b'As a young adult, my life has been a journey of ups and downsdays where I fell as many times as I stood, walked away and came backdays of trying, fighting, and losing. I lost jobs, relationships, friends, and even a year of schooling because of my mental illnesses. I attempted suicide multiple times, lost a close friend to suicide, and felt the heaviness of sadness, hopelessness, and darkness.Its also through these experiences that I came to find my brightness in my passion for helping others by sharing my story and raising mental health and suicide prevention awareness. I also found hope in an unexpected placeat a unique event on my college campus.I transferred schools after taking a gap year and enrolled in Springfield College, Fall 2020. In the Fall of 2021, I crossed paths with the Jordan Porco Foundations (JPF) Fresh Check Day. It was my first Fresh Check Day experience and it exceeded my expectations. It gave me such a sense of belonging and community and everyone was so welcoming. It was my participation in Fresh Check Day that gave me the strength to seek additional counseling and support, which I needed at the time.I love and believe in the powerful mission of JPF. So much so, that I helped connect my dad with JPF, selecting the Foundation as the benefitting charity of his annual golf tournament. I will continue to support JPF in any way I can and continue to provide help and support for others, as JPF provided that to me. I am living proof that breaking down may simply be a predecessorof breaking through.- Mackenzie'