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AmandaGrace Krier

General information

Location
Columbia, PA
Age
28
Gender
Female

Hobbies & Interests

  • Mental Health
  • Music
  • Finance
  • Cooking
  • Baking
  • Running
  • Animals
  • Dog Training
  • Community Service And Volunteering
  • Public Policy
  • Public Speaking
  • Public Health
  • Baseball
  • Business And Entrepreneurship
  • Couponing

Reading

  • Adventure
  • Academic
  • Book Club
  • Contemporary
  • Cookbooks
  • Cultural
  • Health
  • Historical
  • History
  • Leadership
  • Psychology
  • Drama

I read books multiple times a week.

Bio

Hello, my name is AmandaGrace, and welcome to my bold profile! I am a 28-year-old dog mom, mental health professional, nonprofit founder, and fried pickle enthusiast! In 2017, I experienced the devastating loss of losing my cousin to suicide. Through sharing my family's story and my personal struggles with mental illness, I found a passion for youth mental health and decided to pursue a career in human services specificly working with youth and young adults. In 2019 I founded the Sean Flynn Foundation to continue my cousin's legacy of light, love, and most importantly... laughter. Our mission is to bring awareness to the link between mental health struggles and TBI/Concussions. In 2020 I graduated from the Community College of Philadelphia with an associate degree in behavioral health & human services. Since then I have worked accross the country uplifting youth voices as a national content expert in authentic youth engagement and peer support. I am currently continuing my education at Western Governors University pursuing a bachelor’s of Science in Health Sciences. If no one has told you today...YOU MATTER, you are not a burden, and you are never alone. If you or someone that you love is struggling, please dial 988 or text HELLO to 741-741. There is help, there is hope, and there is #NoShameInBrainPain.

Education

Western Governors University

Bachelor's degree program

2026 – 2026

Majors:
  • Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities

Community College of Philadelphia

Associate's degree program

2018 – 2020

Majors:
  • Behavioral Sciences

Miscellaneous

Desired degree level:
Doctoral degree program (PhD, MD, JD, etc.)
Majors of interest:
Public Health, Social Work
Medical school interest:
No

Career

  • Director of Teen Development

    Health, Wellness, and Fitness · YMCA of Greater Brandywine

    Jan 2025 – Present

  • Youth Program Specialist

    Mental Health Care · Youth MOVE National

    Jan 2023 – Jan 2025

  • Youth Support Coordinator

    Mental Health Care · Magellan Health of Pennsylvania

    Jan 2022 – Jan 2023

  • Lead Certified Peer Specialist of Teen Talk Lines

    Mental Health Care · Access Services

    Jan 2021 – Jan 2022

  • Youth Counselor/Case Manager

    Mental Health Care · Edison Court Inc

    Jan 2020 – Jan 2021

  • Non-profit CEO

    Non-Profit Organization Management · Sean Flynn Foundation

    Jan 2019 – Present

Miscellaneous

Dream career field:
Mental Health Care
Dream career goals:
Creating a statewide youth support line
Has nursing license:
No

Future Interests

  • Advocacy
  • Politics
  • Volunteering
  • Philanthropy
  • Entrepreneurship
Brooks Martin Memorial Scholarship
September 5th, 2017, was a warm sunny day. I went to classes at the local community college, had lunch with friends, and blared “Look what you made me do” driving home. I had no clue as I pulled into the driveway that Grief was waiting for me. My cousin Sean brought light and love into the lives of those who knew him. He had a passion for sports, and an ability to bring laughter into every conversation. But Sean also struggled with his mental health as a result of many sports-related concussions. In the early hours of September 5, 2017, he left our world, and died by suicide at the age of 18. That was the day that I met Grief. We had crossed paths in the past; but on this day, Grief checked-in for an extended stay in my family's life. In the weeks that followed, Grief accompanied me to classes, to work, to sporting events. In every aspect of my life, Grief tagged along. I began to believe that Grief had now become a permanent resident in my life. In the midst of my daily battle with Grief, I stumbled upon a quote that said “Grief is really just love. It's all the love you want to give, but cannot. All that unspent love gathers up in the corners of your eyes, the lump in your throat, and in that hollow part of your chest. Grief is just love with no place to go.” I sat and stared at my phone screen for what felt like hours. Is it true? For months I battled against Grief, because I thought it would swallow me whole. I never realized in the midst of all of that fighting, I was unable to leave space to cherish the 18 beautiful years that I had with Sean. So… I decided to stop fighting Grief. And in turn, I made Grief my friend. In doing this, I found strength. I began to tell Sean's stories of how he was his high school class clown 2 years in a row, and thought that non-refrigerated butter was disgusting. I started the Sean Flynn Foundation, educating others on the importance of concussion education. I created a scholarship for high school students: “tell us a story from your life that will make us laugh,” so that Sean can continue to bring laughter into the lives of others. And I work with youth because no one should feel that they need to struggle in silence like Sean did. This process of befriending Grief has not come without its hardships. I have learned on this journey that being a suicide loss survivor means being a part of a club that no one wants to be in, yet we all know the same secret handshake. But when we come together, we make the hardest days a little less lonely. There are good days, and there are bad days; and overtime, the bad days have become fewer and farther in between. There is a common phrase that says, “Time heals all wounds” but there will always be a Sean-sized hole in our family. Since becoming friends with Grief, it no longer holds the permanent residence in my life that I thought it would. Instead, Grief tends to stop by on holidays, birthdays, and special occasions. Sometimes Grief shows up unannounced on a random Tuesday. But now, instead of fighting it, Grief is welcomed with open arms, as it serves as a reminder of how much love Sean brought to us in the 18 years we had the privilege of spending with him.
Green Mountain Memories Scholarship
His name is Daniel. Growing up, like most young children I too participated in the DARE program. Officer D would come in every Friday to teach us about the dangers of drugs and alcohol. At the end of the program, we took the DARE pledge. "I pledge to say no to drugs and alcohol, to say no to violence, and encourage those around me to do the same" or something along those lines. DARE teaches kids many things. But it never prepared me for the heartache of watching someone I love battle with substance abuse... much less that person being my little brother. Daniel was always a wild child but in all of the best ways. He always had the best comedic timing and could make us laugh until we were crying without even trying. When he began High School that light slowly began to fade. Daniel began isolating himself. He gave up playing sports, he no longer wanted to leave the house and a rage that we had never seen before took over the once kind-hearted, funny kid. Little did I know the silent battle that had been ensuing in the tiny bedroom down the hall. Over time I truly learned the meaning of "You cannot help someone who does not want our help". I can still picture my father sitting on our living room floor, sobbing, after getting a phone call from my brother after checking him into an inpatient facility for the first time. "Please Dad come get me, Ill promise ill be better". Help doesn't always look the way it does in the movies. Sometimes the best help we can provide is to stand by our loved ones until they are willing to help themselves. Sometimes the best help we can provide is walking away. I've learned that there is no correct answer. After 5 long years, Daniel has finally begun to find the light in his darkness. Every day is a different battle and some days are a lot harder than others but lately, the good days are outweighing the bad. Daniel obtained his GED, works as a car mechanic and is the owner of not one but TWO CARS, which he is extremely proud of. Before, there was a time when my mom's therapist recommended that we begin to prepare funeral arrangements. Today, I cannot wait to see all of the amazing things that he will continue to accomplish. Daniels's story is not like most. Going to school in North Philadelphia I saw firsthand the devastation and the heartache that our communities continue to endure daily. I have a passion for youth and young adults because they are our future and too often their struggles get overlooked by our healthcare system. I hope to continue to bring change to youth and young adult mental health and substance abuse services so we can have more stories of recovery. Stories like Daniel.
Bold Music Scholarship
Before I changed my major to Behavioral Health, I was actually a Music Vocal Performance Major. Music has inspired me my entire life but as of late the song that keeps coming back to my subconscious is a song by the Grammy winning artist Billie Eilish titled "idontwannabeyouanymore". In my field I am often told that talking to young people about mental health and suicide is dangerous because young people cannot grasp the idea of permanence or the seriousness of the topic. Hearing those words always brings me back to this song. Billie Eilish was 15 years old when she wrote this song. A song about looking in the mirror, not liking what is in the reflection looking back at you and not wanting to be alive anymore. If a 15 year old can write, produce, and publish a song about her suicidal ideation, how many other young people are also feeling this way and living in silence? This song not only inspires me to continue to pursue my career working in youth and young adult mental health but also is a gleaming reminder that even in the darkest times when hope seems lost, we can survive the ongoing battle happening within our minds. Billie Ellish stated that she didn't know if she would make it to 17 and she just recently turned 20 years old. Although I have moved on from pursuing a future in music I do still sing from time to time. Attached below is my version of idontwannabeyouanymore by Billie Eilish.
Bold Love Yourself Scholarship
In March of 2020 a friend of mine posted on Facebook "Accepting your nose is the 1st step of self love" and this has drastically changed the way that I view myself. For most of my life I have struggled with self-love just as most young women do. My nose has always been an insecurity of mine. When I saw my friend post this quote on Facebook it made me look inward at myself more to find the deep rooted cause of my insecurity. Prior I looked at my nose and saw "Narrow, crooked, hooked etc.". Now as I look in the mirror I see my grandmother. Although I have considered rhinoplasty in the past it is no longer something that want to change about myself. I have learned whether it is my nose, my belly, my feet or my arms that I am beautiful inside and out. I look back at pictures in which at the time I thought that I was not very pretty and now I wish I looked that way. I realize that I will most likely look back on the way I look currently and wish I still looked this way later down the line. I am learning to love who I am in the present time and enjoy the body and the brain that I have been given.
AmandaGrace Krier Student Profile | Bold.org