Student Spotlight

Mental Health Ambassador

Filipino American • New York, NY

Tell us about yourself! What’s your story?

I was born and raised in New York City before going to boarding school at The Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Connecticut, where I am currently a Junior. I enjoy playing tennis, reading, writing, and spending time with friends and family.

The inspiration for my trip to the Philippines stems from my mom and her background as a first generation Filipina emigrant. Year by year, my exposure to Filipino culture waned until it was completely lost, as the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic and my adjustment to boarding school life completely overshadowed my Filipino identity. During my sophomore year, I developed a desire to immerse myself in the Filipino culture and genuinely explore my roots. Previously, I had been to the Philippines once when I was very young, a trip I can’t recall. With this newfound eagerness to spend time in the Philippines, I began planning a trip. At first, I saw the trip merely as a way to connect with the Filipino side of my family that I had not seen for a very long time and nothing more. Eventually, I thought it might be more worthwhile to branch out and pursue various volunteering opportunities in the Philippines, which I followed through with, in addition to spending time with extended family.

I spent the whole month of July in Bacolod City, Philippines, volunteering at both the Luisa Medel National High School and the Kalipay Negrense Foundation during my stay. I loved my time there and I already miss the warmth of the Philippines, literally and figuratively. 

Why did you choose to intern with Thriving Asians? Tell us about your work as a Mental Health Ambassador in the Philippines!

My introduction to Thriving Asians was a complete coincidence. The founder Michelle Garcia hosted a “Mental Health as a Foundation for Success for BIPOC Young Leaders” Workshop and delivered an All-School Presentation in the Spring of last school year. I did not attend the optional workshop, but went to the mandatory presentation, not expecting to hear anything that would resonate with me. When Ms. Garcia was introduced as a second generation Filipino American just like me, I made sure to listen attentively to the presentation. Sure enough, I connected to the theme of mental health advocacy and made sure to reach out and get in contact with Ms. Garcia afterwards. After a few meetings, Ms. Garcia mentioned an opportunity to work with Thriving Asians as a Mental Health Ambassador.

The bulk of my work as a Mental Health Ambassador in the Philippines was to prepare and host the “Mental Health as a Foundation for Success for Filipino Student Leaders” Workshop at the Luisa Medel National High School in Bacolod. After building a connection with the school earlier during my stay, they gave me a platform to host my workshop with the Student Council and Red Cross Programs, which consisted of about 35 students.​​ The 2-hour long workshop was a massive success, and served as a great learning experience for both the students and myself, as I got to hear about mental health culture in the Philippines, a topic previously foreign to me. I still stay in touch with some of the students from the workshop to this day!

What were some of your most memorable or impactful moments delivering the Thriving Asians Workshop?

A memorable moment delivering the Thriving Asians Workshop was when the students shared their responses to the discussion activity and explained their reasoning. The students were very interactive throughout the workshop, which made my role easier and more fun. When they would share, I also learned a lot of things about Filipino mental health stigma/culture that I was not aware of previously. This engagement showed how even though myself and the students are from different sides of the world, mental health is a global topic and something every single person can relate to.

The hospitality of the Luisa Medel High School was also a highlight for me. The students and faculty made me feel so welcome the second I walked in, and they were also very well prepared. The formal introduction they prepared for me was a pleasant surprise, and at the end all of the students wanted to take pictures with me which was a fun way to wrap up.

How did the Mental Health Ambassador internship support you?

Simply hearing about Filipino high school students’ journeys with mental health and their responses to the questions supported my learning. In addition, the slideshow that accompanied the workshop was a great tool for me to learn about statistics regarding Filipino youth mental health challenges and mental health stigma in Filipino communities.

Going out of my comfort zone to facilitate this workshop supported my professional/leadership development because it urged me to make valuable connections and work on my public speaking skills, which are characteristics of a good leader to me. The internship supported my mental health because it made me more aware of certain mental health stigmas. Also, the internship helped me examine healthy and unhealthy methods of self-care that I can implement into my daily life.

What have you learned from your family, community, or culture that supports your mental health?

Something I’ve learned from my culture that supports my mental health is the power of prayer and unlocking the spiritual side of yourself. Raised as a Catholic, Sunday Mass always served as a time of reflection for me which is beneficial for my mental health.

How will you use your power as a role model or young leader to shape a mentally healthier community?

I will use my power as a role model/young leader to shape a mentally healthier Filipino community by raising awareness and being open to talk about difficult topics surrounding mental health. Vulnerability is a powerful tool when it comes to mental health discussion.

Any closing reflections?

Looking back on my workshop and my internship as a Mental Health Ambassador for Thriving Asians, it is crazy to think how everything started with a simple email to my chemistry teacher asking to put me in touch with the All-School speaker who I connected with. My main takeaway from my experience was that it just takes that email, connection, meeting, or any form of reaching out to spark something. Going out of your comfort zone puts you in the best position to grow, and you will never know where that connection could lead you.

Any shout outs?

Besides being a Mental Health Ambassador and working with the Luisa Medel National High School, I also volunteered for a month at the Kalipay Negrense Foundation, located in Bago City, Negros Occidental, Philippines. My time there was truly life-changing, and the work Kalipay does is beyond inspirational.

How can people connect with you?

My email address is julianjbrown34@gmail.com