“Other people have it worse.” “Stop being selfish.” “Mental health isn’t a real thing.” “What are you even depressed about?” These are the weighty comments that people with mental health struggles often hear at least once in their life from others in response to simply speaking up about their pain. From a personal standpoint, I’ve heard these comments all too well being unfairly uttered to my loved ones and myself growing up. Growing up in Nairobi, Kenya from the age of nine, mental health was always a hushed topic of conversation. My friends, family and I grew up with the common African mindset that, instead of discussing our hardships and mental health struggles amongst one another, we must remain silent and deal with our pain alone. If one did speak up about their internal anguish, they were told they were “weak,” or “crazy.” As a result, when I was first diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder at the age of 12, naturally I did my best to downplay my struggles and hide it from the people I love. The last thing I wanted to do was to become a burden to my friends and family. Therefore, as though it was second nature, I faked a smile, even though on the inside I struggled with constantly bottling up my feelings of sadness and hopelessness. However, there was one person who always saw right through my mask: my grandmother. Growing up, my grandmother was someone who always showed me that my faith in Christ and vulnerability with my mental health could coexist. My grandmother was someone who, first and foremost, loved Christ with all her heart. She taught me how to pray every morning and night, and comforted me in moments I struggled greatly with my depression. It was through her unwavering love where she guided me towards giving my life to Christ and building a closer relationship with Him over the years. Additionally, she never judged my mental health struggles and instead comforted me saying that I never had to carry my burdens alone. She always reminded me that, “Imani, my granddaughter, give it unto Christ. He heals the brokenhearted and those crushed in spirit.” Those words, rooted from Psalm 34:18, was my light in the moments where life felt so dim. In moments I felt too weak, untalented, or worthless in my journey of life, I would pray. And as a result, God gave me the strength to keep going. My grandmother’s trust in Christ was the inspiration for me to learn how to lean on Him throughout the storms life would bring. It is through both God’s grace and my grandmother’s guidance, where I was able to find my passion in working hard to one day become a clinical psychologist and make a difference within my community from the mental health stigma it faces. From a larger perspective, many people in Kenya over the years, are experiencing an epidemic crisis of poor mental wellbeing due to stigma and lack of proper mental health resources. It’s hard seeing the young men and women in my country use alcohol and other drugs as a way to cope with stress and depression. It’s hard seeing families being unable to properly comfort one another through hardships. It’s hard watching the local Kenyan news to hear how yet another friend, child, parent, sibling to someone commit suicide due to feeling such unimaginable mental pain. In returning to the States to attend community college to save money and work hard to transfer into the University of Illinois of Urbana-Champaign, where I currently major in psychology, it has been through my studies where I’ve had a deeper understanding of the importance of mental health in today’s society. Many people today are encountering many different struggles, whether it is experiencing a traumatic upbringing, stress from work, loneliness from the inability to make genuine connections, mental health disorders, among other circumstances. Everyone has their own individual battles they face on the daily that in return, can cause one’s mental wellbeing to decline. It is through my studies, when I always think back to my country, and how there are many Kenyans struggling today without proper professional help. This motivates me to work hard in my studies, so I can strive to give back to the country who has made me into who I am today. I choose to major in psychology to become a clinical psychologist and help serve individuals who are struggling mentally in the United States. In addition to this, one day I will return to Kenya as a clinical psychologist and provide better access to mental health resources and reach out to Kenyans who have experienced mental health stigma in their communities to help them understand that they do not need to suffer alone. I want to help break the misinformation upon the normalized stigma that those who struggle with mental health problems are “crazy,” “weak,” and “a burden to society.” By doing so, I hope to help both Americans and Kenyans shift to being more open to seeking support, speaking with one another more comfortably about their struggles, and improving their mental health as a whole. In August of 2025, my grandmother passed away and was called home to be with God. Her passing has brought deep grief, but also intensified my passion for my future. Even with her physically being no longer here, I constantly feel her presence through remembering the lessons she has taught me over the years in terms of surrendering every hardship to God. Now, through every doubt, tear, and late nights of studying, I always return to her comforting words from Psalm 34:18. In my future journey of striving to get my bachelors, masters, and PhD in order to become a clinical psychologist, I will adapt the lessons my grandmother has taught me into helping others get the proper professional support alongside being there for those who have experienced mental health stigma. My prayer is that one day, through helping others with their mental health struggles, I will show my service through God’s will and be able to make my grandmother proud in heaven. Overall, my experience with mental health has shaped my beliefs, relationships, and my overall purpose in life greatly. My struggles with depression and mental health stigma have helped me understand that mental health struggles can coexist with faith. Additionally, through God’s love and guidance, one can transform their pain into helping others going through similar trials.