Education has always been a priority in my family, who immigrated to the US during the early 90s. I have always strived for academic success, from receiving a "100" on my 2nd-grade math exam to an "A" on my high school senior history paper. My parents, who did not have the opportunity to attend college, emphasized the importance of education multiple times, from pre-k to the woman I am today. They made many sacrifices, with my dad working long hours as an Uber driver and my mom being a home attendant to provide for my siblings and me, who only wanted their children to achieve an education. Despite the challenges we faced, I always knew that education was the key to my future. Since high school, I have aspired to become a school counselor. Many people have asked me what a school counselor does. School counseling is a challenging but the most rewarding career because students go through so much that we don't even know about it, and being that guiding voice to students impacts them in many ways. My goal is to support students facing various issues such as stress, financial burdens, lack of academic performance, loss, or any problems that may arise and help them become the best version of themselves. To achieve my goal, I knew that I needed to continue my education and earn a master's degree in school counseling. During my sophomore year of high school, I lost my mother to liver cancer, and my family faced eviction notices; my life felt as if it was starting to crumble; it was the most overwhelming and challenging part of my life. Though through those harsh circumstances that I've been through, I always remembered that education came first. I also want to use my experiences and dedication through my academic achievements to inspire other students. I want to give back to those students, help guide them through their struggles, and give them the push to achieve an education that is doable and important for their future. Education has provided me with many new learning experiences and information that everyone cannot access, which taught me not to take education for granted. Education is a rewarding thing to have in our lives; however we utilize it, it is how we use it. Still, we must never forget that we've come such a long way with our education, and nothing should hold us back from achieving our degree, especially as a first-generation college student.

My greatest achievement to date is turning my trauma and tragedies into something impactful and rewarding. Growing up in Brooklyn, NY, in a Section 8 apartment with both of my parents and brothers wasn't always sunshine. From 2003 to 2021, my family went through a lot, from eviction notices to drug addictions and the passing of my mother. Losing my mother was and still is a tough loss to go through; I realized, growing up, how much she meant a lot not only to myself but to her friends, family, and community. Losing the most important person in my life taught me that life continues to go on and it's my responsibility to make decisions and prioritize my future. At the same time, I dealt with loss, but it also taught me that I continue to show strength. My experience also showed me that dealing with the loss of a loved one changes different people in many different ways. To this day, there are members in my family who no longer communicate; some members have dealt with drug addiction to cope, and some members hide their emotions. Instead, I wanted to make a name for my family and honor my parent's legacy, reassuring them that they immigrated to America for a rewarding reason and our tragedy doesn't define our family's name. Despite the tragedies in my life, to achieve my goal, I needed to gain an education and continue my studies to become a school counselor. To me, a school counselor is more than just a counselor; they're someone who you can trust, open up to, and look up to in your lowest moments. In my years of high school, I didn't receive care or acknowledgment during my mother's illness/passing, and I felt lost. And it inspired me to become something and give other students something I didn't receive: acknowledgment and safety. I remember in a meeting, a school counselor stated to me that "if a student doesn't acknowledge or thank you at the moment, you were at least a person that was part of their lives and helped them become the person they are today." Knowing that there's a possibility that I can impact a student's life and help them through their struggles has been my reason for purpose. With all the things I've been through, seen, and heard in my life, I know there's always a light at the end of the tunnel.

Mental health is such a crucial topic to discuss in today's world because so many people deal with mental health issues, especially students. Many studies explain how students alone deal with so much stress when it comes to their academic achievement but other outside factors contribute to a student's stress such as financial struggles or the loss of a loved one. Many students deal with anxiety, depression, ADHD and other illnesses. According to the American Psychological Association by gathering the collecting data from 373 campuses nationwide, studies found that during the 2020-2021 school year, more than 60% of students met the criteria for at least one mental health problem. This is significant data because there are thousands of campuses nationwide, and this was one of the statistics from 373 campuses. Specifically, also, many women have reported higher incidents of psychological and emotional issues compared to male students. As a student myself, I've dealt with moments of anxiety by worrying about what was in store for me after so many different hurdles in my life from middle school to achieving my master's degree now. As an individual, I strive to be the best I can be and have a career that's stable enough for me to achieve my dream job but also help other students dealing with mental health issues. My dream is to become a counselor, specifically a school counselor. My own experiences and stressful situations such as dealing with the death of my mother, dealing with the sudden pandemic and dealing with anxiety, pushed me to want a career to help people going through their problems. Losing my mother was the biggest hurdle for me because I was anxious about what my life would now be like as the only woman in the household and what was in store for my life and academics. Aside from receiving words of encouragement from my family, I've noticed that in my years of school, I haven't received much guidance or talks from my counselors. Dealing with my mother's death on top of dealing with anxiety, made me feel less focused in my years of sophomore high school, leading me to cut classes and not pay attention. As a way of coping with my mental health, I've turned to unhealthy habits such as binge eating and constantly feeling dissatisfied with who, up until I had a health scare in 2018. While I was enrolled in my first year at community college in Brooklyn in 2019, the height of the pandemic started and it took a lot to adjust to a completely different learning environment. I was constantly anxious and stressed about the adjustment but also for the well-being of my family, and my father who's diabetic. Through my years of community college, I've met good professors who have helped me understand the significance of mental health and dealing with clients going through their hurdles. My major required students to participate in fieldwork, meaning we had to meet and help people either in a school, rehabilitation/nursing center or other facilities. My fieldwork led to me meeting an elderly woman named Florence, who was in the same rehabilitation center where my mother had hospice care. Aside from my struggles and stress, Florence impacted me a lot because she was the first genuine stranger who I've gotten to know and helped make me feel fulfilled to be there and accompany her. Florence didn't have family around her so she sometimes felt alone and stuck in a place where she didn't want to be, but talking to her on one made her feel heard and acknowledged. That is why I wanted to choose a career in this field, I wanted students to finally be heard. Learning about the statistics about the mental health crisis in students is quite alarming and should be brought to light because if no one is willing to help or join in this field, students will continue to be tremendously overwhelmed and even possibly drop out. According to the Education Writers Association, the National Center for Education Statistics released that 96% of schools reported that they provided mental health services for students in the 2021-2022 school year. Even though that is a high statistic, 56% of schools said they can effectively provide services to students in need, including one-on-one counseling, case management, and referrals. Many schools, especially in low-funded schools have a lack of mental health staff members, psychologists, or even licensed mental health professionals. Many schools have a program or certain clubs/organizations that can help a student's mental health but many are less likely to do it efficiently and do it continuously. From growing up in a low-income neighborhood in Brooklyn, I've personally seen the difference between the lack of mental health facilities and support in predominantly Black/African American neighborhoods compared to non-Hispanic White neighborhoods. There is a huge and significant mental health crisis in the Black/African American community. According to the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 21% percent of Black and African Americans reported having a mental illness, compared to 23.9% of non-Hispanic Whites but just 39% of Black and African Americans received mental health services compared to non-Hispanic Whites (52%). Even though on paper and in statistics, the numbers of non-Hispanic whites are higher, there are things we have to consider and look into to understand why that is. Black and African Americans experience more barriers such as bias from historical, structural and systematic racism, and because of the mental health stigma, they are less likely to ask for help. A statistic from the CDC stated that suicide was the third leading cause of death among African Americans 10 to 24 years old, and African American men 25-34. From doing a study on African American fathers in my sociology class, there is a stereotype that many African American fathers deal with until this day such as them being absent or not caring for their own child/family, which is further from the truth. Many of these fathers deal with mental health issues and struggle with providing for their families because of that but also because of the system that they're brought into. Being severely underpaid compared to a non-Hispanic white man and being viewed as someone who they aren't can leave a huge toll on their mental well-being. We as individuals need to take a step back and understand why people are put in the situations they're in to begin with, and what we can do to help their situation. For example, a student dealing with anxiety and depression can have a difficult time adjusting to online courses but what can be offered is a support group chat for students who are also dealing with mental health. For African American fathers, many groups and social gatherings exist that are specifically for African American fathers. From what I know, groups can help people feel less alone and more likely to reach out for help for their mental health. Mental health is something we have to dig deeper into and understand the underlying causes of it and what we can provide for the community that is struggling to push its message through. Being in a counseling career can help me understand what also works and what doesn't work for certain people, but also helps me understand what we can improve on for the future. Times change and so do many things around us, and it is our job to help anyone no matter what. From my own experience with anxiety, meeting Florence who dealt with her struggles, and gaining knowledge about the mental health crisis in the Black/African American community pushed me to become the person I am today. I wouldn't even be considering applying for a Master's program and even applying for this scholarship if it wasn't for the people around me. The main characteristics of a counselor or therapist are compassion, kindness and especially patience. Every individual is different and everyone goes through different hurdles with their mental health but at the end of the day, we're all human. We all have a right to seek the help we need to thrive and be the best person we can be. It is also my job, as a future counselor, to let people know that there is no shame or negativity when it comes to asking for help because, at the end of the day, we can all use the help we need, especially students. With this scholarship, I would continue pursuing my master's degree and buy the necessary books I need to further my knowledge. It is a privilege and honor to be eligible for the Darclei V. McGregor Memorial Scholarship and I hope that the best is yet to come for this crisis.