Mental Health Advocacy

My advocacy for mental health awareness started in high school, where I recognized a need to address the rise in teen depression and anxiety in my community. I founded a Mental Health Awareness Club, where, in the first week of our organization, the school board threatened to remove counseling services available to thousands of students due to budget cuts. We were all shocked, and of course, we all wanted to do something to help. 

During one of our club meetings, we brainstormed ways to respond. We shared stories about how these counselors have helped people we knew. In doing so, we realized that we could make the need for these resources undeniable through storytelling. We started a campaign to direct students to the next school board meeting. We had at least 40 students show up, with some sharing personal stories about how much these resources meant to them. We fought hard, even though we weren’t sure about getting the outcome we wanted. But to our surprise, a week later, a local foundation heard about our efforts and helped us fund these counselors and extend their contracts. 

This was a huge victory, but I knew there was more work to be done. In reminding myself of “why” this work was so important, I was able to continue with more projects for the cause, such as this student panel, where Seniors and Juniors talked to Freshman about healthy ways to cope with stress. 

That same year, I found more students from other high schools in my community who were dedicated to mental health awareness, and we organized the first ever Mental Health Summit in our County. We brought together teachers, students, and community members to create solutions for youth mental health challenges and drive home the message that the wellness of our youth must be a priority.