My name is Brooklynn Barrett, I am a freshman at Kent State University. I’m going to tell you why I decided I wanted to become a PTSD/trauma therapist in the Army. Growing up being in the military was always something that was highly encouraged by all of my family members, At least one person in my family has served in every branch so I was raised in a very big military family. Although they say the military is great, and it is, they left out the part about how traumatic and how it can beat you down mentally and physically as a person. I watched many of my peers who were in the military suffer from mental health issues, a lot of them not knowing or wanting to ask for help because they saw it as a sign of weakness and they didn’t think it was okay to ask for help. It bothered me a lot because I could see they were struggling and in pain, but they would constantly ignore it and say they were fine, slowly destroying themselves. Some even sought help but did not get the help they were looking for and needed. Seeing these struggles and these problems all of my life motivated me to want better for our soldiers. These people risk their lives going to work not knowing if they’re going to come back home to their family, not knowing if they’re going to live another day, and I think the realization of mental health needs to be more out there in the military. Many veterans and soldiers see things as “there are things that are worse out there, my problems” believe their health and their problems aren’t as important, and I want everyone to acknowledge that how they feel matters, that they matter and it is okay to ask for help. My goals are to bring more awareness to mental health and to find better ways for people to seek help. “The wisdom of admitting your weaknesses and correcting them through continuous learning means leadership.”-A. James Leadership is a keyword of this quote, The definition of leadership is the ability to influence others, and value ethics, and integrity. I do see myself as a leader, Being in ROTC has helped me to see myself this way. ROTC is all about leadership, it shows you how to not only work hard but also teach and train others. I have gone out to our community by helping veterans and planning events. JROTC has given me the ability to interact with large groups of people and public speaking which are important skills to have being a student and going into the real world, For me these are skills that I will continue to use in college. I would not have accomplished these goals without making mistakes and being taught how to better myself throughout the process. I accepted those mistakes, learned from them, and used them as a way to grow, teach, and influence others around me. Those mistakes helped me grow and continue to strive for success. I am a strong leader and I will continue to grow and make mistakes making sure I learn from them. The class has shaped me into the strong, motivated woman I am today. It taught me morals and values the class gave me purpose and I want to take advantage of that and use it for my career. This is why I believe I would be a fantastic candidate for This Scholarship.

“The wisdom of admitting your weaknesses and correcting them through continuous learning means leadership.”-A. James Leadership is a keyword of this quote, What does leadership mean and how does it apply to me? The definition of leadership is the ability to influence others, and value ethics, and integrity. My name is Brooklynn Barrett, I am a freshman at Kent State University and I am going to tell you how leadership has had a tremendous impact on my life. I do see myself as a leader, Being in JROTC and now ROTC has helped me to see myself this way. JROTC/ROTC is all about leadership, it shows you how to not only work hard but also teach and train others. I have been in this class for three years, Throughout the duration of these years, I have gone out to our community by helping veterans and planning events. For example, in community service, drill meets, and group field trips, I have also gone out to businesses asking for donations, and sponsorships, and helped with fundraisers for the JROTC program at Mckinley. I am very thankful for the opportunities JROTC has given me to experience those events, It has given me the ability to interact with large groups of people and public speaking which are important skills to have being a student and going into the real world, for me these are skills that I will continue to use in college. College has always been a dream of mine; it is something that I am prepared for. I wanted to go to college to share the knowledge I have learned while taking this class to teach and help other students around me while I am in college. I would not have accomplished these goals without making mistakes and being taught how to better myself (thanks to the JROTC program) throughout the process. I accepted those mistakes, learned from them, and used them as a way to grow, teach, and influence others around me. Those mistakes helped me grow and continue to strive for success. I am a strong leader and I will continue to grow and make mistakes making sure I learn from them. JROTC/ROTC has been more than just a "class" to me, many people just consider it as an "easy 'A'" but to me, it has meant way more than that. The class has shaped me into the strong, motivated, woman I am today. It taught me morals and values the class gave me purpose and I want other Cadets to take advantage of that as well. This is why I believe I would be a fantastic candidate for This Scholarship.