Stafford R. Ultsch Legacy Scholarship

Mental health has long been a taboo topic within my family for as long as I can remember. No one spoke of it, no one struggled with it, and no one ever reached out for help. My grandmother was shunned by our family due to her Bipolar II, and my mother constantly hid her depression. On April 27th, 2023, my mother committed suicide, and it shook my family to the core. Everyone felt so displaced, lost, and confused as if we were trying to find our way through thick fog. I am still dealing with the repercussions of losing my only parent, my best friend, and the person I could tell everything. Her suicide has pushed me even further towards finding a career in mental health, and hopefully helping people who have struggled like me. Possibly helping those who struggled as my mom did. The pain I experienced when I had to say goodbye to my mother far too early is something I never want anyone else to experience. If I can help just one person through a crisis, if I can help one person find the desire to live another day, I will feel successful. I will feel as if I have a purpose. I never want anyone to feel as if they don't matter, to feel as if they need to hide their true feelings, and I never want anyone to feel alone. Having a career in mental health would enable me to help those who are dealing with feelings of self-harm, suicide, anger, embarrassment, and so much more. I would be able to help them, and hopefully help them through the struggle of dealing with mental health in such a dark world. I would be able to help them through their thoughts and guide them to a path that doesn't involve suicide. Suicide and battles with mental health have become even more common in this day and age. I feel that my first-hand experiences with suicide, and my own battle with mental health would make me even more equipped for a job in the field of mental health. I would have these experiences that would make me far more relatable, and possibly a far more comfortable person to talk to. I know how daunting it can be to reach out for help, but having someone that truly understands what you're going through makes the task far less frightening. Suicide has impacted me by taking away my best friend, my rock, and most importantly my mother. Suicide has impacted me by changing the dynamics of my family and displacing many of us. Suicide has also pushed me towards solidifying my choice of a career in mental health, and it has also shown me that everyone deserves help. It has taught me to always reach out, no matter how big or small your feelings are.