Growing up, I never truly understood what mental health meant because it was rarely discussed at home or school. My family never saw mental health as “real” since they grew up in an environment where financial stability was always the priority. As a result, I was always scared to talk about mental health with them. Additionally, the school I attended lacked mental health resources for students. However, this later changed because of the neighborhood I grew up in. My family and I lived in an area with high crime rates, where we were one of the few Chinese families that operated a Chinese restaurant. In sixth grade, I started helping at the restaurant and had to learn how to navigate racist comments and difficult interactions. While living in this environment was challenging, it also sparked my passion for mental health. I attended a local adolescent support group during my sophomore year of high school. That experience opened my eyes to the limited mental health resources available to people in underrepresented communities. There, I met a girl who shared her experience at a psychiatric hospital, describing how poorly the staff treated her. I was shocked—a system designed to help people had instead made her feel worse. Her story motivated me to join my school’s speech club. Although I feared public speaking, I saw it as an opportunity to raise awareness about this issue on a larger scale. I competed in various tournaments, including a national competition in Chicago. While I didn’t always place as highly as I had hoped, feedback from judges—such as, “This really touched me because I have a similar experience with my own child, and I applaud you for speaking about it”—only strengthened my passion and reinforced the impact I could make. Soon after, I helped co-found the Mental Health Attention Club at my school, leading a team of advocates in projects such as a Mental Health Resource Fair. We also manage a website, an Instagram page (@phila_mha), and a podcast to promote mental health education. In Fall 2025, I plan to attend Haverford College and major in psychology, to become a clinical psychologist. In college, I hope to engage in research and internships that will expand my knowledge and allow me to make a greater impact. Additionally, I want to start a podcast where I can interview various individuals to foster more conversations around mental health. Ultimately, by becoming a clinical psychologist, I hope to make mental health care more accessible in underserved communities. I also aspire to visit schools in these communities to provide mental health education—something I never had. I hope to be a source of strength and support for those who feel alone in their struggles. Thank you for this opportunity and for taking the time to read my essay. I, too, hope to one day create a scholarship to support higher education as I believe that everyone deserves the same opportunities.

I grew up in a restaurant in a poor neighborhood with high crime rates, where my family was one of the few Chinese families. Though it was a challenging environment, I experienced tremendous growth here. Starting in 6th grade, I helped my mother at the restaurant. From learning to navigate racist comments to connecting with customers, I realized that there are people with the most beautiful souls. Many of them had fewer opportunities, including a lack of mental health support, which drove me to attend local events like the MBK Cares Event, where people shared their mental health experiences. Before this, I never understood what mental health truly was. However, after gaining this awareness, I began my advocacy for mental health. I started finding ways to advocate for mental health in my school. Despite my fear of public speaking, I joined my school’s speech club to raise awareness about this issue. Being in the speech club gave me a chance to share my voice and speak out about what I am passionate about. Later, I co-founded a mental health organization at my school, Mental Health Attention, to continue my advocacy, but this time with a team of other mental health advocates. Together, we organized events such as the Mental Health Resource Fair, and I helped crochet hearts, placing them on a bulletin board as encouragement for those having a tough day. I am inspired by John J. Costonis to continue my mission, no matter the struggles I may face. I know there will be many challenges, but I believe everything will be worth it in the end. My biggest goals in life are to make mental health care more accessible and affordable, especially for marginalized communities, and to support my family, who never had the chance to attend college. As a senior in high school, I plan to major in psychology and eventually become a clinical psychologist. College will not only provide me with the knowledge I need in psychology but also bring me one step closer to achieving my biggest goals. I also hope to push for policy changes, as they can lead to increased funding for mental health care. In addition, I plan to speak out about mental health in schools, organizations, and other settings so that others can join me on this advocacy journey and understand the urgent need for accessible and affordable mental health care. I intend to collaborate with other mental health organizations and organize events, such as walk/run fundraisers, to raise money for places that provide mental health care. Today, there is still a stigma surrounding mental health. Many people have told me that mental health issues are “fake” or something that one can simply “get over.” I’ve been told that my advocacy efforts aren’t worth it because mental health isn’t a real issue and that those who struggle with mental health are “weak.” However, I know that isn’t true. I believe that we need to talk about mental health more so that we can help people see its true reality and understand that it is a genuine and important issue. There will be challenges, but I will not give up because I believe that mental health care should never be a privilege but a right. Thank you for this opportunity and for taking the time to read my essay.

I didn’t understand mental health until high school, as it was rarely discussed at home or in school. It wasn’t until I heard a story from a girl at an adolescent support group that I realized how disconnected mental health care can be from the needs of BIPOC communities. She shared how, after being admitted to a psychiatric hospital, she was mistreated by the staff. This is why I want to major in psychology, eventually becoming a clinical psychologist and creating more affordable and accessible mental health care, especially in BIPOC communities. I hope to achieve this by advocating for policy changes, as they can lead to more funding for mental health care. In addition, I plan to speak out about mental health in schools, organizations, and other settings, so others can join this advocacy journey and understand the urgent need for affordable and accessible mental health care. I also intend to collaborate with other mental health organizations and organize events, such as walk/run fundraisers, to raise money for places that provide mental health care. Today, there is still a stigma surrounding mental health. However, if we talk about it more, we can help people see the true reality of mental health and understand that it is a real and important issue. Mental health care should be affordable and accessible to everyone, regardless of their background. In the end, mental health care should not be a privilege but a right.