Hi! My name is Tanijah Heard, and I’m a second-year Honors Pre-Nursing student passionate about mental health and equity. In high school, I took AP, IB, and college courses that helped me grow and prepare for the challenges of a nursing degree, from writing academic papers to taking rigorous exams that would mentally prepare me for the future exams necessary to become a registered nurse. My passion for mental health advocacy comes from both personal experience and my role as a student ambassador. As a former Wellness Club president, I spent my high school years working to break the stigma around mental health by sharing resources across the county. While in college, I hope to learn how I can help create a more supportive and equitable future for mental health, especially in marginalized communities. Alongside my studies, I volunteer and mentor in my community through the organization “Mentoring for H.E.R,” where I can give back in many ways, from giving away books and clothing to mentoring young girls on various topics. In due time, I wish to become a child and adolescent psychiatric nurse practitioner, where I can provide inclusive care for everyone, regardless of background, without fear of judgment. Thank you for considering my application!

• Youth Mentor

  Education · Mentoring For H.E.R. Inc.

  Jan 2025 – Jan 2026

• Advocacy
• Volunteering
• Philanthropy

• Cheerleading

  Varsity

  2018 – 2019

• Track & Field

  Junior Varsity

  2022 – 2023

• Student Researcher

  North Carolina A&T State University English Department · Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other

  2026 – Present

  Research topic:

  Maternal Mortality Rates Among Black Women in the United States

• Student Researcher

  Annapolis High School, North Carolina A&T State University · Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other

  2024 – Present

  Research topic:

  Maternal Mortality Rates Among Women of Color in the United States

• Student Volunteer

  Volunteering · Backpack Beginnings

  2025 – 2026

  Mission:

  Sorted out large bins of clothes into their correct size locations, threw cardboard trash into the correct disposal area, and sorted out school supplies and children’s backpacks

• Mentor

  Volunteering · Mentoring For H.E.R. Inc.

  2025 – 2026

  Mission:

  As a mentor, I work with my team to fulfill the mission of providing meaningful, consistent, and impactful support to students/mentees.

• Representative

  Public Service (Politics) · AACPS Student Wellness Council

  2024 – 2025

  Mission:

  Providing resources, strategies and monitoring tools to ensure that effective implementation of the AACPS Wellness Policy, to increase the quality of life for all members of the educational community and to cultivate communities of wellness.

• Student Ambassador

  Advocacy · Student Equity Advisory Team

  2022 – 2025

  Mission:

  Communicating with other student ambassadors across Anne Arundel County to discuss equity; working alongside Equity Specialists

• Participant

  Advocacy · Voice4Equity National Policy Network for High School Girls

  2024 – 2024

  Mission:

  Presenting original policy ideas along with high school girls from Arizona to a phenomenal panel of female leaders including a CFO, a former Superintendent, an Equity Director, and the Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships for Discovery Education

• Reviewer

  Public Service (Politics) · Student Equity in Action Spotlight

  2023 – 2024

  Mission:

  Reviewing rubrics of different AACPS students; selecting the Student Equity in Action Spotlight winner for every month