My name is Annabelle. I’m the founder and director of The Clear Mind Project, and a high school junior from New York. After being diagnosed with epilepsy in August of 2019, my world was turned upside down. Once I had my seizures under control, I began researching epilepsy management, and brain health at large. I learned that each epilepsy patient has different symptoms and triggers, and that one of my triggers was stress.
Talking with my friends about my experience, I was shocked to discover just how many young people are struggling with stress, anxiety and depression, often caused or exacerbated by what has become the average adolescent life. Heavy schedules and homework loads, ACT/SAT prep, pressure to succeed, not to mention social media, or discovering your identity – who and what you want to be in life – all on a four year timeline, mean that most high schoolers today experience more stressors, pressures, stakes and responsibilities than any generation before them.
Something has to change.
I created The Clear Mind Project to address the mental health crisis affecting our young people today. This summer, I completed a research mentorship with Dr Shari Jager-Hyman, Professor of Psychiatry at UPenn’s Perelman School of Medicine. My work examined emotional intelligence and ways that school can promote social-emotional learning. Through The Clear Mind Project, I hope to share this skillset with schools and young people directly, so that as many people as possible can benefit from this knowledge.