“Would you do it again?” … 

My name is Nabiha, and I was given the opportunity to work and collaborate with some amazing people to create a mental health resource. If anything was to stick out of my senior year, this would be one of those moments. 

I was already a part of my school’s mental health promotion club, and my Child Youth Counselor recommended the youthexpert program to me. Our school board was collaborating with mindyourmind to create a mental health resource that was to be accessible to youth across the country. The magnitude of this project is what attracted me, the people and the experiences is what makes me value the moment. 

The initiative included people from all across our school board, the dedicated social worker Anne-Marie and 3 amazing people from the mindyourmind team; Simran, Scarlett, and Michelle. The team dynamic was so open and insightful, where the students were not afraid to voice their concerns over issues that are prevalent in current society. We all were dedicated towards making a difference in our community, but also enjoyed fanning over our collective love for shawarma, talking about the excessive dominance of pizzerias in a community, and so much more. In the three short days we were together, I was able to connect with so many people and learn the story of so many people. 

Aside from the people, the goal of this project was amazing too. We worked together to create zines to help individuals with their mental wellness, get self care tips, and to have a resource to turn to for help. The idea of creating such a fun and interactive resource for across Canada has its own galore, leaving us all glowing with pride at the end of the session. 

Through this initiative, I was able to start my senior year with a bang, giving me the chance to make a change for an entire community. If you ask me if I would do it again, my reply is probably a no brainer… 

“Uhhhh YESS!”