My father served in the Army for six years and drove tanks during Operation Desert Storm. Throughout my life, my father would share stories from his military experience. He mentioned that his fellow soldiers were his closest friends. I always enjoyed hearing his stories, and I developed a great appreciation for his service. Although my father has great memories from the military, he experienced a lot of trauma from war. About a decade ago, he was diagnosed with war-related PTSD. Due to my father having mental health struggles, I had a very different experience growing up than most. I saw early on the struggles my father faced due to his sacrifice. He would constantly wake up in the middle of the night due to nightmares and often had flashbacks. In high school, I facilitated PTSD support groups for Veterans. These groups provided a safe space for Veterans to share their experiences and struggles. I was also involved in several fundraising events for the Vietnam Veterans of America and Associates of Vietnam Veterans of America. These events consisted of car washes, bake sales, stand downs, and teaching Veterans to fly fish. Fly fishing especially was my favorite because I have very valuable memories with my father. Through my volunteering experience with these Veterans, I gained a passion for mental health. I do not think I would be in my current field of study if it weren't for seeing my father and other Veterans face mental health struggles. My passion for helping has led to me to major in Social Work. This past semester, I shadowed a Social Worker for 46 hours at the VA Medical Center. This Social Worker provided treatment for Veterans who have substance abuse issues. I gained a lot of knowledge and understanding through hearing the Veterans' stories. A significant amount of these Veterans use substances to "escape" from their flashbacks and traumatic memories. During my internship here, I was able to obtain an even greater understanding of the trauma Veterans experience. Many of these Veterans and their stories reminded me of my father; many hardships they faced, my father also endured. My favorite part of my experience here was seeing the Veterans complete the program and how they changed their lives for the better. Unfortunately, my father is still struggling to get relief from his trauma. He is 100% service connected due to Gulf War Syndrome and his PTSD. I am confident that my father will be able to get relief through mental health services. I know that if my father had gotten the proper treatment years ago, he would be doing a lot better today. My father's experience has had a great impact on me that has shaped my career aspirations. So many families are affected because of untreated mental health issues in Veterans. Many children have grown up seeing their parent struggle. I have experienced this personally, and I want to provide therapy for Veterans and their families, so they can have a better experience than I did. Mental illness and PTSD among Veterans is a crisis that needs to be addressed. I plan to advocate and support Veterans and their families as a Social Worker in the future, and this scholarship can help make that possible.