When I started doom scrolling on Tiktok during the peak of the pandemic, prepared for another late night of internet memes and viral dance trends, I hadn’t expected to raise $1,500 for survivors of institutional child abuse in the Troubled Teen Industry. My work with the Unsilenced Club and the Troubled Teen Industry taught me the value in providing a listening ear for someone. Many people don’t know what the Troubled Teen Industry is, or only have a general idea of what these ‘teen treatment centers’ do while lacking some of the more sinister information about how they truly operate. I was one of those people. It wasn’t until I saw the story of Maggie Higgins on my tiktok for you page, a girl who suffered through conditions even worse than those seen in the prison system at one of these facilities before she even turned 16, that I realized that places like these existed. The Troubled Teen Industry, not-so-affectionately known as the TTI, is a network of facilities that claim to ‘fix’ teenagers with issues such as addiction, academics, and sexuality. They have a long history of mistreating their patients and causing hundreds of deaths across the half a century the industry has been thriving. Ever since then, it has been my mission to make survivors of the TTI feel just a little bit more seen. I started the Hidden In Plain Sight Podcast to connect with survivors and share their stories, not only granting them the relief of being listened to and believed, but also so other survivors watching can know that they’re not alone. Throughout my time talking with survivors, I have shared many survivor stories, such as Jenn's, a content creator intent on using her platform to expose the truths of the industry through her first-hand knowledge. I shared the story of Becca, the mother and teacher who gives her all to her 4 children and ensures they never experience the same things she did. I shared their stories among many others, each a piece of a larger expose on the TTI. The Unsilenced Club I run is also partnered with the organization Unsilenced, raising over $1,500 to support their efforts of pursuing legal action against these facilities. The club itself aimed to spread awareness about the Troubled Teen Industry and the abusive practices that are still used to this day in the name of “treatment”. I not only organized, but also spoke at several very successful Ted Talks and giveaways where I talked to classmates, some of which were the target demographic for these treatment centers, and gained a 20% increase in club membership the following year. I’m currently looking for a replacement to take over the club when I graduate, but I would love to continue my work with Unsilenced and start my own club in college, where I can work on spreading even more awareness on this ongoing issue. Through my work with survivors, I realized that lasting change requires not only advocacy but also a deeper understanding of the psychological trauma these individuals endure. This realization inspired me to pursue a degree in clinical psychology. Though there have been major improvements in the monitoring and transparency of the facilities in the TTI, I want to be at the forefront of creating a better environment for these children. I’ve learned that change begins with listening, and as I pursue my degree in clinical psychology, I hope to continue advocating for survivors and creating spaces where their voices are heard and valued.

What does hypnosis and a journal filled with cryptic anomalies have in common? To most, they’re dismissed as curiosities or fiction. But to me, just like Ford Pines, they represent uncharted territory—a chance to challenge assumptions, push boundaries, and uncover truths that could change how we approach medicine and mental health. To me, success means pushing the boundaries of what we know about the human mind and using that knowledge to create innovative treatments that improve lives. Hypnosis is an area of psychology that is often misrepresented in media and has a large stigma surrounding it since so much of it is sensationalized. Movie villains often have the ability to mind control someone against their will, which often leads to misconceptions about hypnosis, such as the idea that it can force people to do things against their will, or that only very few people can be hypnotized. This ignorance about what hypnosis truly is only discourages people from actually looking into hypnotherapy as a legitimate medical practice. In reality, hypnosis is a legitimate therapeutic tool with proven benefits, and I aim to change these perceptions through research and education. It has always been my lifelong dream to be able to conduct research into the effects of hypnosis, and how it can be used in the medical field. It has already demonstrated strong promise in certain areas, such as helping curb addictions and lessening insomnia, and there has even been recent research by the American Psychological Association that shows hypnosis can help with chronic pain and depression. This is just the tip of the iceberg, and I know there is so much more unexplored potential to be discovered. From pain management to trauma recovery, I believe hypnosis can be a powerful tool—but to make this vision a reality, I need the resources to pursue advanced training and research. Despite my passion and curiosity for hypnotherapy, the financial reality of pursuing this path is daunting. Hypnotherapy certification programs, which are essential for gaining the skills and credibility to conduct meaningful research, come with significant costs. Additionally, attending a college with the resources and faculty to support my research goals requires financial support that I currently lack. Winning this scholarship would be critical for my success; it would allow me to enroll in a certified hypnotherapy program, where I can gain the hands-on training needed to understand the practical applications of hypnosis. Beyond that, it would provide the financial stability to attend a college with strong psychology and neuroscience programs, where I can conduct research into how hypnosis can be integrated into medical practices. With this scholarship, I would be able to explore how hypnosis can be used to complement traditional treatments for conditions like chronic pain, anxiety, and PTSD. My research could pave the way for new, non-invasive therapies that improve patient outcomes and reduce reliance on medications and their side effects. Ultimately, this scholarship wouldn’t just be an investment in my education—it would be an investment in the future of healthcare. With your support, I can turn my passion for hypnosis into a force for change, advancing medical practices and changing lives.

I’ve always been incredibly passionate about psychology, specifically the field of hypnotherapy. It has always been my lifelong dream to be able to open my own hypnotherapy practice, as well as do more research into the effects of hypnosis. The power of suggestion has always been a fascinating concept to me, the lengths the human mind can go to in order to convince itself of something. Things like the placebo and nocebo effect, psychosomatic events, and of course, hypnosis. Despite my intense interest in hypnosis, I never shared it with anyone due to the fear of being labeled “weird” or a “creep”. It wasn’t until more recently that I began to embrace the uniqueness of my interest. Hypnosis is an area of psychology that is often misrepresented in media and has a large stigma surrounding it since so much of it is sensationalized. Movie villains often have the power to mind control the masses, such as Evelyn Deavor from Incredibles 2. These often lead to common misconceptions about hypnosis, such as the idea that it can force people to do things against their will, or that only very few people can be hypnotized. This ignorance about what hypnosis truly is only discourages people from actually looking into hypnotherapy as a legitimate medical practice. Far more people associate hypnosis with images of a creepy scientist than a medical professional. I’d like to practice hypnotherapy not only to help others, but also to do more research in order to demystify it to the public and get it accepted as just another mental health practice. It has already demonstrated strong promise in certain areas, such as helping curb addictions and lessening insomnia, and there has even been recent research by the APA that shows hypnosis can help with chronic pain and depression. This is just the tip of the iceberg, and I know there is so much more unexplored potential to be discovered. Although I avoided discussing hypnosis with my friends and family, I felt more at ease expressing myself on the internet. Under the veil of anonymity, I posted short stories about hypnosis, incorporating researched facts and real methods. I read beginner books on hypnosis like Rory Z. Fulcher’s “Instant Hypnosis and Rapid Inductions Guidebook” and his “Stage and Street Hypnosis Handbook”. I even regularly attended hypnotherapy cognitive-behavioral therapy webinars hosted by Mark Davis, the dean of the UK College of Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy. While I wasn’t able to actually practice any of the methods, I could imagine them on the page, and learned many of the basic principles of hypnosis. All of this information I then weaved into my own short story, mixing the real methods and limitations of hypnosis with an enjoyable plot and characters. To my surprise, I discovered that I was not the only one interested in hypnosis. The comments under my story were filled with people engaging in discussions about specific methods I wrote about, expanding on my knowledge, or learning from others. Over the year since I’ve posted my stories, I’ve built a small, yet constantly growing, community of people also interested in hypnosis. We’d often share articles, books, and much more, all in the quest to educate ourselves. I’m constantly growing and learning more about this field, and I’ve even started holding calls in my community where we can discuss and occasionally even practice some facets of hypnosis ourselves. I’m proud to have inspired other writers around me to do more research into hypnosis and be an example of how realistic hypnosis could be portrayed. I would like to expand that community. This scholarship would help me afford college to get into psychology, and more than that, it would help me apply for hypnotherapy certification programs. Hypnotherapy isn’t for everyone; it requires at least 6 years of schooling, and many courses won’t even let you apply until you have a BA in psychology. With this scholarship, I would be able to afford resources like books and workshops and be able to attend college and jumpstart my career. From there I would be able to do things like research, experiments, and attend conferences to educate myself and others all about what hypnotherapy can do for us.