At first, this separation did not hit me too hard. I was dealing with so many other challenges -- navigating a foreign campus, making new friends, balancing classwork and a social life -- that I didn't even have time to realize my identity shift. However, as the dust settled, it became clear to me. As I met my new friends, and began to create a home for myself on this new campus, there was a part of me that felt empty. I had left behind a significant chunk of what made me, me. I had re-established myself here at ISU, but in doing so, forgot to include the most beautiful part.

Being the oldest child, more specifically, from an Indian family, the topic of mental health was always shunned and brushed off. The expectation to be strong, confident, and sure of me at all times without faltering or falling back was always present. Although I can remember days in middle school when I could not get out of bed, I also clearly remember pushing myself for fear of being deemed lazy or unmotivated by family and friends. Throughout this period, I had an extremely unhealthy coping mechanism of suppressing my feelings until they were no longer consciously present in my mind. This harmful way of living carried on until high school when I realized I struggled with my mental health.

Being the oldest child, more specifically, from an Indian family, the topic of mental health was always shunned and brushed off. The expectation to be strong, confident, and sure of me at all times without faltering or falling back was always present. Although I can remember days in middle school when I could not get out of bed, I also clearly remember pushing myself for fear of being deemed lazy or unmotivated by family and friends. Throughout this period, I had an extremely unhealthy coping mechanism of suppressing my feelings until they were no longer consciously present in my mind. This harmful way of living carried on until high school when I realized I struggled with my mental health.