Finding my passion in psychology. by Martina

Finding my passion in psychology. by Martina - February 2024 Scholarship Essay

Growing up, what I wanted to do changed multiple times, from dentist to doctor to lawyer and so much more. One thing I have always known I wanted to do was help people. It was in my junior year that I decided to go into psychology.

I am choosing to go into psychology for a few different reasons. One of them is due to my family. If I am being honest, I do not have the best relationship with my family. I think this is due to a lack of understanding of how to deal with each other and handle our issues. My parents weren’t always emotionally there for me and my siblings. I spent a lot of my childhood with them yelling at each other. One of my earliest memories is of my father yelling and slapping me because I wasn’t speaking loud enough while my mother sat there and watched. Due to our childhood and the way my siblings and I were raised, we each have different mental health issues. I want to understand why my parents are the way they are. I also want to be able to communicate and connect with my siblings. Due to the age gap between my brothers and me, there is a disconnect. We grew up in similar situations but different circumstances. I believe they still see me as the baby they need to protect, so they do not open up to me. I want to learn how to communicate, earn people's trust, and be a safe space for them to open up.

I am interested in learning how the human brain works. I want to understand why people are the way they are. I want to learn how the human brain processes things like childhood events and emotions and how they can differ from person to person. I want to learn about brain development and how it can affect your personality, thoughts, and actions. I am also interested in detecting and treating different psychological disorders.

Another reason I want to go into psychology is to learn and understand myself. I am not fully aware of who I am. I am still trying to understand myself, my actions, how I react, and why I am the way I am. I want to learn a better and healthier way to deal with my feelings and emotions and find better coping mechanisms for the stresses in my life.

My final reason for wanting to go into psychology is because I want to help people. I have always had a passion for helping people. I never really had the help and support I needed as a child; I want to be that support to others. I’ve also always been really good at listening to others' problems and giving them advice or just being there to support them. I want to be able to give people real reliable support.