At the tender age of nine, my life took an unexpected turn when my family relocated from Ireland to the United States. While the prospect of a new adventure initially excited me, the reality of uprooting from my familiar surroundings hit me hard. Suddenly, I found myself in a foreign land, grappling with feelings of unwanted loneliness, alienation, and a profound sense of not belonging. In those early days, every aspect of my new life felt like a challenge. I struggled to adjust to the cultural differences, the unfamiliar school environment, and the daunting task of making new friends. It seemed as though everyone around me was effortlessly happy, making me feel worse.

Through that, the absence of resources (books or blogs) from peers who could relate to my experience made it difficult. I felt as though I was navigating this emotional turmoil alone, with no guidance or understanding from those around me. I started to even feel panic attacks, and my anxiety kept building up. It didn’t help that I felt isolated experiencing these emotions, making it feel like it was just me, so I couldn’t ask for help. It was during this period of profound vulnerability that I began to explore coping strategies to navigate my overwhelming emotions, guided by my parents. Opening up never felt better, especially when my words were received with the message “You’re Not Alone” and it’s okay to feel not okay. As my mom guided me through a 5-minute mindfulness exercise, I felt calm again. Even though it felt short, I knew I had something to help when I felt anxiety or emotions I couldn’t handle.​

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That experience led to 2 BIG REALIZATIONS. First, I wasn't alone – millions of youth struggle with similar challenges. Second, while mindfulness was a great strategy, there had to be more tools out there. That's when I embarked on a mission to create a toolkit of coping mechanisms. I discovered the power of resilience, self-reflection, and reaching out for support. Learning to navigate these tough emotions wasn't about ignoring them, but acknowledging them and using practical strategies to cope. And, I could then help myself whenever I was feeling anything.

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Fueled by this desire to help others, I started my own club during online learning in 6th grade (around COVID times). Through the club, I heard many more young people share their stories and strategies with each other, creating an open and non-judgmental space. Knowing I could help a small group of people, I wanted to reach a wider audience and decided to start writing my book, Uplift Teens Today: Coping Strategies for Mental Health, at age 12. After a year and a half of working on it (quite the rollercoaster ride!), I published it at age 13, as the first teen-to-teen mental health book, which soon became an international bestseller.

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Following that, I started speaking at national conferences and appeared on media outlets like FOX, ABC, CBS, King5, ETV, and TV9. I even connected with the president of the United States about my mental health initiatives! Being part of this amazing movement was a great way to heal myself and help others.

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Last year, at age 14, I created and published my emotion card deck called "Emotion Cards: Unveiling the Power of Emotions, One Card at a Time." It's been incredible to see how sharing my story and strategies empowers others on their own mental health journeys. Since then, I've been featured on more media shows, spoken at American Academy of Pediatrics conferences, received the National Alliance on Mental Illness 2024 Young Leaders Award, worked at the Healthcare Authority, AND launched my newest project, Nexus: Mental Health Hub for Schools, reaching over 200K+  students nationwide, with the goal of expanding to all 80 million+ students in the US. Now, I'm excited to keep using my voice to break the stigma and share these tools with teens around the world!

 

Thank you for reading my story! You can watch me sharing my story HERE.