I'm a Psychology major hoping to pursue a career in Occupational Therapy after graduation. My interest in mental health developed through studying psychology, my personal experiences with friends and family, and from volunteering. This past summer, my visits with hospital inpatients led me to appreciate the many emotional difficulties that result from illnesses and extended hospital stays. The impact on a person’s mental health and well-being can be particularly severe when there is no certainty of outcome. While volunteering at a center for persons with dementia, I learned about the incredible stresses and difficulty coping that patients and their loved ones experience. I realized how in both these settings access to support and mental health counselling is critical, but not always available. I think it is important to examine why these gaps in the system exist and what can be done to improve access to mental health services. That is why I am excited to be joining CMH this year. I am thrilled to be working alongside students from a range of healthcare professions who are interested in mental health and are driven to learn from one another to come up with solutions to issues in the healthcare system together.