"Together We Grow A Mentally Healthy Tomorrow."
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Congratulations to all graduates
of the Class of 2020!
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Senior year of high school and college is often filled with tradition and celebration; however, those graduating this year were, and still are, faced with unique and uncertain times. Below are 3 graduates with special ties to NAMI NH, and we are pleased to share a little bit about them, their experiences and what NAMI NH means to them.
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Haley Urbanik found NAMI NH when she sought out places to volunteer to help others after her own struggles with mental health challenges. Haley found NAMI NH’s mission of support, education, and advocacy impactful, and states that, had she or those around her had a better understanding of mental illness as she grew up, her experiences with anxiety and depression might have been different.
When Haley found NAMIWalks NH, she was introduced to the NAMI NH family,
and kept in touch with several staff members, which allowed her to stay involved with the organization.
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Haley now serves as the Chairperson and Secretary of the NHFN Grant Oversight Board. “Every meeting I’m learning something new and my passion for raising awareness around mental health conditions increases.” Haley says, “The board has allowed me to grow a lot and feel like a valued member of the organization.”
Haley just graduated from University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She says that her experience wasn't drastically different due to the pandemic, as her classes were already online. She notes that her school expressed distinct compassion and understanding for what students were going through, therefore, making her final semester a bit easier. Though her in-person graduation was sadly postponed, Haley says that her family went out of their way to give her a great graduation. “My school still mailed us caps and gowns, so I wore mine and sat in front of the TV while a pre-recorded graduation ceremony was aired,” Haley says. “The chancellor and some celebrities spoke and shared words of encouragement and pride. It was really well done and still made it somewhat of an event given the circumstances.”
Though the pandemic led to some disappointments, Haley has witnessed a lot of positivity over the last few months, in the form of people checking in on each other more regularly and re-connecting with others that they haven’t spoken to in some time.
Now that school is over, Haley will dedicate her time to the business she co-founded with her mom: D. Whitney Consulting. There, they will assess workplace culture to determine how it drives employee performance. In addition, Haley says she will continue to volunteer for NAMI NH, in order to keep learning and keep helping.
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Gwendolyn Byors is a student from Fremont, NH who just graduated from Sanborn Regional High School. She has been involved with NAMI NH for several years, participating in the annual walk and sharing the mission of NAMI NH with her school and peers through conversations about mental health and improving mental health supports at Sanborn Regional.
Gwendolyn’s interest in NAMI NH draws from her own experiences with mental health struggles that she had when she was younger. “It means a lot to me that the struggles I faced when I was younger don’t have to be faced alone, and that there are people out there to help people like me,” she says, adding
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that the annual NAMIWalks NH solidifies for her how many people share in the struggle with mental illness, as well as how many people are dedicated to helping others. The COVID-19 pandemic seriously altered Gwendolyn’s last semester of high school, causing her to miss out on a lot of traditional activities; but she says that Sanborn Regional did a great job finding the best alternatives possible. She even stated that her favorite memory of the last few months was the high school’s makeshift graduation, in which she was still able to walk across the stage, and watch her friends do the same from her car.
The pandemic did, however, change Gwendolyn’s college plans; “The pandemic really showed me how much I value in-person classes, so I switched to a university that allows me to commute to campus classes every day.”
Gwendolyn will be attending Southern New Hampshire University and studying Early Childhood Education in the fall.
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Grace Smith is a graduate of the Oyster River High School class of 2020. It is through Oyster River that Grace became involved with NAMI NH, as she reached out to NAMI NH for help with her Power of One project. According to Grace, “The aim of the project is for students to research an issue that faces our society and do something to make a difference. My brother, Samuel, has struggled with schizoaffective disorder since 2015, and that had a strong impact on my family.”
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Because of her family’s experience with mental illness, Grace and her family chose to take part in NAMI NH’s Life Interrupted training program. It was this training that got Grace interested in NAMI NH’s mission, and made her want to become more involved.
“NAMI has given me and my family outstanding hope,” Grace says. “Having connections to all these amazing people through this organization has really helped us realize that we are not alone.”
Grace’s involvement does not stop there, however; she also founded the Mental Health and Wellness Committee at Oyster River High School during her sophomore year. The committee spreads awareness about mental illness and hope for those struggling in the Oyster River community.
It is because of Grace’s impactful involvement in spreading the mission of NAMI NH in her community that she won the Unsung Hero award. “Receiving that award only made me more motivated to keep going and spreading hope and awareness in my community,” Grace reflects.
Grace loves the NAMIWalks each year, but specifically recognizes public speaking as her favorite way to be involved with NAMI NH. “It’s always so empowering to hear other people share their stories,” Grace says. She names Ann Duckless as an inspirational NAMI NH advocate, and reflects on how much she loves to work alongside her.
While Grace is sure to go down in history for all of the amazing work that she did in her high school and community, she is also one of many students who will be remembered as the class that graduated during a global pandemic. Grace says it was very scary, and quite disappointing as she lost her senior prom and her last dance performance (Grace has been a dancer for the past 14 years). She says it’s exciting to go down in history because of this experience, though, and her high school did a great job making their graduation memorable regardless.
Right now, Grace is relaxing and enjoying life as it comes—especially spending time with her family. She works part-time as a nursing assistant at a local senior living facility, and in the fall, she will begin classes at Saint Anselm College, studying Social Work and Neuroscience. A strong advocate like Grace is sure to continue doing great work, and she plans to continue her mental health advocacy in college.
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Rural Outright is a community program of TLC Family Resource Center, providing support & advocacy for rural LGBTQIA+ folks and their allies. Learn more at their
Facebook page.
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Nashua Pride Festival is an annual free celebration of diversity, acceptance, love and fun focused on promoting equality and inclusion of all people. Enjoy Nashua Virtual Pride on Saturday, June 27 at 2pm! Learn more on their
Facebook page.
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Celebrating Pride Month by our young artists
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"I redesigned the L.O.L. dolls to represent PRIDE month. This series is called L.O.L. Pride Surprise. I named my dolls Pride Boy and Peace Out B.B."
Kai from Londonderry, age 11
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"Loving everyone as they are and for who they are!"
Tyler from Derry, age 12
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NAMI NH's Life Under Construction
Social Media for Youth & Young Adults
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"...
I’m always approaching it with an honest, yet empowering and uplifting mindset."
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NAMI NH's Life Under Construction
is an
Instagram
,
Facebook
, and
Twitter
platform where youth with mental health challenges can find support and resources. This account is monitored by NAMI NH staff, and run by a young adult, Haley, who has lived with mental illness for years and uses her experiences with self-advocacy, comparison to others, self-talk, coping skills, and many other topics to offer advice to others looking for support. Haley shares quotes and images from multiple mental health accounts, and also writes her own content.
Haley shared that working on LUC has been extremely helpful for her as well, as it’s allowed her to think about her challenges in a bigger picture and find goodness and strength in each day. “When I’m creating or sharing a post for LUC, I’m always approaching it with an honest, yet empowering and uplifting mindset. This has allowed me to shift my thinking towards my own situation and has helped me to see how much I’ve learned and grown through my journey.”
We encourage all youth and young adults to follow
NAMI NH’s Life Under Construction
pages, and hope that they will feel heard, supported, and part of a community of others who understand.
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The NH Family Network is excited to announce our 2 newest members to the Grant Oversight Board - Deb Roux and Lauren Foster.
The NHFN Grant Oversight Board guides the work of the NHFN which is to provide NH families and youth with mental health challenges the skills needed to: foster leadership competencies; work effectively with policy makers and service providers; and promote peer support and social inclusion.
If you would like more information about the NHFN or the NHFN Grant Oversight Board, contact
Michele Watson, NHFN Coordinator.
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NAMI New Hampshire| 603-225-5359 | 800-242-6264 InfoLine | info@NAMINH.org | NAMINH.org
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