Mental Health Awareness Month: The Power of Mentorship and Community

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. This is a time to bring intention to conversations that should be happening all year long.

As a former Division I athlete, a mentor with Strong Girls United, and now an AmeriCorps VISTA, I’ve seen firsthand the impact mentorship can have on mental health both as a mentor and as a mentee.

I became a mentor my sophomore year of college during a time when I felt moments slipping by right in front of me. My freshman year had incredible highs, but also really low lows. Somewhere along the way, I realized I wasn’t fully present. I was moving through my days without really being in them. I wanted to change that.

Becoming a mentor felt like a commitment to something bigger than myself. I thought that by guiding someone else by helping prepare them for what’s ahead in their athletic and personal journey it might also help ground me. And it did.

It reminded me to slow down. To reflect. To show up with intention.

Mental health isn’t something we “fix” once and move on from. It’s something we will navigate for the rest of our lives. We won’t ever be completely free from anxious thoughts, self-doubt, or the impact of our past experiences. But what we can do is build tools. We can find support. We can lean into community.

There is so much power in that.

Through mentorship and connection, we find purpose, belonging, and the strength to move through both personal and athletic challenges. That’s what makes being part of Strong Girls United feel so full circle for me. I get to reflect on who I was as an athlete, as a person, as a mentor and continue that work today in a way that impacts others.

While Mental Health Awareness Month shines a light on these conversations, it shouldn’t be the only time we have them. Mental health exists everywhere on the field and off, on the court and off, in the pool and out. It’s part of every space we step into.

We need to normalize talking about it. Not as a weakness, but as a form of strength.

Strong Girls United creates something truly special: a space where girls can show up as their authentic selves. A space where vulnerability is welcomed, where conversations are real, and where no one has to navigate their struggles alone. There is something incredibly powerful about being seen, heard, and supported by a community that genuinely cares.

It’s something I’m grateful to be part of and something I wish I had when I was a young athlete finding my own way.

As we recognize Mental Health Awareness Month, let this be more than just a moment. Let it be a starting point. A conversation that continues long after May ends.

An ignition for something bigger. Something lasting. Something transformative for all of us.

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