“In college, I want to investigate mental health and the stigma against mental health, and where this feeling that it’s not okay to speak about mental health comes from. Mental health is just as important as physical health. If you are having depression or anxiety, you should go have that treated just like if you broke your arm.
I think there are probably a lot of people who do need someone to talk to who have not reached out or feel that there is something wrong if they do. I feel that sometimes, for teens and kids, their emotions are not always validated, and I think it’s important to validate everyone’s emotions. If you say you’re sad, it’s okay to be sad, and no one has the right to say you’re not. As an adult, when you get to make choices for yourself, I think it is a little easier to get help. But I feel for kids, getting help is a harder thing to do because maybe not everyone believes what you are telling them you feel.
I’d like to help teens and kids deal with things that are going on in their lives that they wouldn’t normally be comfortable talking about and to help them be a better version of themselves. I would like to be that person you feel like you can come talk to; that it’s a safe place; and that you can better yourself from that and become stronger.”