Mental Health Graphic
Mar 2023 – Apr 2024
Throughout my academic journey, I had developed mental health concerns early in my primary years but I did not fully understand the scope of my illness. Fortunately, I was raised in a home where wellness was held in high regard, even though culturally, it was not something both of my immigrant parents grew up with. After getting support and professional help, I was given a diagnosis of Tourettes that can be exaggerated by generalized anxiety. I have worked hard to manage my symptoms and recognize when I need additional support. As I entered high school, I noticed a lot of my peers, especially male identifying students, had similar struggles. However, they did not have the mechanism to seek help due to many barriers including stigmas and cultural differences. I also realized that navigating supports was also difficult and at times unattainable for some of my peers. The gaps in seeking help were evident to me and when I had an opportunity last year, I was fortunate enough to secure a grant from the Youth Creativity Fund allowing me to pursue a project that would contribute to my school community. I worked alongside my guidance department, social worker and eventually, I was able to develop a mental wellness graphic making mental health supports accessible for all students. The graphic provided a roadmap for students to seek help in the privacy of their own time and without feeling judged or overwhelmed. This project garnered the attention of local organizations who offered to help expand my mental health poster as well as explore other possibiliities to create well-being initiatives. Currently, my graphic is in all of the classes of all 16 high schools in the Waterloo Region District School Board.
More info about the project can be found here
Mental Health Guest Speaking
Aug 2023
Through my ongoing volunteer work with the Smart Waterloo Region Innovation Lab, I was honored to be invited as a guest speaker to address an audience of elementary and middle school students. During this session, I shared my personal experiences and provided valuable insights on mental health, along with resources and ideas aimed at improving accessibility to mental health support for young individuals.
Mental Health Conferences
Apr 2023, Feb 2024, Apr 2024
As a major advocate for student mental health accessibility throughout high school, I was given the opportunity to learn and explore the topic of student well-being further at the annual Waterloo Region District School Board Mental Health Conferences for 2023 and 2024. Through workshops and presentations, I was able to enrich my understanding of mental health stigma in schools and continue on a path to forwarding student well-being for my region. Through conversations with guest-speakers and professionals in the mental health field, I was able to gather information and resources for the first iterations of my mental health graphic. After I finished my first version of the mental health graphic, the Waterloo Region District School Board took on my project and helped me in distributing posters to all high schools in the district.
Mental Health Interview
Aug 2023
As part of my poster initiative, I had the opportunity to be interviewed by the Youth Creativity Fund to discuss mental health and the impact of my project. During the interview, I was able to share my personal experiences, highlighting the importance of mental health awareness, and inspire other young people to engage with their communities and take action.
Nolan Phuong 