Compassion and Understanding: Providing Renewed Strength in the Face of Adversity by Karyna

Compassion and Understanding: Providing Renewed Strength in the Face of Adversity by Karyna - May 2022 Scholarship Essay

When somebody is dealing with a loved one’s cancer diagnosis, they often go through tremendous changes and ultimately become a different person. As they experience cancer’s effects, their outlook on the world will likely be altered, changing their perception of life itself. Back in 2019, when I first learned about my mom’s breast cancer diagnosis, my entire life changed within a matter of seconds. Unbeknownst to fifteen-year-old me, the next year was going to take a toll on my mental health, and I was going to have to step into a new role of maturity.

My mom’s prognosis was good, but I couldn't resist being filled with anxiety by the uncertainty of the situation. On Mondays, I would arrive home from school to find my mom feeling sick and weak from that week’s chemotherapy treatment, barely able to muster up the energy to open her eyes when I greeted her. Family dinners were different that year; I started teaching myself how to cook. Eventually, I found comfort through these circumstances by caring for my mom.

By giving compassion to someone else, even at a time when I was struggling to keep up my grades and get through each day without my mother's usual helpfulness, I found a new strength that I didn't know existed within me. I was lucky to find resilience and to persevere, but I also realized that there are others in similar situations who might need more help to get through difficult times.

My experience with cancer made me realize that I want to become a school psychologist. Even before I knew what career I was interested in, I knew that I wanted to do something where I could make a real difference in the lives of others. Within the field of psychology, I can demonstrate compassion to those who are struggling so they don’t have to struggle alone. I want to show understanding and help them learn how to properly cope with traumatic events; this will keep them mentally healthy and set them up for successful adulthood by preparing them to persevere through anything life throws at them.

School psychologists have the power to touch the lives of individual people, subsequently helping them go about their lives with self-assurance and skills that they otherwise wouldn’t have. By helping young people improve their skills and overall outlook on life, school psychologists indirectly strengthen their communities as a whole. If I make a difference in the life of even just one child, I feel that I will have accomplished my goal and made a true difference to someone. By showing compassion and understanding to children dealing with mental health issues, I can promote strength in the face of adversity and pave the way to a better life for those adolescents who are struggling to be heard.