Fishers of Men-tal Health Scholarship

I struggled for over a decade with poor mental health which led to substance abuse issues and physical health problems. Specifically, I struggled with depression and anxiety which took all of the joy and happiness out of my life. Many days I struggled to get out of bed or perform basic self-care tasks such as showering and brushing my teeth. I have been hospitalized multiple times, sought therapy and counseling, and tried many medications to help with my poor mental health before I was successful in finding what works for me. My struggles with mental health ultimately gave me a new lease on life and a perspective that I would not trade for anything. Today, I am grateful for the life that I have and for all of my blessings. I cherish the relationships I have with family and friends and have empathy for people who are struggling. Once, I was hopeless and full of despair to the point of being suicidal, but today I am full of hope, gratitude and a desire to be of service to others. I am in recovery from alcoholism and drug addiction, and I attend twelve-step recovery meetings regularly to try to help others. I also am an active member of my church where I volunteer in our food pantry and outreach program. I read the Bible, pray and meditate, and try to continue growing in my relationship with God every day. With God all things are possible. In the darkness of mental illness and substance abuse, I often isolated and shut the world out, but now fellowship with others is a big part of my life. I have built a strong network of people who I can relate to and talk to when I need support. I know that I never have to fight my battles alone. My struggle with mental illness has taught me much about what is truly important in life. I am not very concerned with money, material possessions, status, fame, fortune, etc. I know that these things are not the source of happiness. This is evident when we see rich and famous people who seemingly have everything they could ever want commit suicide. Without mental health, nothing else is worthwhile. I try to have compassion and understanding for others and be of service whenever possible, always putting my trust in God first and foremost. This way of life fills me with more contentment and peace than any amount of material wealth could. I know from experience that many individuals with mental illness suffer in silence either due to the stigma associated with mental illness or the hopelessness that comes with it. I think it is very important for people to feel comfortable and not ashamed of talking about their mental health struggles. I am attending Wilmington University to pursue a degree in Psychology followed by a Master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. I believe individuals who struggle with mental illness and/or poor mental health deserve to have access to affordable and timely counseling. I plan to become a licensed mental health counselor to help make that a reality in my community.