At a young age, I was diagnosed with ADHD. Before this diagnosis, I had a lot of impulses and emotions that I struggled to work through. It is still a process but luckily I started therapy at a young age and received the support I needed to grow and develop into the person I am today. When I saw my high school offered a college-level psych class, I knew it would interest me. Ultimately, that IB Psych course led me to explore a field I am passionate about and one that has helped me so greatly.

I got into Ithaca College with an Outdoor Leadership major and counseling minor. Junior year after experiencing trauma-related mental health issues, I became more invested in my counseling classes. I was learning a lot about myself and becoming more introspective. I became more aware of my own unhelpful thought patterns. This is also when I returned to my personal counseling journey and eventually added a psychology major.

Although classwork came naturally, I still struggled with self-esteem and depression throughout my college career. Writing a paper seemed like the easiest thing while loving myself and my flaws became increasingly challenging. Imposter syndrome and early childhood traumas made it easy to discredit the hard work and progress I was making.

After graduating in 2021, I took a gap year to work outdoors and apply to counseling grad programs. Flash forward a year, and I am excelling in my ideal program. I have a 4.0 and am in an honor society for the first time in my academic career, CSI. My personal counseling journey continues to go well. I am currently exploring my Demisexual and gender identity while working through trauma and related anxieties. I am eager and excited to start working hands-on with a population I am passionate about.