This is such a fun and unique prompt! It's funny because I actually do have a playlist on my Spotify just for motivation for college. This is awesome because I get to create a playlist purely from my own imagination. My playlist name: Look At Me Now My artist Name: Slym Thicc Fictional Playlist: 1. Can't break me 2. Trail blazing, baby 3. Go ahead, underestimate me 4. Phoenix 5. Standing on Everest 6. For my daughters 7. Push, grind, and graduate Bonus song: 8. Wok, succeed, wash & repeat Songs from my Spotify playlist: 1. Only - NF: NF is so passionate with his music. His lyrics are powerful, and this song reflects a lot of what I feel at times. The doubt from people around me, the lack of support from my ex-husband's family after we split up, and remembering not to live my life for anyone but myself. 2. Move Along - All- American Rejects: This song is just an awesome encouraging song. 'If all you got to keep is strong, move along like I know you do. Even when your hope is gone, move along just to make it through.' I sometimes we all need that reminder. 3. Stupid Deep- Jon Bellion: This song reminds me that I'm not alone when that feeling of overwhelm, sorrow, and exhaustion sets in. I have everything I need in this moment if I'm willing to accept myself, and trust that I am on the right path. If I can love myself for who I am in this moment, I believe the hole I feel in my heart will fill with faith and courage...I'm working on it. 4. Like I Ain't - Tech N9ne: This is a song that pumps me up. I've come so far in life, and Tech N9ne reminds me to look back on my accomplishments and tell the people who doubt in me to get ready, because they are about to get gapped. 5. Vindicated - Dashboard Confessional: Sometimes I'll sing this song at the top of my lungs in my car. Not only do I LOVE Dashboard Confessional, but this song, has a few different meanings to me. It takes me through a range of emotions I experience on a regular basis, especially being vindicated, and seeing myself change and become the person I want to be. 6. Sorry Not Sorry - Demi Lovato: After my divorce in 2018, I really struggled to find the confidence and self-esteem I'd lost after years of abuse. It was one of the most terrifying experiences to leave my ex, but I think it was even scarier to enroll into college because I knew what it meant. It meant I was starting a whole new life. A life where I'd claim my education, make my own income, and not have to rely on anyone to find value in who I am. This song reminds me of how far I've come, how amazing I'm doing, and how much my ex missed out when he let me go. 7. Sue Me - Aabrina Carpenter: This is another self-empowerment song I love. Since my divorce I've gotten not only mentally and emotionally healthier, but physically healthier, too. I've lost weight, exercise, eat clean. I don't feel bad admitting I look pretty darn amazing, and this song celebrates that. It's just part of my journey as a student--self-improvement all around. Bonus tracks: Body Love part 1 and 2 - Mary Lambert. Thank you for this awesome prompt!

I feel the characteristic I most value in myself is tenacity. Tenacity has allowed me to build self-discipline, which has served me tremendously throughout my life. As a young girl I was in a very unstable home environment. My father was unfortunately on illegal drugs, and he was very abusive to my mother. At the age of six my mother left my father, and took us with her into hiding. We spent the next year or so in a battered women's shelter, then moved into a trailer located in a trailer park in Washington State. At that point I had had a very unstable and inconsistent education, so I was far behind in reading, writing, math, and other vital skills I would have been taught in school. I was in fourth grade when I realized how far behind I truly was in my education. I remember sitting in my classroom, listening to my teacher talk about how to problem-solve. He asked how to select the right answer in a multiple choice question if we didn't know exactly what the answer was. A student raised their hand, and my teacher called on them. Their response was, "Process of elimination." I recall very clearly thinking to myself, I don't know what that means. As a knot formed in my stomach, it was in that moment I knew I would have to work twice as hard to catch up to the level of my peers if I ever wanted to be successful in school. Over the next several years I struggled, mostly in math, spelling, and writing. Other topics were interesting to me, such as science and art. However I still needed to use math, spelling, and writing skills in these classes, so my struggles definitely challenged me in all areas of my education. I stayed after school most days getting tutoring in math. If I'm doing the math right, I was in fourth grade in 1996. Back then we didn't have the kind of computer technology we have now, such as touch screen smart phones, or Siri, to spell out words or recall information whenever we needed it. It wasn't until I reached my Sophomore year in high school that I felt I had caught up, and was even excelling. I continued to work hard, made good grades, and even became the Features Editor in my high school newspaper. That's when I found my love for books. I was sixteen years old when I read my first book, cover to cover. Never before had I finished reading a novel. The emotions I experienced while sitting in my classroom were so overwhelming, I had to hold back tears. I knew no one around me would understand why it meant so much to me, or why I was so proud. It was a milestone in my life that had impacted me in such a way, I went on to publish my first fiction novel in 2012, and then eight books after that. I learned to type ninety words a minute. I excel in all things associated with writing. I am able to pass my college classes that require extensive writing, such as English 101 and English 102, within days instead of months. Without my tenacity, I would not have made it this far. I would not have enrolled into collage as a mother with four children. I would not be able to write this essay. My tenacity has served me well, and I will continue to strive for my goals, no matter how big they are.

If I could live my dream life, the first thing I'd do is buy my mom a house on the lake. As long as I can remember she has talked about wanting a small cabin by a lake. If anyone deserves it, she does. I'd be financially successful enough to help my sister pay off her house, and I'd be able to pay off my debt, pay for school, and then use my income to invest and travel. I'd take my children around the world to expose them to culture and language. I'd see my family more. My only sister lives in Canada and I don't get to see her more than once every five years, which breaks my heart. If I were living my dream life, I'd be able to focus on my physical and spiritual health more. I'd have the mind-space to learn a new language, and maybe even travel to whatever country speaks that language to study in an immersion program. I'd love to invest a large sum of my income into an orphanage somewhere overseas where children need it most, perhaps the Middle East since there is so much war leaving babies with no family. I'd also love to do something kind for someone on a monthly basis. Not like, open a door for them or help them with groceries. I'd like to impact their lives. When I see celebrities randomly paying off someone's student loans or medical bills, all I can do is think....what I wouldn't give to be able to do that for someone. I just feel that there is so much chaos in the world. There's so much devastation and struggle. I'd love to ease some of that by doing what I could to make the world just a little better.

From an illiterate child to a multi-published author, my adventure with creative writing has taken me down a path of surprising twists and turns. As a child my education was choppy at best. I grew up in a home that suffered with poverty and spouts of homelessness. It was difficult to stay consistent with any kind of education, especially when periods of my elementary school years were in primarily Spanish speaking schools, even though I did not speak any Spanish. The instability in my childhood caused a huge gap in my education. When I entered 4th grade I could not understand directions given about reading assignments. I did not understand how to write a paragraph, or how to form an introductory sentence. In fact, to this day I still struggle with spelling on occasion. By the time I was in high school I had finally caught up to my peers and became interested in journalism. It was offered as a course in my high school. After my first year in that class I became the Features editor, and eventually applied for an internship at our local newspaper in North Carolina. It quickly became evident to me that journalism was not my passion. After further exploration I learned my real passion laid in creative writing. In 2012 I published my first book. Since then I have had nine traditionally published stories released into the world, some of them full-length novels, others novelettes, and a few short stories within anthologies. My focus began with young adult fiction and magical realism. That branched into studying Mesoamerican mythology, which is the focus of a six-part series I wrote called The Stone Legacy series. Every fiction author dreams of becoming the next Stephanie Meyer or JK Rowling. The reality of writing books is that you have to be your own advocate, your own publicist, and your own marketing team if you want anyone to notice your book out of the sea of other amazing publications. It is an exhausting and expensive process. At this point in my publishing career I would be happily satisfied if I knew my books made a difference, even if it meant simply putting a smile on someone's face during a difficult time in their lives. Reading book reviews can be a volatile pastime, so I tend to ignore them. It is easy to doubt your own creative writing capabilities after reading a review that tears down your characters or plot. But since my publications I have had the opportunity to work with many authors and help them with their writing journeys. My experience in storytelling, characterization, plot creation, and technique have given me the knowledge, skills, and abilities to help guide new and striving authors down the challenging, and often frustrating path of completing their first book. I feel that although my books may never end up a number one best seller or contracted to become a movie series, my experience can still be useful to individuals who are seeking guidance in achieving their own dreams. If I can positively impact those individuals with my personal experience, my impact through creative writing will have been deeper than simply creating an emotional reaction in a reader. My impact would be echoed throughout the stories of many books, and into the hearts of many individuals.

It's a nearly impossible task to believe you can attend, let alone graduate college. Well, it was for me at least. The moment I knew I had to "go back to school" was one of the most terrifying moments of my life. I put that in quotations because after graduating high school, I never did go to college. Instead, I got married, had four kids, and fifteen years later got a divorce. I'm not going to focus on that story because as you can imagine, that in itself was an adversity to say the least. What I will focus on is that moment the lights dimmed, the focus sharpened, and the spotlight was directed on me. At thirty-five years old and with four kids, I'd have to go back to school to earn a degree. There was no way around it. No alternative. No shortcuts or cheat codes. I knew it would take years of arduous work. I'd be required to juggle school, kids, work, and my house. I'd have to fit doctor appointments for my children in between classes on my days off. I'd have to stay up at night to study because it's quite, only to wake up after four hours of sleep and go to work the next morning. I'd have to grind, without stopping, to graduate with a bachelors degree in business management so I could provide for myself and my four children. That was my adversity, and although my journey is not yet over, I know I will overcome it. The process has instilled a new-found sense of courage, self-esteem, and drive. I have learned how capable I am and how smart I am. I have explored parts of my mind that have laid dormant for so many years, I forgot they ever existed. All of these skills and abilities will aid me as I push forward, building on the resilience I have obtained along the way. There will will undoubtedly be more struggles ahead. New struggles I have not yet faced. Great unknowns. Moments of fear and doubt. Every parent has those moments when we question whether we can push through. Yet, somehow we always find a way. It's my hope that I use this experience not only to better myself, but to be a positive role model for my four daughters. I want to teach them that you do not have to stay in an abusive marriage because of money. You do not have to compromise your self-respect. You can achieve great things on your own, and you do not need to rely on anyone for your health and happiness. If I do nothing except teach my children that lesson, I consider my entire existence to be a success.

Here in Ohio we have amazing mental health awareness. For children, there is an awareness campaign called, "on my sleeve." It's a beautiful message that puts a spotlight on childhood mental illness, so children who struggle are not overlooked, and therefore do not grow into adults who feel lost, forgotten, and desperate. My significant other has both ADHD and BPD, which is borderline personality disorder. My eleven-year-old daughter has ADHD. My fifteen (now almost sixteen) year old daughter has anxiety, which makes it very difficult for her to go to school. She now attends school exclusively online due to her anxiety. Mental illness has impacted many of my relationships in various ways. With my spouse, I struggle to understand why he snaps into moments of anger or depression, then snaps back to behind the lighthearted man I know him to be. It's a rollercoaster of emotions that often leaves me feeling emotionally drained as well. Once he was formally diagnosed with BPD, I finally had a name to the affliction that was impacting our marriage so deeply. I have since then researched BPD in length, and I continue to learn about the condition every day both through my personal experiences with him, and educational literature I find online and in books. It has been a long road, but I am finally getting to the point where I can recognize when I am interacting with his BPD, and when I'm interacting with my spouse. My experience with my spouse's mental illness has helped me grow as a person. The lessons I've learned through the journey of education and creating coping mechanisms for myself will be of great value in my career. Emotional intelligence is a skill many employers look for in a leader, and I feel as though I have gained a vast amount of EQ because of my experiences. I've also learned how to set healthy boundaries so I don't end up an emotional dumpster for his BPD. I see his illness as being a separate entity, but still so deeply woven into him, I know it is part of him nonetheless. I try to honor his experiences and also protect myself from feeling "gutted" as I tend to call it. You know, that feeling when you sit, at a loss for words, angry and on the verge of crying because of how exhausted you are dealing with the constant grind of another person's struggles. I know you've been there. Mental illness hasn't greatly impacted my personal beliefs in a religious way. However, on the path of personal growth it has certainly shown me shades of gray I didn't know existed on the spectrum of good and bad, right and wrong, healthy or sick, happy or sad. Before these ideas were very black and white for me. One or the other. Now, through my journey I have discovered the many, many layers in-between. I have seen what functional depression can look like. I have felt the impact of being the caretaker of someone with a mental illness. I have cried with that person while they cried, just because they needed someone to sit with them in their sorrow for a moment, and not feel so alone. Maybe that's the rainbow that mental illness shines on the world. People's interaction with those who have a mental illness create more empathetic, kind, and understanding people. It sharpens our emotional toolkit so we know how to be supportive while not enabling. It allows us to navigate the world with a little more awareness and knowledge. I hope, in the end, that is the aftermath of mental illness. A path of guidance for the rest of us.

Women empowerment is most effectively impacted through education, but not how you might think. Of course it's important to education women in society so they may become leaders and trailblazers. Equally as important, women empowerment can be impacted through the educating young men, so they may re-learn outdated and harmful ideals about women. Ideals that state women must follow the leadership of men blindly. Ideals that have voluntold women for centuries to be nothing more than housewives, entertainment, and mere helpers who are well-meaning, but just not capable enough to take the lead. As young men are educated, and outdated gender roles are stripped from public education and media, men will begin to form a new idea of who women are, and what women are capable of. As boys grow into men they will truly understand the idea of consent, and will not question whether or not it's needed, what it looks like, or how to recognize when consent is not given. Young men will be better brothers, and men will be better husbands. In turn, those men will have expectations of society, and will teach other men how to view women in a neutral, equal light. Emotional intelligence also needs to be retaught to both men and women. Women are so deeply programmed to our gender roles that it's often difficult to own our place in the world. Men are so programmed to "man up" and "take it like a man," that we have all but emotionally castrated the men in society so they no longer understand how to communicate their feelings, and they feel unsafe to cry. Education. This is the only way we as a society can effectively empower women, heal the broken expectations of men, and move man kind forward.

As a kid, you don't really know what poverty is. You don't understand why other parents don't let their kids go to your house to play. you think it's normal to wear underwear with popped seams and live in a 30-foot travel trailer with three other people. As a kid, you don't understand why you have to shop at Goodwill, and become especially confused when kids at school recognize the sweater you're wearing as one their mom donated weeks before. From the time I was born, my family struggled with poverty and homelessness. When I was six my mother took my sister and I, and fled from an abusive marriage. We stayed in a battered women's shelter for a few years until my mother could afford to buy a small trailer in a park in Washington State. And that's where we lived until a man named Walter came into our lives. Walter was older than my mom. He was a stranger to us. My sister and I had no idea what to think about him when my mother brought him home and introduced him to us. It was the first time my mother had ever done such a thing. Not long later, mom announced her and Walter were getting married. And, oh yeah. We're also moving to Alaska. Pack your bags, kids! As you can image it was a complete shock. Walter was a successful business owner who had lived on Kodiak Island for over thirty years. My sister and I went from being the kids from a poor family, to being some of the most affluent in town. Walter was a kind man. He was stubborn, hard headed, and set in his ways. He also put a lot of emphasis on education, which wasn't something I valued at the time because I had no consistent education up to that point. He spent hours at a time with me after school reviewing school work. He'd help me study social studies. He invested himself into my future. Walter completely changed my life. And eight years ago, my life changed again when Walter passed away from cancer. It was one of the most heartbreaking and confusing times in my life. The man who chose to care for two children like his own...the man who raised me...my dad...was suddenly gone. Sure, I was an adult by then, but nothing prepares you for the loss of one of your parents. Walter wasn't alive by the time I got a divorce in 2019. I'm glad he wasn't, because it would have broken his heart. However, Walter was a huge inspiration for me to forge forward and fight for a successful future. He had taught me the value of education. He always told me I could learn anything. Do anything. Walter E. Donat was my dad, and I mourn him still, almost every day. His memory is one driving force behind the fire in my spirit. The inner voice I hear when moments of inspiration come, is his voice. He supported me as a child, and he continues to support me through his memory, which lives on through all who loved him dearly.

"I know what I am, I know what I'm not, and both are okay." This is the quote that got me through one of the most difficult times in my life. Three years ago I left a marriage of fifteen years. I had four children with my ex-husband. I was also left with a carriage of emotional scars and impossible healing to do. I was scared, unsure, and had no idea what my future would bring, except that I would do whatever I had to in order to provide for my four children. If it weren't for that quote, I don't think I would have made it through my divorce. It took what felt like ions to build back my self-esteem, courage, and belief in my abilities. I have since then grown from a shadow of my former self, to who I am today--Theresa2.0. I thought about getting that quote tattooed on my body as a permanent reminder that no matter where I am in life, as long as I am striving for something better, I am not failing. It is easy to stare at the mountain of things you are not, and ignore the shining gems of things that you are. It is simple to forget your accomplishments, and focus on the long journey still ahead. It's impossible not to wonder if you're enough. If you'll ever be enough. If you have what it takes to reach a place in your life where you feel safe and optimistic. I can proudly say that I am earing my bachelors degree. I am proud of the emotional progress I've made. I have reclaimed my courage and belief in myself. I am going places, and I have that quote to thank for getting me through the hardest times.

Hello. My name is Theresa, and I am a mother of four beautiful daughters. I'm thirty-five years old, and working to earn my Bachelors degree in Business Management. My divorce from my kid's father in 2019 was the catalyst for me to return to school. For fifteen years I was in an emotional and mentally abusive marriage. It was only toward the end that I was able to recognize his behavior as abuse because I had always identified abuse as being physical. After my divorce I knew I would have go to school to earn a degree in order to support my kids. See, I was a stay-at-home-mom for the entire 15 year duration of my marriage. I have no workforce experience either, except for the freelance work I did for entrepreneurs and authors. I knew if I didn't get a degree, I wouldn't make it. My hopes for my future are really not so radical. I want to graduate, get my PMP certification, and get a good job where I don't have to worry about how I'm going to afford groceries to feed my kids. That's short-term. My long-term goals are a bit more extensive. I would like to save enough money to travel, and show my kids bits of the world they haven't had the opportunity to experience. I think that's what's most exciting about the world to me. You travel to another state, and the culture is a bit different. But when you travel to another country, it's like you are setting foot on an alien planet. I have traveled to the Middle East and Europe. I'd love to bring my kids to Asia, specifically Thailand, Malaysia, and Japan. I believe the experience of travel is the most enriching gift a parent can give to their children. I give back to my community now where and when I can. I do philanthropy work now, my most recent volunteer project being a website I am creating for a local martial arts dojo struggling to survive during Covid. The martial arts master actually taught my children when they were young. Now, he needs help to keep his twenty-year-old business from going under. I am donating my services to him to build a website to make it easier for potential customers to contact him. I don't have a lot of money to give in the way of donation, but I don't believe donation has to be made with money alone. People often need help, and if I am able to make their lives a little better by doing something I have experience in, why wouldn't I? I believe every act of kindness sows kindness into the world around you. I believe people get back what they give. I believe in paying it forward. Even small kindnesses do not go unaccounted for. Every little bit helps in the crazy, unpredictable world.

I grew up in a home where there was a stark line between spirituality and science. They seemed to be two combating concepts where, if you believed in God, you could not also study Science. Or if you were a scientist, you were challenging the miracles found in biblical scripts with science and math. Math is used in calculating and studying the speed of light, momentum, velocity, and most other things we interact with on a daily basis. As I've grown, I have moved away from religious dogma and more toward being spiritual. I was born into a Christian home, converted to Islam as a 19-year-old woman. I practiced Islam as a strict Dogma for many years. I wore hijab, prayed daily, and fasted during Ramadan. Although I love the monotheistic aspect of Islam, I could not agree with many things I read from the holy book or Hadeeths. Don't get me wrong, there are countless beautiful aspects to the faith. However, in Islam, if you do not believe one thing, you are renouncing belief because you are declaring that something God has ordained is wrong, or goes against the path to salvation. It's an "all or nothing" faith. At the end of my journey as a practicing Muslim, I could not in good conscious agree with that concept. Over the last three years I have come to peace with my beliefs, and I've moved toward spirituality while still incorporating aspects of Islam in my life. I also embrace science. I am a polyglot of beliefs. A ragdoll stitched together by many different cloths. I take elements of Buddhism, Islam, spirituality, and Zen. I refer to a higher power as The Universe, because I don't want to assign one name to the higher power many call God. I also marvel at scientific discovery as we proceed to explore space, manipulate cells, create cures for illnesses, and unveil the answers to mysteries we didn't even know existed. Spirituality, science, and math can indeed all co-exist together. And, perhaps the way I was raised was right. Perhaps you cannot practice a religious dogma "faithfully" and still embrace science. Perhaps the exploration of science demands one's willingness to open your mind to possibilities that otherwise contradict biblical scriptures. Perhaps, if we all allowed ourselves to take the best bits of what humanity has to offer, and we stopped creating division with what we claim is God's path, we would all be much better off.

My experience with mental illness stems from my interactions with my significant other. Not only is he a United States Marine Corps veteran, but he also suffers from ADHD and BDP, which is Borderline Personality Disorder. Most people do not consider ADHD to be a mental illness, but my spouse feels very strongly that it is. He is "non-neurotypical," which means things like his short-term memory, emotional intelligence, and the ability to understand social cues are strongly impacted. His BPD, which was recently diagnosed, has thrown us for a loop. For several years I could not understand why his opinions would change so drastically in the blink of an eye. It's like he changed from being the person I know to a combative, argumentative, insecure person, who used me as an emotional dumpster. It is absolutely exhausting, but once we discovered he has BPD, it is now much easier to know when I'm interacting with his BPD, and when I'm interacting with the authentic version of himself. I use my experience with my partner's BPD as a way to empathize with people when they are experiencing similar symptoms. It's sometimes difficult to know when and how to draw healthy boundaries while a person is in the eye of the storm of a BPD episode. By creating healthy boundaries, and also supporting the person behind the mental illness, I'm able to impact the lives of those around me who struggle with their symptoms. I'm also thankful for my experiences with my spouse's ADHD because my eleven-year-old daughter was also diagnosed with ADHD when she was nine years old. Using my coping tools to support her has allowed me to be a better mother to her. She often feels overlooked, misunderstood, and frequently criticized. With the knowledge I've obtained by studying my spouse's ADHD symptoms, I can make suggestions to her that help her cope. Thank you for your time.

I have never been afraid of change or adventure. In fact, I crave it. Perhaps that's why being a mom in the suburbs of Ohio can be so difficult at times. I have the spirit of a gypsy. Too bad having a family and a steady job doesn't align with that lifestyle. So for the last fifteen years I've lived in Hilliard, Ohio. Prior to moving to Ohio, I lived in Alaska for 8 years on Kodiak Island. Before that I was in Washington State. Throughout my life I have traveled all over the world, from the Middle East to Europe to Canada, and throughout the United States. My time in the Middle East was the most impactful to my life, and I'd love to study abroad to better learn the Arabic language and culture. Cultural immersion is the most impactful and effective way to learn a language and truly understand both the social standards and cultural practices. If I could choose, I would love to spend a length of time in the Middle East studying the language, politics, and drinking in the culture. I have traveled to Palestine several times. I've also traveled to Egypt and Jordan. They all have their own charms, and are all drastically different. Spending time in those countries for the brief time I did changed who I am as a person. It made me more empathetic, open-minded, and observant. It gave me a view into the lifestyle and struggles of people from various backgrounds and faiths. Studying abroad would give me the opportunity to build upon these experiences and perhaps do some volunteer work. I'd love to move into a small, quant apartment with a quirky landlord who offered me tea when I passed them bye. I would love to walk the streets, passing carriages of fresh fruit and produce every afternoon. I'd love to breathe in the air of another country, full of adventure and possibilities. If I had to choose, as an alternative I'd like to spend time in Amsterdam. I have visited twice and have absolutely loved it both times. The leaning buildings, bold colors, friendly people, and various waterways will never leave me. The last time I visited Amsterdam it was Queen's Day, which was an interesting experience. Everyone was dressed in orange, with painted faces, marking the streets with a beer in their hands. Overall, Europe has a balanced lifestyle of activity and rest. They have standing coffee shops, familiar food, and English is spoken widely throughout all of Europe. It is also attached to other countries with castles and breathtaking views like Switzerland. I could travel throughout Europe with ease because the boarders are open to one another--pre-covid, at least. It would be time spent reconnecting with my roots, as I am largely Eastern European. Thank you for your time.