Because I Said So

In this episode, I just wanted to truly provide a genuine explanation of where I'm at right now. Recently, I've been struggling with my mental health, and I know that a lot of other people have as well. Always, but especially in quarantine, we all too often treat ourselves as outsiders, refusing to treat ourselves with the same compassion we show to those around us. I just wanted to be honest, and I hope that someone can relate or find this helpful!

Diana Barba is a teenager who has grown up in a Hispanic household in the Southern United States. With these circumstances, she has been left to face the struggles of trying to fit into two categories simultaneously, leaving her feeling like a grey space in the middle. She discusses the differences in the two cultures, her internal resentment, and her concern about her future and losing her culture.

This episode features Susan McDonald, a fitness expert followed by the likes of Katy Perry and Jim Carrey and founder of GirlForce. She speaks on topics of body image, the importance of an environment of support from peers and adults alike, and the manipulation imposed by the advertising industry on people of all ages.

In this Father's Day episode, Bethany Whitney speaks on what it is like to live with the loss of a father. She sheds light on the loss of innocence, the aftermath internally and externally, and the way it affects her view of her future. After losing her dad to ALS when she was 10, Bethany has used her trauma to help her learn to love and listen to everyone she meets, truly spreading light to those around her.

In this episode, Malik Waters, a 16-year old from Nashville, discusses his experience growing up facing racism in the public education system. Additionally, he explains how adults and authority figures can affect the way that adolescents perceive themselves, for better or for worse, and details his own personal struggle with trying to play the balancing act of embracing his culture without being "too black" whilst growing up in white communities. 

In this episode, Kendall Smith gives an in depth look at what it’s like to be both gay and mixed—being born with “two strikes” against him. He details his coming out story and how he has been affected by the perceptions of society, as well as the struggles of growing up torn between racial divides—especially currently in America.

In this episode, Cameron Adams, a 16 year-old from Nashville, discusses the path to success in a creative sphere, the importance of adult support, and how to use age to your advantage.

Mental health is one of the most important issues facing our youth everyday. In this episode, I talk with my mom to shed light on the invalidation of teen’s mental health, the effect of parents’ childhoods on the way they react to their children, and why the invisibility of certain mental illnesses causes them to be invalidated.