As someone initially afflicted with schizoaffective disorder (depressive type), which is a rare mental health condition affecting 0.3% of the population, I know the challenge of accessing mental health services especially during the Covid-19 pandemic remains a priority for my community today. Many with my diagnosis are on disability, low income, or unemployment with low accessibility to mental health services in general. Yet, much negative public stigma remains around mental health- making those in my community unable to live open lives due to potentially being discriminated against in the workplace, hesitancy to share things openly with their therapists and psychiatrists, and who struggle to self-care every waking day. For four years battling multiple hospitalizations and relapses alone in a complicated healthcare system, I fully overcame my condition this year to enroll in a graduate program in my thirties. It has been a long road to recovery to deal with my anxiety and paralyzing irrational fears of being afraid to go out as well as use the Internet (called "delusions", which are the symptoms of which I suffer from). While it has been frustrating cycling through different medications and therapists all the while knowing there is no cure for my illness, I remain optimistic more than ever. What I have learned is that overcoming trauma requires intensive reprogramming who you are at the core. Most importantly by taking steps to prioritize mental health, I have discovered through support groups on campus here that no one is alone, even though it feels that way. I've learned how to be vulnerable instead of shamefully hiding my past, and to openly share my depression with the hope that others can be inspired enough to tell their stories from hearing my own. Today, who I am has been shaped by academic lenses that make me indebted to serving different sectors of society. I cannot be a role model until I have successfully built the foundation that others can also be uplifted on not just through words, but through action. Therefore, whether each dimension has reflected currently participating as a mental health coordinator, or contributing to mental health articles, my present goal remains to give a voice- more importantly, value to those who are underrepresented in the disabled community. My aspiration is to be an advocate for rights for neurodivergence and disability both academically and professionally. My commitment remains to volunteering for organizations like NAMI (National Association on Mental Illness) and AFSP (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention). With my degree, I want to break the silence about disability in the workplace and aim to solve today’s problems through technology from a perspective that is inclusive of digital accessibility. As a minority, being the first in my family to study higher education has given me sufficient motivation to be the byproduct of the generational American story, where I hope with this scholarship, can help speak for those individuals who not only will find the clarity and courage to independently live on their own, but to walk their own paths.

As someone initially afflicted with schizoaffective disorder (depressive type), which is a rare mental health condition affecting 0.3% of the population, I know the challenge of accessing mental health services especially during the Covid-19 pandemic remains a priority for my community today. Many with my diagnosis are on disability, low income, or unemployment with low accessibility to mental health services in general. Yet, much negative public stigma remains around mental health- making those in my community unable to live open lives due to potentially being discriminated against in the workplace, hesitancy to share things openly with their therapists and psychiatrists, and who struggle to self-care every waking day. For four years battling multiple hospitalizations and relapses alone in a complicated healthcare system, I fully overcame my condition this year to enroll in a graduate program in my thirties. It has been a long road to recovery to deal with my anxiety and paralyzing irrational fears of being afraid to go out as well as use the Internet (called "delusions", which are the symptoms of which I suffer from). While it has been frustrating cycling through different medications and therapists all the while knowing there is no cure for my illness, I remain optimistic more than ever. What I have learned is that overcoming trauma requires intensive reprogramming who you are at the core. Most importantly by taking steps to prioritize mental health, I have discovered through support groups on campus here that no one is alone, even though it feels that way. I've learned how to be vulnerable instead of shamefully hiding my past, and to openly share my depression with the hope that others can be inspired enough to tell their stories from hearing my own. Today, who I am has been shaped by academic lenses that make me indebted to serving different sectors of society. I cannot be a role model until I have successfully built the foundation that others can also be uplifted on not just through words, but through action. Therefore, whether each dimension has reflected currently participating as a mental health coordinator, or contributing to mental health articles, my present goal remains to give a voice- more importantly, value to those who are underrepresented in the disabled community. My aspiration is to be an advocate for rights for neurodivergence and disability both academically and professionally. My commitment remains to volunteering for organizations like NAMI (National Association on Mental Illness) and AFSP (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention). With my degree, I want to break the silence about disability in the workplace and aim to solve today’s problems through technology from a perspective that is inclusive of digital accessibility. As a minority, being the first in my family to study higher education has given me sufficient motivation to be the byproduct of the generational American story, where I hope with this scholarship, can help speak for those individuals who not only will find the clarity and courage to independently live on their own, but to walk their own paths.

As someone initially afflicted with schizoaffective disorder (depressive type), which is a rare mental health condition affecting 0.3% of the population, I know the challenge of accessing mental health services especially during the Covid-19 pandemic remains a priority for my community today. Many with my diagnosis are on disability, low income, or unemployment with low accessibility to mental health services in general. Yet, much negative public stigma remains around mental health- making those in my community unable to live open lives due to potentially being discriminated against in the workplace, hesitancy to share things openly with their therapists and psychiatrists, and who struggle to self-care every waking day. For four years battling multiple hospitalizations and relapses alone in a complicated healthcare system, I fully overcame my condition this year to enroll in a graduate program in my thirties. It has been a long road to recovery to deal with my anxiety and paralyzing irrational fears of being afraid to go out as well as use the Internet (called "delusions", which are the symptoms of which I suffer from). While it has been frustrating cycling through different medications and therapists all the while knowing there is no cure for my illness, I remain optimistic more than ever. What I have learned is that overcoming trauma requires intensive reprogramming who you are at the core. I've learned how to be vulnerable instead of shamefully hiding my past, and to openly share my depression with the hope that others can be inspired enough to tell their stories from hearing my own. Today, who I am has been shaped by academic lenses that make me indebted to serving different sectors of society. I cannot be a role model until I have successfully built the foundation that others can also be uplifted on not just through words, but through action. Therefore, whether each dimension has reflected currently participating as a mental health coordinator, or contributing to mental health articles, my present goal remains to give a voice- more importantly, value to those who are underrepresented in the disabled community. My aspiration is to be an advocate for rights for neurodivergence and disability both academically and professionally. My commitment remains to volunteering for organizations like NAMI (National Association on Mental Illness) and AFSP (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention). With my degree, I want to break the silence about disability in the workplace and aim to solve today’s problems through technology from a perspective that is inclusive of digital accessibility. As a minority, being the first in my family to study higher education has given me sufficient motivation to be the byproduct of the generational American story, where I hope with this scholarship, can help speak for those individuals who not only will find the clarity and courage to independently live on their own, but to walk their own paths.

As someone initially afflicted with schizoaffective disorder (depressive type), which is a rare mental health condition affecting 0.3% of the population, I know the challenge of accessing mental health services especially during the Covid-19 pandemic remains a priority for my community today. Many with my diagnosis are on disability, low income, or unemployment with low accessibility to mental health services in general. Yet, much negative public stigma remains around mental health- making those in my community unable to live open lives due to potentially being discriminated against in the workplace, hesitancy to share things openly with their therapists and psychiatrists, and who struggle to self-care every waking day. For four years battling multiple hospitalizations and relapses alone in a complicated healthcare system, I fully overcame my condition this year to enroll in a graduate program in my thirties. It has been a long road to recovery to deal with my anxiety and paralyzing irrational fears of being afraid to go out as well as use the Internet (called "delusions", which are the symptoms of which I suffer from). While it has been frustrating cycling through different medications and therapists all the while knowing there is no cure for my illness, I remain optimistic more than ever. What I have learned is that overcoming trauma requires intensive reprogramming who you are at the core. I've learned how to be vulnerable instead of shamefully hiding my past, and to openly share my depression with the hope that others can be inspired enough to tell their stories from hearing my own. Today, who I am has been shaped by academic lenses that make me indebted to serving different sectors of society. I cannot be a role model until I have successfully built the foundation that others can also be uplifted on not just through words, but through action. Therefore, whether each dimension has reflected currently participating as a mental health coordinator, or contributing to mental health articles, my present goal remains to give a voice- more importantly, value to those who are underrepresented in the disabled community. My aspiration is to be an advocate for rights for neurodivergence and disability both academically and professionally. My commitment remains to volunteering for organizations like NAMI (National Association on Mental Illness) and AFSP (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention). With my degree as a student ambassador in my master's program, I want to break the silence about disability in the workplace and aim to solve business problems from a perspective that is inclusive of digital accessibility. As a minority, being the first in my family to study higher education has given me sufficient motivation to be the byproduct of the generational American story, where I hope with this scholarship, can help speak for those individuals who not only will find the clarity and courage to independently live on their own, but to walk their own paths.