Testimonies
Cally Short M.S., Counselor
Mental health awareness and proactivity among adolescents is important for a variety of reasons. During adolescence, individuals face many changes related to social, educational, emotional, mental, and physical development. These changes and experiences can contribute to negative emotions and thoughts that if left unaddressed have the potential to significantly affect one’s mental health throughout the lifespan. Understanding mental health and the importance of healthy coping strategies during the teen years is a crucial part of fostering mental and emotional wellness into adulthood.
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The Aasha Foundation speaks to the importance of both educating youth about the importance of mental health, as well as resources available for utilization. Aasha means “hope” in Hindi, and having hope is one of the most important and influential factors necessary for empowering young people to keep pressing forward. Many adolescents often feel alone and without encouragement when facing mental health stressors and challenges. Fostering hope motivates and inspires youth to keep pushing forward and to continue educating themselves on healthy resources to be utilized to improve mental health and self-care.
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Investing in the Aasha Foundation is an opportunity to invest in the hope of our future. The current generation of adolescents will soon be the leaders of our world. Education and awareness of mental health and resources for treating mental health issues are vital components in developing healthy adults. Supporting causes such as the ones represented by the Aasha Foundation reduces the stigma that often surrounds mental health through increased awareness and education. Investing in the mental health of our youth through the Aasha Foundation means investing in their successful futures.
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Virinder Norhia MD, PhD, Retired Pediatric Neurologist and CEO
I am 66 year’s old retired Pediatric Neurologist, and have been a researcher, physician, professor, entrepreneur, CEO of a biotech company and an investor in healthcare ventures. Mental health in society in general carries a stigma and has largely been ignored or brushed under the carpet. This is particularly so in adolescent population. In today’s digital world, adolescents do not get as much of an opportunity for human interaction and while they may think, they have lot of digital friends, it may not be so. Depression and anxiety are prevalent in this population and left unrecognized and untreated interfere with achieving their full potential as adults, both in terms of education and personal human relationships.
Establishing a foundation for Public Health education is an important endeavor and focusing on mental health in adolescents is serving a need for public awareness of the challenges faced by young people today.
I love the proposed name of the foundation; Aasha means “hope”. I have personally known Vibha Venkataraman most of her life. She is passionate about human rights and public health. She has spent time to go to dental camps in under-developed countries such as Kenya, Cambodia, Mexico and Guatemala as well as underserved populations in the US such as Kentucky. It is important to invest in such a foundation started by a young entrepreneurial woman serving an important cause. I trust the founder with my funds, because she has demonstrated by her initiatives and actions that she is committed to public health.