Hello everyone! My name is Aaron Selby, I’m 18 years old and I’m from the small town of Monterey, Tennessee. (If you don’t know where that is, don’t worry-- it’s about halfway between Cookeville and Crossville, or Nashville and Knoxville. It’s so small if you blink, you will probably miss it.)

I just graduated high school, will begin attendance at Middle Tennessee State University in the fall to pursue a career in psychology and a minor in philosophy. My ultimate goal is to receive my doctorate in psychology to become a clinical psychologist/therapist.

I feel like maybe I should explain my career plans a bit more in depth. As the only child of a single parent, I may have had a bit of a sheltered childhood. As such, I didn't get many chances to make friends and I've never been popular by any stretch of the imagination. Over the years I've come to embrace my differences, and actually prefer being alone over large crowds of people. But as a child, where coping mechanisms are a promise of a distant future, differences can polarize young adults and can become targets on their backs.

I've always been different-- most notably in the feminine characteristics I've picked up from my mother-- and as such, I've been teased and bullied all of my life. Unfortunately, it isn't unusual to hear things such as "fag!" and "gay!" echoing from mouths of all ages. They are also very tame in comparison with some other people's experiences with bullying. But as I mentioned before, when these things happen before coping mechanisms have a chance to develop, they most definitely have a profound effect on the young psyche.

Without proper support systems, the years of bullying I experienced took their toll on me during my eighth grade year, in 2011, and I became severely depressed... So much so that I tried to take my life on more than one occasion.

As I mentioned before, I have found ways to cope with my inner demons, and I've dedicated my life to helping others by becoming a therapist. If I can help people who may be going through what I have, than I feel like my experiences won't have been in vain.

On a bit of a lighter note, I was very involved in theater, forensics, chorus and student government in high school. At MTSU, I am aiming to join the Quidditch team, student government, debate team and concert orchestra. I am also one of the newest writers for MTSU’s Odyssey Online team!

My small town upbringing may have limited my experiences in some ways, but I am anxious to broaden my horizons and to finally fulfill my purpose in this world. Everybody knows the story of the young adult moving to the big city to make a big break, and it has been repeated time and time again. That isn’t me. I'm finally ready to share my story, and I'm so excited to bring all of you along for the journey!