What is H.O.S.A’s mental health project? 

“The Rise Project is a mental health promotion initiative created for HOSA that focuses on burnout prevention and recovering from failure. We primarily educate our audience through Instagram posts that explain risk factors, protective factors, and safe coping strategies. Our goal is to make mental health education accessible, relatable, and practical for students.” Ira Gabale ‘29

What inspired you to take part in this project?

“I was inspired to join this project because I love combining creativity with purpose. Designing posts and collaborating with my friends allows me to use my strengths and hobbies while contributing to something meaningful. This project is for Section Two of the State Leadership Conference, and our team presented it in the local qualifying round to get into SLC.” Ira Gabale ‘29

”I was inspired to join this project because I saw a lot of people around me were struggling silently with stress, anxiety, burnout, and pressure. I wanted to help create a safe space where people can be relaxed, understood, know they’re not the only ones, and that it’s okay.” Aanya Malhotra ‘29

“Mental health is such an important thing, especially now, and I feel like it doesn’t get enough attention and is often just brushed off. As someone who also struggles with her mental health and burnout from time to time, I can understand what it feels like to feel completely drained and overwhelmed and assume many can relate. I then decided to take part in this project to spread some positivity and let people know they’re not alone at all.” Prajusha Kalita ‘29

“I was inspired to take part in this mental health campaign because I have noticed how common burnout is among students and how it often gets overlooked.” Tanya Potturi ‘29

What do you hope to achieve with this project?

“I hope to continue spreading awareness on the effects of burnout and teaching people how to utilize safe coping strategies. While researching for this project, I’ve learned many new facts about burnout, like how common it is, and I want to educate others on it too. By using Instagram to educate people, we use a common platform that the majority of affected people are on. Given that burnout prevalence has increased drastically within the last few decades, providing accessible education online is the best way to spread the most awareness. In the long term, our team hopes to partner with clubs and organizations like Kindling Minds and Women in STEM. Ultimately, we want to create a supportive space where students feel understood and empowered.” Ira Gabale ‘29

”I hope to spread awareness about mental health, reduce stigma, and encourage people to take care of their minds. Even if a few people feel supported or understood, that would mean a lot.” Aanya Malhotra ‘29

“All I hope to achieve for this project is to inspire some people, even if it’s only 1 or 2 people. I hope to let students at our school know that they aren’t alone in whatever they’re going through, and there are ways to heal and grow. By promoting healthy coping strategies and motivation, I hope to make someone’s day a little better.” Prajusha Kalita ‘29

“Through this project I hope to raise awareness and help others get the support they need when experiencing burnout.” Tanya Potturi ‘29

What is the biggest lesson you learned about mental health through this project? 

“One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is the importance of understanding both risk and protective factors. Burnout is often influenced by factors such as isolation, a negative mindset, and academic overload, but protective strategies can significantly reduce their impact. I realized how powerful small habits like, stress management and social support, can be in maintaining mental wellness.” Ira Gabale ‘29

”The biggest lesson I learned is that mental health is just as important as physical health. Everyone goes through tough times, and talking about it or asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness.” Aanya Malhotra ‘29

“The biggest lesson I learned about mental health through this project is how important it is to rise after a failure. After lots of research and documenting others’ experiences, I learned that so many good things go to waste just because we fail once or twice and give up altogether. Everyone has a lot of potential in different fields, and no matter how long it takes you to recover, it’ll never help to give up and waste what could’ve been, especially if you are genuinely interested in said activity.” Prajusha Kalita ‘29

“ I have learned many things during this project, but the most important one is that mental health deserves the same attention as physical health.” Tanya Potturi ‘29

What do you enjoy the most about this project? 

“I enjoy collaborating with my team the most. Brainstorming post ideas and planning activities make the project both productive and fun. We had a lot of thrill in assembling goody bags for the middle schoolers in Student Council, and I loved hearing everyone’s ideas about games we could do with them. On February 18th, we are partnering with WiSTEM to educate people on how they can use fidgets like slime to deal with stress.” Ira Gabale 29’

“I enjoy connecting with people, understanding others and seeing positive changes- even small ones. It feels good to know that something we do can make someone feel heard, supported, and less alone.” Aanya Malhotra ‘29

“I really enjoy organizing and hosting numerous events and collaborations within our school. Of course, I love spending time with my team to brainstorm ideas for our campaign, and the satisfaction I feel after successfully completing a task or event and seeing how many people we got to impact.” Prajusha Kalita ‘29

“What I’ve enjoyed most about this project is being able to help others feel understood by sharing coping strategies and letting them know that they are not alone.” Tanya Potturi ‘29

How has this project affected you personally?

“This project has strengthened my resilience and deepened my understanding of burnout. We’ve met obstacles like getting our original account unexpectedly deactivated, but in the midst of that, we applied the same coping strategies that we promote like staying persistent and focusing on fixing one small thing at a time. That experience reinforced the importance of practicing what we teach, and we are slowly but surely regaining our progress and coming back stronger.” Ira Gabale 29’

”This project has made me more understanding, patient, and aware of my own mental health too. I have learned to manage stress better, check in on others, and be more open about feelings. It has helped me grow as a person.” Aanya Malhotra ‘29

“While this project does take a lot of work and time out of my schedule, I enjoy it a lot. It has really expanded my knowledge on various mental health disorders and our research taught me about a lot of ways to heal from a setback – way more than I knew before. It has also taught me how to reach out to small and larger audiences.” Prajusha Kalita ‘29

“Personally this project has made me more mindful and helped me learn how to maintain a healthy balance in my life.” Tanya Potturi ‘29