These photos were taken at Cueva Ventana in Puerto Rico last summer. It is a window cave which looks out on the island with a massive drop below it. I don't talk about it very much but I am scared of heights like this. I was incredibly proud of myself for not only doing this but enjoying myself with my best friend at the same time. Even though it was scary, I'm so glad I got to experience this once in a lifetime view. Look at how gorgeous the photos are!

At thirteen years old while laying in my bed texting my friends on my Samsung tablet through Kik, I made my decision to dive headfirst into the world of mental health without even realizing it. My friend Hayden and I began talking about his deepest secret: he was self-harming and had attempted suicide. I needed to show him that he was loved so we became the closest of friends and I took it upon myself to keep him safe no matter what happened in the long run. However, there was one problem: Hayden did not want anyone’s help but mine and I couldn’t take on all that pain by myself. He told me about his constant nagging thoughts and the horrible things he would do to himself at night when everyone was asleep. I went to the school counselors, his parents, and even his brother but no one helped. He told me I wasn’t good enough and I wasn’t loved. What I thought was my best friend for so long became a parasite for my empathy. He only wanted to let out his stress on me like darts on a dartboard and I can definitely say that it left many punctures. I felt like everything that had happened to him was my fault because I couldn’t pull him out of the depths of his mind. I felt utterly useless and completely abandoned. Because of these experiences, I still struggle with extreme anxiety, anxiety-induced irritable bowel syndrome, and severe self-image issues. Hayden changed my life for the worst for five long years but now I realize he may have changed it for the better. He forced me to discover my greatest superpower: empathy. From my experience, both personally and with Hayden I have decided I would like to major in neuroscience and work my way into clinical neuropsychology. Also, I hope to start a Student-Lead Mental Health Outreach at Mercer University when I become an official student there. I want to help others work through their mental health struggles, big or small, with a group of supportive people around them.

At thirteen years old while laying in my bed texting my friends on my Samsung tablet through Kik, I made my decision to dive headfirst into the world of mental health without even realizing it. My friend Hayden and I began talking about his deepest secret: he was self-harming and had attempted suicide. I needed to show him that he was loved so we became the closest of friends and I took it upon myself to keep him safe no matter what happened in the long run. However, there was one problem: Hayden did not want anyone’s help but mine and I couldn’t take on all that pain by myself. He told me about his constant nagging thoughts and the horrible things he would do to himself at night when everyone was asleep. I went to the school counselors, his parents, and even his brother but no one helped. He told me I wasn’t good enough and I wasn’t loved. What I thought was my best friend for so long became a parasite for my empathy. He only wanted to let out his stress on me like darts on a dartboard and I can sure say that it left many punctures. I felt like everything that had happened to him was my fault because I couldn’t pull him out of the depths of his mind. I felt utterly useless and completely abandoned. Because of these experiences I still struggle with extreme anxiety, IBS from anxiety, and severe self-image issues. Hayden changed my life for the worst for five long years but now I realize he may have changed it for the better. He forced me to discover my greatest superpower: empathy. From my experience, both personally and with Hayden I have decided I would like to major in neuroscience and work my way into clinical neuropsychology. I love science and how the human body works, but I don't just want to focus on that. I want to use my knowledge to help others in their daily struggles with mental health. Also, I hope to start a Student-Lead Mental Health Outreach at Mercer University when I become an official student there. College students need mental health support because they are at such a crucial turning point in life. With moving out, finding new friends, being in a new learning environment, and other new experiences, they need to feel as loved and supported as possible. I want to help others work through their mental health struggles, big or small, with a group of supportive people around them.

Peter James Gudz, Jr. (who refuses to go by anything but P.J.) is my best friend and sometimes acts as a big brother for me. Since I began high school, he took me under his wing and became one of the best people that I know in my life. High school is an integral part of a teenager's growing brain and I am proud to say that my experience was elevated by P.J.'s influence on my life. P.J. and I became friends through a mutual friend of ours who we were helping through some deep-rooted mental health issues. Due to this close relationship P.J. and I became the closest of friends. He has helped me in truly narrowing down my career interests and because of his help, I know that I want to go into neuroscience. He knows me so well that we can look at each other and know what we are both thinking. However, he graduated at the end of my sophomore year and despite this, we still have the same strong friendship. We both love going to Athens and enjoying the day outside walking the UGA campus and strolling around the main street. Those were the days that he taught me to enjoy the little things in life like the sunset, and little flowers in the grass, and the smile of an older lady you pass on the street. He taught me that these are the things that bring the simplest joys in life and I will never forget this. I hope one day I will be able to share this with other friends and maybe even my own children. He also gave me my life motto: everything takes persistence, positivity, and time. You can truly apply this to any pursuit in life. It doesn't matter if that's just getting up in the morning or working towards a higher position in the most powerful business in the world. Every time I am working to a new goal I remember P.J. telling me this and it encourages me to work harder because I know he is supporting me in every step. We even applied this to helping our mutual friend because we just had to be persistent in our methods of helping to see a difference in his mental health, we had to be positive about it knowing that no one changes when they feel they are in a negative environment, and change takes time. Seeing him apply what he told me really inspired me. Every time there is a beautiful sunset he texts me and tells me to go outside and look at the sky to appreciate every moment of it. What makes the sunset even more special is that P.J. is colorblind so he physically can not see all the beautiful colors that the sunset portrays. I think it is beautiful that he finds peace in things that he can not completely see but he still wants to share this joy with me. I honestly believe that I will always think of him when I see the sunset for the rest of my life because of how we have bonded over watching it together for so long. P.J. would be so embarrassed if he knew I wrote about him in this essay but I know at the same time he would see how much I appreciate everything he does for me and that is why he is my role model. Everything he does is selfless and he desires no credit or recognition for it. I want my life to be just as beautiful as he strives to make his own. I want to wake up in the morning thankful for a new day, go about my day trying to make someone smile, help others whenever I can, inspire others to pursue their dreams just like he has done for me, and at the end of the day watch the sunset and go to sleep knowing a new day will come.

This is Yogi but we tend to call him Yogi Bear most of the time. He may not look like a big ole bear but his personality is just a big as one. He loves to pose for pictures and if you're not careful he will just lick you to death! If you want to see more of this little guy come look at @victoria_siple.

This playlist is about love and not in the way you may think. It is about feeling love in all its shapes and forms (even the painful ones). Silas is my main song here and when I listen to it, the absolute peace that overflows my body is surreal. We must learn to be at peace throughout our life despite what is happening around us. There is a beautiful ebb and flow in this playlist that I hope you catch on to. This also represents the playlists purpose. I hope you enjoy and can even use for your own relaxation.

This is Yogi but we tend to call him Yogi Bear most of the time. He may not look like a big ole bear but his personality is just a big as one. He loves to pose for pictures and if you're not careful he will just lick you to death! If you want to see more of this little guy come look at @victoria_siple.

Peter James Gudz, Jr. (who refuses to go by anything but P.J.) is my best friend and sometimes acts as a big brother for me. Since I began high school, he took me under his wing and became one of the best people that I know in my life. High school is an integral part of a teenager's growing brain and I am proud to say that my experience was elevated by P.J.'s influence on my life. P.J. and I became friends through a mutual friend of ours who we were helping through some deep-rooted mental health issues. Due to this close relationship P.J. and I became the closest of friends. He has helped me in truly narrowing down my career interests and because of his help, I know that I want to go into neuroscience. He knows me so well that we can look at each other and know what we are both thinking. However, he graduated at the end of my sophomore year and despite this, we still have the same strong friendship. We both love going to Athens and enjoying the day outside walking the UGA campus and strolling around the main street. Those were the days that he taught me to enjoy the little things in life like the sunset, and little flowers in the grass, and the smile of an older lady you pass on the street. He taught me that these are the things that bring the simplest joys in life and I will never forget this. I hope one day I will be able to share this with other friends and maybe even my own children. He also gave me my life motto: everything takes persistence, positivity, and time. You can truly apply this to any pursuit in life. It doesn't matter if that's just getting up in the morning or working towards a higher position in the most powerful business in the world. Every time I am working to a new goal I remember P.J. telling me this and it encourages me to work harder because I know he is supporting me in every step. We even applied this to helping our mutual friend because we just had to be persistent in our methods of helping to see a difference in his mental health, we had to be positive about it knowing that no one changes when they feel they are in a negative environment, and change takes time. Seeing him apply what he told me really inspired me. Every time there is a beautiful sunset he texts me and tell me to go outside and look at the sky to appreciate every moment of it. What makes the sunset even more special is that P.J. is colorblind so he physically can not see all the beautiful colors that the sunset portrays. I think it is beautiful that he finds peace in things that he can not completely see but he still wants to share this joy with me. I honestly believe that I will always think of him when I see the sunset for the rest of my life because of how we have bonded over watching it together for so long. P.J. would be so embarrassed if he knew I wrote about him in this essay but I know at the same time he would see how much I appreciate everything he does for me and that is why he is my role model. Everything he does is selfless and he desires no credit or recognition for it. I want my life to be just as beautiful as he strives to make his own. I want to wake up in the morning thankful for a new day, go about my day trying to make someone smile, help others whenever I can, inspire others to pursue their dreams just like he has done for me, and at end the of day watch the sunset and go to sleep knowing a new day will come.