. Like writing an IRB application for my undergraduate research project. Or getting ready to present at a workshop that will help bolster my research’s validity– and my chances at getting into a master’s program. And maybe even applying to more of these scholarships, sometimes up to 5 a day. I’ve applied to over 55 so far this summer, from late July to mid-August. But then I finish up those goals and, already feeling accomplished, I head over to my job. This center primarily serves people experiencing homelessness. It was only 7 years ago when I was the homeless one, bussing around to find somewhere safe to sleep– and now here I am, in this office all my own, with post-it notes galore. I remember when I was carrying around a bag half the size of me– a 4’8” tall woman– on the streets, doing my best to pretend to be a man via baggy clothes. I was 20. I did my best to survive in those days. I had a boyfriend whose house I slept at when I could get there before the buses, trains, and subways stopped running for the evening. It was a long journey because I was still attending school 80 miles away. I refused to give up on my education. I stared hopelessness and defeat straight in the face. Nowadays, I’m thriving. I learned that if you stand up for yourself– something I was taught by my father, a U.S. Navy service member– then what you want tends to come to you. I learned this includes standing up to your fears. I have an ideal self in my mind I work towards every day of my life, who’s defined by kindness, bravery, and accomplishment, and I’ll be working on becoming her until the day I die. Leadership, to me, means sharing this ability to accomplish with others. It means giving them a path forward. With my friends, I strive to show them that the dreams they have about their future are reachable. I often sit down with them and make an action plan. Recently, I presented at a conference with three friends to build our resumes and our eligibility for higher education. When I head home at the end of a long workday, I settle in to polish off a little more work. When I do, I remember why I started this life in the first place. It’s because my high school boyfriend when we were both 16, committed suicide. I am dedicated to the study of Psychology. My ultimate goal is to become a psychiatrist. I want to be able to serve those with mental illness the best I am able and to volunteer my time– namely to those experiencing homelessness, our youth, and our veterans. Thank you for reading!

7 years ago, I was homeless. The Tubbs Fire caused my home to be taken from me– I was left with no other option but to begin again. I commuted down to San Francisco each night for a safe place to sleep at my boyfriend’s apartment in Hayward, and commuted back up to Rohnert Park each day to attend university classes. Each direction was 5 hours of riding public transportation. I slept on buses, trains, and subways, and collapsed, dead tired, on my boyfriend’s bed– still having to complete homework for the next day of classes. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was also struggling with undiagnosed Bipolar Disorder Type II. I had had this disorder all my life, but only now, with the stress of the situation, was it starting to emerge more and more. I fell into a deep, depressive spiral. I wondered why I even bothered to keep going. But when you’ve hit rock bottom, there’s no other direction to go but up. Out of the hole you’ve fallen into. I worked hard to get myself back on track. To work towards the dream I had had since I was a girl of 16 and I had seen my high-school boyfriend hanging from a noose in his bedroom: psychiatrist. That meant getting myself treated for my Bipolar, getting myself housed again, continuing with school, and finding ways to give back for all the little kindnesses I was receiving while I was living on the road. My new life was about to begin. I received a quick grant from Sonoma State University that allowed me to get housed again. And with that, I instantaneously focused on getting well and giving back. I started medication. I got a job. I worked toward getting a job I liked, a job focused on giving back, the job I have now– in providing peer support. Peer support is entirely free mental healthcare. Peer support believes that those with firsthand experience of homelessness and mental illness– and are stable in recovery– are worthwhile providers of mental healthcare to those currently struggling with their mental health. Every day, I encounter those who are currently in the position I was in 7 years ago, and I do my best to comfort them and give them resources so that they can move toward where I am– in recovery. In addition to this work that I have been involved in for the last 2 years, I am also conducting my own undergraduate research project on the desirability of a youth peer support program for those aged 14-24 years old. These are the ages where mental illnesses first tend to emerge, so it would make the most sense that these are the ages where we should be providing the most support. Youth peer support programs already exist across the U.S., however I am curious if the youth themselves are interested or invested in there being more programs or centers for them to use. I am working to influence change in my community by providing free mental healthcare to all who wander in the door, and spreading the word further to everyone I can that we are here, we are accessible, and we would love to listen to you. Thank you for reading!

7 years ago, I was homeless. The Tubbs Fire took my home– I was left with no other option but to begin again. I commuted down to San Francisco each night for a safe place to sleep at my boyfriend’s apartment in Hayward, and commuted back up to Rohnert Park each day to attend university classes. Each direction was 5 hours of riding public transportation. I slept on buses, trains, and subways, and collapsed, dead tired, on my boyfriend’s bed– still having to complete homework for the next day of classes. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was also struggling with undiagnosed Bipolar Disorder Type II. I had had this disorder all my life, but only now, with the stress of the situation, was it starting to emerge more and more. I fell into a deep, depressive spiral. I wondered why I even bothered to keep going. But when you’ve hit rock bottom, there’s no other direction to go but up. Out of the hole you’ve fallen into. Nowadays, I’m stable. And the person I have to thank? Myself. First I started writing to-do lists. Years ago I thought I was too good for to-do lists– my thought process was, who doesn’t know what they have to do in a day? it’s already all in my head. I laughed about it. But as soon as I started writing down what I had to do, it all became so much clearer, easier. I now have over a dozen notebooks full of to-do lists spanning over 6 years. Then I realized something critical about myself. I’ve always been so negatively powered by worrying about what other people think about me– what if the opposite was also true, and I could harness that energy to positively motivate myself? I ended up creating an international accountability-slash-study group of like-minded people who, similar to me, wanted to better themselves. That group now has 280+ members from around the world who study with each other on a voice call daily, often turning on their webcams to prove that they’re studying or working on something– anything– productive. I religiously use this feature myself. Being this accountable to myself, and others, has led to a lot of success in my life. I was recently promoted from my position of Peer Support Specialist for a nonprofit to Assistant Manager and Onsite Supervisor for one of our peer support centers. This is a massive step up for me, to gain supervisory experience, and I am deeply excited about it. I have been working as a research assistant for a project at my university analyzing how to better support Autistic students both socially (such as in providing better training to staff about Autism), and physically (such as in building sensory rooms.) I am deeply excited to be supporting this vulnerable population. I have also combined these two interests, and I am currently working on an undergraduate research project about the viability of YOUTH peer support as a potential fix for the mental health crisis plaguing our teens and young adults. Youth peer support suggests that those with firsthand knowledge of mental health concerns, and who are in recovery and are receiving training and supervision, may be able to support those currently in the trenches of mental health worries. It’s an issue close to my heart due to my past. Altogether, my deep passion for accountability– both for myself and others– has led to rich rewards in my own life, and the lives of those closest to me. Thank you for creating this scholarship to highlight its importance.

I was homeless at the age of 20 for 3 months following a wildfire. My mental health plummeted, and I soon learned that I had Bipolar Type II. After I fought to get myself treated and housed again, I did the hardest thing I had ever done– I began the slow climb to get myself back on track. After years of only being able to hold down a job for months at most because of my Bipolar Disorder, I started working at my current nonprofit. I have worked as a Peer Support Specialist for 2 years, using my firsthand knowledge of mental health struggles to support others. Just this month I was promoted to Assistant Manager/Onsite Supervisor. Meanwhile, I have also been working as a Research Assistant for a study about Autistic students on my university’s campus and how to best support them. I am combining these two experiences to work on an independent undergraduate research project under a faculty mentor about youth peer support. Mental health concerns sometimes emerge in high school, so youth peer support is vital. My ultimate career goal, to put all of this together, is to become a psychiatrist. I intend on getting my Master’s of Public Health, and then going to medical school. Because I struggled with my grades when I was mentally ill, I am no longer able to receive financial aid. This award would help me with the burden of my $5000 per semester tuition. Thank you so much for reading. — Ambition, to me, means bettering yourself. It means becoming the best version of yourself you can be. I’m deeply ambitious, and I believe when you pursue a career like this– a career that revolves around serving other people at its core– it’s up to YOU to know if you’re up to the challenge of working in it. You owe it to them to be the best person for the job. Personal development is a skill that you must come back to time and time again. When I get my Public Health degree, I think it’s vital that I be a skilled public health worker– regardless of the position I land in. Personal development has been important to me ever since I was a kid, when I first reflected on the predicament of my parents. They waste whatever money they get, and constantly seem to be in a state of stagnation. But I dared to aim for more. From nothing at all, from having no role models to speak of, I’ve done my best to develop many skills. Time management, communication... The skills I use daily at my current position and as a student, I’ve all learned from online resources. I want to be the most excellent public health worker I can be, and that aligns with ACHE of SoCal’s goals of providing excellent educational opportunities, moments for networking and sharing, and developing and promoting its future leaders.

7 years ago, I was homeless from the Tubbs Fire and struggling with my untreated mental illness. Today I am an Assistant Manager and Onsite Supervisor for a peer support center; a non-traditional, first-generation, disabled student; a research assistant for a project supporting Autistic students on my college’s campus; and an undergraduate researcher for my personal project. I’ve come a LONG way. I originate from an abusive family I’ve cut contact with. Over the years, I’ve built a “found family” of friends, mentors, and my partner. Even if my family isn’t proud of me, my found family definitely is. These days, I am in recovery from my mental health concerns. I have been stable in my housing for the last 6 years. I am close to finally finishing my undergraduate degree after starting it in 2015. I am going to be applying to master’s degree programs in Public Health, specializing in Community Health. I am absolutely thriving. In my free time, I enjoy reading, self-studying fun topics such as American Sign Language and my class subjects before they start officially, writing creative nonfiction (a mixture between essay, poetry, and memoir), and, for appreciation and NOT eating, mushroom hunting. I love sending letters to my friends and boyfriend. I go to antique stores and look for neat postcards to send them too. I wanted to go to college because I LOVE studying and academia. Even though life has been hard for me because of things I couldn’t control, I still come back to wanting to study, research, and learn. That leads me to some of my career/life goals. I want to be a psychiatrist. I want to research the potential and effectiveness of youth peer counseling. I want to start a youth peer counseling program. I want to create real change for people living with mental illness that doesn’t hide behind a triple-digit price tag, and peer support seems to be that. I want to create the best version of myself I can be. And I’ve put so much effort into that, but I know I still have so much more to change. There’s a better life ahead for me, even better than the one I’ve built for myself already. I just have to keep working for it. This scholarship would help me focus more on school instead of balancing three jobs while attending school to make ends meet. Currently I work at a peer center, as a research assistant, and I am considering a third job. Please consider supporting me. Thank you for reading!

I was first diagnosed with Autism at age 22. This came at no surprise to me– I had been looking for someone to confirm or deny what I had suspected for many years, after my childhood of lining toys up and being accused of being “incredibly rude” by my parents, and generally not fitting the mold of what was expected from a child. I felt very relieved that, finally, my life so far now made more sense. I wasn’t stupid because I took longer to think in conversations, I was just Autistic. I wasn’t broken because I couldn’t hold eye contact when I spoke, I was just Autistic. I stumbled upon the world of peer support in an unexpected way. At first, it was just a job. I had been working as a disability employment case manager, and, finding that abhorrent, I turned to finding a new job. And peer support welcomed me. It’s a welcoming world in general, where off-color folks of all kinds are the norm. People of all neurotypes are genuinely welcomed– it isn’t just lip service. Peer support is the idea that those with lived experience of mental health concerns and are in recovery from those concerns can help those who are currently struggling. It’s a revolutionary idea to fight back the tide of our mental health crisis, and I absolutely love it. I have been a part of this work for the past 2 years and I can’t imagine working in any other field at this point. I have transitioned from being a Peer Support Specialist to an Onsite Supervisor/Assistant Manager at one of our peer support centers. This led to me getting involved in my own research project on the potential of peer support to support youth, in particular. “Youth peer support” has existed as an idea for many years, and does exist in some form in most states in the U.S., however it is still gaining ground slowly. As a young person myself, who is aware that most mental illnesses emerge during highschool and college years, I am interested in providing services to help counteract this terrible time in our lives. Because I got involved in research, I also heard of another research project on my campus– and I was invited to join their team as a research assistant. This is the Neurodiversity Undergraduate project wherein researchers are looking for ways to further support Autistic students at universities. It’s wonderful work! In all of this work, I realized that I love academia, research, medicine, and mental health. I decided that becoming a psychiatrist makes the most sense for me career-wise, and I am deeply excited to pursue it. Besides for my work, I have gotten involved in many other opportunities. I have presented at two conferences so far this year– the ‘Taking Action for Wellbeing” conference in Philadelphia, and another specifically about Youth Peer Support online. I am also on the Measure O Committee for Sonoma County, about the spending of funds for mental health services, in the Lived Experience of Mental Illness seat. There is so much more I want to do with my life. I am ALWAYS looking for more opportunities. However, I have to support myself entirely on my own, and pay my $5000 tuition entirely out of pocket or through private student loans. Please consider supporting me. Thank you so much for reading!

“You’re so small your head is like an armrest!” This “amusing” line is something I regularly heard throughout my elementary, middle, and highschool years. Being 4’8, my height was something folks immediately noticed– like hair color. As far as sports go, gymnastics was suggested to me several times, just like– I imagine– basketball was to the tall people. I considered it. But I was too rough-and-tumble, I thought. The “gymnastics girls” I knew were a little bit prissy in their leotards. Of course, we were all about 8 at the time when it was pitched to me. Instead, I wanted something where I could get my knees dirty. Run around. Expend some energy. Maybe even break something! Come to find, I could’ve just as well found that in gymnastics. I first heard of Simone Biles when I was about 19, during the Summer Olympics of 2016. During the event, I was on a little vacation with my family at a house in Santa Cruz. Now when I say “house” I mean “house”-- it was an AirBnB advertised as a “beach house,” but it was truly about a 10 minute walk away from the beach in the suburbs. It did have a tiny TV in the living room though. And on it, the Olympics happened to be playing. The gymnastics section too! I was amazed by these gymnasts. Women as short as me– all of them were around my height– doing incredible aerial feats. One in particular caught my eye. She was exactly my height, my age too, and built like a beast. It was a secret wish of mine to be muscular. I was already masculine, but I wanted to be the sort of woman who lifts weights, has some bulk to her– and Simone was that. Small, but powerful. God, what a thought. Additionally, she consistently shattered records. In 2016, she won gold when she performed moves no one had ever seen before. And now, in 2024, she did the same. I watched her in awe, feeling inspired. If someone as little as her could do so much, be so strong, it made as much sense that I could too. She was doing moves that only she could do, that she had made up– maybe I could do the same in my own life, freestyling at a high level to victory in the career I decided to pursue. Respected. Strong. But little, too. Thank you for reading!

It all started with me pulling a copy of “Alanna the Lioness” from my shelf as a little kid in my bedroom. It had a girl on the cover who looked like me, with reddish, brown-ish hair, a strong gaze, and she was mid-swing with a sword! This was the very beginning of books having an influence on me, as the woman I wanted to be began to take form in my head. I grew up without any role models, without a single person I could look up to. I had an abusive, go-nowhere family and limited access to anyone else besides for teachers. I was kept indoors, told that little girls were snatched from front lawns on a daily basis. I wasn’t allowed to visit friends. I wasn’t allowed to walk to school. A lot of childhood experiences– and sources of mentorship– were cut off from me. But as I aged, I realized that books could provide that guidance for me. When I was young, I was teased for always having my nose in a book. As soon as we finished an in-class assignment, I would whip out my current book.. It was the same for lunch periods and recess. Always with the books. This was as far back as middle school, when we began having access to a library during lunch. The first book I remember finding in my middle-school library was “The Nature of Jade” by Deb Caletti. This was a book about a kid, someone my age, having a diagnosed anxiety disorder. For the 2000’s, this was a shocking idea. It was the first thing that made me realize that I might have an anxiety disorder of my own. The description of the main character having a racing heart just at the idea of having to go to school was exactly what I was experiencing. Next, in highschool, was “Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Bronte. This was one of the first books that helped me figure out what sort of personality or character I could even have. Before then, I had always been shy. Acquiescing. A doormat. But this taught me how I could be brave, I could stand up for myself– she stood up for her values and for what she needed. I took that to heart. Same for “Pride and Prejudice.” I don’t think my parents appreciated the lesson. There was so much that happened between my highschool reader years and now. I disconnected from books for a long time. Only in the last 5 years have I begun to reconnect like I had when I was a teenager. I picked up “Wild” by Cheryl Strayed on a little vacation I took with my boyfriend to Mendocino, California. This book taught me that women aren’t in as much danger as I was taught when I was a little girl. Cheryl hiked a large portion of the Pacific Crest Trail, stretching from the Mexican border to the Canadian border, completely alone and not only survived but thrived. I’m not in as much danger as I think I am. “Seed to Dust” by Marc Hamer, which I finished recently, taught me that life is worth recovering from and truly living in. Books haven’t shaped my career goals, but they have shaped my personal goals of personal qualities I would like to have. And I’m so glad they have. They’ve taught me to be a warrior, a fighter, a stronger person both mentally and physically, and to go against all the terrible things I was taught in my abusive home growing up. Thank you for reading.

“What could go wrong?” was my thought as my parents dropped me off at college at the beginning of my freshman year, and four years of uncertainty lay ahead of me. So much could, and did go wrong: my assigned roommates were human disasters, my social anxiety spiked at a school with 14 thousand students, and I fought to get acquainted with college life. “What could go wrong?” I said to myself as my mental health plummeted in sophomore and junior years– 2017 especially, the year of the Tubbs fire that decimated half of my city overnight. I didn’t know it yet, but I had Bipolar Disorder Type II, and I was in the biggest depression phase of my life. The fires, which kept me indoors due to the smoke and the gloom outside, only made it worse. “What could go wrong?” I thought as I hitched my big bag full of my belongings over my shoulder. The Tubbs Fire had made me homeless, and I would be traveling between my boyfriend’s house in San Francisco at night, and my university during the day, just to keep going to school. The round trip was about 10 hours of public transportation. I would be homeless for 3 months. “What could go wrong?” I thought as the pandemic raged, and I worked at a Non-Congregate Shelter for elderly homeless individuals. Its purpose was to keep this vulnerable population safe from Covid. Despite our best efforts, several individuals passed away. At around this point, I was tired. I was 23. My rental condo was sold– as is common in the California housing market. Out of options, I moved into a horrible living situation. My mental health problems were still untreated because, all my life, my parents and other family had been so anti-medicine.I was terrified that receiving treatment would change my brain structure and make me different. Not me anymore. But something had to change. I was floundering around, walking into bad situation after bad situation, daring them to become worse. So instead I decided to face my fears. I started taking the risk that a good situation may become even better. “What could go wrong?” echoed in my head as I walked into my psychiatrist’s office and sat down for a test. It finally told me what was happening with my brain. The doctor said that my cycles of motivation and depression weren’t typical, it was Bipolar. I was amazed. Over the next few years, we experimented with different medications and now, at 26, I’m finally stable. “What could go wrong?” was what I said with a smile as I slammed the door on my new car, paid for with my own money, from my own job. With my medication, I can now hold down a job for more than a few months. I have been working at the same company for 3 years now. Finally, “What could go wrong?” was my thought as I looked over all that I was accomplishing. Attending school full-time, while working full-time, and completing several other projects such as an independent research project too. It feels like I’m an entirely different person. And all of this because I dared the world to make things go wrong. So much has gone right since I flipped my perspective, and I started seeing the potential in scary, intimidating situations. These are opportunities for growth. Even if you do look at what could possibly go wrong, often, the only answer is “– not much if you keep pushing forward!” Even little bumps in the road are nothing in the long-haul. Thank you for reading!

My passion for psychiatry began with tragedy. When we were only sixteen years old, I found my highschool boyfriend hanging by a noose. I stood in the doorway to his bedroom, eyes frozen on his bloated face, knowing that in this moment I had been instantaneously transformed. I had just opened a metaphorical door between my past and future. Behind me was my past– where I was ignorant to mental health– and a future where it would be my calling and my cross to bear. At that moment I knew I needed to become a psychiatrist. I had to dedicate my life to preventing this from happening again. Unfortunately, difficult stories like this were typical for my childhood. I grew up in a mold-streaked house that my parents were too busy working multiple jobs to fix. I was constantly told that we had to eat the food in front of us because we didn’t know when we’d have to skip a meal– which led to my development of an eating disorder many years later. Nowadays when balancing bills between tuition, housing, and other necessities, food is still the first thing I cut. I often rely on food banks or pantries, and grocery stores feel like a complete luxury. My struggles didn’t stop in childhood. As a teenager, I started feeling overwhelming mood swings– I would flip from manic to desolate. I had developed Bipolar Type II. My parents were adamant that there was “nothing wrong with me” as I fought a battle in my head every single day. I entered college regardless, as a first-generation student. My teachers in highschool supported me, but I felt like I had failed them before even having a chance to start. I tried to balance academics and mental health but I felt like my hamstrings had been cut before starting a race. It all came to a head when I became homeless as a result of the 2017 Tubbs Fire. It was here that I found myself facing another door: do I leave it shut and continue to suffer inside my own head, or do I fling it open, take my life by the horns, and get myself better by all means necessary? I was resolute. This illness would not conquer me. I finally began seeing a therapist and a psychiatrist out-of-pocket, while I also managed to secure housing. Although my family is unsupportive, now I am surrounded by a found family of caring people. Additionally, my current partner has also survived trauma and we are healing together. I have never felt more surrounded with love. Determined to make a real difference, I also engage with mental wellness outside of work and school; I am conducting research with local nonprofits on mental health solutions for youth. I am working with the Sonoma County Office of Education on dispersing a survey examining the popularity of Youth Peer Support among teenagers as a balm to the youth mental health crisis, wherein 1 in 4 teenagers, like me, are afflicted with a mental health condition. A donor from Community Foundation Sonoma County has expressed interest in monetarily supporting my research. I am hopeful that I can prove that youth peer support is a viable part of the solution. Because of this work, I was recently selected to present at a conference on youth peer support. I am also presenting my research at a conference about Wellbeing this August. Lastly, I sit on Sonoma County’s Measure O Committee– in particular I volunteer in the Lived Experience of Mental Illness seat, where I provide insight into what mental health services best need funds. Professionally, I am always in high-gear, working as an Assistant Manager Peer Counselor at a nonprofit, in addition to being a research assistant for EdEon at SSU. Our research is on improving college accessibility for disabled people, while my work is focused on providing free mental healthcare to homeless individuals. When I eventually finish my training and become a psychiatrist, I am determined to provide low-cost services. I am certain I will volunteer my time as well. I will seek out where my services are most needed, and supply them. Mental healthcare should be readily available to anyone who needs it, but if greater healthcare availability isn’t created in the next decade, I will do my part to provide what I can. I am determined to be a part of the solution, not the problem. I wake up every morning before the sun rises to ensure that I make progress towards my goals. I have faced my fears and worries about medications, doctors and hospitals, to kill my own mental health challenges and get well. I have changed so much, and I know that I need to change more. I owe it to my future patients, to myself, to my field, to work harder, to achieve more. I push myself every day, and no one knows that I worry about whether I’ll be able to make ends meet. I pay for my $5000 tuition entirely out of private student loans. I decided a long time ago, regardless of the obstacles I face, I will walk through that door of opportunities, run if I have to, with my head held high. Please consider supporting me in my journey to serve others in psychiatry. Thank you so much.

“Hey, when’re you gonna graduate?” “You still going to school?” “How long has it been?” All these questions haunted me as I considered the unexpected track my life had taken so far. When you’re growing up, you’ve got it all figured out– you’ll go to college, become a veterinarian (or something), and do whatever veterinarians do. You’ll meet a boy at some point. Have kids at eventually. It all makes sense, in your head, when you’re young. It’s abstract. Simple. The reality is much messier. I went to college, like I was told I should, in 2015. However, at that point my Bipolar Type II symptoms were already starting to show in full-force. They weren’t bad enough yet that my grades were suffering, but it was only a matter of years until they were. At that point I was hit with depressive spirals that lasted months, so bad that I couldn’t leave the house– or attend class. When the 2017 Tubbs fire decimated half of my city and my landlords ended my lease to take in their family, I was too depressed to engage in finding a new living situation. I became homeless. For 3 months, I rode a bus, a train, a subway, and another bus– in that order– 80 miles south to my boyfriend’s house to have somewhere safe to sleep. And then, in the opposite order, I went back north to attend classes at university during the day. Every day. Because I knew I couldn’t give up and let my depression win. My efforts paid off, and soon I was in stable housing again. However, my mental health was still bad. I realized I was attempting to swim upstream in a rapidly flowing river. Not only was I attempting to finish school as an unmedicated person with Bipolar disorder– a deeply debilitating condition– but then, in 2020, I was attempting to do it during a pandemic too. It was impossible. I disenrolled from school, knowing that I would be back someday. The house I was renting was sold anyway, and I– completely out of options– moved back in with my abusive parents. As I sunk into even further depression, I realized I couldn’t let myself stagnate and decompose. I had to do something. I had to decide to change my situation. I contacted a psychiatrist, and she got me started on a treatment plan. It took until I was 25 for me to become stable. I was still living with my parents in a little mountain village in Northern California, surrounded by farms. I would go for walks, trying to get some distance from them, working on gaining stability. It was still hard. The questions kept rolling in. “Why haven’t you finished your bachelor’s?” “Why did you disenroll?” “Are you ever gonna do anything with your life?” It took time to rebuild my life. I worked in peer support– which has helped reinforce my choice of career. Finally, when I was 26, I re-enrolled at Sonoma State University. My end-all goal, the goal I’ve wanted since I was a little girl of about 16, when I was the one who stumbled upon my boyfriend hanging from a noose, and the idea flashed clear in my mind and has hung there ever since, now feels possible. I want to be a psychiatrist. I want to give back in the way I have been helped, supporting others on their journey towards mental wellness. I graduate next year, in the fall, and I couldn’t be more excited. However, I rely upon private student loans. Please consider supporting me. Thank you!