It took me a long time to find my purpose. When you have lived a life of struggle, it's hard to prioritize anything that isn't directly related to day-to-day survival. After surviving domestic violence, I had the opportunity to meet an extremely kind Psychologist who helped me start on a path toward healing. He offered me the tools to reframe my struggles and cope with the lasting impacts of years of abuse, genuinely believing in me when I felt hopeless and alone. The experience was transformative, and it made me want to be that person for others who are suffering due to domestic violence and other traumatic events. I hope to use my degree to change the world. I want to help people heal from their traumas, and guide countless others who have experienced tremendous suffering. I want to give them the tools and skills that my counselor was able to give to me and help them realize their worth. I want to be able to do this for as many people as I can, and it gives me a sense of pride to know that the work that I'll be doing will help transform so many lives in the same way that mine was. Through a lot of self-reflection, I've decided to pursue a career as a Clinical Psychologist and hope to one day focus on helping others with trauma and disorders like PTSD. Being profoundly affected by these things personally, it's a goal that has become quite meaningful to me. I know firsthand what it's like to have to overcome significant challenges, and I want to dedicate my time to helping people get through life's toughest challenges and find their happiness and fulfillment.