My name is Alicia Dawson. I have been a mental health therapist for a community mental health agency in Kentucky for the past six years. As a doctoral candidate in social work at the University of Kentucky, I refer to myself as a master learner. During my academic career, I focused my research on improving mental health services for Black youth. My mission is to advocate for and support policies that address racial and mental health inequities. I had the pleasure of working as a part-time distance learning instructor for the University of Kentucky, where I gained vital professional skills such as adaptive teaching approaches. My instructors and peers have continually complimented me as efficient in both my academic and professional pursuits. I have demonstrated critical thinking, leadership, and creative thinking skills when working on academic, extracurricular, or professional initiatives. In the future, I intend to leave the clinical sector and pursue a career in academia full-time. I am confident that, based on my clinical experience and recent two years of research as a doctoral candidate, I am a strong candidate to help both master's-level and doctorate-level social work students become more engaged in providing culturally relevant services to Black adolescents.