My name is Simran Bhatti, and I am a first-generation female student in higher education. I am currently starting my graduate degree in Clinical Psychology to have access to create a better future for myself and help others cope, learn, and destigmatize mental health. To advocate for mental health, through my work with non-profits at both the Crisis Text Line (crisis intervention) and Give Us The Floor (peer-support groups for LGBTQIA+ youth), I have been able to work one-on-one with hundreds of individuals in need of resources, support, intervention, and a human connection. My passion is my education and my work in the mental health world. I have been simultaneously completing this work while being the sole caretaker for my younger sibling who was recently diagnosed with a physical disability in September of 2021. This role forced me to take on more responsibilities, continue pursuing a full-time education in college, support my sibling's journey toward a college education, provide for my sibling's medical needs all day and night long, work part-time, continue my volunteer work, and be a physical force of strength for my sibling's struggles with health every single day 24/7. These experiences for the past few years have brought a new sense of appreciation for looking for the silver lining in everyday life. My hard work to continue pushing every day taught me the resilience to push to pursue not only my dreams, but my sibling's dreams, and my family's. It has granted me the courage and confidence to put one step in front of the other and never give up. Advice that I would give to someone facing the same situation or to myself in the past would be to tell them it's okay to feel this way. Sometimes we often forget that we are human and we deserve the chance to acknowledge how we're feeling in response to the obstacles that the world throws at us. It is okay to take some time for yourself, cry when you need to, ask for a hug when you feel isolated from everything and everyone, and ask for help. You are not alone. It is not foolish to ask for help or talk about what you are dealing with, it takes an incredible amount of courage and strength to reveal your deepest worries and thoughts to someone other than yourself. But don't forget to fight. Fight for yourself to see that although what we dealt with was horrible, you will come out of it changed and be stronger than before.

My name is Simran Bhatti, and I am a first-generation female student in higher education. I am currently pursuing my undergraduate degree in Psychology to have access to create a better future for myself and help others cope, learn, and destigmatize mental health. During my third year in high school, I took a General Psychology course for my elective. After I enrolled in the class, the topics about mental health caught my interest and inspired me to research more about the application of psychotherapy, psychopathology, and psychological research. This course had such a substantial impact on me, that I decided to join mental health clubs and organizations in both high school and college to advocate for more awareness around mental health and stigma. The two organizations I work and volunteer for are the Crisis Text Line (crisis intervention) and Give Us The Floor (peer-support groups), both non-profit organizations. Having the honor to be accepted to work with individuals in vulnerable states, I have been able to gain insight into providing support to individuals in crisis and understand my need for further education to pursue clinical practice. From the very beginning, I have placed heavy importance on having a career that involves implementing a positive change in people’s lives. I discovered this passion in addition to my class in high school, through volunteering in places such as the food bank, donation centers, peer tutoring, the Crisis Text Line, and Give US The Floor. Every single day through these experiences, I get to experience firsthand how marginalized populations are negatively impacted by their deteriorating mental health and lack of access to treatment and support that they could use. So many issues can lead to not having access to mental health care such as a low number of mental health professionals in certain states, insurance not being accepted, long wait times, stigma to pursue help, ostracization for dealing with mental health conditions, lack of transportation for appointments, only in-person appointments, and for minor the main issue can be parents not allowing their children to get therapy or the proper care that they need. Mental health is just as important as physical health, instead of your body it's your brain and your mind that is feeling sick. After I graduate with my PsyD, I plan to work in a clinic to gain more knowledge, enhance my skills, and enhance my confidence in myself and my skills. Subsequently, I plan on continuing to practice at a clinic and teaching as a professor at a community college to pay forward for the help I received during my time at a community college. My goal in doing this is to serve the community, especially those who are not able to acquire a traditional undergraduate degree at a four-year institute for any reason. I want to be part of someone’s journey to a better life through education and inspire future generations to pursue psychology as a career. In the future, I also intend to open my own clinic with a new strategy to relay fast help to individuals in a lot of pain from their mental health, with walk-in appointments, affordable care, all insurances being accepted, and both in-person and online care. I want to address solutions for common issues. Lastly, I also want to take part in immigration assessments based on my family’s experiences with immigration. I want to take an active part in protesting, encouraging, teaching, and implementing a good mental health system to better the services we currently provide. This will only be possible through my graduate education. Thank you for providing this opportunity.