Through this essay, I would like to shed some light on my abilities and caliber to help the scholarship team evaluate my application. When I critically analyze the nature of my work, I see two themes- People and Mental Health. My work is centered on empowering people, raising awareness, and fostering exploration. My passion for mental health started with a short film I starred in ‘Stolen Minds, Stolen Lives’ to raise awareness of schizophrenia through a social platform like YouTube. Doing this short film was more than just getting into the role and facing a camera, it required me to be a Mental Health advocate which goes beyond the reels. This role gave me a responsibility, and the next thing people found me doing was setting up regional academic exhibitions for colleges, to help people explore the field of Psychology. I performed live assessments and tests with my peers to engage and interact with people. Though it was a good start, I knew my dreams and aspirations needed a larger platform. While I was interning at a Radio station, I used this opportunity to run a short program to answer my caller’s questions on Mental Health. It had set the momentum, and there was no looking back. As prepared as I felt to take on the world, the universe had different plans as the pandemic stole my show. I was way too determined to let this situation deter my spirit. What looked like a halt became my hope. I worked as a Crisis Counselor to facilitate brief sessions online for distressed callers during the pandemic for free. I also organized and coordinated seminars in collaboration with Alcohol Anonymous and workshops on Psychological Well-Being for government schools to help cope with the pandemic. While we’re all getting used to the new normal, I coordinated and moderated a few career-related panel discussions with professionals across the world working in the field of Psychology. Amidst all of this, I worked as a Counseling Psychologist trainee. I also worked part-time as an Assistant Supervisor for a UK-based start-up in the field of mindful dating. While the world acknowledges the presence of Mental Health and wellness, there is an unspoken struggle in addressing Mental Health Issues. It’s no secret that Covid-19 exacerbated the world's hidden Mental Health pandemic. Navigating through these systemic concerns to address the importance of Mental Health has taken on utmost importance at a time like this. As a professional, I strive to bridge this gap and be a catalyst for change. Celestine Chua says, “For every effect, there is a root cause. Find and address the root cause rather than try to fix the effect, as there is no end to the latter”. I resonate with this quote on a practical note in my day-to-day practice as I try to identify the root cause. On this road to collective healing, Marriage, and Family Therapy made the most sense to me. Systemic health and wellness focuses on the smallest units of society, families, and couples. My inclination to Marriage and Family Therapy began with Cybernetics, the science of communications and systems. I was so fascinated with the science of communications and systems, that I could not view marriages and families the same way I did before. This helped me develop a deeper interest in Marriage and Family Therapy, I found it to be very fulfilling as it would allow me to work with a wider range of populations with a systemic perspective. As an aspiring Marriage and Family Therapist, I realize the different roles I will encounter within my chosen discipline. One of them is, taking on the role of social advocacy for the marginalized and underserved. It is a position within the larger societal structure that I will directly contribute to as a therapist. I look at it as an opportunity to take family therapy beyond an office setting and include it in the forms of prevention, community intervention, and family social policy within the scope of practice. The need for diversity and inclusion in therapy is the first step to making mental health services accessible to people on the margins. As an aspiring marriage and family therapist, I hope to develop my practice using a sociocultural lens that considers intersectionality to offer a holistic framework to conceptualize presenting problems. We all function differently, and our differences stem from the different messaging we have received from our sociocultural backgrounds. Especially if there is intersectionality present. Gender then becomes a prison by its defining Institute, which leads to dehumanization. This is problematic and marginalizes the marginalized. This is why we need to revise how we look at therapy services, we need to move beyond the paradigm set for gender by the patriarchs. As therapists, the dual role of being a social advocate helps us to become better therapists when we view Intersectionality for what it is. As Confucius says, "Charity begins at home." My social location is important to who I am and how I present myself. The duality of this role is what makes my journey so enriching. My sociocultural background adds depth and character to who I am! This allows me to offer a wider perspective and think outside of the box. At the same time, there is so much unlearning and relearning that I need to do when it comes to offering therapy in different contexts. My sociocultural identity/background can either intimidate me from providing therapy effectively, or it will simply act as a barrier for my clients to connect with me. However, I come with a streak of multiculturalism and I want to be an authentic version of myself to model for my clients what they can be for themselves inside and outside of our sessions. Therefore, doing the self of the therapist's work is instrumental if I were to work in the field of mental health. I am fascinated by how this profession requires therapists to incorporate ‘self’ in the sessions at the same time, separate personal and professional lives. Doing this work will not only enhance my practice but also broaden its scope to work with diverse and marginalized populations effectively. I hope to review and reflect on my abilities to provide reliable and ethical mental health care facilities. As mentioned earlier, I am driven to take the field of mental health over and beyond the field of Psychology. I have an undergrad major in journalism and as a former journalism student, I am aware of the power a journalist can have when reporting cases involving Intersectionality. How the Media Houses carry these stories into mainstream media matters. Journalism is an integral part of the social justice model. Our narratives on Mental Health have been influenced by mass media and how they portray mental illness on screen. This is where we can bridge the gap as Mental Health providers to spread awareness of Mental Health, without compromising our client's privacy. These portrayals feed public fear and create stereotypes such as people struggling with mental illness should be cast away from society, mental illness is dangerous, etc. Another faulty categorization of mental illness is of blame. People with mental illness are blamed as if they're responsible for it. These negative stereotypes and misconceptions lead to discrimination and impact patients’ lives overall. The social sciences we learn in school have the power to shape the way we look at mental health and well-being, and therefore, we must be responsible with how we impart knowledge. Especially for those on the margins. Topics like socioeconomic status, ageism, and disability are such broad topics that are so relevant in society and I hope the field of Psychology grows to have an influence over every other discipline we engage with. I also hope to use my sociocultural identity to contribute to a pool of wisdom and knowledge in the field of Psychology. While I am working towards integrating my authentic self in therapy, I must never assume that my understanding of race and ethnicity is whole and enough. This field requires me to continually learn, my posture should model openness, humility, and curiosity. What I think helps me as an aspiring therapist is 'disposition'. I like the concept of disposition because it helps me stay true and connected to my experience, and what is relevant to the current times, while it also allows me to be fluid with my client's experiences. As a therapist learning and evolving as a person motivates me to continue doing the inner work required to be the therapist my clients need. I believe the College I have chosen can help me with my calling, broaden my perspectives and prepare me for the real world, while the Darclei V. McGregor Memorial Scholarship can help me achieve my dreams of becoming a global ambassador for hope and change.