Mental Health and Colorado College Anonymous

During my interview at Colorado College, I explained why I advocate for mental health awareness. I recited some ingrained statistics, such as “1 in 5 teenagers experience a severe mental disorder”, “suicide is the second leading cause of death for teenagers”, and “50% of those with a mental illness do not seek treatment.” I spoke about my anxiety disorder and, through personal experience, detailed the conditions a stigmatized individual must endure. I explained why I took medical leave my second semester of freshman year due to my poor mental health and how I gained strength and resilience through my recovery. I detailed the club I started at my high school to educate teens on mental health and the psychology classes I took at a local college to educate myself. I was a human infomercial. Usually, when I tell my story, the listener timidly utters, “I’m sorry” and reassures me that “XYZ University has the best resources for students”.

But this time, it was different.

After my eight-and-a-half minute sales pitch, Toan Luong, my interviewer, asked the most effortlessly incisive question, “Why are teens suffering?”. It took me years to realize the very question that so naturally rolled off his tongue. In an adrenalin-induced reflex,...