My journey towards a career path in counseling is filled with very disheartening experiences, but all of which will be used for the highest purpose possible. Many family members of mine, and myself included, battled severe mental health issues. I lost my cousin to suicide when he was only 15 years old, during which I was suffering from my own severe depression in high school as well. When we lost Austin, I saw the negative impact it had on all of our loved ones and I knew that suicide was no longer an option for me. Unfortunately, I never received counseling. I stuffed down all the pain and trauma and pressed forward by suppressing the difficult emotions of the past. A couple years after this tragic loss, my sister began developing a substance misuse disorder. This resulted in seven years of chaos and hopelessness, but also a deepening of faith and believing every day that passed was a day closer to her sober date. I am thankful to say she is still alive and four years sober! Due to firsthand experience, I am confident that when people feel connected and are surrounded by support, they can overcome their addiction. The final chapter of the story that lead me to the road of becoming a counselor entails my own hardship in an abusive relationship. When I finally became free of that relationship, I set out on a mission to learn as much as possible about maladaptive personalities and their impact on their victims so that I can help those who have suffered from this type of trauma. I found a deep passion for wanting to help victims of domestic abuse to overcome their trauma and find peace once again. It is also valuable for people to reflect on their childhood experiences and others factors in life that may cause them to continue to embrace unhealthy relationships. Counseling can help end the toxic cycles that we offer find ourselves in and become blind to. In my studies thus far, I have only discovered how much more there is to be done in the field and the vast array of ways counseling changes lives. My hopes in becoming a counselor are to first become a counselor for the nonprofit I currently work for, Rooted 303, and assist our clients via therapy. Next, I am striving to become an expert in personality disorders and healing trauma. I hope to lead people into their journey to mental health wellness, to inspire clients to build their resilience, discover their worth, and heal their core negative beliefs about themselves. I would love to continue education and receive a doctorates degree and begin researching optimal tools for healing trauma as well as discovering what may motivate those with maladaptive personalities to empathize so that as a society and culture, we can cultivate empathy and compassion and help the trajectory of humanity to align to a more loving, brighter, path.

Community service can mean volunteering, giving back to the community via time or financial resources, sharing a smile with your neighbor, and overall kindness to those around you. However, there is an important aspect of community service that tends to be overlooked: caring for ourselves. While the term “self-care” has become extremely popularized in our culture, there is great value in practicing that way of being, especially when integrated into our lives in deeper disciplines than bubble baths and hair masks, although those acts of self-care are important too. Through my life experience thus far, I have discovered the importance of not only my relationships with others, but the relationship I have with myself. I discovered that the relationship I have with myself has a ripple effect impacting my interactions with others, whether it be negatively or positively. For example, negative core beliefs many people struggle with, such as, “I am a burden” or “I will never be good enough”, among other types of negative beliefs, will impact a person's behavior. For example, if someone attempts to develop a close relationship with a person struggling with negative beliefs about themselves, they may push the person away because of their deep-seated belief that they are not good enough. Those negative core beliefs can also cause someone to not have any desire to serve their community because they believe they have nothing to give or offer, and therefore, no reason to serve. However, when we truly evaluate where those beliefs came from and begin to alter them into more honest views of ourselves, that we are worthy, and that we are capable of becoming anything we want to be, and we acquire a growth mindset, we become limitless. Once we have overcome these negative beliefs about ourselves, and we have developed a healthy relationship with ourselves, we are then better able to serve those around us. When we are authentic with ourselves, we can be authentic with others. When we are compassionate towards ourselves, we can genuinely display compassion to others. If we avoid or ignore our feelings and force our own happiness, then there’s a chance when someone expresses their challenging feelings, we will shut them out. You see, there is a major connection between our relationship with ourselves, and the impact that has on our relationships with others and the community at large. My work as a counselor is designed to equip community members with the tools and resources needed to heal any negative core beliefs and discover healing from various forms of trauma. I currently work for a local nonprofit, Rooted 303, and we help people in recovery from substance misuse and mental health challenges in general. Once I am in the position of a counselor, I intend to serve our community by establishing a therapeutic relationship with individuals within the community and guiding them through their personal healing process. I am also committed to my own healing journey so that I can be the best version of myself and serve my community in the most effective and loving way possible. I believe that when we are all developing a growth mindset, healing our traumas, and developing healthy relationships with ourselves, with those around us, and with life, then we will all be able to change the trajectory of the future of humanity towards achieving unity and harmony. So, in order to authentically serve our communities, we must build a positive relationship with ourselves, believe in our own abilities, give ourselves compassion, and then use that energy as fuel to serve every person we encounter.

Life as a single mom is filled with so many questions. Am I raising my son correctly? Will I be able to provide for him? Am I making the right career choice? Will he feel loved and accepted even though his dad abandoned him? How can I make sure he doesn’t feel rejected or unworthy? These questions and many others can feel debilitating and heart breaking. Not only are the questions burdensome, but the responsibilities of everyday life become very daunting. Thankfully, gratitude and surrender are techniques that I use to help reset myself when life becomes overwhelming. The first technique I implement daily to avoid burnout is gratitude. A thankful mindset is the key to a happier existence. Every morning, I give thanks for a new day. I reflect on the many things there are to be grateful for such as shelter, clean water, my health, my son's health, and much more. Starting my day this way is life saving habit that brings me joy and peace amidst a sometimes dark and overwhelming life. When we live with an attitude of gratitude, our perception shifts. A task once seen as stressful transforms into a feeling of being honored to do it. What was once perceived as a lack gets replaced with a joyful heart filled with the warmth that associates a thankful mindset. While a daily gratitude practice is helpful and prevents burnout, there are still days that are much more difficult than others. When I notice anxiety rising and my shoulders feeling heavy from the weight of the world resting upon them, I have to stop what I’m doing and remind myself to be thankful. This does not come naturally; rather, it is a practice. I have to stop myself in those moments and take the time to alter my perspective by focusing on the many blessings there are to be thankful for. Doing so causes a major reset in myself, and I am able to breathe and refocus on the task at hand. Gratitude is a wonderful tool that brings me to the present moment, and allows me to feel peace and bliss no matter the chaos that is surrounding me. It gives me internal peace despite the external pressures. The other technique I use to reset myself during overwhelming times is to surrender. Surrender may have a negative connotation, meaning to give up after fighting a hard battle. However, my view of surrendering is to let go of control and trust that things will fall into place. My son's dad is fully out of the picture; he doesn’t come around and doesn’t help financially. My biggest struggle and overwhelming thoughts are regarding my son and wanting him to feel loved and accepted despite being abandoned. I am nervous my son will be another statistic reflecting the frightening things that happen to boys who don’t have a father in the house. I overwhelm myself wondering how I’ll be able to provide him with the best education, sport’s league, or music lessons. Honestly, there aren’t enough words allotted in this essay to describe how many overwhelming thoughts I experience. And that is where surrender comes in. I do not know what the future holds, and I can only control so much of it. What I do know is that I can let go and trust that my son will always have more than enough to live a beautiful, fulfilling life. Life as a single mom is overwhelming, but gratitude and surrender give me the peace I need in order to reset and enjoy the blessings of life.

Two years ago I was blessed with a healthy baby boy. While my situation wasn’t traditional in any way, and I was nervous to raise my boy alone, I knew I loved him with all my heart. A few months postpartum and I began to notice extreme challenges in my health. I experienced severe joint pain, rapid weight loss, brain fog, and constant stomach pains. Thankfully, a dear friend of mine offered to help, as she is a professional nutritionist. We ran tests, including my thyroid, and that’s when I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease. Prior to my diagnosis, I never heard of the condition. I was disheartened to discover that my own body was destroying itself. However, I felt thankful to discover the root cause of my symptoms. Living with an autoimmune disease has shaped who I am today in positive ways more so than negative ways. I began to eat properly, manage my stress, and learned how to heal myself naturally. Yes, there were and continues to be moments of struggle, and the symptoms can be daunting, but I choose to remain positive. I refuse to be a victim to my circumstances, and rather than focusing on the challenges in this essay, I want to highlight the benefits of my diagnosis. My nutritionist guides me in healing leaky gut in hopes to also put Hashimoto’s into remission. During this healing journey, I must scrutinize the ingredients in the food I consume. This is a challenging but eye-opening experience. I began to realize that palm oils and sugar exist in nearly every product on the shelves. It took time adjust to a specific diet, as well as affording it, but the healing that takes place is worth the effort. My struggle with Hashimoto’s has turned into my strength by empowering me to take charge of my diet, which has changed my life dramatically. I am not fatigued, bloated, and no longer suffering from debilitating stomach pains. I am full of energy and able to play with my son. Not only do I adjust my diet for myself; it also benefits my son. I’ve learned about many healing properties found in food. Food can be our medicine! This new knowledge inspires me to feed him organic and natural foods that will help him maintain his health throughout the rest of his life. How beautiful that an autoimmune disease diagnosis can be used for the betterment of my family. Next, I am learning to manage my stress in order to heal myself. I started a meditation regimen that has helped my mental health, physical health, and spiritual health. As I meditate, I visualize myself with a healed thyroid, and full of life as I run around with my son. Adding this practice to my life brings me peace, joy, and happiness. So while the reason for beginning my meditation venture was from a struggle, it blossomed into a wonderful blessing that has molded me into a more loving and mindful person. My experience with Hashimoto’s began with extreme fatigue, joint pain, brain fog and severe stomach problems. Add that to the stressors of being a single mom and I was in a very hard place. Thankfully that struggle turned into my strength because I am on the path of healing myself through diet and stress management. What was my struggle has now became my ultimate strength as I am empowered to control my health in ways I never knew were possible, and I am able to share this knowledge with my son so that we may live a healthy life together.

Life is a precious blessing, and every morning that I wake up I strive to live with love, respect, and an attitude of service to those in my community. The ways I exemplify a spirit of excellence in my everyday life is how I care for my son, how I treat others, and how I serve my community members. I am a single mother to a loving and beautiful two year old boy named Noah. Unfortunately, his dad is mentally unstable and chose to abandon Noah. I spent countless nights alone caring for my son when he was a newborn. While it was challenging, I could not help but feel so honored that I had this baby boy in arms - despite the incessant crying. I recall another sleepless night comforting my son, and I felt my character being built right in that moment. I never experienced anger or negative emotions during those restless nights of rocking and quietly repeating “shh” to help Noah go back to sleep. I only felt overwhelmed with love for this innocent and precious life I was gifted with. To this day, I exemplify excellence in the ways I care for and raise my son. While motherhood appears to be perceived as less valuable these days, I believe it is an essential and critical role a human could possess. Our children grow up and become a part of society, and it’s my duty to raise him to be a patient, loving, and empathetic human being. The most effective way to teach such morals and behavior is by demonstrating them myself. I choose to be patient with Noah. I let him explore and get his feet dirty. When he’s angry or upset, I take the time to help him process his emotions. If he goes into a timeout, I set him down and I will look at him at eye level and explain to him how we properly treat others. It’s taking the time to do these small yet powerful tasks that will have everlasting impacts on him as he grows into an adult and becomes an active participant in the community. It could be argued that by raising my son to be a loving and empathetic man, I am helping my community members. I also exemplify excellence in how I treat others. In my world view, we are all images of the Creator. This means we are all equal and have intrinsic value. When I communicate with my family members, friends, coworkers, or strangers, I strive to have a nonjudgmental and respectful conversation. I value hearing others perspectives and opinions. I remind myself to actively listen to those around me to ensure that I am properly understanding and honoring them. I also desire to help others see their worth and potential. I am passionate about encouraging my community members and exhorting them to be the best version of themselves. We are all capable of doing so many wonderful things in this life. Finally, I consistently give back to my community via my work at a nonprofit organization. I work for Rooted 303, and our mission is to help people impacted by addiction reclaim their lives. We offer peer recovery coaching, support groups, counseling, and workshops. I am honored to work for this organization and walk alongside my community members who need love and support in their recovery process. I am attending college now to become a counselor so I can further my work at Rooted 303 and continue to serve my community members. I look forward to serve my family and community everyday.

Life is full of surprises; some are good and others are disappointing, hurtful, or flat out traumatic. While life is a beautiful experience to be cherished, there are tribulations that can impact our mental health and overall wellbeing. If left unchecked, our mental health can lead us down a path of depression and anxiety. As someone who has experienced depression and suicidal thoughts, my mental health is extremely important to me. Mental health is a vital aspect for the human experience, so it is critical for individuals to maintain their mental wellness. There are three major practices I use in my personal life that help me do just that; exercise, meditation, and maintaining a healthy diet. People who meet me generally describe me as energetic and joyful. It may come as a surprise to people that I once suffered from depression and suicidal thoughts. A traumatic experience in high school led me down a dark path of despair. During that time, I was completely isolated. I would skip school to sleep all day. I missed out on what could have been an opportunity to learn and establish a community of friends. Unfortunately, my mental health was not well and those opportunities were not taken advantage of as I was incapable of connecting with others. During this time, I lost my cousin to suicide. I was not aware of his internal struggles, and I wish we would have connected and helped each other through the difficult days. Unfortunately, he took his life at the young age of fifteen. Seeing the aftermath of that event - the heartbreak of friends and family - I decided suicide was not an option for me. I did not want to cause more pain to others. With time and spiritual guidance, I overcame my battle with depression. My story as well as the loss of my cousin’s life are two examples that highlight the importance of an individual's mental health. There are countless other stories similar to ours as well. While life is challenging, it is also a blessing and we ought to prioritize our mental health wellbeing so we can connect with our community, be productive in society, and help others around us. We can control our perspective, and we must care for our mental health for the sake of ourselves and also for our loved ones and for community members at large. The three main practices that help my mental health wellness are exercise, meditation, and eating a healthy diet. While exercise has physical benefits, there are countless studies that prove its powerful impact on mental health. The release of oxytocin and other feel good neurotransmitters is why being active is crucial for a healthy mind. Next, meditation has also been proven to have tremendous benefits for the mind. Meditation brings us to the present moment, eases our anxiety, and forces us to find space to slow down and breathe. After my meditations, I always feel like a new person! My meditation practices refresh my mind, and help me be a better person in daily life. Finally, the food we consume plays a major role in our mental health. The brain and gut are connected. Therefore, maintaining a healthy diet helps me maintain a healthy mind. After consuming an unhealthy meal, I can feel the difference in my mental and emotional state. Hence, I choose to consume a healthy diet for my body and mind. Clearly, our mental health is critical. Diet, exercise, and meditation are the daily practices I implement in my life to maintain mental health wellness.

Leadership is a complex and versatile attribute that is essential for a community or organization to thrive. One of my greatest demonstrations of leadership was starting a nonprofit organization. My personal life experience and passion to serve the community inspired me to create an organization with a mission to prevent pressured abortions. Unfortunately, there are statistics that suggest that over half of women having an abortion were pressured to do so and did not want to make that decision. Often times, these women are then left with a traumatic experience and severe mental health issues following the abortion. I am on a mission to ensure that women have true choice, and are not being pressured to abort their child. I couldn’t start the organization alone, and this is where leadership skills were essential. I formed a board and began my search for volunteers. One of the projects for the nonprofit is offering women free postpartum support. The idea behind free postpartum support is that women who are being pressured to abort can find community and comfort knowing they are not alone and that there are people ready and willing to help her with her baby. In order to find volunteers, it was critical for me to communicate effectively why this cause was important and motivate my community members to join our mission. While leadership is dynamic and includes different styles and strategies, I find that discerning when to engage with someone you are leading versus when to let them lead themselves is key. It’s important that we do not micromanage others, but we also want to be sure they have the help and encouragement they need to continue onward. In the future, I hope to continue to grow as a leader in order to grow my nonprofit. Currently, it is a very small organization. As a single mom and student, I have found it difficult balancing time for all of my responsibilities. However, as my son grows older and is more independent, I am hopeful I can dedicate more time to my mission. My next goal is to continue reaching out to senate members and introducing a bill to them that will require women to be screened by an independent organization prior to an abortion to ensure she isn’t experiencing undue pressure. Also, I plan to build my team. I hope to find more volunteers and community partners to stand with women who need community support in order to choose life for their baby if that is what they truly desire. Ultimately, I hope that my leadership skills will lead to a successful organization that will end all pressured abortions and save the lives or mothers and babies everywhere.