I have struggled with mental health for most of my life. My mom used to ask me, "How could I have done better?" but it wasn't her fault. She's a single mom and moved to America before my sister and I were born. So there were struggles she'd never anticipated; nonetheless, she did a great job raising us. Growing up, I was a mature kid, but I struggled to tell people how I felt, often closing myself off when something was bothering me—or overthinking every outcome of a decision I made. So I adopted behaviors that helped me when I got overwhelmed, things like closing my eyes and ears, counting, and focusing on my breathing. For years I thought it was normal for people to do that until I learned about mental health in 4th-grade health class. I learned what anxiety and depression do to people and that it wasn't uncommon for students to have them. As time passed, my friends and I began to lean on each other to help our mental health. We knew the signs of getting overwhelmed, what makes us anxious, and the signs of an anxiety attack. Together we created a safe environment and ensured that we always felt safe in times of need. It was hard, and we weren't always perfect, but we tried and knew we could count on each other. As we got older, we entered middle and high school; some moved away, leaving only three of us together. Life got more challenging, and our mental health suffered; we developed depression and anxiety worsened. It happened to our classmates; we were all struggling, and it seemed there wasn't a way to help. My friends and I continued to talk about what we were going through and helped each other. But I was worried that my classmates didn't have relationships like that, so I started suggesting people talk to a counselor at our school more. During that time, I realized there was a lot of stigma around mental health, and there weren't many people willing to talk about it. There were even times when I tried to speak to healthcare professionals. I was told I didn't have depression or anxiety because my symptoms didn't last long enough. It was disheartening to hear because I worked through my mental health with friends for years, but when I asked for help from an adult, I was told I "didn't need to worry." It made me realize that mental health is something we need to work on destigmatizing to ensure that when kids, teens, or adults ask for help, there is help waiting for them. Although I'm not becoming a mental health care professional, I did consider it when I thought about my future. I plan to become a veterinarian. For me, my pets are one of the biggest reasons for living. The pandemic affected us all; like many others, I was away from my support system. My mental health took a hit, but my cats were there to help me. For the first time, I considered a time when I was gone. It was one of my life's darkest and scariest moments, sitting in my room alone, wondering if I was helping anyone by continuing. My pets brought me back. They stayed with me at every point and helped me remember the best parts of myself, the parts worth saving. Some might say they didn't know my inner turmoil, but I know they saw my pain. They're the reason I am alive. And they are why I refuse to lose my battle with mental illness.

My dream is to thrive, to do what makes me happy, and live authentically, no matter the cost. My goal is to push past my limits into everything people said I couldn't be.

I have struggled with mental health for most of my life. My mom used to ask me, "how could I have done better?" but it wasn't her fault. She's a single mom and moved to America before my sister and I were born. So there were struggles she'd never anticipated; nonetheless, she did a great job raising us. Growing up, I was a mature kid, but I struggled to tell people how I felt, often closing myself off when something was bothering me—or overthinking every outcome of a decision I made. So I adopted behaviors that helped me when I got overwhelmed, things like closing my eyes and ears, counting, and focusing on my breathing. For years I thought it was normal for people to do that until I learned about mental health in 4th-grade health class. I learned what anxiety and depression do to people and that it wasn't uncommon for students to have them. As time passed, my friends and I began to lean on each other to help our mental health. We knew the signs of getting overwhelmed, what makes us anxious, and the signals of an anxiety attack. Together we created a safe environment and ensured that we always felt safe in times of need. It was hard, and we weren't always perfect, but we tried and knew we could count on each other. As we got older, we entered middle and high school; some had moved away, leaving only three of us together. Life got more challenging, and our mental health suffered, we developed depression, and our anxiety worsened. It happened to our classmates, too, we were all struggling, and it seemed that there wasn't a way to help. My friends and I continued to talk about what we were going through and helped each other. But I was worried that my classmates didn't have relationships like that, so I started suggesting people talk to a counselor at our school more. During that time, I realized there was a lot of stigma around mental health, and there weren't many people willing to talk about it. There were even times when I tried to speak to healthcare professionals about my struggles. But I was told I didn't have depression or anxiety because my symptoms didn't last long enough or weren't severe enough. It was disheartening to hear because I worked through my mental health with friends for years, but when I asked for help from an adult, I was told I "didn't need to worry." It made me realize that mental health is something we need to work on destigmatizing to ensure that when kids, teens, or adults ask for help, there is help waiting for them. Although I'm not planning on becoming a mental health care professional, I did consider it when I thought about my future. I plan to become a veterinarian. For me, my pets are one of the biggest reasons for living. The pandemic affected us all, like many others, it meant that I was away from my support system. My mental health took a hit, but my cats were there to help me. For the first time in my life, I considered a time when I was gone. It was one of the darkest and scariest moments of my life, sitting in my room, alone, wondering if I was helping anyone by continuing. But, my pets brought me back. They stayed with me at every point and helped me remember the best parts of myself, the parts worth saving. Some might say they didn't know my inner turmoil, but I know they saw my pain. They are the reason I am alive. And they are why I refuse to lose my battle with mental illness.

My mom didn’t pick my name. Back then, my mom was Hindu; this meant that when it came time to pick my name, my family performed a Namkaran. Namkaran is a ritual right of passage, meaning “name create” it is used after the birth of a child to find its name. However, Namkaran doesn’t find the child’s first name but the first letter. Using the child’s zodiac, month, planetary alignment on the day they were born, and guidance from the family deity, a priest can find the first letter of the child’s name. For me, that meant the letter “T.” My grandfather had performed the Namkaran for my name and provided a book of names our family used for generations. In it, my mom found the name “Trishana.” meaning “small sheep.” Little did she know that this would become a self-fulfilled prophecy as I would grow to only be 5’1 by the time I turned 17. A name close to mine that means something completely different is Trishna or Trisna. It means lust, craving, and thirst. And because my name is uncommon, that meaning will most likely come up before the real one on Google. Of course, this only comes up when I meet another Indian person with which I have to have a very uncomfortable conversation. Although it can get awkward at times, I like my name. Trishana Maharaj, or Small Sheep King. It’s a bit funny, but who am I to judge? I’m the king of small sheep! It may not be the most extravagant name like my sister’s, who was named after the Hindu equivalent of the Bible, but I don’t mind. My name gives me a connection back to my family and our history. Unlike my parents, I didn’t grow up in our family’s culture. My sister and I were born in the US, meaning we were the first generation to have no family traditions directly passed down to us from the eldest people in our family. Especially after our Grandfather, the one to perform our Namkarans, passed away. Because of this disconnect, I’ve never worn a traditional sari or learned Hindi, both things my family would have passed down to me. I have been effectively cut off from the oldest traditions of my family. I often feel like an imposter among other Indian kids, I look the part, but I have never experienced what my own culture is like. My name is my strongest connection to my ancestors, a name which they have approved of. Even though it isn’t the fiercest, most profound, or most recognizable name, it’s mine, and I’m proud of it.

I have struggled with mental health for most of my life. My mom used to ask me, “how could I have done better?” but it wasn’t her fault. She’s a single mom and moved to America before my sister and I were born. So there were struggles she’d never anticipated; nonetheless, she did a great job raising us. Growing up, I was a mature kid, but I struggled to tell people how I felt, often closing myself off when something was bothering me—or overthinking every outcome of a decision I made. So I adopted behaviors that helped me when I got overwhelmed, things like closing my eyes and ears, counting, and focusing on my breathing. For years I thought it was normal for people to do that until I learned about mental health in 4th-grade health class. I learned what anxiety and depression do to people and that it wasn’t uncommon for students to have them. As time passed, my friends and I began to lean on each other to help our mental health. We knew the signs of getting overwhelmed, what makes us anxious, and the signals of an anxiety attack. Together we created a safe environment and ensured that we always felt safe in times of need. It was hard, and we weren’t always perfect, but we tried and knew we could count on each other. As we got older, we entered middle and high school; some had moved away, leaving only three of us together. Life got more challenging, and our mental health suffered, we developed depression, and our anxiety worsened. It happened to our classmates, too, we were all struggling, and it seemed that there wasn’t a way to help. My friends and I continued to talk about what we were going through and helped each other. But I was worried that my classmates didn’t have relationships like that, so I started suggesting people talk to a counselor at our school more. During that time, I realized there was a lot of stigma around mental health, and there weren’t many people willing to talk about it. There were even times when I tried to speak to healthcare professionals. I was told I didn’t have depression or anxiety because my symptoms didn’t last long enough. It was disheartening to hear because I worked through my mental health with friends for years, but when I asked for help from an adult, I was told I “didn’t need to worry.” It made me realize that mental health is something we need to work on destigmatizing to ensure that when kids, teens, or adults ask for help, there is help waiting for them. Although I’m not planning on becoming a mental health care professional, I did consider it when I thought about my future. I plan to become a veterinarian. For me, my pets are one of the biggest reasons for living. The pandemic affected us all, like many others, it meant that I was away from my support system. My mental health took a hit, but my cats were there to help me. For the first time in my life, I considered a time when I was gone. It was one of the darkest and scariest moments of my life, sitting in my room, alone, wondering if I was helping anyone by continuing. My pets brought me back. They stayed with me at every point and helped me remember the best parts of myself, the parts worth saving. Some might say they didn’t know my inner turmoil, but I know they saw my pain. They are the reason I am alive. And they are why I refuse to lose my battle with mental illness.

Imagine a minimalistic house, like the ones in futuristic movies. Tall white walls with black and grey accents, a beautiful kitchen, and a state-of-the-art living room would be the features of my house. It runs entirely on clean energy, and I actively compost to put in my garden. In addition, I drive a fully electric car to and from work. I would also donate to various organizations to better the planet and people alike. I am a happy, successful person with lots of pets. I work at a veterinary clinic, and every day I get to treat and check up on all of my patients. I also help the animals from shelters find homes through my work or by fostering them myself. No day is exactly like the last, and I am glad to have chosen my profession. My co-workers are a joy to be around and are one of the many highlights of my day. I often get to visit my family and see my childhood pets. I helped my mom retire, and she lives comfortably. Her business has expanded, and she gets to watch it flourish. She is happy, healthy, and enjoying her life. That is my dream life, a life of happy moments with loved ones, sustainable living in hopes that the future of our planet is bright, and giving back to the people that matter most to me. It may not have all the bells and whistles that most people would wish for, but I think it is perfect.

I was with my robotics team when we went to Lake Superior’s edge. The ice had gotten pushed up into large pointy piles, so naturally, we were walking along the ridges. The ice created little caves small enough for a foot to fall through in some places. That’s what happened to me. My foot fell through, leaving a cut running up my leg. A group of us were able to get my foot out but had to go so we could get bandages. I still think it was the most beautiful place. I’m glad I could get pictures.

I grew up on the Pokemon franchise, from the card game to the shows. The main antagonist of the show is Team Rocket. A large organization determined to steal everyone's Pokemon around the world. After finding a surprisingly powerful pikachu we are introduced to the iconic trio Jessie, James, and Meowth. They are the main antagonists for Ash and his friends on behave of Team Rocket, so of course, they always fail in their attempts to steal pikachu. Although they are the antagonists, the show does a great job not building that as their only character trait. You get to know the trio as the shows continue. They can be harsh towards their Pokemon but still, worry about their safety. It's their duality that made this quote from Meowth so motivating for me, "We do have a lot in common. The same Earth, the same air, the same sky. Maybe if we started looking at what's the same instead of always looking at what's different...well, who knows." It's not something you would associate an antagonist with saying. Yet, it's accurate with our current climate. People often focus on what's different about them from others, when in reality, if we looked at what we have in common then we could make changes to better the world as a whole. It inspires me to keep in mind that when I succeed in my goals, I can help make the world a place where we work together to help others.