When I was a teenager, I felt invisible and unwanted. I experienced depression and anxiety after living through trauma, and I didn’t know where to turn or how to get through it on my own. It wasn’t until I connected with mental health services in high school that I began to see a way forward. Having someone walk alongside me—not to “fix” me, but to listen to me, to believe in me, and to tell me that healing was possible—saved my life.
Now, years later, I’m proud to serve as a Peer Specialist here in San Luis Obispo County with Family Care Network. I get to use my lived experience to support young people who are walking a path I know well. When I sit across from a young person who feels hopeless and overwhelmed, I can honestly say, “I’ve been there too.” That statement, spoken from a place of truth, builds connection and trust with the youth I get to work with in a powerful way.
Every day, I see how hard it is for people to find and receive the mental health care they need—especially for young people in crisis. Many are unsure that help is available or where to find it, or they feel intimidated by traditional systems, or ashamed of even needing help in the first place. My role is to meet these youth where they are along their unique path—supporting them in asking, receiving, and engaging in the care they need. I connect them to resources, offer encouragement, and share strategies that supported my own journey to live a more resilient and emotionally stable life.
This work is more than a career; it’s a calling. I know what it’s like to feel lost, and I know how powerful it is to be reminded that you’re not alone. Supporting youth through their struggles gives my life meaning and proves that recovery is not only possible: it’s real.
