Personal Essay: My College Journey

College hasn’t been an easy journey, but after four years, I have accepted it for exactly that - a journey. My college journey just happened to take more time and attention than I had originally planned. At 22 years old, I have diagnoses of multiple mental health problems that put me through the ringer every day. However, I have learned through amazing guidance that “it’s not your fault, but it is your problem.” During my college experience, I struggled mentally and that manifested through my academics. It has taken therapy, encouragement, and determination to not only help me find ways to cope, but also a career path I feel connected to and am passionate about. It is not my fault I have the diagnoses I do, but it is my problem how I allow

I have a part-time job as a psychiatric technician at Prairie St. Johns Hospital, working with young children and teens recovering from intensive psychiatric conditions and addictions. I’ve been with Prairie for about a year but the real-life experiences they have provided me with, are skills I will carry with throughout the rest of my professional career. At Prairie, I monitor patients ' physical and emotional well-being and report unusual behavior or physical ailments to medical staff. In addition, I observe and influence patients ' behavior, communicating and interacting with them and teaching, counseling and befriending them as well as encouraging patients to develop skills and to participate in social, recreational, and other therapeutic activities that enhance interpersonal skills and develop social relationships. I am certified in trauma informed care, crisis intervention, verbal de-escalation as well as suicide first aid (ASIST). These duties have resulted in myself becoming an outstanding active listener, a better critical thinker as well as build my patience and stress tolerance by taking leadership roles in communicating effectively with high stress situations and creating solutions for my