On January 21, 1961, President John F Kennedy gave his famous inaugural address in which he stated: "The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it and the glow from that fire can truly light the world. And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." To effectively deal with the challenges currently facing our country and the world, we need a drastic change in the caliber of our elected officials. We need leaders with energy, faith, and devotion who can light our country. Our most recent presidential election was effectively between Joe Biden and Donald Trump. Neither of these candidates is what our country needs. I honestly believe the majority of our elected leaders are self-serving and would gladly put personal gain over the well-being of our country. Unfortunately, this may also be true of the electorate at large. We direly need a candidate like JFK who can inspire the country to get on track for solving the issues we currently face. We need a leader who encourages social solidarity and a sense of commitment to the greater good rather than everyone trying to pad their own pockets as the country goes down the drain. The truth is that Millenials and future generations will have to sacrifice a great deal because prior generations chose not to do so. In hindsight, it seems baby boomers largely put personal gain ahead of the greater good of the country as a whole. The most obvious evidence of this is the unwillingness of the older generation to pay taxes. In the 1950s and early 1960s, when baby boomers were being born, the top tax rate was 90 percent and citizens gladly paid their fair share because the rich felt they had a duty to give back to the country. Now the top tax rate is 35% because the electorate has consistently voted for politicians who reduce taxes at the expense of the country. Kennedy also said in the same inaugural address "United there is little we cannot do... divided there is little we can do." I have no idea how we arrived at the current political landscape in the United States, but it is almost laughable. Kennedy was correct. Nothing can get done in the government because our elected leaders are engaged in attempting to divide the country for the sake of getting votes or appeasing corporations and lobbyists. Probably the majority of those in office at the federal level need to be voted out. This will take a united effort by younger generations. If we see a rematch between Biden and Trump for the Presidency, they will be 81 and 78 years old at the time of the next election which is unacceptable. We cannot afford to keep electing individuals who have caused the problems in the country to begin with. The longer we wait to start tackling the many issues faced by our country, the more difficult and expensive it will be to fix. It seems the older generation that has been running the country for the last 35 or 40 years has little interest in doing anything about infrastructure decay, climate change, bankrupt Social Security and Medicare programs, overwhelming national debt, and broken education and healthcare systems to name a few. If they are unwilling or unable to get the job done, there is no room for them any longer in our government. To achieve this we need younger generations to take an active interest and run for office or at least get out and vote in greater numbers. Having a candidate like JFK who can inspire individuals to put the country's needs ahead of personal gain and unite the country for the greater good will be paramount to get the country headed in the right direction. I believe the younger generations are up to the challenge, but unfortunately, it seems the older generation will not get on board with the needed changes that our country desperately needs to make. If that is the case, we must move on despite them. When the majority of the country is willing to make personal sacrifices for the greater good, we will see lasting change and a prosperous and bright future for our country for generations to come.

Addiction wreaked havoc on my life for over a decade before I finally found freedom. My addiction to drugs and alcohol progressed slowly, but in the end, I was hopeless, depressed and suicidal. From the outside, my life looked good. After high school, I went to college and obtained a degree in Business Administration, but I also was introduced to a world of partying where drinking and drugging were a normal part of life. After college, I began working for an investment management company. I was making good money and could afford the material things that made it seem like my life was going well. However, internally, I was irritable and discontent and would drink and use drugs in excess daily. Despite making good money and buying a house and new cars, I could not hold a relationship together. My addiction made it impossible for me to be available for another human being, and I lost multiple partners who truly loved me and wanted to start a family together. I became somewhat of a loner and isolated often. Eventually, the consequences of my addiction became more evident. The legal and financial issues began to appear. Ultimately, I had three DUI charges over a decade and a handful of other legal issues. Due to poor performance and missing too much time at work, I was forced to resign rather than be fired. My addiction cost me a lucrative career in business. Soon the house and my material possessions also went away. I ended up broke, jobless, and homeless. Over the years, I went to four in-patient treatment facilities, met with numerous therapists and psychiatrists, and began attending 12-step meetings, but I could not maintain long-term sobriety. Eventually, I moved into a sober living house and began to get back on my feet. I began working again and attending 12-step meetings daily. I got a home group and a sponsor and worked the steps to the best of my ability. Shortly thereafter, I believe I had a spiritual experience where I made the decision to turn my will and my life over to the care of God. I have been clean and sober since that day, and I have known peace and happiness unlike anything I could have imagined. My struggles with addiction ultimately gave me a new perspective on life that I would not trade for anything. Today, I am grateful for the life that I have and for all of my blessings. I cherish the relationships I have with family and friends and have empathy for people who are struggling. I have built a strong network of people who I can relate to and talk to when I need support. I know that I never have to fight my battles alone. The focus of my life today is growing in my relationship with God and being of service to others. I continue to stay active in the AA and NA fellowships and hold service positions. I am also an active member of my church where I volunteer in our food pantry and outreach program. I try to be of service wherever possible. To help others who are struggling as I did, I have decided to change careers, and I am attending Wilmington University to pursue a degree in Psychology followed by a Master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. I plan to become a counselor specializing in the treatment of mental illness and substance abuse.

Recovery means turning my will and my life over to the care of God. I struggled with alcoholism and drug addiction for a decade before getting clean and sober on September 13, 2022. My recovery journey includes four in-patient treatment centers, multiple therapists and psychiatrists, and attending 12-step meetings for years and years, but it wasn't until I completely surrendered and accepted God into my life that I found freedom from active addiction. With God all things are possible. Another crucial aspect of my recovery is fellowship with others and being of service. I am active in both the AA and NA fellowships and attend meetings regularly. I have a home group and a sponsor, and I work the steps. I am also active in my church and attend church on Sunday as well as volunteer at the church food pantry and outreach program. I have built a strong network of people who I can relate to and talk to when I need support. I know that I never have to fight my battles alone. Recovery for me means being of service to others and genuinely loving and caring for others. I try to be of service wherever possible. I am pursuing a degree in Psychology followed by a Master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. I plan to become a counselor specializing in mental health and substance abuse treatment.

I struggled for over a decade with poor mental health which led to substance abuse issues and physical health problems. Specifically, I struggled with depression and anxiety which took all of the joy and happiness out of my life. Many days I struggled to get out of bed or perform basic self-care tasks such as showering and brushing my teeth. I have been hospitalized multiple times, sought therapy and counseling, and tried many medications to help with my poor mental health before I was successful in finding what works for me. My struggles with mental health ultimately gave me a new lease on life and a perspective that I would not trade for anything. Today, I am grateful for the life that I have and for all of my blessings. I cherish the relationships I have with family and friends and have empathy for people who are struggling. Once, I was hopeless and full of despair to the point of being suicidal, but today I am full of hope, gratitude and a desire to be of service to others. I am in recovery from alcoholism and drug addiction, and I attend twelve-step recovery meetings regularly to try to help others. I also am an active member of my church where I volunteer in our food pantry and outreach program. I read the Bible, pray and meditate, and try to continue growing in my relationship with God every day. With God all things are possible. In the darkness of mental illness and substance abuse, I often isolated and shut the world out, but now fellowship with others is a big part of my life. I have built a strong network of people who I can relate to and talk to when I need support. I know that I never have to fight my battles alone. My struggle with mental illness has taught me much about what is truly important in life. I am not very concerned with money, material possessions, status, fame, fortune, etc. I know that these things are not the source of happiness. This is evident when we see rich and famous people who seemingly have everything they could ever want commit suicide. Without mental health, nothing else is worthwhile. I try to have compassion and understanding for others and be of service whenever possible, always putting my trust in God first and foremost. This way of life fills me with more contentment and peace than any amount of material wealth could. I know from experience that many individuals with mental illness suffer in silence either due to the stigma associated with mental illness or the hopelessness that comes with it. I think it is very important for people to feel comfortable and not ashamed of talking about their mental health struggles. I am attending Wilmington University to pursue a degree in Psychology followed by a Master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. I believe individuals who struggle with mental illness and/or poor mental health deserve to have access to affordable and timely counseling. I plan to become a licensed mental health counselor to help make that a reality in my community.

I struggled for over a decade with poor mental health which led to substance abuse issues and physical health problems. Specifically, I struggled with depression and anxiety which took all of the joy and happiness out of my life. Many days I struggled to get out of bed or perform basic self-care tasks such as showering and brushing my teeth. I have been hospitalized multiple times, sought therapy and counseling, and tried many medications to help with my poor mental health before I was successful in finding what works for me. My struggles with mental health ultimately gave me a new lease on life and a perspective that I would not trade for anything. Today, I am grateful for the life that I have and for all of my blessings. I cherish the relationships I have with family and friends and have empathy for people who are struggling. Once, I was hopeless and full of despair to the point of being suicidal, but today I am full of hope, gratitude and a desire to be of service to others. I am in recovery from alcoholism and drug addiction, and I attend twelve-step recovery meetings regularly to try to help others. I also am an active member of my church where I volunteer in our food pantry and outreach program. I read the Bible, pray and meditate, and try to continue growing in my relationship with God every day. With God all things are possible. In the darkness of mental illness and substance abuse, I often isolated and shut the world out, but now fellowship with others is a big part of my life. I have built a strong network of people who I can relate to and talk to when I need support. I know that I never have to fight my battles alone. My struggle with mental illness has taught me much about what is truly important in life. I am not very concerned with money, material possessions, status, fame, fortune, etc. I know that these things are not the source of happiness. This is evident when we see rich and famous people who seemingly have everything they could ever want commit suicide. Without mental health, nothing else is worthwhile. I try to have compassion and understanding for others and be of service whenever possible, always putting my trust in God first and foremost. This way of life fills me with more contentment and peace than any amount of material wealth could. I know from experience that many individuals with mental illness suffer in silence either due to the stigma associated with mental illness or the hopelessness that comes with it. I think it is very important for people to feel comfortable and not ashamed of talking about their mental health struggles. I am attending Wilmington University to pursue a degree in Psychology followed by a Master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. I believe individuals who struggle with mental illness and/or poor mental health deserve to have access to affordable and timely counseling. I plan to become a licensed mental health counselor to help make that a reality in my community.

I struggled for over a decade with poor mental health which led to substance abuse issues and physical health problems. Specifically, I struggled with depression and anxiety which took all of the joy and happiness out of my life. Many days I struggled to get out of bed or perform basic self-care tasks such as showering and brushing my teeth. I have been hospitalized multiple times, sought therapy and counseling, and tried many medications to help with my poor mental health before I was successful in finding what works for me. My struggles with mental health ultimately gave me a new lease on life and a perspective that I would not trade for anything. Today, I am grateful for the life that I have and for all of my blessings. I cherish the relationships I have with family and friends and have empathy for people who are struggling. Once, I was hopeless and full of despair to the point of being suicidal, but today I am full of hope, gratitude and a desire to be of service to others. I am in recovery from alcoholism and drug addiction, and I attend twelve-step recovery meetings regularly to try to help others. I also am an active member of my church where I volunteer in our food pantry and outreach program. In the darkness of mental illness, I often isolated and shut the world out, but today fellowship with others is a big part of my life. I have built a strong network of people who I can relate to and talk to when I need support. I know that I never have to fight my battles alone. My struggle with mental illness has taught me much about what is truly important in life. I am not very concerned with money, material possessions, status, fame, fortune, etc. I know that these things are not the source of happiness and often make me, and other people, less happy. This is evident when we see rich and famous people who seemingly have everything they could ever want commit suicide. Without mental health, nothing else is worthwhile. I try to have compassion and understanding for others and be of service whenever possible. This way of life fills me with more contentment and peace than any amount of material wealth could. I know from experience that many individuals with mental illness suffer in silence either due to the stigma associated with mental illness or the hopelessness that comes with it. I think it is very important for people to feel comfortable and not ashamed of talking about their mental health struggles. I am attending Wilmington University to pursue a degree in Psychology followed by a Master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. I believe individuals who struggle with mental illness and/or poor mental health deserve to have access to affordable and timely counseling. I plan to become a licensed mental health counselor to help make that a reality in my community.

At this point in my life, my mental health is my highest priority. I struggled for over a decade with poor mental health which led to substance abuse issues and physical health problems. Specifically, I struggled with depression and anxiety which took all of the joy and happiness out of my life. Many days I struggled to get out of bed or perform basic self-care tasks such as showering and brushing my teeth. I have been hospitalized multiple times, sought therapy and counseling, and tried many medications to help with my mental health before I was successful in finding what works for me. My struggles with mental health ultimately gave me a new lease on life and a perspective that I would not trade for anything. Today, I am grateful for the life that I have and for all of my blessings. I cherish the relationships I have with family and friends and have empathy for people who are struggling. Gratitude and helping other people are two of the big ways that I maintain my mental wellness and they both work very well. I attend twelve-step meetings regularly for my own well-being and also to be available to anyone who may need help. I enjoy volunteering and being of service. My biggest strength in maintaining mental wellness is my belief and faith in God. I attend church at least once a week and attend other church functions regularly. I read the Bible and other spiritual books to grow my faith, and I pray and meditate every day. For me, mental health is much more important than money, material possessions, status, fame and fortune, etc. This is evident when we see rich and famous people who seemingly have everything they could ever want commit suicide. Without mental health, nothing else is worthwhile. Another very important aspect of maintaining my mental well-being is fellowship with others. I have built a strong network of people who I can relate to and talk to when I need support. These are individuals from 12-step meetings, my church, and family and friends who I can rely on. I know that I never have to fight my mental health battles alone, which is something that I did for many years. I know from experience that many individuals with mental illness suffer in silence either due to the stigma associated with mental illness or the hopelessness that comes with it. I think it is very important for people to feel comfortable and not ashamed of talking about their mental health struggles. I am attending Wilmington University to pursue a degree in Psychology followed by a Master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. I believe individuals who struggle with mental illness and/or poor mental health deserve to have access to affordable and timely counseling. I plan to become a licensed mental health counselor to help make that a reality in my community.

First of all, thank you so much for creating this scholarship and attempting to raise awareness about mental health and seek solutions. I am 37 years old and have struggled with mental health and substance abuse issues for most of my adult life. My mental health issues have made it very difficult for me to live anything close to a "normal" life up to this point, but by the grace of God, I am doing better now than I have ever been. Over the years, I have been in four in-patient treatment centers, been hospitalized twice under psychiatric holds, attempted suicide, met with a dozen therapists and counselors, and spent countless hours reading psychology and mental health books in search of answers or relief. I believe the mental health crisis that is plaguing our country is much more complex than it seems and is not being given enough attention. This ultimately results in many individuals suffering in silence either due to the stigma that still surrounds the issue or because of the hopelessness of the situation when nothing seems to help or provide relief. I think it is paramount for individuals to be able to speak openly about their mental health struggles and to find others who have gone through the same issues who can relate and offer support and encouragement. As a result of my struggles with poor mental health, I try to treat everyone I encounter with kindness, compassion, and understanding. The trouble with mental health is that all of the external stuff in someone's life can look great, but internally it looks like hell. I never take for granted that what I see externally is indicative of what someone is going through internally. In the not-so-distant past, I spent a lot of time worrying about what other people might think about me and trying to make it appear as though I was doing well in life. I would buy things I didn't need with money I didn't have to impress people I didn't even like. Today, I am hardly concerned at all with material things and the approval of other people. My focus has shifted to taking care of my inner self; my mental health and my spiritual life. I spend a lot of time thinking about how I can help other people, encourage them, or brighten their day. This way of thinking has greatly improved my relationships with family and friends which has been such a blessing in my life. My struggles with mental health centered around severe depression and anxiety which led to me isolating and wanting to be left alone a lot of the time. Today, I look forward to spending time with loved ones and building and strengthening my relationships because I know that it is healthy for me and also healthy for them. We are all in this thing together and trying to get through struggles alone is a losing battle. I have had some bad experiences while attempting to find help for my mental health which include having to be placed on a waitlist to see a counselor or therapist and waiting up to six months for an appointment. Also, many times there were large out-of-pocket expenses despite having insurance. I believe people who are struggling with mental health should be able to see a mental health counselor in a timely and affordable manner. I plan to become a mental health counselor so that I can make this a reality in my community. I am currently enrolled at Wilmington University to obtain a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and will then complete my Master's in Clinical Mental Health Counseling which will allow me to pursue a career as a licensed counselor in the state of Maryland.

First of all, thank you so much for creating this scholarship and sharing some of Trevor's story. I am 37 years old and have struggled with mental health and substance abuse issues for most of my adult life. My mental health issues have made it very difficult for me to live anything close to a "normal" life up to this point, but by the grace of God, I am doing better now than I have ever been. Over the years, I have been in four in-patient treatment centers, been hospitalized twice under psychiatric holds, attempted suicide, met with a dozen therapists and counselors, and spent countless hours reading psychology and mental health books in search of answers or relief. I believe the mental health crisis that is plaguing our country is much more complex than it seems and is not being given enough attention. This ultimately results in many individuals suffering in silence either due to the stigma that still surrounds the issue or because of the hopelessness of the situation when nothing seems to help or provide relief. As a result of my struggles with poor mental health, I try to treat everyone I encounter with kindness, compassion, and understanding. The trouble with mental health is that all of the external stuff in someone's life can look great, but internally it looks like hell. I never take for granted that what I see externally is indicative of what someone is going through internally. In the not-so-distant past, I spent a lot of time worrying about what other people might think about me and trying to make it appear as though I was doing well in life. I would buy things I didn't need with money I didn't have to impress people I didn't even like. Today, I am hardly concerned at all with material things and the approval of other people. My focus has shifted to taking care of my inner self; my mental health and my spiritual life. I spend a lot of time thinking about how I can help other people, encourage them, or brighten their day. This way of thinking has greatly improved my relationships with family and friends which has been such a blessing in my life. My struggles with mental health centered around severe depression and anxiety which led to me isolating and wanting to be left alone a lot of the time. Today, I look forward to spending time with loved ones and building and strengthening my relationships because I know that it is healthy for me and also healthy for them. We are all in this thing together and trying to get through struggles alone is a losing battle. I have had some good and bad experiences with the mental health industry. The bad experiences include having to be placed on a waitlist to see a counselor or therapist and waiting up to six months for an appointment. Also, many times there were large out-of-pocket expenses despite having insurance. I believe people who are struggling with mental health should be able to see a mental health counselor in a timely and affordable manner. I plan to become a mental health counselor so that I can make this a reality in my community. I am currently enrolled at Wilmington University to obtain a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and will then complete my Master's in Clinical Mental Health Counseling which will allow me to pursue a career as a licensed counselor in the state of Maryland.

If I could have everyone in the world read just one book it would be the New Testament Bible. I have always been an avid reader, but it wasn't until my life was turned upside down by mental health and substance abuse issues that I, in desperation, picked up the Bible and began reading it. I thought I had a good understanding of the Bible without actually having read it because I attended a Catholic school up until the 6th grade and attended Catholic mass each Sunday with my family until I turned 18. Maybe because it was just what I needed at that time in my life, but I was deeply touched by the Gospels and the ministry and teaching of Jesus. It changed my life in a way that I cannot adequately describe in words. I feel the world desperately needs a spiritual revival. Jesus' teachings emphasize the importance of love, compassion, forgiveness, humility, and service to others. He taught his followers to reject hatred, love one another (even love their enemies), treat others as they would like to be treated, and put the needs of others above their own. He asked for people to change their hearts as well as their actions. Today, I am living a clean and sober life, and I am happier and more peaceful than I have ever been as a result of implementing the wisdom found in the Bible into my daily life. I do not suggest that everyone needs to become religious or drastically change their life as I did, but I feel that the world could use a bit more love, humility, compassion, forgiveness, unity, peace, and selflessness.