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What made you feel so devoted to mental health issues? Is there a particular one you’ve focused on throughout your time here?
In high school and early college, I struggled with an eating disorder but luckily I had the support at home and strength within myself to get the treatment I needed. Upon coming to Columbia, I noticed a culture which was not surprising considering the amount of driven and high-achieving kids all pooled together and which seemed to consider asking for help or admitting to too much stress or anxiety as a weakness and something to be avoided at all costs. I also didn’t feel that everyone knew enough about the wonderful resources offered by both Columbia and the greater community. The desire to make sure that everyone who needed it had the same chance I had to get the treatment they deserved and felt comfortable seeking it out drove me to search for an organization which would allow me to start working on this goal. When I didn’t find a preexisting group, the summer before my sophomore year I began the process to bring a chapter of Active Minds to Columbia.
Tell me a little more about the “I am not my” photography campaign. We’ve been moved by the stories and faces..what is the driving force or idea behind integrating art/media?
The “I am not my” photography campaign is called the What I Be Project and was started by Steve Rosenfield of Ganesh Photography. His vision is that by asking participants to name their deepest insecurity in the phrase “I am not my blank,” it will empower the person to truly believe that the insecurity does not define him or her and to inspire others to do the same. He hopes it will open the communication lines for people who participate and see the project especially between participants and their family and friends who maybe did not know about the insecurity before seeing it via the photo. It’s really about the strength we all carry inside to reach out to others, accept ourselves, and strive for inner peace.
Do any of your projects focus on more specific college groups, such as freshmen or graduating seniors?
One of my favorite quotes is from Alison Malmon, the founder of Active Minds, and it says “The truth is, we may not all have a mental illness, but we all have mental health.” That has been one of my favorite things about Active Minds – the possibilities are endless for collaborations because mental health is everyone’s issue. We have focused on specific groups but its mainly about reaching all part of campus by collaborating with as many groups as possible such as Greek Life, MilVets, Postcrypt, Community Psychiatry Project, CNS, to name a few. One specific group we do hope to reach in the future are incoming freshman during NSOP for example.
What do you love most about Barnard/Columbia?
Diversity, absolutely. Growing up in the Bay Area, I thought I was exposed to a lot of different kinds of people but during my time here I have met some of the most interesting people in the world. Columbia embodies diversity in all its definitions and every person hails from a unique background giving them an exciting perspective to share. It really has made for such a rich learning environment inside and out the classroom.
How do your experiences impact your own personal approach to mental health?
My personal approach to mental health is to lead a balanced lifestyle which is definitely a struggle at times, especially here. I make a conscious effort to share with others when I’m having a bad day (or week!), to feed and exercise my body, and to find the middle way in my thoughts and actions. I also try to be a good and nonjudgmental listener for my family and friends. Good mental health really is like washing your hands or eating your vegetables, it takes effort and practice to make it a habit but it will pay off for the rest of your life!
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