I am originally from a small town in California. As I was growing up, I was aware of the effect that the drug epidemic and rising housing costs was having on my community and California as a whole. As a result, I became driven to explore mental health. I went on to receive my Bachelors in Psychology from UC Davis. While completing my degree I noticed that psychology rarely looked at how an individual’s environment can affect their mental health. I became passionate about social work as it focuses, not only, on the individual but also their environment. As a result of these experiences, I work with individuals to not only look at self, but at how our surroundings affect the way we live and our mental wellbeing.