The dream version of a future educator: passionate about teaching, adaptable to changing environments, innovative in my approach to education, and committed to helping students reach their full potential.

It's a very busy life for me: I have a family, and a career, I am a graduate student and foster two children. I serve as a board member of the Mt. Whitney High School PTSA, a domestic violence counselor at Family Services of Tulare County, and a peer counselor at my church, among other things. My educational background consists of a Child Development Credential, and a BA in liberal arts, and I am in the process of working on my MBA degree at National University. My education is one of my major accomplishments; my mother suffered from depression after the death of my grandmother. This resulted in her untreated mental illness and us growing up in poverty. My poverty-stricken childhood taught me the importance of higher education. The person I am today is so much more than I ever imagined it would be as a child. My plan is to open an organization that provides non-profit services for children exposed to domestic violence and those raised in foster care or who have suffered a loss in any way. It is my understanding that loss has a detrimental effect on children and that if untreated, it will negatively affect them, the community, the next generation, and the world as a whole. The education I have gained in the past few years will assist me in opening and operating my non-profit, ensuring its success. It is my mission to provide healing and a healthy relationship for children, adults, and families who suffer from loss, violence, mental illness, and abuse. As part of my program, I am planning to create a safe place for children and parents to stay. For a child who is recovering from trauma, we will provide free counseling for the entire length of their recovery process. If a parent is recovering from trauma, we will provide them with free counseling to help them get through the process. My goal is to hire 20 to 30 trauma-informed trained responders. Using a trauma-informed approach, we will provide mental health and wellness care that acknowledges the complete picture of our health and life situation in their present and past circumstances. Offering a full range of services related to mental health and wellness with a healing orientation is a fundamental part of our mission. I am thirty-nine years old and drowning in student debt. Due to the fact that I am overextended in terms of credit, I cannot buy a home. The money I will be saving will be used to buy a home for my family. I am very excited to be able to realize this lifelong dream. In addition to eliminating my payments, I will have the ability to create more space in my budget, which will allow me to save for my other financial goals. I will be able to assist my children in making their own college payments. I will be able to ease their burden of working and being full-time students. I will be able to save money appropriately and invest my money properly.

The loss of my grandmother to brain cancer at the tender age of nine was a very painful experience for me. There was a deep depression that my mother fell into as a result of losing her Mother. Throughout my mother's life, she has struggled with depression, anxiety, and negative emotions every single day of her life. As a consequence of her depression, I also lost my mother in essence. Over the course of one night, I became a parentified child. During that time, I can recall hiding in my closet, rocking back and forth, sobbing my eyes out, and thinking to myself, “I will never be like her (my mother).” In spite of my mother, I am everything that I am today. My mother did the best that she could, I understand that as an adult woman. In the course of my life, I have seen more than I should have, and it has not been easy. Nevertheless, I am here to help our youth. It was an honor and privilege for me to endure deep sorrow in order to help today and to support children and families who are dealing with difficulties in their everyday lives. As a parent and as a member of my community, I am actively involved in my children's lives and the youth around me. I serve as a board member of the Mt. Whitney High School PTSA, a domestic violence counselor, and a peer counselor at my church, among other things. My educational background consists of a Child Development Credential, and a BA in Literature, and I am in the process of working on my MBA degree at National University. My plan is to open an organization that provides non-profit services for children exposed to domestic violence and those raised in foster care or who have suffered a loss in any way. It is my understanding that loss has a detrimental effect on children and that if untreated, it will negatively affect them, the community, the next generation, and the world as a whole. The education I have gained in the past few years will assist me in opening and operating my non-profit, ensuring its success. It is my mission to provide healing and a healthy relationship for children, adults, and families who suffer from loss, violence, mental illness, and abuse. As part of my program, I am planning to create a safe place for children and parents to stay. For a child who is recovering from trauma, we will provide free counseling for the entire length of their recovery process. If a parent is recovering from trauma, we will provide them with free counseling to help them get through the process. My goal is to hire 20 to 30 trauma-informed trained responders. Using a trauma-informed approach, we will provide mental health and wellness care that acknowledges the complete picture of our health and life situation in their present and past circumstances. Offering a full range of services related to mental health and wellness with a healing orientation is a fundamental part of my mission. This is my positive impact plan to change the world through my career and own life experiences.

It's a very busy life for me: work, school, children, foster parents, etc. As a Graduate Student I have a lot of stress that if not controlled with my health and wellness routine, I would end up dropping out of School. There are a range of wellness practices that I engage in, such as mindfulness, cooking at home, rest and exercise, and spiritual practice. As a graduate student at Nation University, these are some ways that I manage my personal wellness. In my view, it has become very evident that my grade point average is well correlated with the number of health-related activities that I have been involved in during my college years. Mindfulness helps me maintain my sense of well-being. I focus on my breathing and think to myself “I got this.” I practice breathing throw out the day. On my good days, I get enough sleep and I am able to function normally. On most days, I walk during my 15-minute breaks and lunch hour at work. In addition, I utilize the mental health services offered by my University on a monthly basis. Home-cooked meals are something I enjoy and I try to avoid eating out as much as I can. I meal prep Sunday nights and meal plan weekly. Maintaining a healthy diet has kept me sharp and prepared for my courses. I realize that by cooking my own meals, I am ensuring that my family and myself are eating nutritious, wholesome meals and that they are eating healthy food. I am able to look and feel healthier, I have more energy, and I am able to stabilize my weight and my mood by cooking at home. Having a strong sense of spirituality is important to me. My daily routine includes reading my Bible and listening to the songs of praise and worship. A great way to keep me accountable is to evaluate my values, ethics, and beliefs on a regular basis. In order to build a values-based life, I use these principles. My spiritual health involves being able to clearly define what I want in life and making positive decisions based on those values, in addition to having a clear understanding of what my purpose is and my direction. Having a sense of personal wellness to me means being physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually healthy. As an individual who leads a very busy life, my healthy lifestyle helps me balance all of these aspects of my crazy schedule. It is important for me to make positive decisions and choices that impact my short-term and long-term well-being and goals. As a graduate student, I need to take into account my overall wellness in order to succeed academically. It is apparent that my grade point average is correlated with my participation in a variety of wellness activities while at college.