My career journey in mental health care has been shaped by witnessing the profound impact that compassionate, mutual, and culturally attuned support can have during moments of crisis. In my work as a residential support staff, I watched our clients struggle to find providers who understood not just their symptoms, but the cultural contexts that shaped their experiences of distress and healing. These observations taught me that effective mental health care extends far beyond clinical knowledge—it requires an awareness of systemic barriers, and a commitment to meeting people where they are. I have also struggled to find trauma-informed care in my personal life, or find providers who can understand my lived experience as a trans man. The LGBTQ community continues to be underrepresented in the mental health professions, something I hope to address in my future career as an expressive arts therapist. As I pursue this career, I hope to become a therapist who recognizes that each person's mental health is inseparable from their identity, community, and lived experiences, and who approaches the therapeutic relationship with both expertise and humility. If I could make one transformative change to today's mental healthcare system, I would establish comprehensive integration between mental health services and primary care settings, particularly in underserved communities. Currently, the separation between physical and mental healthcare perpetuates stigma and creates unnecessary barriers. Many individuals, especially in communities where mental health carries significant stigma, are far more comfortable visiting their family doctor than seeking specialized mental health services. By embedding licensed mental health professionals in primary care clinics, community health centers, and schools, we could normalize mental health care as a routine part of wellness. This integration would also address the practical barriers that disproportionately affect marginalized communities—transportation challenges, time constraints, childcare responsibilities, and limited insurance coverage. When mental health screening and treatment become part of a regular doctor's visit, we remove the additional appointment, the separate copay, and the social stigma of walking into a mental health facility. This single systemic change could dramatically increase access while reducing the disparities that currently leave our most vulnerable populations with the least support. Teletherapy represents both tremendous promise and significant challenges in our evolving mental health landscape. Its greatest benefit lies in its potential to reach individuals who have been historically underserved—rural communities without local providers, people with mobility limitations, parents who cannot arrange childcare, and those whose work schedules make traditional appointments impossible. Innovations in expressive arts therapies have also brought this modality into the digital space, bringing the therapeutic power of art and music to a wider audience. However, the digital divide remains a critical challenge. Communities that would benefit most from expanded access often face unreliable internet connectivity, lack of private spaces for therapy sessions, and limited digital literacy. To truly serve diverse communities, we must innovate beyond simply offering video sessions. This means developing hybrid models that combine teletherapy with in-person options, creating partnerships with libraries and community centers to provide private spaces with reliable technology, and ensuring that platforms are accessible across various devices and internet speeds. We must also train providers in the unique skills required for effective virtual care, including how to build therapeutic rapport through screens and how to recognize the physical signs of disregulation in a virtual space. Innovation in teletherapy should focus not on replacing traditional care, but on creating a more flexible, responsive system that adapts to each person's circumstances rather than requiring them to adapt to ours.

I would consider myself an independent person, so financial freedom is very important to me. I don’t like to be in situations where I have to choose between money and my own ethical standards, or put up with unfair situations because someone has financial power over me. I also want to be able to support myself and the people I care about most, so I put a lot of effort into effectively managing my finances. I think building credit is very important, as it allows students more financial freedom later in life. For example, with a better credit score students can get auto and student loans at a lower interest rate, potentially saving thousands of dollars in interest. When it comes to expensive student loans, even small changes in interest rates can really add up over time. The money you make in your twenties is the most valuable money of your life, because it has the most time to sit and accrue interest in the stock market or a savings account. Any of this money that's spent on debt could have been spent investing, starting a small business, or buying property that can build equity. Debt and high interest payments when you're young lead to high opportunity costs and missing out on future possibilities. I am taking control of my financial future by investing in mutual funds that will grow throughout my lifetime and support me in my retirement. I learned about tax-efficient investing from my grandfather and put my money in a Roth IRA account that will allow me to save for retirement without losing most of my returns to taxes. I also make sure to budget my income so I can save money every month for investments or emergencies, and I have a credit card that I use solely for building credit. I only use one third of the limit for this card and pay it off every month, which has helped me raise my credit score and lower the interest rate on my student loans. I started building my credit history because I learned the hard way that having no credit can impact you just as much as bad credit. When I took out loans to go back to school, I had no credit history because I was scared of credit card debt. I had heard stories of young people getting into tens of thousands of dollars of debt from overusing credit cards and living above their means dining out, going on expensive vacations, or buying vehicles and designer clothes they couldn’t afford. I had never used a credit card besides the one my dad gave me in undergrad for emergencies, so my credit score was nonexistent. I thought it was a smart financial decision to avoid debt as much as possible, but this choice came back to haunt me when I got into graduate school and applied for federal student loans. My first federal loan had an interest rate of 8%. Through building my credit score, I’ve been able to lower my interest rate on my most recent loan to 7%. Hopefully, I will be able to keep building my credit history and lower my interest rate even further, or refinance with a private loan after graduating. By making these efforts now, I hope to build a positive financial future for myself. I owe my ability to get an education to the work of my family, and I hope to pass on the opportunities I’ve been given to my own children someday.

My personal mental health journey has played a central role in shaping both my relationship with spirit and career goals. These experiences have significantly influenced how I view myself, others, and the world, shaping how I connect with everyone and everything around me. My personal belief is that spirit is moving in an immanent and present way through us and our world, so anything that impacts how I connect with others, or myself, also impacts how I connect with God. These aspects of my life are interrelated, and my decision to pursue a career that supports others is reflective of my personal spiritual beliefs and an important part of my spiritual practice. Our understanding of mental health has evolved considerably over the past century thanks to early pioneers such as Adler, Freud, and Jung. Advances in psychology continue to show that mental health issues are complex and can arise from various biological, psychological, and social factors, as opposed to earlier beliefs associating it with weakness or moral failure. This evolving understanding has contributed to a more compassionate view of mental health, prompting individuals to seek help rather than suffer in silence. I see my role as a future mental professional as being someone who can offer that compassion and grace towards those who are struggling. I also see my current work in the mental health field as part of my spiritual path, and a future career as a counselor would help me further this important work. In order to understand the role my career plays in my spiritual path, and how my spiritual path shapes my life as a whole, we will need to examine how various traditions have influenced my practice and beliefs. My spiritual practice has been shaped by a combination of Eastern and Western traditions. My mother’s family is Methodist, and I’m familiar with the Christian faith through this lens. However, my father is a Buddhist, and through him I started learning about Eastern faiths. This sparked my interest in world religions, inspiring me to learn and gain an appreciation for spiritual practices from all over the globe. I truly believe that every faith is a different lens through which we can approach the divine, and taking the time to learn about different faiths increases religious tolerance and understanding. We are all God’s children, and we are on the Earth to lift each other up. I embody faith in my daily life through meditation, yoga, prayer, study, and working for the betterment of the world. I am inspired by the concepts of Karma Yoga from Hinduism and the Bodhisattva Path from the Mahayana tradition of Buddhism. Karma Yoga, or the “yoga of action”, is the path of seeking union with the divine by acting selflessly without attachment to the “fruits” of one’s efforts. Although yoga is usually understood as just poses and breathing exercises in the West, the term “yoga” actually refers to various paths through which one can seek union with God. Karma Yoga transforms one’s efforts in the world into a form of prayer, working in the world according to your spiritual values and allowing the divine to work through you rather than seeing yourself as an individual working for personal gain. Likewise, the Bodhisattva path involves practicing for the benefit of all beings rather than just yourself. While a fully realized Bodhisattva is considered a transcendent, enlightened being, everyday people can take inspiration from this ideal in their daily practice. Instead of seeking enlightenment for the sake of personal liberation from suffering, those following the Bodhisattva path dedicate their practice to all sentient beings and often engage in acts of selflessness as part of their spiritual practice. Practitioners seek to emulate the examples of enlightened beings who have stayed in the world to help others achieve freedom, such as Avalokiteshvara or Manjushri. Of course, fully realized Bodhisattvas are intended to be ideals, allegories, and objects of meditation more than anything else. As human beings, it’s important to take care of our own needs and our own mental health in order to take care of others. This is something I have had to learn as someone working in peer support with my own lived experience. I have dealt with anxiety and depression since I was a child, and these feelings have gotten so intense at times that I’ve self-injured or experienced suicidal thoughts. I have also experienced distressing, psychotic-like symptoms due to PTSD. These symptoms inspired me to start working in peer support at a residential program for people experiencing psychosis or other extreme states, the first step on my journey towards becoming a licensed mental health counselor. I made many amazing connections with residents and coworkers, and I was immediately fascinated by extreme state experiences and the psychology behind them. I am currently still working in peer support at a Mental Health Urgent Care program, and I find it a privilege to be with people during their most vulnerable moments. I have learned so much about myself and the human experience through working in mental health, and serving others has become an important part of my service to God. Working in peer support has also influenced my beliefs involving patient rights and patient advocacy within the mental health system. Many of the residents I worked with experienced forced medication, degradation, and assault at the hands of staff at hospitals and other programs. Some were institutionalized against their will, or abused by family members who didn’t understand what they were going through. These experiences were traumatizing for many people, leading to a deep distrust of mental health care providers. It’s my goal to become a counselor who can truly listen to and advocate for clients, offering respect and human connection even in times of crisis. All of these personal experiences with mental health have significantly influenced my beliefs, relationships, and career aspirations. Pursuing a future career as a licensed professional mental health counselor will allow me to engage in spiritual practice through service while working in the world and building connections with vulnerable members of my community. It will also allow me to advocate for people in times of crisis, hopefully protecting them from negligence or abuse. I wish to bring the lessons I’ve learned from both my personal experience with mental health and my professional experience as a peer support specialist into my future work, alongside what I’m currently learning as a graduate student.

In my work and my personal life, I have known many people who have struggled with their mental health. These challenges often interfere with life goals, relationships, and daily tasks in ways that can differ from day to day, adding up over time into an obstacle that can seem insurmountable. I have struggled with my own mental health since childhood, including a period of crisis several years ago, so I have a lot of empathy for others when I see them going through a hard time. Recently, I supported my partner through their own mental health crisis when they were experiencing a very intense manic episode. My partner has bipolar disorder, a condition which causes periods of depression and periods of intense mania. What mania looks like can vary from person to person, but the experience can contain periods of euphoria, intense concentration on a single task or subject, delusion, and paranoia. These experiences can be extremely distressing and overwhelming, and it was even more so for my partner because they were in the middle of moving in with my roommates and I. Despite the progress that’s been made in treating and destigmatizing mental health in recent years, bipolar and other diagnoses that cause extreme states such as mania remain misunderstood. Symptoms such as mood swings and paranoia can be frightening for those who don’t understand what’s happening, and my partner was terrified they would be kicked out by my roommates for their behavior. During the move, I assisted my partner with moving their belongings and cleaning their apartment. It was helpful for their emotional regulation during the stress of moving , as well as their organization, to have a second person around they could rely on. After the move, I supported my partner during periods of more intense paranoia and anxiety by reassuring them, reality-checking, and communicating what was happening to my roommates in a destigmatizing way. “Reality-checking” is a method whereby one “checks” the reality perception of someone in an extreme state by providing a second perspective in a nonjudgemental way. For example, there were many times my partner thought my roommates were saying things under their breath that I did not hear. I provided the perspective that I did not hear these things, and maybe my partner was hearing things that weren’t there because they were in a heightened state in a new environment and anticipating threats. Fortunately, my partner’s mania ended after three weeks without the need for medical intervention. They are still living with myself and my roommates, who were very understanding of the situation and empathetic towards my partner during their distress. I know my partner is an intelligent and resourceful person, however, I’m not sure they would have gotten through such a challenging time so successfully on their own. I am very glad I was able to be there for them, and I’m hoping to use this scholarship to fund my education in mental health counseling so I can continue to show up for others.

I first came to the mental health field a few years ago through a residential treatment program for people experiencing psychosis. This work was often challenging, but it was also very rewarding and I made some truly wonderful connections with residents as they navigated difficult life circumstances, battled extensive trauma, and struggled with serious mental illness. Many residents had difficulty connecting with others or conveying what they were experiencing, but they were able to express themselves with art, music, or poetry. As someone who has struggled with my own mental health, and a lifelong creative, I found these expressions deeply compelling. I loved collaborating with people to find creative and unusual ways to express their emotions, or sharing music that was important to us at difficult times in our lives. I had considered going back to school for art therapy in the past, but this job finally convinced me to take the plunge and apply to Prescott College's MS Counseling program for Spring 2025. Since then, my understanding of counseling as a profession, the role of counselors, the practice of therapy, trauma, and mental health has greatly expanded. I’m so glad I finally made the decision to go back to school and become a counselor so I can make a difference in people’s lives while doing something I love. I’m also grateful to be working in a job I love as a peer support specialist at a mental health urgent care program. In this role, I’m able to put what I’m learning into practice every day and see how various theories play out in real conversations and real people’s lives. It’s an honor to hold space with people during such vulnerable moments. Crisis intervention can really make a difference in someone’s life, and I hope to carry this momentum forward into my future work. Currently, my goal is to complete my Master’s of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, as well as the post-graduate certificate in Expressive Arts Therapy so I can become a licensed expressive arts therapist. I want to use creative therapies involving visual art, music, poetry, writing, and play to engage with those who have serious trauma, or difficulty with traditional talk therapy. I am also interested in working with children, particularly those with autism. It is my hope to use expressive arts therapy to support people on their healing journey, helping them process their emotions and experiences in nonverbal, creative ways.

Mental health is extremely important to me in my personal life, my profession, and my education. I was inspired to become an expressive arts therapist after I found counseling and creative engagement to be effective in addressing my own trauma, and I'm now enrolled in the MS Counseling program at Prescott College. I also work as a mental health peer support specialist at a crisis intervention program, where I support people emotionally and help connect them to local resources in the community. As a peer, it is my responsibility to advocate for clients and point out the stigmatization of those we work with. Although much progress has been made in the past few decades, there is still a great deal of stigma surrounding mental health. I have seen clinicians refuse to work with certain clients without ever meeting them face to face because of certain symptoms listed in their charts. I have also seen people stigmatized and harmed by the hospital system while helping them access care at the emergency room, and I've had to advocate for their needs with hospital staff. Sometimes just having a third person in the room can be enough for a provider to treat someone differently. Prior to my current position, I worked at a residential mental health program for people experiencing psychosis. Psychosis, extreme states, hearing voices, and other unusual phenomena continue to be highly stigmatized, and our residents had to navigate this stigma constantly. While working for this program, I sometimes facilitated conversations between residents and their families, who were often trying to negotiate the balance between care and personal autonomy. While working at this program, I also helped facilitate a Hearing Voices group at the community center run by the same organization. This was a peer run group intended to foster community among people who hear voices or experience other unusual phenomena. People found it helpful to have a safe, judgement free space to tell their stories and talk about their experiences. It was amazing to watch people open up, feel comfortable, and make connections with each other. This space allowed people to overcome the alienation that accompanies mental health stigma, fostering growth and empowerment. Mental health is also important to me personally as someone with PTSD and OCD. My mental health affects me on a daily basis, symptoms can distort my cognition, interrupt my concentration, and make me lose hours to thought spirals and dissociation. I know from personal experience how important it is to address trauma, thought distortions, and anxiety because they can severely impact one’s quality of life. All of these experiences have contributed to my decision to enroll in Prescott College and become a licensed mental health counselor. I want to take the next steps in my career by furthering my education with the goal of helping others. Improving the mental health of individuals improves the health and resiliency of our entire community, and battling stigma helps the most vulnerable members of our community access care.

As someone who works in mental health, I know how important it is to take care of myself so I can continue showing up for others. This is especially important in a peer role, as I have to be aware of how my own trauma and mental health struggles are showing up in client relationships. It's important to be aware of boundaries not just with clients, but with myself, so I can continue acting in everyone's best interest rather than reacting or coming from a pace of fear. Last year, I worked with someone whose language and behavior was extremely activating for my PTSD. This was one of the most challenging situations of my career, and eventually I had to acknowledge that I just couldn't do good work with this person. It was not fair to either of us, because when I was activated I wasn't able to provide constructive mental health support, and they weren't learning or growing. I had to advocate for myself and ask my supervisor to not work with this client, which my supervisor said they weren't able to accommodate. I tried to continue working with this client, but it was extremely difficult for me. Eventually, their behavior started to escalate because they saw the effect they were having on me. The client started actively harassing me and touching themselves in front of me, after which I once again advocated that I not work with the client. I went over my supervisor to the program director and spoke with our union representative, but the intervention they offered me was minimal. I did my best to speak with my coworkers about what was happening and ask for help, and I’m grateful to those coworkers who were willing to hear me out when those in leadership were not. After almost six months of this, I had reached my limit. I was extremely stressed, not just from the harassment I was experiencing but also from feeling dismissed and invalidated by my workplace. It felt like they were telling me my mental health and wellbeing didn’t matter, even when we were working for the mental health of others. When the client only had a few weeks left in the program, I decided to prioritize my own mental health and take FMLA. The only way to really get away from the situation was to take time off from work, take care of myself, and focus on things that brought me joy. I chose my own health and wellbeing over the pressure from leadership to push through my discomfort and put up with harassment. It was a difficult decision to make because I love my job and was afraid taking FMLA would affect how I was treated at work, but I’m glad I made that decision and took care of my health.

I grew up with the life of the Buddha on my living room wall. My father would often show me documentaries about the Dalai Lama, Buddhist culture, and the occupation of Tibet. These stories inspired me to stop eating meat at the age of 12 and continue exploring Buddhist philosophy and faith, including traveling to Washington DC at age 14 to see the Dalai Lama deliver the World Peace talk and other teachings in person. Currently, Buddhist practice is a part of my everyday life, and a major inspiration behind my chosen path of service to others. I currently work in mental health crisis intervention and I'm in the process of earning my Masters of Science in Mental Health Counseling. I plan to continue working in the mental health field as a counselor and expressive arts therapist, focusing on under served and vulnerable populations. I am particularly interested in working with children, those who have developmental disabilities, and those with severe mental illness. Expressive arts therapy is a field that is rapidly growing and innovating new ways to provide care for those who struggle with traditional talk therapy, and I'm very excited to join this field. In my practice, the deity I work with the most is Chenrezig, the bodhisattva of compassion. I was inspired by the story of his 1,000-armed and ten-faced form especially, and how he responded to the cries of suffering beings. I practice with Chenrezig in order to cultivate compassion, patience, and an open heart. I see becoming a counselor as part of this practice and my spiritual journey. I also practice yoga, and I see my work as a form of karma yoga. Karma yoga is the spiritual path of service, seeking union with the divine and expressing devotion through serving one’s fellow human beings. When I am sitting with someone in crisis, it is an honor to be with them during their most vulnerable moments. These moments of human connection are also a form of connection to the divine, and I try to see every person I work with through the eyes of compassion. I am not a perfect person, and I have a lot of learning to do. I still get angry and frustrated with people, and there are lots of things I don’t understand yet, but when I stay open to the divine in all things then everything becomes my teacher. I am a lifelong student, and I have already learned so much during my time as a graduate student. I look forward to learning and growing through both education and service, and becoming a counselor with my own practice.