Hello,

My name is Kayla and I am expected to complete my undergrad this May and walk my commencement ceremony in August, where I may be invited to speak.

I am a former adoptee and foster child and have navigated my higher education completely by myself. I am also a single mother of 4 children, one who was killed the day after I started my psychology courses. In spite of this, I remained on the honor roll for one year straight and joined the Golden Key Honor Society. Maybe I felt guilty, maybe I was overperforming strength for the sake of my children. That was the only choice I had because giving up and giving in was impossible. I could not succumb to my circumstances that way.

The last 4 years have been rough for my family and me. Not only did we lose a part of our family, but I also had to set us free from a domestic violence situation. During this relationship, I failed 6 courses, causing me to have to use aid again for classes I should have easily passed. I took a quarter break and came back stronger than ever.

I left my job of 4 years to focus solely on healing, parenting, and my education, knowing this would bring longer fulfillment in life versus immediate gratification through survival mode. I have maintained an A/B average for almost 2 years, but unfortunately, it did not raise my GPA beyond a 3.2, putting me in the back of the list for larger grants and scholarships. I ran out of aid about a year ago. I have self-sustained my family and my education without a village, but I cannot do it alone anymore. I am 3 classes away from finishing that will cost me $4,119. I also have graduation fees and commencement fees in order to walk the stage as a first-generation grad.

As someone who was misunderstood during my early development years, my passion in psychology runs deep. I am more than just curious about the mind and why we do what we do. I am breaking systems and generational curses and have a plan to continue into higher education for developmental, behavioral, and clinical psychology.

My plan was to work on a micro level with individuals through therapy, but running my own nonprofit for grieving families who lost a child, I realized there is a bigger issue, systemic ones. I plan to use my degree to research policies, clinical techniques, development, and behaviors in different scenarios. This research will be intended to create a better country and world, where mental health is taken seriously, trusted, respected, and challenged as the world grows in empathy and love.

I ask that you donate what you can to support my education. I want to bring awareness to over/under diagnosis and medication in Black individuals, whether a rise in mental health diagnosis in children is learned behavior through untreated/undiagnosed caregivers, and if mental health labels should be used only after a period of time of talk therapy or behavioral therapy. These are just a few ways I plan to use my education. Ultimately, I would love to show my children the power of chasing your dreams and that community will love and support you through it.

Thank you so much for reading.