Help Roxana empower other through the lens of Social Work

As you may already know, my name is Roxana. I'm originally from Ecuador. I'm the fifth of six children, and the second daughter of my parents. When I was younger, I always knew I wanted to empower and support people. I remember saying to everyone (cliché, I know), "I'm going to be a doctor." This evolved to wanting to become a dietician. This inclination arose from the health difficulties I went through when I was a teenager and early adulthood. Unfortunately, most of my health difficulties had to do with diet. I was diagnosed with Celiac's disease at the age of 15, and as you may imagine, in Ecuador, there wasn't a lot of awareness around this autoimmune disorder, so I had to figure out a way to take care of myself, and that's when I became passionate about diet and nutrition. And, I'm going to be fully transparent. Around the time I was 14, I had also started struggling with body image issues which led to a lifelong battle "against" an eating disorder. It wasn't until I was diagnosed with Celiac's disease that the eating disorder truly became very active. Having an autoimmune disorder along with a severe mental disorder led to a lot of pain in my life as a teenager and early adulthood. I'll come back to this, but let me tell you about my college life.

At the age of 18, I moved to the US to pursue a higher education. I went to BYU-Idaho to pursue my undergraduate studies where I graduated in 2020 with a degree in Biology with an emphasis in Neuroscience. While I found research fascinating, I discovered my true passion lay in working directly with people. During my time in college, I spent two years tutoring various classes and mentoring freshmen, helping them develop better study habits and skills to support their academic success. This affirmed this passion of empowering others by helping them see their skills and talents.

After college, I moved to Utah and started working in the mental health field. I worked at an outpatient agency that provided services for individuals who were court-mandated. During that time, I mostly worked with individuals who struggled with substance use, domestic violence, and had faced trauma in their life leading them to get in trouble with the judicial system.

After a few years at the agency, I transitioned to a residential treatment center specializing in services for first responders and veterans. I gained a deeper understanding of the trauma these individuals endure in their careers, which often led them down a path of pain and suffering, unaware that life can improve when they choose healing and connection with their true selves. I witnessed firsthand how PTSD, mood disorders, self-harm, suicidal ideations and attempts, anger, and more can profoundly affect their ability to function in daily life.

As a person who has been in recovery for PTSD and an Eating Disorder for several years now, and have found joy in life, I owe the same to others. I want to serve and empower others in the same way my therapists and loved ones have empowered me. This is when I discovered social work, a field that opens countless doors to opportunities, all centered on recognizing and nurturing the potential and humanity of individuals.

I am currently enrolled at Utah Valley University, pursuing a Master’s in Clinical Social Work. My goal is to fulfill my calling of assisting individuals recognize their authenticity, talents, potential, and see beyond the "labels" they’ve adopted due to their environments and distorted sense of self.

Any kind of donation would be very much appreciated.