Tags: by Gayathri Ramprasad | Nov 24, 2020 | #BIPOCMentalHealth, #MyStoryMYSUPERPOWER, Mental Health Matters, Youth mental health
Thank you for being part of the ASHA International family. Because of your support, we could empower Brian to share his story. Brian says “Growing up with depression was hard, but hiding it from everyone was harder.” Brian grew up in a culture that emphasized achievement and endurance above all else. In high school, after being the model-minority for his whole life, his depression got to an all-time high and he started getting panic attacks. These events led him to be honest about his struggles with depression for the first time in his life to his family, and to himself. He hopes that by sharing his story he can change the stigmas within his own community regarding mental health and encourage other Asian-Americans to speak up about their own battles with mental health by showing them they are not alone. At ASHA International, we are acutely aware of the significant barriers to mental health faced by underserved and underrepresented communities – immigrants, refugees, black, indigenous, people of color and LGBTQ+. And, we are dedicated to empowering them to share their stories to inspire hope & ignite change. In 2020, your support empowered ASHA Storytellers like Brian to reach 5,113 people with an inspiring message of hope & well-being. Together, we are shining a light on mental health and ending stigma, one story at a time. This Thanksgiving, all of us at ASHA International want to let you know how grateful we are to have you as part of our family. Your love and support have helped us bring hope and healing to healing to thousands of people, especially during...
Tags: by Gayathri Ramprasad | Oct 25, 2020 | #BIPOCMentalHealth, #MyStoryMYSUPERPOWER, Youth mental health
When COVID first struck, I, like many other college students found myself back in my childhood bedroom. We abruptly transitioned to lectures on Zoom, curfews, and memories of high school while convincing ourselves that we would be back at school soon enough. Yet, while I adjusted to the new normal, I had to simultaneously prepare myself for another drastic change. We first heard that we would have to move back in October 2019, about two months into my freshman year of college. “There’s a backlog in processing green cards right now,” my dad explained as we drove to the airport at the end of Fall Break. In theory, the problem seemed simple, our visas were expiring and the hold in the immigration system meant we wouldn’t be receiving our permanent residency in time, which meant we would have to leave the U.S. But the reality of this situation consumed our family for the following ten months. It meant my dad leaving the U.S for three months in an effort to extend our visas and my mom staying up for nights on end trying to comprehend complex legal jargon and coordinating calls between lawyers. It meant my sister having to go to school every day knowing that the senior year she had been looking forward to for the past three years would no longer be happening. For me, it meant watching my family undergo all of these two thousand miles away and try to balance my life in college at the same time. Every conversation revolved around new updates from the lawyers, trying to learn the names of different immigration forms,...
Tags: by Phillis Benson | Oct 21, 2020 | #MyStoryMYSUPERPOWER, MentalHealthMatters, Youth mental health
Every year, we look forward to celebrating the impact our donors, sponsors and storytellers have helped us have in our community and share our plans for the year ahead. We were so grateful to everyone who joined us at the virtual Celebration of Hope on October 6th – a night filled with inspiring stories of courage, hope and resilience. We are most grateful to our sponsors and donors who helped us raise funds to support our youth mental health programs to promote mental well-being and prevent suicides. There’s still time to support ASHA International’s work in the coming year. Your gift allows us to reach more students in more classrooms virtually in 2021! Make a gift today to support the life-changing work. Together, we are creating communities of hope, empathy and inclusion where all children can learn and thrive. Thanks to our sponsors for their generous support! Enjoy the videos from the 2020 Celebration of Hope! [embedyt]...
Tags: by Gayathri Ramprasad | Jun 14, 2020 | My Story MY SUPERPOWER, Resilience, Youth mental health
Over the last few years, we have had the privilege of mentoring youth storytellers Hanna Kane, Jaxon Buell, Hoda AbouEich & Eric Martz. Their stories have inspired and empowered thousands of youth and adults to take charge of their mental health and well-being. Their courage, resilience and activism will lead us into a better world of equity & inclusion. Please join us in congratulating the class of 2020, and wishing them the very best. Hanna Kane This fall I will be attending the Honors College at University of Washington with a plan to study constitutional law and American history. My goal is to become an attorney practicing constitutional law with a focus on social justice and big data. In college I am looking forward to connecting with the queer community, taking as varied classes as I can, and perhaps studying abroad in Ireland. Becoming an ASHA storyteller has allowed me to reclaim control of my story, sharing my struggles to empower others and myself in the process. It has taught me the power of both a single story and a community coming together to support healing and growth. I will always be a storyteller at heart, and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunities I’ve had with the organization. Jaxon Buell This fall I will be a private in the Marine Corps with a M.O.S. of intelligence. My goal is to become a data analyst for one of the US intelligence agencies. During my time in the Marine Corps, I look forward to making new and lifelong friends and comrades, as well as being able to...
Tags: by Gayathri Ramprasad | Jun 6, 2020 | Mental health & wellness, My Story MY SUPERPOWER, Youth mental health
We are delighted to share that PBS News Hour Student Reporting Lab published the short film created by students at the Health & Science School about our Let’s Talk About Mental Health School Program. One in five youth in the United States struggles with a mental health condition that interferes with daily life. Of the 74.5 million children in the United States, an estimated 17.1 million have or have had a psychiatric disorder — more than the number of children with cancer, diabetes, and AIDS combined. Half of all psychiatric illness occurs before the age of 14, and 75 percent by the age of 24. Children and adolescents with mental health conditions are at risk for academic failure, substance abuse, clashes with the juvenile justice system and suicide — all of which come at a tremendous cost to them, their families, and the community. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for 15 to 24-year-olds. In spite of the magnitude of the problem, lack of awareness and entrenched stigma keep the majority of these young people from getting help. At ASHA International, we are determined to educate and empower youth to take charge of their mental health & well-being. The Let’s Talk About Mental Health program is a peer-to-peer mental health education program to engage students in a conversation about mental health to promote well-being and prevent...
