Because of mental illness, my aunt was murdered, leaving my family and I broken. On a sunny day in July of 2014, I received a call from my mother saying my great aunt Theresa had passed away, but I was unsure of the circumstances. When I got home I heard the most gruesome story, my aunt had been killed. She was a caseworker for the mentally ill at Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital in Philadelphia, and adored helping others. One day, a recently discharged man scheduled an appointment with my aunt and his doctor to discuss his progress, but he had another idea. He walked into the therapist's office with a gun and shot my Aunt Theresa all because the hospital put up a sign that read “No Firearms” outside its main doors. No one knows exactly why he targeted my aunt, but we do know that mental illness was a factor.

Hence, I would like to look more into mental illness by entering the medical field and solve the problem of these ailments that killed my great aunt Theresa. Mental illness does not provide a “one size fits all” category. Everyone is different and some people have a hard time expressing what is going on inside their head. Helping just one person with the battle inside their head, no matter the severity, can save a life or set ease to their unique minds. Whether it be therapy, medicine, meditation, or institutionalization; they can be saved.

I would like to solve this problem by promoting steps that can be taken in order to secure the lives of the affected and the people around them. The key to noticing a mental illness is by paying attention to the warning signs. Whether you have noticed negative changes in yourself or another person, take action immediately. As well as simply scheduling an appointment with your doctor to discuss the problem can open several doors to receiving help. Primary doctors can recommend therapists, psychiatrists, and social workers if they believe that the illness is not created by a physical complication. Once you meet with a specialist, they will do whatever they can to assist these ailments.

I hope to major as a physician’s assistant in the psychology field to do whatever I can to make sure everyone struggling follows the steps above. Helping just one person would leave me satisfied and feeling accomplished. I would love to make this dream come true by choosing Marywood University.