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"Miss New York" and "depression" were two phrases I never expected to hear in the same sentence. I was extremely skeptical when I entered the Dolan Center Theater to hear Jessica Lynch speak. The hostile comments rocketing through my brain were silenced when I listened to Miss Lynch's words.

Miss Lynch's story was an overall motivational one: keep on going and get yourself the help you need even if in the beginning you do not want to. Depression is common in teenagers, but to show signs of it as a nine-year-old is a special case.

At nine-years-old, you should be having the time of your life, running around, only having a bad day because you could not sit with who you wanted to at lunch, not waking up crying. Knowing that Miss Lynch was the nine year old who awoke crying is something that surprised me when she first started speaking because she carried herself so well and spoke with such conviction, unlike many people who I've known to be diagnosed with depression. She seemed like a normal, well adjusted person who did not have something wrong with her.

The fact that Miss Lynch went from being the depressed nine-year-old whom everyone made fun of, to Miss New York State is a story that inspires many to do their best in life and never give up. You really can do more than it was ever thought possible for someone with a disease such as depression.

I hope that Miss Lynch continues to inspire the people she speaks to and I hope she achieves her own goals and dreams because she has already come so far. It would be a shame if she did not go all the way to reaching her dreams.