I’m not going to lie, my first year of college was a bit more overwhelming than I expected. I expected the academics to be more challenging, especially since I came in with enough credits to be classified as a mid-year Sophomore. I expected the changes that come with more independence. What I didn’t expect was how much I struggled to put it all together and then keep it together. In high school, I managed a full class schedule, plenty of extracurricular activities and volunteering, and a part-time job with relative ease. I was always busy, but did better when my schedule was full. I joined the marching band at Kansas State University, enrolled in a full load of classes, got a campus job, and thought I was ready to go. I knew marching band would be a big time commitment and I would have more work to do outside of classes than I did in high school. I think what I missed in my ‘grand plan’ was all the little things that required some of my time. Things like walking 2 blocks to the dining hall to get lunch, taking time to meet people and make new friends, and the extra time it takes to take care of yourself without your parents' help. Now that I have made it through my first year I am proud to say that I might just be getting the hang of it. I completed my first year with good grades while I participated in the marching band and Cat Band, made some new friends, and fell in love with Kansas State University. As I look forward to returning to the spot ‘I love full well’, I hope to be able to find ways to return to my passion for volunteering and giving back to the community while I continue working towards my goal of becoming a Clinical Psychologist. In high school, I developed a passion for fighting hunger in my community and spent many hours helping with a food distribution program and ringing bells for the Red Kettle Campaign of the Salvation Army. I also hope to turn my passion for psychology and horses along with my personal experience with ADHD and anxiety into ways to help and mentor other young women who struggle with their mental health by working with a therapeutic riding program. My career goal is to work with young people struggling with their mental health in a hospital behavioral health unit or clinic as a Clinical Psychologist. I hope to serve young people with mental health issues and help them find answers, treatments, and resources to meet their own goals and live the life they desire. I want to work towards changing the way we look at mental health for everyone but with a specific focus on helping women like me and giving people the support they need to grow into the confident, successful people they are meant to be.

When I think of the things that have had the most impact on my life, one of the main things would have to be my journey to understand what was happening inside my brain. That journey started with a simple online quiz about ADHD. The quiz asked questions about my ability to focus, stay organized, manage time, regulate my emotions, and more. My results indicated that I certainly had some ADHD tendencies going on and it recommended that I talk with a doctor about the things I was struggling with. When I was able to see the doctor, the testing clearly showed that I have ADHD-Inattentive Type and Anxiety. Soon after my diagnosis, I was able to start on medication and quickly many of the things I was struggling with seemed a bit easier to manage. I had been a chronic procrastinator for years, turning in every assignment hours or minutes before it was due. I missed deadlines which led to missing out on opportunities. It took me ten times longer to do a simple task because I was easily distracted and my thoughts would jump from the task at hand to just about anything else I could imagine. I struggled to maintain friendships and as a result, became socially isolated and had extremely low self-esteem. With a diagnosis, the correct dosage of medication, and new coping strategies, all of these things are much easier to deal with. My problems have not gone away but now I know to respond to my setbacks by working harder, not giving up, and finding ways to make things work for me and my brain. The medication has helped my brain slow down to stay organized, finish tasks, and turn them in on time. I can also take time to think things through and not impulsively blurt out things I should not say. Essentially, I am learning how to function like the rest of the world. At times, I wonder how my high school years could have looked different if I had been diagnosed when I was younger, but it is something I try not to dwell on. Having ADHD has been a struggle, but it has helped me discover a passion for psychology, learning about how the brain works, and helping people in situations similar to mine. I want to work towards changing the way we look at ADHD in everyone but with a specific focus on helping girls like me and giving people the support they need to grow into the confident, successful people they are meant to be. My future goals have been shaped by my experiences and I hope to use what I have learned to help others. Having ADHD has its obvious downsides, but when I look beyond that, there are some things that I am grateful for. Working through my struggles with ADHD, I have developed a new perspective on mental health and how it affects people, even when the issues are not visible to others. I also know what it looks like to have supportive people on your team to help you. I hope to share my experiences and help others seek and find the help they need to live their lives with better focus, less anxiety, and the success they seek.

I spent my elementary, middle, and most of my high school years not understanding why things seemed more difficult for me than they did for my friends and classmates. Yes, I had great grades, success in my activities, and a wonderful-looking resume, but it was so hard for me to get there. I have often found myself in a state of overwhelming anxiety knowing I had all of these things to do but I was unable to get organized or stay focused long enough to complete the task. My journey to understanding what was going on inside my brain started with an online quiz about ADHD. The quiz asked questions about my ability to focus, stay organized, manage time, regulate my emotions, and more. The results recommended that I talk with a doctor about the things I was struggling with. Testing with a Psychologist clearly showed that I have ADHD-Inattentive Type and Anxiety. I had been a chronic procrastinator for years, turning in every assignment hours or minutes before it was due. I missed deadlines which led to missing out on opportunities. It took me ten times longer to do a simple task because I was easily distracted and my thoughts would jump from the task at hand to just about anything else I could imagine. I struggled to maintain friendships and as a result, became socially isolated and had extremely low self-esteem. With a diagnosis, the correct dosage of medication, and new coping strategies, all of these things are much easier to deal with. My problems have not gone away but now I know to respond to my setbacks by working harder, not giving up, and finding ways to make things work for me and my brain. The medication has helped my brain slow down so I can stay organized, finish tasks, and turn them in on time. I can also take time to think things through and not impulsively blurt out things I should not say. At times, I wonder how my high school years could have looked different if I had been diagnosed when I was younger, but it is something I try not to dwell on. Having ADHD and Anxiety has been a struggle, but it has helped me discover a passion for psychology, learning about how the brain works, and helping people in situations similar to mine. I want to work towards changing the way we look at mental illness in everyone but with a specific focus on helping girls like me and giving people the support they need to grow into the confident, successful people they are meant to be. My career goals have been shaped by my experiences and I hope to use what I have learned to help others. Having ADHD and Anxiety has its obvious downsides, but when I look beyond that, there are some things that I am grateful for. As I work through my struggles, I have developed a new perspective on mental health and how it affects people, even when the issues are not visible to others. I also know what it looks like to have supportive people on your team to help you. I hope that I can share my experiences and help others seek and find the help they need to live their lives with better focus, less anxiety, and the success they seek.

When I think of obstacles I have overcome in my life, the first thing that comes to mind is how the success I have had has not come as easy as it may look. I went through most of my school years not understanding why things seemed more difficult for me than they did for my friends and classmates. Yes, I had great grades, success in my activities, and a wonderful-looking resume, but it was so very hard for me to get there. My journey to understanding why started with an online quiz. The quiz asked questions about my ability to focus, stay organized, manage time, regulate my emotions, and more. My results indicated that I had some ADHD tendencies and recommended that I talk with a doctor about the things I was struggling with. When I was able to see the doctor, the testing clearly showed that I have ADHD-Inattentive Type and Anxiety. Soon after my diagnosis, I was able to start on medication and, very quickly, the things I was struggling with seemed a bit easier to manage. I had been a chronic procrastinator for years, turning in every assignment hours or minutes before it was due. I missed deadlines which led to missing out on opportunities. It took me ten times longer to do a simple task because I was easily distracted, and my thoughts would jump from the task at hand to just about anything else I could imagine. I struggled to maintain friendships and, as a result, became socially isolated and had extremely low self-esteem. With a diagnosis, the correct dosage of medication, and new coping strategies, all of these things are much easier to deal with. My problems have not gone away but now I know to respond to my setbacks by working harder, not giving up, and finding ways to make things work for me and my brain. The medication has helped my brain slow down so I can stay organized, finish tasks, and turn them in on time. I can also take time to think things through and not impulsively blurt out things I should not say. Essentially, I am learning how to function like the rest of the world. At times, I wonder how my high school years could have looked different if I had been diagnosed when I was younger, but it is something I try not to dwell on. Having ADHD and anxiety has been an obstacle, but it has helped me discover a passion for psychology, learning about how the brain works, and helping people in situations similar to mine. I plan to work towards changing the way we look at ADHD in everyone but with a specific focus on helping girls like me and giving people the support they need to grow into the confident, successful people they are meant to be. In college, I am studying Psychology and plan to complete a doctorate program in Clinical Psychology. I hope to work with young people who are struggling with their mental health in a hospital behavioral health unit or clinic. To reach my career goal, I will need to complete eight years of college training. I know that my course of study will be challenging and every scholarship dollar I am awarded will allow me to spend more time focused on my coursework rather than worrying about how I will pay for my education. Not only would this scholarship make a difference in my life, but it would help me make a difference in the lives of others one day.

I spent my elementary, middle, and most of my high school years not understanding why things seemed more difficult for me than they did for my friends and classmates. Yes, I had great grades, success in my activities, and a wonderful-looking resume, but it was so tough for me to get there. I have often found myself in a state of overwhelming anxiety knowing I had all of these things to do but I was unable to get organized or stay focused long enough to complete the task. My journey to understanding what was going on inside my brain started with an online quiz about ADHD. The quiz asked questions about my ability to focus, stay organized, manage time, regulate my emotions, and more. The results recommended that I talk with a doctor about the things I was struggling with. Testing with a Psychologist clearly showed that I have ADHD-Inattentive Type and Anxiety. I had been a chronic procrastinator for years, turning in every assignment hours or minutes before it was due. I missed deadlines which led to missing out on opportunities. It took me ten times longer to do a simple task because I was easily distracted and my thoughts would jump from the task at hand to just about anything else I could imagine. I struggled to maintain friendships and as a result, became socially isolated and had extremely low self-esteem. With a diagnosis, the correct dosage of medication, and new coping strategies, all of these things are much easier to deal with. My problems have not gone away but now I know to respond to my setbacks by working harder, not giving up, and finding ways to make things work for me and my brain. The medication has helped my brain slow down so I can stay organized, finish tasks, and turn them in on time. I can also take time to think things through and not impulsively blurt out things I should not say. At times, I wonder how my high school years could have looked different if I had been diagnosed when I was younger, but it is something I try not to dwell on. Having ADHD and Anxiety has been a struggle, but it has helped me discover a passion for psychology, learning about how the brain works, and helping people in situations similar to mine. I want to work towards changing the way we look at mental illness in everyone but with a specific focus on helping girls like me and giving people the support they need to grow into the confident, successful people they are meant to be. My career goals have been shaped by my experiences and I hope to use what I have learned to help others. Having ADHD and Anxiety has its obvious downsides, but when I look beyond that, there are some things that I am grateful for. As I work through my struggles, I have developed a new perspective on mental health and how it affects people, even when the issues are not visible to others. I also know what it looks like to have supportive people on your team to help you. I hope that I can share my experiences and help others seek and find the help they need to live their lives with better focus, less anxiety, and the success they seek.

I spent my elementary, middle, and most of my high school years not understanding why things seemed more difficult for me than they did for my friends and classmates. Yes, I had great grades, success in my activities, and a wonderful-looking resume, but it was so very hard for me to get there. I have often found myself in a state of overwhelming anxiety knowing I had all of these things to do but I was unable to get organized or stay focused long enough to complete the task. My journey to understanding what was going on inside my brain started with an online quiz about ADHD. The quiz asked questions about my ability to focus, stay organized, manage time, regulate my emotions, and more. The results recommended that I talk with a doctor about the things I was struggling with. Testing with a Psychologist clearly showed that I have ADHD-Inattentive Type and Anxiety. I had been a chronic procrastinator for years, turning in every assignment hours or minutes before it was due. I missed deadlines which led to missing out on opportunities. It took me ten times longer to do a simple task because I was easily distracted and my thoughts would jump from the task at hand to just about anything else I could imagine. I struggled to maintain friendships and as a result, became socially isolated and had extremely low self-esteem. With a diagnosis, the correct dosage of medication, and new coping strategies, all of these things are much easier to deal with. My problems have not gone away but now I know to respond to my setbacks by working harder, not giving up, and finding ways to make things work for me and my brain. The medication has helped my brain slow down so I can stay organized, finish tasks, and turn them in on time. I can also take time to think things through and not impulsively blurt out things I should not say. At times, I wonder how my high school years could have looked different if I had been diagnosed when I was younger, but it is something I try not to dwell on. Having ADHD and Anxiety has been a struggle, but it has helped me discover a passion for psychology, learning about how the brain works, and helping people in situations similar to mine. I want to work towards changing the way we look at mental illness in everyone but with a specific focus on helping girls like me and giving people the support they need to grow into the confident, successful people they are meant to be. My career goals have been shaped by my experiences and I hope to use what I have learned to help others. Having ADHD and Anxiety has its obvious downsides, but when I look beyond that, there are some things that I am grateful for. As I work through my struggles, I have developed a new perspective on mental health and how it affects people, even when the issues are not visible to others. I also know what it looks like to have supportive people on your team to help you. I hope that I can share my experiences and help others seek and find the help they need to live their lives with better focus, less anxiety, and the success they seek.

I spent my elementary, middle, and most of my high school years not understanding why things seemed more difficult for me than they did for my friends and classmates. Yes, I had great grades, success in my activities, and a wonderful-looking resume, but it was so very hard for me to get there. I have often found myself in a state of overwhelming anxiety knowing I had all of these things to do but I was unable to get organized or stay focused long enough to complete the task. My journey to understanding what was going on inside my brain started with an online quiz about ADHD. The quiz asked questions about my ability to focus, stay organized, manage time, regulate my emotions, and more. The results recommended that I talk with a doctor about the things I was struggling with. Testing with a Psychologist clearly showed that I have ADHD-Inattentive Type and Anxiety. I had been a chronic procrastinator for years, turning in every assignment hours or minutes before it was due. I missed deadlines which led to missing out on opportunities. It took me ten times longer to do a simple task because I was easily distracted and my thoughts would jump from the task at hand to just about anything else I could imagine. I struggled to maintain friendships and as a result, became socially isolated and had extremely low self-esteem. With a diagnosis, the correct dosage of medication, and new coping strategies, all of these things are much easier to deal with. My problems have not gone away but now I know to respond to my setbacks by working harder, not giving up, and finding ways to make things work for me and my brain. The medication has helped my brain slow down so I can stay organized, finish tasks, and turn them in on time. I can also take time to think things through and not impulsively blurt out things I should not say. At times, I wonder how my high school years could have looked different if I had been diagnosed when I was younger, but it is something I try not to dwell on. Having ADHD and Anxiety has been a struggle, but it has helped me discover a passion for psychology, learning about how the brain works, and helping people in situations similar to mine. I want to work towards changing the way we look at mental illness in everyone but with a specific focus on helping girls like me and giving people the support they need to grow into the confident, successful people they are meant to be. My career goals have been shaped by my experiences and I hope to use what I have learned to help others. Having ADHD and Anxiety has its obvious downsides, but when I look beyond that, there are some things that I am grateful for. As I work through my struggles, I have developed a new perspective on mental health and how it affects people, even when the issues are not visible to others. I also know what it looks like to have supportive people on your team to help you. I hope that I can share my experiences and help others seek and find the help they need to live their lives with better focus, less anxiety, and the success they seek.

I spent my elementary, middle, and most of my high school years not understanding why things seemed more difficult for me than they did for my friends and classmates. Yes, I had great grades, success in my activities, and a wonderful-looking resume, but it was so very hard for me to get there. I have often found myself in a state of overwhelming anxiety knowing I had all of these things to do but I was unable to get organized or stay focused long enough to complete the task. My journey to understanding what was going on inside my brain started with an online quiz about ADHD. The quiz asked questions about my ability to focus, stay organized, manage time, regulate my emotions, and more. The results recommended that I talk with a doctor about the things I was struggling with. Testing with a Psychologist clearly showed that I have ADHD-Inattentive Type and Anxiety. I had been a chronic procrastinator for years, turning in every assignment hours or minutes before it was due. I missed deadlines which led to missing out on opportunities. It took me ten times longer to do a simple task because I was easily distracted and my thoughts would jump from the task at hand to just about anything else I could imagine. I struggled to maintain friendships and as a result, became socially isolated and had extremely low self-esteem. With a diagnosis, the correct dosage of medication, and new coping strategies, all of these things are much easier to deal with. My problems have not gone away but now I know to respond to my setbacks by working harder, not giving up, and finding ways to make things work for me and my brain. The medication has helped my brain slow down so I can stay organized, finish tasks, and turn them in on time. I can also take time to think things through and not impulsively blurt out things I should not say. At times, I wonder how my high school years could have looked different if I had been diagnosed when I was younger, but it is something I try not to dwell on. Having ADHD and Anxiety has been a struggle, but it has helped me discover a passion for psychology, learning about how the brain works, and helping people in situations similar to mine. I want to work towards changing the way we look at mental illness in everyone but with a specific focus on helping girls like me and giving people the support they need to grow into the confident, successful people they are meant to be. My career goals have been shaped by my experiences and I hope to use what I have learned to help others. Having ADHD and Anxiety has its obvious downsides, but when I look beyond that, there are some things that I am grateful for. As I work through my struggles, I have developed a new perspective on mental health and how it affects people, even when the issues are not visible to others. I also know what it looks like to have supportive people on your team to help you. I hope that I can share my experiences and help others seek and find the help they need to live their lives with better focus, less anxiety, and the success they seek.

When I think of the things that have had the most impact on my career choice, it would have to be my journey to understanding what was going on inside my brain. That journey started with a simple online quiz about ADHD. The quiz asked questions about my ability to focus, stay organized, manage time, regulate my emotions, and more. My results indicated that I certainly had some ADHD tendencies going on and recommended that I talk with a doctor about the things I was struggling with. When I was able to see the doctor, the testing clearly showed that I have ADHD-Inattentive Type and Anxiety. Soon after my diagnosis, I was able to start on medication and quickly many of the things I was struggling with seemed a bit easier to manage. I had been a chronic procrastinator for years, turning in every assignment hours or minutes before it was due. I missed deadlines which led to missing out on opportunities. It took me ten times longer to do a simple task because I was easily distracted and my thoughts would jump from the task at hand to just about anything else I could imagine. I struggled to maintain friendships and as a result, became socially isolated and had extremely low self-esteem. With a diagnosis, the correct dosage of medication, and new coping strategies, all of these things are much easier to deal with. My problems have not gone away but now I know to respond to my setbacks by working harder, not giving up, and finding ways to make things work for me and my brain. The medication has helped my brain slow down to stay organized, finish tasks, and turn them in on time. I can also take time to think things through and not impulsively blurt out things I should not say. Essentially, I am learning how to function like the rest of the world. At times, I wonder how my high school years could have looked different if I had been diagnosed when I was younger, but it is something I try not to dwell on. Having ADHD has been a struggle, but it has helped me discover a passion for psychology, learning about how the brain works, and helping people in situations similar to mine. I want to work towards changing the way we look at ADHD in everyone but with a specific focus on helping girls like me and giving people the support they need to grow into the confident, successful people they are meant to be. My career goals have been shaped by my experiences and I hope to use what I have learned to help others. Having ADHD has its obvious downsides, but when I look beyond that, there are some things that I am grateful for. Working through my struggles with ADHD, I have developed a new perspective on mental health and how it affects people, even when the issues are not visible to others. I also know what it looks like to have supportive people on your team to help you. I hope to share my experiences and help others seek and find the help they need to live their lives with better focus, less anxiety, and the success they seek.

Imagine spending at least part of every day feeling like you aren’t good enough and that there are so many things wrong with you. Imagine living in a constant state of anxiety with your brain moving so fast that it’s hard to keep up. Imagine knowing that to outsiders you look like you have it all together and are super successful. You have excellent grades and a resume that is full of activities, volunteer work, and leadership roles. This is my story. I went through my entire elementary, middle, and most of my high school years without understanding why everything seemed more difficult and stressful for me than it did for my friends and classmates. For years, I had been a chronic procrastinator, turning in every assignment hours or minutes before it was due. I missed deadlines which led to missing out on opportunities. It took me ten times longer to do a simple task because I was easily distracted and my thoughts would jump from the task at hand to just about anything else I could imagine. I would lose things like my car keys or debit card daily and it would cause me to panic. I struggled to maintain friendships and as a result, became socially isolated and had extremely low self-esteem. My journey to understanding what was going on inside my brain started with an online quiz about ADHD and then a visit to the Psychologist. I was diagnosed with ADHD and Anxiety shortly before I began my Senior year of high school. With a diagnosis, the correct dosage of medication, and new coping strategies, all of these things are much easier to deal with. My problems have not gone away but now I know to respond to my setbacks by working harder, not giving up, and finding ways to make things work for me and my brain. I am working on strategies to calm down and not let the anxiety stop me in my tracks. The medication has helped my brain slow down so I can stay organized, finish tasks, and turn them in on time. I can also take time to think things through and not impulsively blurt out things I should not say. Essentially, I am learning how to function like the rest of the world. Success is about so much more than good grades. In school, it is about being able to enjoy learning, have social connections, and not have those things be something that causes crippling stress. In the short amount of time that I have had a proper diagnosis, I have been able to dive so much deeper into my education. I have learned more and have been able to tackle more difficult tasks in my classes because I am finally comfortable in knowing that I can. My grades look the same, still all A’s, but I am taking more difficult classes, choosing to do the more challenging options available, and finding success easier than I have in the past. At times, I wonder how my high school years could have looked different if I had been diagnosed when I was younger, but it is something I try not to dwell on. Having ADHD and Anxiety has been a struggle, but it has helped me discover a passion for psychology; learning about how the brain works, and helping people in situations similar to mine. I want to work towards changing the way we look at mental illness and ADHD in everyone but with a specific focus on helping girls like me and giving people the support they need to grow into the confident, successful people they are meant to be. My career goals have been shaped by my experiences and I hope to use what I have learned to help others. Having ADHD and Anxiety has its obvious downsides, but when I look beyond that, there are some things that I am grateful for. As I work through my struggles, I have developed a new perspective on mental health and how it affects people, even when the issues are not visible to others. I also know what it looks like to have supportive people on your team to help you. I hope that I can share my experiences and help others seek and find the help they need to live their lives with better focus, less anxiety, and the success they dream of.

My desire to pursue education started when I was very, very young. At just two years of age, I decided I wanted to start preschool. When my mom explained that I needed to be potty trained and three years old, I proceeded to train myself in less than a week and then boldly declared that I was now three and ready to go to school. The following week, I was enrolled in my first dance class to help appease me. While that helped, it wasn’t quite enough. On the morning of my third birthday, I awoke and once again announced that I was ready for school. When you are three, you don’t understand that you can’t just start showing up at school on a Thursday in March. Since then, I have followed a more traditional path with my education. As I am beginning my college experience, I have started to think about why college is important to me and what I hope to gain from the experience. Though I forget why going to school was so important to me then, I know why college is important to me now. I see college as an opportunity. College is an opportunity to exercise my mind by learning new things and diving deeper into things that I have learned about. College is an opportunity to discover who I am and what I want to do with my life. I may be thrown into a new world with new people and responsibilities, but it is a great time to discover myself and find my place in the world. College is also an opportunity to become well-rounded and better connected by meeting new people with different backgrounds and interests. In college, I am studying psychology and plan to earn my Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. After I graduate, I hope to work with young people struggling with their mental health in a hospital behavioral health unit as a Clinical Psychologist. My goal is to serve young people with mental health issues and help them find answers, treatments, and resources to meet their own goals and live the life they desire. I believe that I would be a worthy recipient of this scholarship because I have the strength and dedication to achieve my goals no matter the obstacles I face. Throughout high school, I was actively involved in my school and community, took advanced classes to prepare myself for college, and worked a part-time job. I earned good grades and awards for my hard work. All of this was very difficult and almost overwhelming for me at times because, until recently, I didn’t know that I have ADHD. My diagnosis isn’t holding me back; it is actually helping me succeed. Now that I have strategies to deal with the struggles, I can begin to learn how ‘normal’ people function and focus on my future. Learning this about myself has helped me be more sure about my career goals.

When I think of the adversity that has impacted my life, the first thing that comes to mind is how the success I have had has not come as easy as it may look on the surface. I went through most of my school years without understanding why so many things seemed more difficult for me than they did for my friends and classmates. Yes, I have great grades, success in my activities, and a wonderful-looking resume, but it was so very hard for me to get there. My journey to understanding what was going on inside my brain started with an online quiz about ADHD. The quiz asked questions about my ability to focus, stay organized, manage time, regulate my emotions, and more. My results indicated that I had some ADHD tendencies and recommended that I talk with a doctor about the things I was struggling with. When I was able to see the doctor, the testing clearly showed that I have ADHD-Inattentive Type and Anxiety. Soon after my diagnosis, I was able to start on medication and, very quickly, all of the things I was struggling with seemed a bit easier to manage. I had been a chronic procrastinator for years, turning in every assignment hours or minutes before it was due. I missed deadlines which led to missing out on opportunities. It took me ten times longer to do a simple task because I was easily distracted, and my thoughts would jump from the task at hand to just about anything else I could imagine. I struggled to maintain friendships and, as a result, became socially isolated and had extremely low self-esteem. With a diagnosis, the correct dosage of medication, and new coping strategies, all of these things are much easier to deal with. My problems have not gone away but now I know to respond to my setbacks by working harder, not giving up, and finding ways to make things work for me and my brain. The medication has helped my brain slow down so I can stay organized, finish tasks, and turn them in on time. I can also take time to think things through and not impulsively blurt out things I should not say. Essentially, I am learning how to function like the rest of the world. At times, I wonder how my high school years could have looked different if I had been diagnosed when I was younger, but it is something I try not to dwell on. Having ADHD has been a struggle, but it has helped me discover a passion for psychology, learning about how the brain works, and helping people in situations similar to mine. I plan to work towards changing the way we look at ADHD in everyone but with a specific focus on helping girls like me and giving people the support they need to grow into the confident, successful people they are meant to be. My career goals have been shaped by my experiences and I plan to use what I have learned to help others. I hope that I can share my experiences and help others seek and find the help they need to live their lives with better focus, less anxiety, and the success they seek.

I spent my elementary, middle, and most of my high school years not understanding why things seemed more difficult for me than they did for my friends and classmates. Yes, I have great grades, success in my activities, and a wonderful-looking resume, but it was so very hard for me to get there. I have often found myself in a state of overwhelming anxiety knowing I had all of these things to do but I was unable to get organized or stay focused long enough to complete the task. My journey to understanding what was going on inside my brain started with an online quiz about ADHD. The quiz asked questions about my ability to focus, stay organized, manage time, regulate my emotions, and more. The results recommended that I talk with a doctor about the things I was struggling with. Testing with a Psychologist clearly showed that I have ADHD-Inattentive Type and Anxiety. I had been a chronic procrastinator for years, turning in every assignment hours or minutes before it was due. I missed deadlines which led to missing out on opportunities. It took me ten times longer to do a simple task because I was easily distracted and my thoughts would jump from the task at hand to just about anything else I could imagine. I struggled to maintain friendships and as a result, became socially isolated and had extremely low self-esteem. With a diagnosis, the correct dosage of medication, and new coping strategies, all of these things are much easier to deal with. My problems have not gone away but now I know to respond to my setbacks by working harder, not giving up, and finding ways to make things work for me and my brain. The medication has helped my brain slow down so I can stay organized, finish tasks, and turn them in on time. I can also take time to think things through and not impulsively blurt out things I should not say. At times, I wonder how my high school years could have looked different if I had been diagnosed when I was younger, but it is something I try not to dwell on. Having ADHD and Anxiety has been a struggle, but it has helped me discover a passion for psychology, learning about how the brain works, and helping people in situations similar to mine. I want to work towards changing the way we look at mental illness in everyone but with a specific focus on helping young women in rural areas and giving them the support they need to grow into the confident, successful people they are meant to be. My career goals have been shaped by my experiences and I hope to use what I have learned to help others. Having ADHD and Anxiety has its obvious downsides, but when I look beyond that, there are some things that I am grateful for. As I work through my struggles, I have developed a new perspective on mental health and how it affects people, even when the issues are not visible to others. I also know what it looks like to have supportive people on your team to help you. I hope that I can share my experiences and help others seek and find the help they need to live their lives with better focus, less anxiety, and the success they seek.

Imagine spending at least part of every day feeling like you aren’t good enough and that there are so many things wrong with you. Imagine living in a constant state of anxiety with your brain moving so fast that it’s hard to keep up. Imagine knowing that to outsiders you look like you have it all together and are super successful. You have excellent grades and a resume that is full of activities, volunteer work, and leadership roles. This is my story. I went through my entire elementary, middle, and most of my high school years without understanding why everything seemed more difficult and stressful for me than it did for my friends and classmates. For years, I had been a chronic procrastinator, turning in every assignment hours or minutes before it was due. I missed deadlines which led to missing out on opportunities. It took me ten times longer to do a simple task because I was easily distracted and my thoughts would jump from the task at hand to just about anything else I could imagine. I struggled to maintain friendships and as a result, became socially isolated and had extremely low self-esteem. My journey to understanding what was going on inside my brain started with an online quiz about ADHD and then a visit to the Psychologist. I was diagnosed with ADHD and Anxiety shortly before I began my Senior year of high school. With a diagnosis, the correct dosage of medication, and new coping strategies, all of these things are much easier to deal with. My problems have not gone away but now I know to respond to my setbacks by working harder, not giving up, and finding ways to make things work for me and my brain. I am working on strategies to calm down and not let the anxiety stop me in my tracks. The medication has helped my brain slow down so I can stay organized, finish tasks, and turn them in on time. I can also take time to think things through and not impulsively blurt out things I should not say. Essentially, I am learning how to function like the rest of the world. At times, I wonder how my high school years could have looked different if I had been diagnosed when I was younger, but it is something I try not to dwell on. Having ADHD and Anxiety has been a struggle, but it has helped me discover a passion for psychology; learning about how the brain works, and helping people in situations similar to mine. I want to work towards changing the way we look at mental illness and ADHD in everyone but with a specific focus on helping girls like me and giving people the support they need to grow into the confident, successful people they are meant to be. My career goals have been shaped by my experiences and I hope to use what I have learned to help others. Having ADHD and Anxiety has its obvious downsides, but when I look beyond that, there are some things that I am grateful for. As I work through my struggles, I have developed a new perspective on mental health and how it affects people, even when the issues are not visible to others. I also know what it looks like to have supportive people on your team to help you. I hope that I can share my experiences and help others seek and find the help they need to live their lives with better focus, less anxiety, and the success they dream of.

Imagine spending at least part of every day feeling like you aren’t good enough and that there are so many things wrong with you. Imagine living in a constant state of anxiety with your brain moving so fast that it’s hard to keep up. Imagine knowing that to outsiders you look like you have it all together and are super successful. You have excellent grades and a resume that is full of activities, volunteer work, and leadership roles. This is my story. I went through my entire elementary, middle, and most of my high school years without understanding why everything seemed more difficult and stressful for me than it did for my friends and classmates. For years, I had been a chronic procrastinator, turning in every assignment hours or minutes before it was due. I missed deadlines which led to missing out on opportunities. It took me ten times longer to do a simple task because I was easily distracted and my thoughts would jump from the task at hand to just about anything else I could imagine. I would lose things like my car keys or debit card daily and it would cause me to panic. I struggled to maintain friendships and as a result, became socially isolated and had extremely low self-esteem. My journey to understanding what was going on inside my brain started with an online quiz about ADHD and then a visit to the Psychologist. I was diagnosed with ADHD and Anxiety shortly before I began my Senior year of high school. With a diagnosis, the correct dosage of medication, and new coping strategies, all of these things are much easier to deal with. My problems have not gone away but now I know to respond to my setbacks by working harder, not giving up, and finding ways to make things work for me and my brain. I am working on strategies to calm down and not let the anxiety stop me in my tracks. The medication has helped my brain slow down so I can stay organized, finish tasks, and turn them in on time. I can also take time to think things through and not impulsively blurt out things I should not say. Essentially, I am learning how to function like the rest of the world. Success is about so much more than good grades. In school, it is about being able to enjoy learning, have social connections, and not have those things be something that causes crippling stress. In the short amount of time that I have had a proper diagnosis, I have been able to dive so much deeper into my education. I have learned more and have been able to tackle more difficult tasks in my classes because I am finally comfortable knowing that I can. My grades look the same, still all A’s, but I am taking more difficult classes, choosing to do the more challenging options available, and finding success easier than I have in the past. At times, I wonder how my high school years could have looked different if I had been diagnosed when I was younger, but it is something I try not to dwell on. Having ADHD and Anxiety has been a struggle, but it has helped me discover a passion for psychology; learning about how the brain works, and helping people in situations similar to mine. I want to work towards changing the way we look at mental illness and ADHD in everyone but with a specific focus on helping girls like me and giving people the support they need to grow into the confident, successful people they are meant to be. My career goals have been shaped by my experiences and I hope to use what I have learned to help others. Having ADHD and Anxiety has its obvious downsides, but when I look beyond that, there are some things that I am grateful for. As I work through my struggles, I have developed a new perspective on mental health and how it affects people, even when the issues are not visible to others. I also know what it looks like to have supportive people on your team to help you. I hope that I can share my experiences and help others seek and find the help they need to live their lives with better focus, less anxiety, and the success they dream of.

When I think of the things that have had the most impact on my career choice, it would have to be my own journey to understanding what was going on inside my brain. That journey started with a simple online quiz about ADHD. The quiz asked questions about my ability to focus, stay organized, manage time, regulate my emotions, and more. My results indicated that I certainly had some ADHD tendencies going on and recommended that I talk with a doctor about the things I was struggling with. When I was able to see the doctor, the testing clearly showed that I have ADHD-Inattentive Type and Anxiety. Soon after my diagnosis, I was able to start on medication, very quickly, all of the things I was struggling with seemed a bit easier to manage. I had been a chronic procrastinator for years, turning in every assignment hours or minutes before it was due. I missed deadlines which led to missing out on opportunities. It took me ten times longer to do a simple task because I was easily distracted and my thoughts would jump from the task at hand to just about anything else I could imagine. I struggled to maintain friendships and as a result, became socially isolated and had extremely low self-esteem. With a diagnosis, the correct dosage of medication, and new coping strategies, all of these things are much easier to deal with. My problems have not gone away but now I know to respond to my setbacks by working harder, not giving up, and finding ways to make things work for me and my brain. The medication has helped my brain slow down to stay organized, finish tasks, and turn them in on time. I can also take time to think things through and not impulsively blurt out things I should not say. Essentially, I am learning how to function like the rest of the world. At times, I wonder how my high school years could have looked different if I had been diagnosed when I was younger, but it is something I try not to dwell on. Having ADHD has been a struggle, but it has helped me discover a passion for psychology, learning about how the brain works, and helping people in situations similar to mine. I want to work towards changing the way we look at ADHD in everyone but with a specific focus on helping girls like me and giving people the support they need to grow into the confident, successful people they are meant to be. My career goals have been shaped by my experiences and I hope to use what I have learned to help others. Having ADHD has its obvious downsides, but when I look beyond that, there are some things that I am grateful for. Working through my struggles with ADHD and Anxiety, I have developed a new perspective on mental health and how it affects people, even when the issues are not visible to others. I also know what it looks like to have supportive people on your team to help you. I hope to share my experiences and help others seek and find the help they need to live their lives with better focus, less anxiety, and the success they seek.

When I think of the things that have had the most impact on my career choice, it would have to be my own journey to understanding what was going on inside my brain. That journey started with a simple online quiz about ADHD. The quiz asked questions about my ability to focus, stay organized, manage time, regulate my emotions, and more. My results indicated that I certainly had some ADHD tendencies going on and recommended that I talk with a doctor about the things I was struggling with. When I was able to see the doctor, the testing clearly showed that I have ADHD-Inattentive Type and Anxiety. Soon after my diagnosis, I was able to start on medication, very quickly, all of the things I was struggling with seemed a bit easier to manage. I had been a chronic procrastinator for years, turning in every assignment hours or minutes before it was due. I missed deadlines which led to missing out on opportunities. It took me ten times longer to do a simple task because I was easily distracted and my thoughts would jump from the task at hand to just about anything else I could imagine. I struggled to maintain friendships and as a result, became socially isolated and had extremely low self-esteem. With a diagnosis, the correct dosage of medication, and new coping strategies, all of these things are much easier to deal with. My problems have not gone away but now I know to respond to my setbacks by working harder, not giving up, and finding ways to make things work for me and my brain. The medication has helped my brain slow down to stay organized, finish tasks, and turn them in on time. I can also take time to think things through and not impulsively blurt out things I should not say. Essentially, I am learning how to function like the rest of the world. At times, I wonder how my high school years could have looked different if I had been diagnosed when I was younger, but it is something I try not to dwell on. Having ADHD has been a struggle, but it has helped me discover a passion for psychology, learning about how the brain works, and helping people in situations similar to mine. I want to work towards changing the way we look at ADHD in everyone but with a specific focus on helping girls like me and giving people the support they need to grow into the confident, successful people they are meant to be. My career goals have been shaped by my experiences and I hope to use what I have learned to help others. Having ADHD and Anxiety has its obvious downsides, but when I look beyond that, there are some things that I am grateful for. Working through my struggles with ADHD, I have developed a new perspective on mental health and how it affects people, even when the issues are not visible to others. I also know what it looks like to have supportive people on your team to help you. I hope to share my experiences and help others seek and find the help they need to live their lives with better focus, less anxiety, and the success they seek.

I spent my elementary, middle, and most of my high school years not understanding why things seemed more difficult for me than they did for my friends and classmates. Yes, I have great grades, success in my activities, and a wonderful-looking resume, but it was so very hard for me to get there. I have often found myself in a state of overwhelming anxiety knowing I had all of these things to do but I was unable to get organized or stay focused long enough to complete the task. My journey to understanding what was going on inside my brain started with an online quiz about ADHD. The quiz asked questions about my ability to focus, stay organized, manage time, regulate my emotions, and more. The results recommended that I talk with a doctor about the things I was struggling with. Testing with a Psychologist clearly showed that I have ADHD-Inattentive Type and Anxiety. I had been a chronic procrastinator for years, turning in every assignment hours or minutes before it was due. I missed deadlines which led to missing out on opportunities. It took me ten times longer to do a simple task because I was easily distracted and my thoughts would jump from the task at hand to just about anything else I could imagine. I struggled to maintain friendships and as a result, became socially isolated and had extremely low self-esteem. With a diagnosis, the correct dosage of medication, and new coping strategies, all of these things are much easier to deal with. My problems have not gone away but now I know to respond to my setbacks by working harder, not giving up, and finding ways to make things work for me and my brain. The medication has helped my brain slow down so I can stay organized, finish tasks, and turn them in on time. I can also take time to think things through and not impulsively blurt out things I should not say. At times, I wonder how my high school years could have looked different if I had been diagnosed when I was younger, but it is something I try not to dwell on. Having ADHD and Anxiety has been a struggle, but it has helped me discover a passion for psychology, learning about how the brain works, and helping people in situations similar to mine. I want to work towards changing the way we look at mental illness in everyone but with a specific focus on helping girls like me and giving people the support they need to grow into the confident, successful people they are meant to be. My career goals have been shaped by my experiences and I hope to use what I have learned to help others. Having ADHD and Anxiety has its obvious downsides, but when I look beyond that, there are some things that I am grateful for. As I work through my struggles, I have developed a new perspective on mental health and how it affects people, even when the issues are not visible to others. I also know what it looks like to have supportive people on your team to help you. I hope that I can share my experiences and help others seek and find the help they need to live their lives with better focus, less anxiety, and the success they seek.

When I think of the things that have had the most impact on my career choice, it would have to be my own journey to understanding what was going on inside my brain. That journey started with a simple online quiz about ADHD. The quiz asked questions about my ability to focus, stay organized, manage time, regulate my emotions, and more. My results indicated that I certainly had some ADHD tendencies going on and recommended that I talk with a doctor about the things I was struggling with. When I was able to see the doctor, the testing clearly showed that I have ADHD-Inattentive Type and Anxiety. Soon after my diagnosis, I was able to start on medication, very quickly, all of the things I was struggling with seemed a bit easier to manage. I had been a chronic procrastinator for years, turning in every assignment hours or minutes before it was due. I missed deadlines which led to missing out on opportunities. It took me ten times longer to do a simple task because I was easily distracted and my thoughts would jump from the task at hand to just about anything else I could imagine. I struggled to maintain friendships and as a result, became socially isolated and had extremely low self-esteem. With a diagnosis, the correct dosage of medication, and new coping strategies, all of these things are much easier to deal with. My problems have not gone away but now I know to respond to my setbacks by working harder, not giving up, and finding ways to make things work for me and my brain. The medication has helped my brain slow down to stay organized, finish tasks, and turn them in on time. I can also take time to think things through and not impulsively blurt out things I should not say. Essentially, I am learning how to function like the rest of the world. At times, I wonder how my high school years could have looked different if I had been diagnosed when I was younger, but it is something I try not to dwell on. Having ADHD has been a struggle, but it has helped me discover a passion for psychology, learning about how the brain works, and helping people in situations similar to mine. I want to work towards changing the way we look at ADHD in everyone but with a specific focus on helping girls like me and giving people the support they need to grow into the confident, successful people they are meant to be. My career goals have been shaped by my experiences and I hope to use what I have learned to help others. Having ADHD has its obvious downsides, but when I look beyond that, there are some things that I am grateful for. Working through my struggles with ADHD, I have developed a new perspective on mental health and how it affects people, even when the issues are not visible to others. I also know what it looks like to have supportive people on your team to help you. I hope to share my experiences and help others seek and find the help they need to live their lives with better focus, less anxiety, and the success they seek.

When I think of the obstacles that have impacted my life, the first thing that comes to mind is how the success I have had has not come as easy as it may look on the surface. I went through most of my school years without understanding why so many things seemed more difficult for me than they did for my friends and classmates. Yes, I have great grades, success in my activities, and a wonderful-looking resume, but it was so very hard for me to get there. My journey to understanding what was going on inside my brain started with an online quiz about ADHD. The quiz asked questions about my ability to focus, stay organized, manage time, regulate my emotions, and more. My results indicated that I had some ADHD tendencies and recommended that I talk with a doctor about the things I was struggling with. When I was able to see the doctor, the testing clearly showed that I have ADHD-Inattentive Type and Anxiety. Soon after my diagnosis, I was able to start on medication and, very quickly, all of the things I was struggling with seemed a bit easier to manage. I had been a chronic procrastinator for years, turning in every assignment hours or minutes before it was due. I missed deadlines which led to missing out on opportunities. It took me ten times longer to do a simple task because I was easily distracted, and my thoughts would jump from the task at hand to just about anything else I could imagine. I struggled to maintain friendships and, as a result, became socially isolated and had extremely low self-esteem. With a diagnosis, the correct dosage of medication, and new coping strategies, all of these things are much easier to deal with. My problems have not gone away but now I know to respond to my setbacks by working harder, not giving up, and finding ways to make things work for me and my brain. The medication has helped my brain slow down so I can stay organized, finish tasks, and turn them in on time. I can also take time to think things through and not impulsively blurt out things I should not say. Essentially, I am learning how to function like the rest of the world. At times, I wonder how my high school years could have looked different if I had been diagnosed when I was younger, but it is something I try not to dwell on. Having ADHD has been a struggle, but it has helped me discover a passion for psychology, learning about how the brain works, and helping people in situations similar to mine. I plan to earn a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and work towards changing the way we look at ADHD in everyone but with a specific focus on helping girls like me and giving people the support they need to grow into the confident, successful people they are meant to be. My career goals have been shaped by my experiences and I plan to use what I have learned to help others. I hope that I can share my experiences and help others seek and find the help they need to live their lives with better focus, less anxiety, and the success they seek.

When I think of the things that have had the most impact on my life, the first thing that comes to mind is how the success I have had has not come as easy as it may look on the surface. I went through most of my school years without understanding why so many things seemed more difficult for me than they did for my friends and classmates. Yes, I have great grades, success in my activities, and a wonderful-looking resume, but it was so very hard for me to get there. My journey to understanding what was going on inside my brain started with an online quiz about ADHD. The quiz asked questions about my ability to focus, stay organized, manage time, regulate my emotions, and more. My results indicated that I had some ADHD tendencies and recommended that I talk with a doctor about the things I was struggling with. When I was able to see the doctor, the testing clearly showed that I have ADHD-Inattentive Type and Anxiety. Soon after my diagnosis, I was able to start on medication and, very quickly, all of the things I was struggling with seemed a bit easier to manage. I had been a chronic procrastinator for years, turning in every assignment hours or minutes before it was due. I missed deadlines which led to missing out on opportunities. It took me ten times longer to do a simple task because I was easily distracted, and my thoughts would jump from the task at hand to just about anything else I could imagine. I struggled to maintain friendships and, as a result, became socially isolated and had extremely low self-esteem. With a diagnosis, the correct dosage of medication, and new coping strategies, all of these things are much easier to deal with. My problems have not gone away but now I know to respond to my setbacks by working harder, not giving up, and finding ways to make things work for me and my brain. The medication has helped my brain slow down so I can stay organized, finish tasks, and turn them in on time. I can also take time to think things through and not impulsively blurt out things I should not say. Essentially, I am learning how to function like the rest of the world. At times, I wonder how my high school years could have looked different if I had been diagnosed when I was younger, but it is something I try not to dwell on. Having ADHD has been a struggle, but it has helped me discover a passion for psychology, learning about how the brain works, and helping people in situations similar to mine. I want to work towards changing the way we look at ADHD in everyone but with a specific focus on helping girls like me and giving people the support they need to grow into the confident, successful people they are meant to be. My career goals have been shaped by my experiences and I plan to use what I have learned to help others. I hope that I can share my experiences and help others seek and find the help they need to live their lives with better focus, less anxiety, and the success they seek.

When I think of the things that have had the most impact on my successes, the first thing that comes to mind is how the success I have had has not come as easy as it may seem on the surface. I went through my entire elementary, middle, and most of my high school years without understanding why so many things seemed more difficult for me than they did for my friends and classmates. Yes, I have great grades, success in my activities, and a wonderful-looking resume, but it was so very hard for me to get there. I have often found myself in a state of overwhelming anxiety knowing I had all of these things to do but I was unable to get organized or stay focused long enough to complete the task. My journey to understanding what was going on inside my brain started with an online quiz about ADHD. The quiz asked questions about my ability to focus, stay organized, manage time, regulate my emotions, and more. My results indicated that I certainly had some ADHD tendencies going on and recommended that I talk with a doctor about the things I was struggling with. When I was able to see the doctor, the testing clearly showed that I have ADHD-Inattentive Type. Soon after my diagnosis, I was able to start on medication, and very quickly, all of the things I was struggling with seemed a bit easier to manage. In addition to all of the things I have learned about myself along the way, I have learned so much about ADHD - especially ADHD in women. I believe that one of the reasons it took so long for me to understand that I have ADHD is that my symptoms do not look the way I see ADHD in my dad or my male peers. For men and boys, ADHD often looks like fidgeting, not being able to sit still or be quiet, or interrupting and talking fast. In women and girls, it can often look more like anxiety as there is not so much hyperactivity, far more internal struggles, and is often misdiagnosed. A woman with ADHD will more likely be forgetful, messy, unorganized, isolated, and a procrastinator. She may also zone out in the middle of conversations or interrupt because she was not fully able to pay attention to what someone was saying. She may appear very successful, intelligent, or at the top of her game because women tend to be better at hiding their ADHD. She may also be exhausted and overwhelmed from trying to keep it all together at all times and keep her symptoms hidden from the outside world. At times, I wonder how my high school years could have looked different if I had been diagnosed when I was younger, but it is something I try not to dwell on. Having ADHD has been a struggle, but it has helped me discover a passion for psychology, learning about how the brain works, and helping people in situations similar to mine. I want to work towards changing the way we look at ADHD in everyone but with a specific focus on helping girls like me and giving people the support they need to grow into the confident, successful people they are meant to be. My career goals have been shaped by my experiences and I hope to use what I have learned to help others.

Imagine spending at least part of every day feeling like you aren’t good enough and that there are so many things wrong with you. Imagine living in a constant state of anxiety with your brain moving so fast that it’s hard to keep up. Imagine knowing that to outsiders you look like you have it all together and are super successful. You have excellent grades and a resume that is full of activities, volunteer work, and leadership roles. This is my story. I went through my entire elementary, middle, and most of my high school years without understanding why everything seemed more difficult and stressful for me than it did for my friends and classmates. For years, I had been a chronic procrastinator, turning in every assignment hours or minutes before it was due. I missed deadlines which lead to missing out on opportunities. It took me ten times longer to do a simple task because I was easily distracted and my thoughts would jump from the task at hand to just about anything else I could imagine. I would lose things like my car keys or debit card daily and it would cause me to panic. I struggled to maintain friendships and as a result, became socially isolated and had extremely low self-esteem. My journey to understanding what was going on inside my brain started with an online quiz about ADHD and then a visit to the Psychologist. I was diagnosed with ADHD and Anxiety shortly before I began my Senior year of high school. With a diagnosis, the correct dosage of medication, and new coping strategies, all of these things are much easier to deal with. My problems have not gone away but now I know to respond to my setbacks by working harder, not giving up, and finding ways to make things work for me and my brain. I am working on strategies to calm down and not let the anxiety stop me in my tracks. The medication has helped my brain slow down so I can stay organized, finish tasks, and turn them in on time. I can also take time to think things through and not impulsively blurt out things I should not say. Essentially, I am learning how to function like the rest of the world. Success is about so much more than good grades. In school, it is about being able to enjoy learning, have social connections, and not have those things be something that causes crippling stress. In the short amount of time that I have had a proper diagnosis, I have been able to dive so much deeper into my education. I have learned more and have been able to tackle more difficult tasks in my classes because I am finally comfortable in knowing that I can. My grades look the same, still all A’s, but I am taking more difficult classes, choosing to do the more challenging options available, and finding success easier than I have in the past. At times, I wonder how my high school years could have looked different if I had been diagnosed when I was younger, but it is something I try not to dwell on. Having ADHD and Anxiety has been a struggle, but it has helped me discover a passion for psychology; learning about how the brain works, and helping people in situations similar to mine. I want to work towards changing the way we look at mental illness and ADHD in everyone but with a specific focus on helping girls like me and giving people the support they need to grow into the confident, successful people they are meant to be. My career goals have been shaped by my experiences and I hope to use what I have learned to help others. Having ADHD and Anxiety has its obvious downsides, but when I look beyond that, there are some things that I am grateful for. As I work through my struggles, I have developed a new perspective on mental health and how it affects people, even when the issues are not visible to others. I also know what it looks like to have supportive people on your team to help you. I hope that I can share my experiences and help others seek and find the help they need to live their lives with better focus, less anxiety, and the success they dream of.

As a young girl, you would often find me running wild in the nearest rodeo arena or horse pen. I may have been running on horseback, on my feet, or on the back of a sheep. In my blue jeans and boots, with my hair whipped by the wind and my always-dirty fingernails, I was a cowgirl to the core. I started riding horses when I was just 3 years old and spent as much time as I could with my horses. I competed in junior rodeos, and 4-H horse shows, took trick riding lessons, and even spent several summers as a Rodeo Queen. Throughout most of my school years, I was the only person in my class or the whole school that was actively riding and competing. I never understood what other kids did on the weekends because we were often headed down the road to a rodeo, show, or clinic right after school on Friday and didn’t get home until Sunday. I’d head back to school on Monday with a new belt buckle or some new bumps and bruises along with some great stories to tell and just assumed everyone else had grand adventures over the weekend too. When I was older, I discovered a love for making music. My mom sat in the car and laughed as I walked out of 6th-grade instrument handout day with a trombone and a cello and looked like I had been swallowed by the cases. Those first couple of years were hard on our ears but, with practice, I got better and really enjoyed being a part of the band and orchestra activities at school. In high school, being a part of the marching band and the jazz ensemble were some of my favorite things. We made beautiful music, we traveled, we competed, and we became family. Such wonderful things were learned and amazing memories were made with my trombone and my friends in the band. Both the horse and music parts of my life are unique features of who I am. The combination of cowgirl and trombone player is certainly one you don’t often hear of. Though I have serenaded my horses a time or two with my cello and my trombone, I have yet to make my dream of playing my trombone while on a horse come true. They say to never give up on your dreams! In college, I plan to study psychology with the goal of earning my Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. After I graduate, I hope to work with young people struggling with their mental health in a hospital behavioral health unit or clinic as a Clinical Psychologist. My goal is to serve young people with mental health issues and help them find answers, treatments, and resources to meet their own goals and live the life they desire. I hope to incorporate my love of horses and music into the methods of treatment I use to help people live the lives they dream of.

The words ‘love is kind’ make me think of affection, consideration, and giving. To me, it means that if you love others, you practice acts of kindness for them. It could be for a specific person, a group of people, or even animals. Showing love and kindness by giving back has always been something I have prioritized in my life and I believe it has helped me become the person I am today. By listening to my friends when they need someone to talk to, helping a teacher with a project, or helping my mom with chores at home, I show love and kindness to special people in my life. I have spent many hours showing my love for groups of people in need by volunteering to raise money for the programs of the Salvation Army, packing food boxes at the mobile food pantry, and partnering with students with disabilities at a Partner Up Rodeo. I have shown my love for animals by adopting pets from the shelter, making donations to help care for the animals, and spending countless hours caring for and working with my horses. All of these things are important to me and areas where I will continue to show love and kindness throughout my life. Though the first things I thought of were how I can treat others with love and kindness, I believe it is essential that we show love and kindness to ourselves as well. For me, this does not come as naturally as showing love and kindness to others and is something that takes a very special effort. I am hard on myself and set a pretty high level of expectation around the things I do. I put pressure on myself to get good grades, perform well in my activities, and even provide service to others. It is vital to slow down and take some time to be kind to myself as a way to recharge and relax. This may be as simple as getting some extra sleep or may take a little more effort like journaling or getting more exercise. By spending some extra time to take care of myself, I can clear my mind and be reenergized for the next opportunity that comes along to show someone the love and kindness that they need. Maybe one of the best things we all can do for the world is to love and be kind to ourselves so we can have more energy to use for giving to others. I know that it is a hard thing to do at times but it is essential for recharging. Then we can take that energy and spread love and kindness to others in ways we have never been able to do before.

When I think of the things that have had the most impact on my successes, the first thing that comes to mind is how the success I have had has not come as easy as it may seem on the surface. I went through my entire elementary, middle, and most of my high school years without understanding why so many things seemed more difficult for me than they did for my friends and classmates. Yes, I have great grades, success in my activities, and a wonderful-looking resume, but it was so very hard for me to get there. I have often found myself in a state of overwhelming anxiety knowing I had all of these things to do but I was unable to get organized or stay focused long enough to complete the task. My journey to understanding what was going on inside my brain started with an online quiz about ADHD. The quiz asked questions about my ability to focus, stay organized, manage time, regulate my emotions, and more. My results indicated that I certainly had some ADHD tendencies going on and recommended that I talk with a doctor about the things I was struggling with. When I was able to see the doctor, the testing clearly showed that I have ADHD-Inattentive Type. Soon after my diagnosis, I was able to start on medication and it was almost as though I was putting on glasses for the first time. Very quickly, all of the things I was struggling with seemed a bit easier to manage. I had been a chronic procrastinator for years, turning in every assignment hours or minutes before it was due. I missed deadlines which led to missing out on opportunities. It took me ten times longer to do a simple task because I was easily distracted and my thoughts would jump from the task at hand to just about anything else I could imagine. I struggled to maintain friendships and as a result, became socially isolated and had extremely low self-esteem. With a diagnosis, the correct dosage of medication, and new coping strategies, all of these things are much easier to deal with. My problems have not gone away but now I know to respond to my setbacks by working harder, not giving up, and finding ways to make things work for me and my brain. The medication has helped my brain slow down so I can stay organized, finish tasks, and turn them in on time. I can also take time to think things through and not impulsively blurt out things I should not say. Essentially, I am learning how to function like the rest of the world. Success is about so much more than just good grades. In school, it is about being able to enjoy learning and not have it be something that causes crippling stress. In the short amount of time that I have had a proper diagnosis, I have been able to dive so much deeper into my education. I have learned more and have been able to tackle more difficult tasks in my classes because I am finally comfortable in knowing that I can. My grades look the same, still all A’s, but I am taking more difficult classes, choosing to do the more challenging options available, and finding success easier than I have in the past.

For years I had been a chronic procrastinator, turning in every assignment hours or minutes before it was due. I missed deadlines which led to missing out on opportunities. It took me ten times longer to do a simple task because I was easily distracted and my thoughts would jump from the task at hand to just about anything else I could imagine. My excellent grades, success in activities, and wonderful-looking resume never led anyone to think about me having ADHD. A simple online quiz truly changed my life. That quiz led to a visit with a Psychologist, a diagnosis of ADHD-Inattentive Type, and medication. It was almost as though I was putting on glasses for the first time and things were so much clearer. My problems have not gone away, but now I respond to my setbacks by working harder and I am finding ways for things to work for me and my brain. Having ADHD has been a struggle but has helped me discover a passion for psychology and helping people in similar situations. I have been fascinated by human behavior and understanding how the mind works for some time. From observing the interactions of my classmates to talking through problems with a friend, I enjoy learning about how people interact and process situations. Volunteer opportunities through my town's mobile food pantry have allowed me to help people in my community which has sparked an interest in a career that can help make a positive impact on people's lives. In college, I plan to study psychology with the goal of earning my Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. After I graduate, I hope to work with young people struggling with their mental health in a hospital behavioral health unit or clinic. My goal is to serve young people with mental health issues and help them find answers, treatments, and resources to meet their own goals and live the life they desire. It will require eight years or more of training before I will be ready to begin living my dream of helping people facing mental health crises. My program of study will be challenging, and every scholarship I am awarded will allow me to spend more time focused on my coursework rather than worrying about how I will pay for my schooling. This scholarship would not only make a difference in my life, but it would help me make a difference in the lives of others one day. If selected for this scholarship, I will continue to apply the same work ethic and dedication to my collegiate studies as I have to this point. I will continue to make education and service to others a priority. I truly appreciate this valuable opportunity. Thank you for considering my application.