One of the things that I am most proud of is how active and involved I am and the fact that I excel at everything that I do. For example, last summer I did not relax and chill as many teenagers would choose to do. My day was jam packed from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and on some nights, 10:00 p.m. or later. I had cheerleading and swim practice each morning, I was a volunteer junior assistant coach for my swim team, and I lifeguarded at the neighborhood pools during the day. In the evenings I had swim meets, I taught swim lessons for a private company, and I modeled for a local photographer. I started swimming when I was about 3 years old, and I joined my neighborhood swim team when I was in 5th grade. Since then, I have won numerous swim awards including the “Most Improved Award” my first year. My swim team has selected me to be an assistant coach this summer. I have been cheerleading since 9th grade and I have won 3 varsity sideline cheerleading letters, 2 competition cheerleading letters, and I’ve won the “Most Dependable Award”, “Spirit Award”, and the prestigious “Coaches Award”. Through a highly competitive process, I was selected as a “Sarah Grace Senior 2025 Model” for a local photography company called Sarah Grace Photography. I am an honor roll student and will be inducted into the National Honor Society this month. I was able to excel at these activities despite the fact that I have been struggling with anxiety, depression, and derealization since my freshman year in high school. Dealing with this as a young teenage girl was incredibly difficult. I felt as though I was in an endless cycle of spiraling anxiety. The more I researched about what I was going through, the more stressed out I became. This in return made my derealization increasingly worse. At that point I was not only burned out, I was completely terrified of life itself. I no longer felt joy in anything out of fear that it wasn’t real, that I wasn’t real. I began to believe that things I did didn’t matter nor mean anything because they weren’t real. This made me lose a huge sense of self and my love for life. As a result of this experience, my career goal is to become a mental health therapist for teens. I plan on majoring in psychology or social work then pursuing a master’s degree. I recently completed 4 years of therapy which has helped me understand the therapy process. I want to use that experience to give back to my generation and future generations. It brings me great joy to know that I can make a difference one kid at a time. My interest in helping people started at a very young age. My mom works in the non-profit sector helping people who are homeless or living in affordable housing and I started volunteering at her job when I was about 5 years old. I’ve distributed blankets and tokens at a hypothermia prevention program, volunteered at National Night Out in affordable housing communities, served dinner at an Academic Achievement Banquet, and filled backpacks with school supplies for low-income children. I won a Kohl’s Cares Scholarship Program Certificate of Recognition for Young Volunteers in 2014 for selling t-shirts during the Fairfax County 100,000 Homes Campaign when I was just 6 years old. When I reached high school, swimming and water safety became very important to me, so I began volunteering as a junior assistant coach for my neighborhood swim team.

When I was a freshman in high school, I developed a disorder called derealization. Derealization is a mental disorder defined as a recurring sensation of being outside of your body looking in, or feeling that what’s happening around you isn’t real. Derealization stems from severe amounts of stress over an extended period of time. This is a form of anxiety that often makes the person experiencing it feel like something is off in reality and the world around them is unreal. Dealing with this as a young teenage girl was incredibly difficult. I felt as though I was in an endless cycle of spiraling anxiety. The more I researched about what I was going through, the more stressed out I became. This in return made my derealization increasingly worse. At this point I was not only burned out, I was completely terrified of life itself. I no longer felt joy in anything out of fear that it wasn’t real, that I wasn’t real. I began to believe that things I did didn’t matter nor mean anything because they weren’t real. This made me lose a huge sense of self and my love for life. I had let my anxiety consume me to what felt like the point of no return. Then, without any warning whatsoever, I had an epiphany. Even if I was in a dream or a coma and none of this was real, why should that stop me from anything? If I’m going to live this unreal life until I eventually “wake up” then I am going to live it to the fullest. For two years I held myself back from feeling or experiencing anything fully out of fear that it didn’t really exist. Restricting myself from living, losing, loving, and laughing was forever going to make me feel incomplete. Although I still experience derealization from time to time, I can confidently say that it does not affect me in the same way. That uncertainty in life that I went through has changed the way I view everything. I used to question the meaning of life and its importance. I have since learned that although things are not always as they seem, that it is not necessarily a bad thing. I now appreciate life for everything it’s worth and I’m so thankful I am able to live it to fullest without limitations. This led me to psychology, the scientific study of the mind and its functions. When I realized I could actually learn about why we feel, react, and think the way we do my life was forever changed. Learning about how certain events in our lives can alter our brain chemistry, in such a way that we leave that situation as a different person was extremely eye opening. I am taking psychology my senior year and did a research paper on how childhood trauma can affect us as we grow. It is easy to only focus on our growth physically, but it is just as vital to bring attention to our mental growth as well. As a result of this experience, my career goal is to become a mental health therapist for teens. I plan on majoring in psychology or social work then pursuing a master’s degree to become a licensed clinical therapist. I recently completed 4 years of therapy which has helped me understand the therapy process. I want to use my lived experience to give back to my generation and future generations. Participating in mental health therapy taught me the skills that I needed to manage my recovery from derealization and to manage my depression and anxiety. I have learned to examine my core beliefs regarding negative situations instead of treating my negative thoughts as facts. Treating negative thoughts as facts can lead to depression, anxiety, and substance abuse so it is important to understand if a core belief is irrational. I have learned to question whether my negative thoughts are true and how they make me feel. I have also learned to list three pieces of evidence that are contrary to my negative core belief. Challenging negative thinking can lead to new perspectives on the way I think and view things. This helps me reduce my anxiety and depression. I have also learned progressive muscle relaxation and techniques to help me with procrastination and time study management. As I continue my journey to mental wellness, receiving the “Ella’s Gift” scholarship would be an honor. Like Ella, I love fiercely and compete fiercely. I admire the fact that she battled through so many challenges and that her memory can live on through this amazing scholarship opportunity.

When I was a freshman in high school, I developed a disorder called derealization. Derealization is a mental disorder defined as a recurring sensation of being outside of your body looking in, or feeling that what’s happening around you isn’t real. Derealization stems from severe amounts of stress over an extended period of time. This is a form of anxiety that often makes the person experiencing it feel like something is off in reality and the world around them is unreal. Dealing with this as a young teenage girl was incredibly difficult. I felt as though I was in an endless cycle of spiraling anxiety. The more I researched about what I was going through, the more stressed out I became. This in return made my derealization increasingly worse. At this point I was not only burned out, I was completely terrified of life itself. I no longer felt joy in anything out of fear that it wasn’t real, that I wasn’t real. I began to believe that things I did didn’t matter nor mean anything because they weren’t real. This made me lose a huge sense of self and my love for life. I had let my anxiety consume me to what felt like the point of no return. Then, without any warning whatsoever, I had an epiphany. Even if I was in a dream or a coma and none of this was real, why should that stop me from anything? If I’m going to live this unreal life till I eventually “wake up” then I am going to live it to the fullest. For two years I held myself back from feeling or experiencing anything fully out of fear that it didn’t really exist. Restricting myself from living, losing, loving, and laughing was forever going to make me feel incomplete. Although I still experience derealization from time to time, I can confidently say that it does not affect me in the same way. That uncertainty in life that I went through has changed the way I view everything. I used to question the meaning of life and its importance. I have since learned that although things are not always as they seem, that it is not necessarily a bad thing. I now appreciate life for everything it’s worth and I’m so thankful I am able to live it to fullest without limitations. As a result of this experience, my career goal is to become a mental health therapist for teens. I plan on majoring in psychology or social work then pursuing a master’s degree. I recently completed 4 years of therapy which has helped me understand the therapy process. I want to use that experience to give back to my generation and future generations. It brings me great joy to know that I can make a difference one kid at a time. My interest in helping people is a trait I inherited from my mom, who works for a non-profit organization that supports low-income housing and ending homelessness. Watching my mom spend every day dedicating her life to those in need made me crave a greater purpose for my life. I have been volunteering at my mom’s job since I was a child, and I am looking forward to establishing my own career as a therapist.

When I was a freshman in high school, I developed a disorder called derealization. Derealization is a mental disorder defined as a recurring sensation of being outside of your body looking in, or feeling that what’s happening around you isn’t real. Derealization stems from severe amounts of stress over an extended period of time. This is a form of anxiety that often makes the person experiencing it feel like something is off in reality and the world around them is unreal. Dealing with this as a young teenage girl was incredibly difficult. I felt as though I was in an endless cycle of spiraling anxiety. The more I researched about what I was going through, the more stressed out I became. This in return made my derealization increasingly worse. At this point I was not only burned out, I was completely terrified of life itself. I no longer felt joy in anything out of fear that it wasn’t real, that I wasn’t real. I began to believe that things I did didn’t matter nor mean anything because they weren’t real. This made me lose a huge sense of self and my love for life. My grades also began to suffer because I couldn’t concentrate on my schoolwork. I went from being in the Junior National Honor Society to not even making the Honor Roll. I had let my anxiety consume me to what felt like the point of no return. Then, without any warning whatsoever, I had an epiphany. Even if I was in a dream or a coma and none of this was real, why should that stop me from anything? If I’m going to live this unreal life till I eventually “wake up” then I am going to live it to the fullest. For two years I held myself back from feeling or experiencing anything fully out of fear that it didn’t really exist. Restricting myself from living, losing, loving, and laughing was forever going to make me feel incomplete. Although I still experience derealization from time to time, I can confidently say that it does not affect me in the same way. That uncertainty in life that I went through has changed the way I view everything. I used to question the meaning of life and its importance. I have since learned that although things are not always as they seem, that it is not necessarily a bad thing. I now appreciate life for everything it’s worth and I’m so thankful I am able to live it to fullest without limitations. As a result of this experience, my career goal is to become a mental health therapist for teens. I plan on majoring in psychology or social work then pursuing a master’s degree. I recently completed 4 years of therapy which has helped me understand the therapy process. I want to use that experience to give back to my generation and future generations. It is important to prioritize mental health and get professional help if needed. I am happy to be an Honor Roll student again and a member of the National Honor Society. My interest in helping people is a trait I inherited from my mom, who works for a non-profit organization that supports low-income housing and ending homelessness. Watching my mom spend every day dedicating her life to those in need made me crave a greater purpose for my life. I have been volunteering at my mom’s job since I was a child, and I am looking forward to establishing my own career as a therapist.

When I was a freshman in high school, I developed a disorder called derealization. Derealization is a mental disorder defined as a recurring sensation of being outside of your body looking in, or feeling that what’s happening around you isn’t real. Derealization stems from severe amounts of stress over an extended period of time. This is a form of anxiety that often makes the person experiencing it feel like something is off in reality and the world around them is unreal. Dealing with this as a young teenage girl was incredibly difficult. I felt as though I was in an endless cycle of spiraling anxiety. The more I researched about what I was going through, the more stressed out I became. This in return made my derealization increasingly worse. At this point I was not only burned out, I was completely terrified of life itself. I no longer felt joy in anything out of fear that it wasn’t real, that I wasn’t real. I began to believe that things I did didn’t matter nor mean anything because they weren’t real. This made me lose a huge sense of self and my love for life. I had let my anxiety consume me to what felt like the point of no return. Then, without any warning whatsoever, I had an epiphany. Even if I was in a dream or a coma and none of this was real, why should that stop me from anything? If I’m going to live this unreal life till I eventually “wake up” then I am going to live it to the fullest. For two years I held myself back from feeling or experiencing anything fully out of fear that it didn’t really exist. Restricting myself from living, losing, loving, and laughing was forever going to make me feel incomplete. Although I still experience derealization from time to time, I can confidently say that it does not affect me in the same way. That uncertainty in life that I went through has changed the way I view everything. I used to question the meaning of life and its importance. I have since learned that although things are not always as they seem, that it is not necessarily a bad thing. I now appreciate life for everything it’s worth and I’m so thankful I am able to live it to fullest without limitations. As a result of this experience, my career goal is to become a mental health therapist for teens. I plan on majoring in psychology or social work then pursuing a master’s degree. I recently completed 4 years of therapy which has helped me understand the therapy process. I want to use that experience to give back to my generation and future generations. It brings me great joy to know that I can make a difference one kid at a time. My interest in helping people is a trait I inherited from my mom, who works for a non-profit organization that supports low-income housing and ending homelessness. Watching my mom spend every day dedicating her life to those in need made me crave a greater purpose for my life. I have been volunteering at my mom’s job since I was a child, and I am looking forward to establishing my own career as a therapist.

I am an African-American female with a 3.8 grade point average. I’m a cheerleader and a member of my high school choir and theatre club. I am active in my community, teaching water safety and coaching my neighborhood swim team. My faith is important to me, and I attend church every Sunday. When I was a freshman in high school, I developed a disorder called derealization. Derealization is a mental disorder defined as a recurring sensation of being outside of your body looking in, or feeling that what’s happening around you isn’t real. Derealization stems from severe amounts of stress over an extended period of time. This is a form of anxiety that often makes the person experiencing it feel like something is off in reality and the world around them is unreal. Dealing with this as a young teenage girl was incredibly difficult. I felt as though I was in an endless cycle of spiraling anxiety. The more I researched about what I was going through, the more stressed out I became. This in return made my derealization increasingly worse. At this point I was not only burned out, I was completely terrified of life itself. I no longer felt joy in anything out of fear that it wasn’t real, that I wasn’t real. I began to believe that things I did didn’t matter nor mean anything because they weren’t real. This made me lose a huge sense of self and my love for life. I had let my anxiety consume me to what felt like the point of no return. Then, without any warning whatsoever, I had an epiphany. Even if I was in a dream or a coma and none of this was real, why should that stop me from anything? If I’m going to live this unreal life till I eventually “wake up” then I am going to live it to the fullest. For two years I held myself back from feeling or experiencing anything fully out of fear that it didn’t really exist. Restricting myself from living, losing, loving, and laughing was forever going to make me feel incomplete. Although I still experience derealization from time to time, I can confidently say that it does not affect me in the same way. That uncertainty in life that I went through has changed the way I view everything. I used to question the meaning of life and its importance. I have since learned that although things are not always as they seem, that it is not necessarily a bad thing. I now appreciate life for everything it’s worth and I’m so thankful I am able to live it to fullest without limitations. As a result of this experience, my career goal is to become a mental health therapist for teens. I plan on majoring in psychology or social work then pursuing a master’s degree. I recently completed 4 years of therapy which has helped me understand the therapy process. I want to use that experience to give back to my generation and future generations. It brings me great joy to know that I can make a difference one kid at a time. My interest in helping people is a trait I inherited from my mom, who works for a non-profit organization that supports low-income housing and ending homelessness. Watching my mom spend every day dedicating her life to those in need made me crave a greater purpose for my life. I have been volunteering at my mom’s job since I was a child, and I am looking forward to establishing my own career as a therapist.

When I was a freshman in high school, I developed a disorder called derealization. Derealization is a mental disorder defined as a recurring sensation of being outside of your body looking in, or feeling that what’s happening around you isn’t real. Derealization stems from severe amounts of stress over an extended period of time. This is a form of anxiety that often makes the person experiencing it feel like something is off in reality and the world around them is unreal. Dealing with this as a young teenage girl was incredibly difficult. I felt as though I was in an endless cycle of spiraling anxiety. The more I researched about what I was going through, the more stressed out I became. This in return made my derealization increasingly worse. At this point I was not only burned out, I was completely terrified of life itself. I no longer felt joy in anything out of fear that it wasn’t real, that I wasn’t real. I began to believe that things I did didn’t matter nor mean anything because they weren’t real. This made me lose a huge sense of self and my love for life. I had let my anxiety consume me to what felt like the point of no return. Then, without any warning whatsoever, I had an epiphany. Even if I was in a dream or a coma and none of this was real, why should that stop me from anything? If I’m going to live this unreal life till I eventually “wake up” then I am going to live it to the fullest. For two years I held myself back from feeling or experiencing anything fully out of fear that it didn’t really exist. Restricting myself from living, losing, loving, and laughing was forever going to make me feel incomplete. Although I still experience derealization from time to time, I can confidently say that it does not affect me in the same way. That uncertainty in life that I went through has changed the way I view everything. I used to question the meaning of life and its importance. I have since learned that although things are not always as they seem, that it is not necessarily a bad thing. I now appreciate life for everything it’s worth and I’m so thankful I am able to live it to fullest without limitations. As a result of this experience, my career goal is to become a mental health therapist for teens. I plan on majoring in psychology or social work then pursing a master’s degree. I recently completed 4 years of therapy which has helped me understand the therapy process. I want to use that experience to give back to my generation and future generations. It brings me great joy to know that I can make a difference one kid at a time. My interest in helping people is a trait I inherited from my mom, who works for a non-profit organization that supports low-income housing and ending homelessness. Watching my mom spend every day dedicating her life to those in need made me crave a greater purpose for my life. I have been volunteering at my mom’s job since I was a child, and I am looking forward to establishing my own career as a therapist.