Adela is the 2015-2016 recipient of the Mental Health Outreach Champion Award from Salad King and Ryerson’s International Student Support
I cannot fully describe what I felt when I found out that I had won this award. As as international student, we often have very limited options regarding the number of awards and scholarships we can apply to, due to our immigration status. Because of this, being able to apply and receive the Salad King Mental Health Outreach Champion Award was an extraordinary achievement to me. It made me feel grateful that ISS and Salad King acknowledge our unique struggles, our achievements, and our hard work.
Throughout the past two years at Ryerson, I have worked very hard to balance my personal struggles, academic life, transitioning into Canada, and simultaneously giving back to the community by helping and connecting with international and domestic peers. The experiences that brought me to winning the Mental Health Outreach Champion Award were not only rewarding in terms of my professional development and community contributions, but they significantly helped me overcome my individual struggles & aided in my personal development. I truly believe that I would not be where I am today if it were not for my involvement in the mental health outreach and advocacy field.
Winning this award has motivated me to work even harder, to continue passionately working on mental health initiatives, as well as broadening my experiences and involving myself in other areas of interest. Looking back throughout my personal journey, I can genuinely say that deciding to get help and get involved in something I was interested in was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. It has brought me to winning this award and has created a platform for me to learn, grow, and develop. I encourage everyone to find what they love and pursue it, as I am sure you will feel rewarded!
