Local Recent High School Graduate
Mental health isn’t just about feeling good, it’s about being able to show up for yourself and others.
For me, that realization hit hard when I noticed how much my physical health suffered when my mental health was struggling. Back pain, heartburn, exhaustion, it all piled up until I had no choice but to slow down and reassess.
But high school taught me how to turn those struggles into strength. As an Operation Snowball leader, I helped create a space where 80 students from all walks of life could open up about their feelings. We started as strangers and left as a community, bonded by honesty and support. Now, when I walk through the halls and see those same faces, I’m reminded that mental health isn’t a solo journey.
It’s about connection. And it’s about growth.
As someone with ADHD, I used to dread the classroom. But thanks to the Therapeutic and Academic Support Continuum program, TASC, and teachers who believed in me, I learned to ask for help—and as a senior, I took most of my classes mainstream. College won’t be easy, but I know my tools: therapy, self-advocacy, and the confidence to say, I need more time.
Mental health shaped me. And now, I want to help shape a world where no one has to hide their struggles.
In Real Life is an essay series from CATCH in which people tell their stories in hopes others will find comfort in their experiences. Learn more.
