Neolth's Student Mental Health Ambassador program is honored to host a community of almost 100 student leaders from around the world. In thanks for their hard work during the Fall 2022 semester, we're featuring a few of our most dedicated Ambassadors.
Meet Nandanaa Srikanth (she/her), a junior at Presentation High School and future Biomedical Engineering major. She is a Lead Student Mental Health Ambassador at Neolth, and a member of our Student Advisory Council. Her dedication to Neolth's mission continues to inspire us!
Nandanaa hopes to pursue a career in biomedical engineering, neuroscience, pharmacy, education, linguistics, and/or bioethics. She says "whatever I do, I would love to help people". Aside from her leadership roles with Neolth, she is also a Lead Mentor and Ambassador for Community Reading Buddies, a reading program that offers free literacy support to students in need. Additionally, through her Girl Scout Silver Award, she created and taught a STEM lesson plan in 3 elementary classes. She's planning to expand that project for her Gold Award, where she'll make a resource guide to help teachers lead interactive STEM lessons.
She joined Neolth's Ambassador Program because she "thought it was an amazing opportunity to be more involved in spreading awareness and resources for mental health, especially that of students. The Ambassador Program's work is so meaningful and truly benefits schools, teachers, and students."
We asked her about the most pressing mental health issues for students and why she's passionate about solving these issues, to which she responded:
"There are many things that impact students' mental health currently. One of the most pressing issues is school. School can cause stress and anxiety about one's grades, educational future, and one's social circle. Furthermore, relationships and expectations placed on students can put pressure on them and affect their mental health. Additionally, current events, including health, politics, and the environment can also cause students anxiety and stress.
I am passionate about mental health because unfortunately, there is still a stigma surrounding it. I believe that mental health should be talked about more often, as conversations regarding it can be valuable and change people's live. In my family, I have seen how high pressure affects students and can negatively impact their future. I advocate for more education about mental health so people can feel more comfortable talking about it. If I could give students one piece of advice it would be to remember that your effort is all that matters, not the results!"
Thank you, Nandanaa, for all that you do for Neolth and for students everywhere!
