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Aliya Mclemore

545

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Finalist

Bio

I have been passionate about psychology since I first learned what a therapist was as a young child. I struggled with mental health myself at a young age. I had childhood anxiety and depression. I also witnessed family members and peers struggle mentally. I was always empathetic and knew that I wanted to help people when I got older. I just was not sure exactly how I would do that. Until my mom told me, she was going to therapy. Naturally, I was curious and asked her what a therapist was. She told me that it helped her with her feelings because she was in a lot of pain. As I got older, I was able to understand that my mom was chronically ill and suffered from depression as a result. As a child, all I could understand was that I had big, complicated feelings, too. From that moment on, I dedicated my life to being a resource for children just like me.

Education

University of the Cumberlands

Master's degree program
2023 - 2026
  • Majors:
    • Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology

University of Cincinnati-Main Campus

Bachelor's degree program
2018 - 2021
  • Majors:
    • Psychology, General

Miscellaneous

  • Desired degree level:

    Master's degree program

  • Graduate schools of interest:

  • Transfer schools of interest:

  • Majors of interest:

  • Not planning to go to medical school
  • Career

    • Dream career field:

      Mental Health Care

    • Dream career goals:

      Clinical Mental Health Counselor for underprivileged youth at either a school or a hospital

    • Behavior Technician

      Key Behavior Services LLC
      2024 – Present11 months
    • Student Resiliency Coordinator

      Dayton Children's Hospital
      2023 – 20241 year
    • Behavior Health Specialist promoted to Behavioral Health Facilitator

      Cincinnati Children's Hospital
      2022 – 20231 year

    Sports

    Soccer

    2017 – 20181 year

    Arts

    • Stivers School for the Arts High School

      Music
      2009 – 2018

    Public services

    • Volunteering

      Give Like a Mother — Staff Volunteer Team
      2019 – 2019

    Future Interests

    Advocacy

    Volunteering

    Ethel Hayes Destigmatization of Mental Health Scholarship
    My first battle with mental illness was a personal one. I struggled with GAD and depression since I was in 7th grade. My favorite story to tell is how I learned what a therapist was. One day, my mom was leaving the house. Out of curiosity, I asked her where she was going. She told me that she was going to therapy. Naturally, my following question was, "What is therapy?" My mom explained to me that because she is in a lot of physical pain, she has to go talk to someone who helps her with her feelings. My world changed from that moment on. I thought to myself, "There are people who can help with that?!" I knew that I had big, complicated feelings that I was struggling to manage. I did not know how to ask for help as a kid, but I tried screaming for help silently. I would be transparent about my feelings on the annual PHQ-9 assessment given by my PCP, but I was not taken seriously. I spoke my truth to the school counselor, met with her once, and never saw her again. My attempts at asking for help have gone unnoticed for a long time. I knew that I did not want others to feel the way that I had felt. From that moment on, I dedicated my life to being a resource for kids like me. Specifically, it is my goal to provide mental health services to underprivileged children. I was born and raised in Dayton and experienced first-hand how the school system is failing our hurting children. I have had the privilege of working at a DPS school and witnessed how mental health was not being prioritized. Not only do I want to be a resource, but I also want to be a representative for the Black community. Stigmatizing mental health is creating a generational curse of mentally unwell Black children who grow up to be mentally unwell adults and struggle to be a functioning member of society. A short scroll through Instagram shows that there is a mental health movement among us. There have been efforts to reduce stigmatization and increase communication. I am proud of this movement because I can now have honest conversations with my friends and family, something that I could not do as a child. I am happy to say that I received professional help in adulthood. However, there is much to be done when providing adequate help for our future generations.