Success, to me, is the ability to create lasting change—to uplift others, challenge systemic barriers, and build pathways for those who have been overlooked. It is not defined by financial milestones or professional titles but by the impact I make on people’s lives. My journey has not been traditional—I dropped out of both high school and college before finding my way back to education. However, those setbacks became stepping stones, shaping my resilience and reinforcing my commitment to service. This opportunity represents more than just career advancement; it is a crucial step toward fulfilling my mission of bridging gaps in education, behavioral health, and leadership development. It provides me with the resources, mentorship, and platform to expand my influence, ensuring that I can equip future leaders with the tools to navigate challenges, foster inclusion, and drive meaningful change. Dropping out of high school could have derailed my future, but it instead became the catalyst for transformation. I later enlisted in the U.S. Navy Submarine Force, where I learned discipline, adaptability, and the importance of pushing past limitations. However, my transition to civilian life proved difficult, and I dropped out of college again while working as a security guard. It was through perseverance and a renewed sense of purpose that I found my way back, eventually earning an Executive MBA. But my education was never just about a degree—it was about using knowledge to create change. Working in psychiatric healthcare, behavioral health program management, and leadership training, I witnessed firsthand the gaps in care, access, and opportunity for marginalized communities. That experience shaped my definition of success: it is about ensuring others have access to the opportunities I had to fight for. With that in mind, this opportunity is instrumental in helping me reach my next goal—becoming a professor and continuing my work in behavioral health advocacy. Success, for me, is the ability to create learning environments where students, particularly adult learners and underrepresented individuals, feel empowered to lead and innovate. Through my experience in leadership training and mental health advocacy, I have developed immersive teaching methods that blend case-study analysis, leadership simulations, and experiential learning. This opportunity will allow me to refine these strategies, expand my research on andragogy, and ensure students are prepared for real-world leadership challenges. Beyond refining my teaching approach, this role will provide invaluable mentorship, access to academic and leadership resources, and opportunities to expand my impact. With guidance from experienced educators, I can further develop my ability to inspire and challenge students in meaningful ways. Access to research opportunities will allow me to deepen my work in behavioral health and leadership development, and the chance to develop courses and mentor students will position me to drive long-term institutional change. More than just professional growth, this opportunity ensures that my career is aligned with my purpose—helping others recognize their potential and equipping them with the tools to succeed. The greatest influences in my life—my mother and grandmother—modeled perseverance, faith, and service. Their sacrifices taught me that success is not about where you start, but about the impact you make. I want to honor their legacy by ensuring that others, particularly those who have faced setbacks, are given the support and guidance to reach their full potential. I envision a future where my students, colleagues, and mentees leave my classroom, training sessions, or leadership programs with the confidence and skills to drive real change—whether in business, healthcare, or public policy. This opportunity allows me to lay the foundation for that vision, ensuring that my career is not just a personal success story but a catalyst for others' success as well. For me, success is not about where I started or even where I finish—it is about the lives I touch and the barriers I help dismantle along the way. With this opportunity, I am one step closer to fulfilling that purpose.

How My Experience with Mental Health Has Shaped My Beliefs, Relationships, and Career Aspirations The first time I realized how deep the cracks in our mental health system ran, I was leading a state training on trauma-informed care when a social worker asked, “But what do I do when the system itself is the trauma?” That moment reinforced what I had already seen in my work—mental health is not just an individual struggle but a systemic crisis demanding real change. My experiences with mental health—both personally and professionally—have shaped my beliefs, strengthened my relationships, and inspired my career aspirations. Through my roles at Seattle Children’s Hospital, the Wounded Warrior Project, and the State of Washington, I have worked within healthcare, veteran services, and state training programs, gaining firsthand insight into the barriers that prevent individuals from receiving effective mental health support. These experiences have fueled my commitment to advocacy, education, and systemic reform. Beliefs: Mental Health as an Issue of Equity and Accountability I believe that mental health is not just a personal issue but a systemic one, requiring both individual advocacy and institutional accountability. At Seattle Children’s Hospital, where I currently work, I manage operations for mental health services that support children and families facing complex challenges. While I do not provide direct patient care, my role allows me to identify inefficiencies and ensure critical programs run effectively. I see how wait times, financial constraints, and a lack of culturally competent care affect access to services. These issues reinforce my belief that mental health must be treated as an essential part of healthcare, not an afterthought. Previously, at the Wounded Warrior Project (2021-2023), I supported veterans navigating PTSD, depression, and anxiety. Many had risked their lives in service only to return home and face stigma and bureaucratic obstacles in seeking care. This experience reinforced my conviction that early intervention and tailored mental health programs are essential for long-term healing. As a trainer for the State of Washington (2018-2021), I led trainings on trauma-informed care, unconscious bias, and supporting individuals with disabilities and mental health conditions. This role showed me that without proper training, even well-intentioned professionals can mishandle mental health issues, worsening outcomes. These experiences shaped my belief that mental health advocacy must happen at multiple levels—from direct care to policy reform, workforce training, and education. Relationships: Building Trust and Advocating for Others Mental health has shaped how I build relationships. From an early age, I found myself in the role of mentor and advocate, whether it was tutoring peers, offering a friend my shoes when he needed them, or later standing up for professionals seeking to improve mental health outcomes. At Seattle Children’s, I work behind the scenes to ensure mental health programs are structured efficiently. This role has reinforced my belief that systemic change is just as vital as direct service—without strong infrastructure, even the best mental health programs will fall short. At the Wounded Warrior Project, I worked with veterans who felt disconnected from their families and communities due to the mental health challenges they faced. I learned that mental health care is about more than treatment—it’s about restoring dignity, trust, and connection. As a trainer for the State of Washington, I worked with professionals eager to improve but lacking the tools to do so. These relationships reinforced my understanding that education is one of the most powerful drivers of change. Across all of my roles, I have seen that mental health is deeply intertwined with how we connect, communicate, and advocate for one another. Career Aspirations: Educating, Advocating, and Breaking Barriers My experiences have inspired me to pursue a Ph.D. in Education with the goal of becoming a professor, and eventually, a dean. I believe that education is one of the most powerful tools for systemic change. My experience as a trainer and facilitator has shown me how equipping others with the right knowledge leads to better outcomes for entire communities. Through my work with Seattle Children’s, Wounded Warrior Project, and the State of Washington, I have seen how a lack of training, awareness, and structural support prevents even the most dedicated professionals from effectively addressing mental health challenges. By teaching at the college level, I aim to bridge these gaps, ensuring that the next generation of professionals is prepared to recognize and respond to mental health concerns in their fields. Beyond academia, I am writing books to boost mental health awareness for children, with plans to publish two of them in 2025. Mental health education must start early. If children learn to express and manage emotions in their formative years, they are more likely to seek support and develop healthy coping mechanisms as they grow. Through my writing, I hope to contribute to a cultural shift in how mental health is discussed, ensuring that young people—and the adults guiding them—have the knowledge and confidence to address mental health in a proactive, empowering way. Conclusion: A Lifelong Commitment to Mental Health Advocacy Mental health has shaped every aspect of my life—my beliefs, my relationships, and my career aspirations. It has reinforced my conviction that resilience is not just about endurance—it is about growth, advocacy, and ensuring that others have the space to do the same. With the right resources and continued education, I am committed to building learning programs, mental health initiatives, and training curricula that equip both professionals and underserved communities with the tools they need to thrive. My journey is one of service, and I will continue breaking barriers, challenging institutions, and ensuring that mental health is no longer an afterthought, but a priority in education, healthcare, and society.

Education is important to me because it has been my life's great equalizer. I come from humble beginnings; I was raised in a single-parent home by a mother who worked tirelessly to support my brothers and me. She dropped out of high school to help support her younger sibling and, unfortunately, never had the opportunity to pursue her professional and educational aspirations. She did ensure her sons understood we were not meant to follow her. Until her dying days, she encouraged me to continue building a legacy for myself and future generations of our family. As I look towards my future, with the pursuit of an MBA on the horizon, I can be proud knowing my mother's words were not in vain. The attainment of knowledge and education has brought me to all corners of the globe. I have connected with people from so many diverse levels of society. I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to mature from so many of them. Through my formal studies, I also hope to bring to light the experiences I have been humbled by. One such encounter occurred during a port call to Subic Bay in the Philippines while I was serving in the United States Navy Submarine Force. It offered me insight into what it means to live a joyous life. While returning to my submarine following a meal out in the town, I encountered a group of young children who were accompanying their mothers while they washed clothes in the bay. The joy on the faces of the parents and their children belied what most people would consider deplorable living conditions. This shook me to my core and caused me to reflect on my own biases. I learned from this time of introspection that it is up to people, not circumstances, to foster goodwill and respect. As I continue to grow and advance in leadership roles, this lesson is what I hope to share with all the people and organizations I encounter. In closing, one of the most valuable lessons I have learned from being a lifelong learner is education brings people and communities together from vastly divergent backgrounds, often for a shared purpose. Whether formally or informally, my life's mission is to build meaningful connections with others that help to cultivate positive change, hopefully starting with me. I see the continued pursuit of education as a means of precisely doing that.