Alicia wants to study psychology to better understand bipolar disorder and help others struggling with mental illness. She finds hope and dependence on God, who guides her through challenges. While she doesn't know her exact career path, Alicia is passionate about psychology and hopes her education at CCU will help her discover how to apply her eagerness to learn and help people find hope.

1. My Calling
My name isAlicia.Ihave a disordercalledBipolarDisorder.
Thisis the reasonI wouldlike tostudythe fieldof psychology.BipolarDisorderhashelpedmoldmyidea
of whatit meanstobe a Christian.Ithas helpedme have adependence onGodineverydayliving.Iam
hopingwithmyeducationIcan figure out how to applymy eagernesstolearnaboutthe mindand
behaviorof manypeople thatexperience hope throughoutlife.A dependence onGodisthe most
importantdecisionIhave evermade.BipolarDisorderisamental illnessthataffectsa lot of our world
population.Mostpeople take medicationforitandthat is a dependencyinitself.Godisthere towalk
me througheach momentanddecisionIwill evermake.Psychologyisabigpart of my life.CCUisa
place where Ican become a personwhocan helppeople discoverhope.The worldlacksthiskindof
hope these days.Psychologyandspirituallyisthe answerinmyopinion.
One thingI have experiencedisadependence onalovingGod.Icouldnot have pickeda better
time to go backto school.A voice inside of me said,“If youdon’tdothisyou will regretit”.ByregretI
meannot payingoff a previouscollege andenrollingatCCU. I meantrustingthat God will helpme
throughthisprocess.God will helpme throughanyprocess.Iknow as longas God isin the driverseat,I
have nothingtofear. My goal wasn’tto know a defined plan.Istill don’tknow exactlywhatIam going
to do afterI graduate.I knowone thing.Ilove psychology.Psychologyhashelpedme alotinlife aswell.
I knowaboutmoods.I knowabouthow mybodyand mindwork.I want to know more.Ipaidoff my
previouscollege,transferredmytranscripts.Inthe meantime IenrolledinCCU.My life ischangingso
fastfor the better.I owe thisto God,myself,andmyfamily.Ilearnedsomuchat my pastcollege.Iam
still buildingmyfoundation.IamslowlybutsurelyworkingwithGodtomake mylife beargoodfruits.I
am willingtonevergive uphope.Hope andwillingnesshave playedahuge part inmy life. Iwantothers
to knowthere ishope.Iwant otherpeople toknow thattheydon’thave to be a statistic.Iwant people
to knowthat there ishope andthat God can have a purpose forwhoever.Godcanheal the mind,heart,
and soul.Godis healingme.Mydoctor justrecentlytookme off a medication.Ihave hadthisillness
since birth.Ithas beena huge challenge.Ihave hadsomany obstaclesinmyway.God has brokendown
everyone of them.Knowingisthe answer.Psychology,God,andevenscience workhandinhand.Ilove
learning.Iam choosingtocontinue myeducationatCCU. AnotherthingthatjusthappenedisthatI lost
my Social Security.Idon’twantto be on it.I guessthat’swhy I am not.So myhusbandis currently
lookingfora higherpayingjob.We hopefully cangetoff welfare soon.Iknow thisschoolingandlifeon
life termsisthe onlywayI can go. A dependence onalovingGodwill make faithpossible.Withoutfaith,
howcan I sayI am a Christian? If Iworry,how am I practicingmyfaith?I mightas well notevencall
myself aChristianthen.Iam one.I dohave faith.Faithtakeswork.Faithwithoutworksisdead.Sohere I
am. Vulnerable andinschool.The foundationof mylearningexperience.Ihave tostart somewhere.So
here I go.Trying,willing,to knowmore aboutthe mind.Ihope to know how it worksbetterbecause my
mindissimple.If itissimple,IknowIcan do it.It is me whocomplicatesthings.
Sohere I am at CCU readyto learnmore aboutwhat I love.CCUis helpingme helpothers. Iwantto
getout of myself andgive back to society.Ihave takenfromsocietyfortoo long.CCU isgoingto help
make that possible.SothankstoCCU I have a chance to be someone whocontributestosocietyinthe
future.AMEN