Celia McCaslin
University of Nebraska Omaha
Neuroscience
Walter Scott, Jr. Scholarship Recipient
I am originally from Elkhorn, Nebraska, and I am the middle of three girls. I graduated from Elkhorn High School in 2022, and while I was there I was very involved in the vocal and instrumental music departments. Outside of classes, I love reading, working out, playing pickleball, and hanging out with friends, my boyfriend, and family. I have a very busy schedule, but I have found that the best way to stay energized and focused is to strictly maintain a healthy work/school/life balance. This means managing my time well and intentionally building free time into my schedule to avoid burnout.
I chose to pursue neuroscience because I am passionate about mental health, and I believe that learning the biological influences behind emotions and behavior will allow me to help and understand mental health patients on a different level. I’ve also always been fascinated by the brain and its processes, and I had and still have a desire to continue pushing the frontier of knowledge about the brain. I am also minoring in Spanish because I am fascinated by the language, and it is the second-most spoken language in the United States, meaning I’d be able to communicate with and provide service to one of the country’s largest affinity groups. In the future, I’d like to work in the mental health field, possibly with a focus on the mental health of veterans or domestic abuse or manipulation survivors. I’d also like to do volunteer or mission work abroad.
I came to develop this passion for mental health due to my own mental health journey, and seeing others around me growing up in this day and age struggle similarly. I lived a very fortunate, peaceful childhood, but as soon as I got to middle school, I came face-to-face with struggles that negatively impacted my mental health, leading to the development of anxiety and depression. All throughout high school, I spent time digging to the root of these issues and attempting to achieve a mentally healthy mindset again. Through therapy, medication, support from loved ones, and a LOT of humble introspection, I was able to become mentally healthy again, and I want to help others find solutions to achieve this peace as well.