My name is Vy Lam and I am an aspiring psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner. I was born and raised in Vietnam and immigrated to the US with my single-mother when I was eight years old. From my personal, academic, and professional experiences, I developed a keen interest in mental health and in learning about human emotions and behaviors. Growing up Vietnamese-American, there has always been a cultural stigma surrounding mental health within my family as they often refused to acknowledge these issues as “real” medical problems. However, my experiences firmly taught me that having a healthy mental status is integral to an individual’s overall well-being. When I worked as a Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) technician, I provided daily TMS therapy for dozens of patients suffering from severe depression and anxiety. Thus, I will always advocate for the importance of embracing a healthy mental status. Outside of work, I dedicate my time to volunteering at senior home centers where I visit and interact with the senior citizens to help improve their quality of life. I aspire to be a nurse practitioner who will use innovative, evidence-based treatments to effectively care and advocate for all of my patients. Through graduate nursing school, I aim to obtain the tools to think critically and work cohesively in an interprofessional practice setting to deliver compassionate, patient-centered care and promote healthcare equity for all.