Plant a Seed
From a high school student to a website designer, mental health advocate, LGBTQIA+ leader, and founder of a bilingual campaign reaching 81 countries and nearly all 50 states—this is my journey.
Hello and welcome back! It’s been a little quiet here over the past year, so I want to share with you what I’ve been working on.
This year I learned that a small idea—a seed—kept alive with stubbornness, curiosity, and kindness can actually change things as it blooms. Break the STIGMA started as a handful of notes and sketches in my notebook. By the time I graduated, it had become a community project, a training, a website, a needs assessment in-the-making, and, most importantly, a place where young queer people could find practical help and their unique identities celebrated.
Below is a full, honest look at what we built, who helped, what actually moved, and what I’m still wrestling with. I want this to read like a map for anyone else trying to start something: messy process, real impact, lots of learning.
Origins
I started Break the STIGMA because I kept seeing the same gap: queer youth wanting help but not finding it, or finding services that weren’t affirming, that didn’t understand the everyday fear and exhaustion of existing in a world that says you don’t belong. That felt unacceptable to me. I wanted a campaign that centered queer youth, wasn’t performative, and actually built tools people could use in their lives, not just rhetoric.
In late June 2024 I decided to apply to the Mental Health Advocacy Academy (MHAA), a leadership development and mental health advocacy academy that equips high school students to address mental health-related issues and affect change in their schools, communities, and states.
To be surrounded by passionate advocates and adults with lived experience thriving in the mental health field was an incredible feeling throughout the program in August 2025. Having successfully completed Active Mind’s Mental Health Advocacy Academy– a paid leadership opportunity for BIPOC or LGBTQ+ high school youth who are passionate about mental health–with my suggested campaign, "Break the STIGMA: Addressing Mental Health Disparities in LGBTQ+ Youth” I got to work immediately. The five week program taught me concrete advocacy skills, leadership and communication, connected me with global changemakers and culminated in a presentation of our proposal. I walked away with ideas and intentions to reshape my community.
Using an acronym to guide my campaign, I established tangible goals:
Support: Through mental health resources and creating supportive environments.
Talk: Facilitate open discussions about mental health, stigma, and identity.
Include: Welcome folks from all racial, economic, cultural and religious backgrounds.
Grow: Raise awareness to shift societal perceptions and reduce stigma.
Mobilize: Activate community support and encourage stakeholders to take action.
Advocate: Champion inclusive mental health care policies and push for systemic change.
Moving forward, I developed and identified the following mission and vision for Break the STIGMA (BTS):
Our Mission: Reduce mental health disparities with a focus on the LGBTQ+ community.
Our Vision: A world where all individuals have full access to mental health care without stigma or systematic barriers.
Next, I crafted a project timeline and detailed explanations for each part of the SMARTIE Goals MHAA taught us about: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound, Inclusive, and Equitable. Using my available resources and new skills, I conducted clinical, sociological and psychological research to back my campaign with real data and scientific approaches.
I then determined the main landing spot for my fully bilingual campaign would be a resource website and our first initiative would be gathering local data through a survey of Marin’s LGBTQ+ youth.
What We Built
I taught myself web design in early 2025 so the site could be exactly the thing I’d wanted to find as a youth: aesthetically pleasing, personal, and welcoming.
Key pieces on the bilingual website (launched in April 2025 / hard-launched in May 2025):
Homepage with quick call-to-actions: Exploring Allyship, Joining the Movement, Endorsing the Campaign, and Advocating for Change.
Mental Health – break down and guide to LGBTQIA+ wellbeing and the unique struggles that arise in the queer community.
LGBTQIA+ Identity – extensive pages on exploring identity, diversity of identity, masking, and living authentically.
Pride Index – a visual index to sexual/gender identity complete with pride flags and a guide to pronouns/pronoun usage.
Queer History – broad history spanning from 2000BCE to present day honoring trailblazers, movements, and milestones in queer liberation.
Resource Guide – curated collection of mental health tools, support networks, and affirming services for LGBTQIA+ youth.
Crisis Resources — local and national hotlines.
Survey for LGBTQ+ youth in Marin County (open through July 2025 for the first round) to inform a needs assessment and next-phase policy recommendations.
The bilingual website has already been viewed from 81 countries and almost every U.S. state, which feels unreal and also a huge responsibility. The goal then was to focus those visits into meaningful action for people here in Marin County.
Partnerships, Endorsements & Mentors
This project would have been a bunch of late night scribbles and hopeless dreams without true partners. Community collaboration and sharing of skills and resources is the only way this campaign was possible.
Highlights:
Active Minds — I started to build out the concepts for my campaign in their paid leadership opportunity for BIPOC or LGBTQ+ high school youth who are passionate about mental health called Mental Health Advocacy Academy (MHAA)
Mentors:
Tyrrell Jeffries (Director of K-12 Initiatives at Active Minds)
Jimena Perez (Program Associate at Active Minds, K-12 Student Leadership)
Jessie Harney and Caelin O’Brien: reviewing and editing my intial proposals, presentations and survey strategies. You both encouraged me to dream even bigger than I had planned.
Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (BHRS) — formal partnership and internship placement. BHRS offered mentorship, data support, and credibility. Becoming an intern there taught me a lot about how the county actually works and how to make an ask that officials can act on.
Mentors:
Mario Garcia (LCSW, BHRS Unit Supervisor)
Kara Connors (MPH, Senior Program Coordinator for Suicide Prevention)
Marley Loveman Brown (Prevention and Early Intervention Intern)
AIM Youth Mental Health — worked together on survey design and outreach strategy
Marianna Jimenez (Program Director, AIM Idea Lab)
Marin 9 to 25 — aided in concept/program design, outreach materials and event space as well as consistent advice, referrals, and leadership.
Mentors:
Nancy Vernon (Co-Founder and Advisor at Marin 9 to 25)
Youth in Arts — created space for LGBTQIA+ youth artists by hosting Here and Queer 2024 & 2025 spotlight showcases in their downtown San Rafael office.
Morgan Schauffler (Director of External Affairs at YIA)
Marin LGBTQ+ Center — newly founded org offering support groups, resources, and advocacy that uplift and empower LGBTQ+ people and their families in Marin County, helped support BTS art workshops and community events.
Supporters:
Reverend Jane Spahr (Founder of former Spahr Center, )
Mila Eliashev (Community Resilience Coordinator at MCM)
Iara Anaís Valencia (Board Secretary at Marin LGBTQ+ Center)
Buckelew Programs — nonprofit providing mental health, addiction, and support services across the Bay Area, helping individuals build resilience, hosted a BTS training about supporting queer individuals in crisis as a result of option three being cut from 988.
Supporters:
Shriya Ambre (Team Leader: Training and Outreach)
Endorsements and supportive conversations with local orgs and programs: Find Your Way, Youth Action Team, YLI, Marin County Youth Commission, Wake UP Sonoma, and many more across the Bay Area. (Huge thanks to the folks who said “yes” when I email-nagged them.)
Speeches, Meetings, & Policy Work
I kept pushing the campaign beyond tabling and website updates — into policy spaces and speeches at events because that’s where funding, programs, and systemic change happen.
Presented to the Marin County Board of Supervisors during May (Mental Health Month) as part of Youth Action Team representation. Starting at 16:40, watch my speech to the BOS here.
Spoke at the Suicide Prevention Collaborative Meeting and focused on queer youth needs and concrete resource gaps.
Spoke at the Prevention and Early Intervention Providers Meeting about the campaign, why this work is necessary, and what resources are available on the website for LGBTQIA+ youth in Marin.
Met with Congressman Jared Huffman to discuss protections and mental health access for LGBTQ youth in a time of political turmoil. This was a truly surreal, hopeful conversation about what local federal allies can do.
Hosted a Q&A with drag performers about queer mental health and stigma at the MCYC X FYW Wellness Festival.
Spoke at Sonoma Pride and the energy there reminded me why we do public-facing work, visibility saves lives.
Shared my story at the Quest Church with a deeply personal narrative intertwined with promotion of LGBTQ+ inclusion in faith spaces and advocacy for mental wellness.
Wrote a blog piece for Active Minds that reflected on identity, mental health, and community support.
Featured on Patch News for year two of Here and Queer and an exclusive story on the building and process of a campaign for mental health advocacy.
Policy work in progress: compiling a county-level needs assessment and drafting an eventual policy brief that argues for queer-specific support in Marin’s behavioral health planning.
Trainings, Capacity Building & Direct Service
I really enjoyed the process of creating resources but I knew that training people multiplies impact. This year I:
Completed Be There Certificate and Mental Health First Aid youth training (both shaped how I built crisis resources).
Designed and delivered a two-hour training for Buckelew Programs on supporting queer folks in crisis (the training gave providers concrete language, scripts for safer responses, dove into risk factors and social determinants for LGBTQ+ individuals, body dysmorphia vs gender dysphoria, queer identity, and so much more).
Currently in the process of creating provider-focused content for the website: how to make clinical spaces explicitly affirming, what to do if you aren’t queer-competent, and how to refer safely.
Community, Art & Storytelling — “Here & Queer”
I have always believed that art has the power to transform lives and through my work, I have witnessed that first hand. This year I curated Here and Queer for the second year running (2024 + 2025), held our inaugural Intergenerational craft night at Falkirk, kept up Queer Arts & Craft Nights at Find Your Way Office with QNest, and helped design/execute a Queer Prom murder mystery.
Media, Reach & Visibility
As mentioned previously, Patch News ran an article on the campaign and Marin Arts ran features on Here and Queer. We prepared press kits, press releases, and practiced media talking points so that when outlets reached out we had clear messages about mental health and queer safety. (Media inquiries still go to breakthestigma.rooted@gmail.com.)
Data & The Survey
Numbers matter. We can’t tell county leaders “this is urgent” without local data. That’s why the Marin LGBTQ+ youth survey was a central focus. It is how we build a defense that asks for resources.
Status: Survey launched and was open through July. I am currently working to refine items and ensure we capture gender diversity and intersectional identities. Next: analyze results, make a short report, and present findings.
Biggest Challenges & Honest Reflections
Capacity: running a campaign while finishing senior year created constant tradeoffs. I burned out sometimes and overcommitted, but I eventually got a better idea of my own limits by pushing myself.
Outreach: we need more help with outreach, especially to underrepresented pockets of Marin; marketing and social media are huge gaps that I severely underestimated at first.
Data Collection: getting a representative sample is harder than I expected. Youth are busy, skeptical, and need trust. Co-creation with youth across Marin was infinitely helpful.
Hostility: increasing anti-LGBTQ rhetoric makes this work urgent and drains energy. We counter it with community, evidence, and kindness.
Lessons Learned
Before this campaign, I thought I knew every part of the Bay Area: every socio-cultural aspect, all the opportunities available, every event or social activity and I constantly felt disappointed by what I deemed to be a boring place.
This campaign pushed me out of my comfort zone and forced me to interrogate my own beliefs having lived in Marin for almost 19 years now. The campaign took me all over, from downtown San Rafael, to parts of Larkspur I’ve never seen, to Sonoma County, and all over Marin. I was astounded by the communities I found in each city and town I visited. I met people who cared intensely about advocacy, fought for mental health, and understood LGBTQIA+ identity, just like I did.
I discovered countless resources, support groups, beautiful events and mentors ready and willing to support whatever I put my mind to. I delved deep into the local government and programs and found there was an unfathomable level of work being done for mental health care in Marin. I partnered with BHRS and suddenly countless doors I hadn’t even dreamed of were open as I met community partners, non profits, and organizations I didn’t even know existed prior to my campaign.
One thing that I learned quite quickly and that stuck with me is that folks in our community are here to help in any capacity they can, big or small. Everywhere I turned I found mentors and local orgs that offered support through advice, outreach, skills, resources and so much more. My being a youth leader was never a barrier, it was an advantage. Each and every person I encountered, took me, my ideas, and my campaign seriously even though I am “just a kid”. If BHRS didn’t have a specific resource or specialty then they would refer me, and if the next org or non profit couldn’t help they would find someone else who did. Org by org, nonprofit by nonprofit, my campaign grew as each and every person helped me.
It was the power of community that made Break the STIGMA possible, and for that I am infinitely grateful. I feel deeply connected to my community in the Bay Area and now I can no longer fathom deeming it to be boring or disappointing at all. Now each town and city holds a friendly faced mentor or peer and every event is an opportunity to meet someone new or discover fresh knowledge. I have a thorough knowledge of the plethora of opportunities available here now and I’d encourage each and every person in the Bay to take full advantage of them.
Another huge lesson I take from this campaign is the power of determination. Despite being told this was too broad for a first campaign, monetarily impossible, or overly ambitious for someone my age, I kept going. When I was met with obstacles or changes I didn’t plan for, I pivoted each time. I occasionally encountered hostility in the form of anti-mental health rhetoric or homophobia, yet I persisted and kept my goals in mind. Learning to stop fearing judgment or negative social commentary came easy when I knew the only thing that mattered was that small seed of hope within me.
Your community is waiting for you, if you only reach out your hand.
Next Steps
We have built a small coalition so the campaign survives beyond my immediate capacity in Marin County as I will be heading off to college shortly. There is a long-term sustainment plan in progress.
The members of this coalition are Behavioral Health and Recovery Services, Health and Human Services, Marin County Office of Education, the Suicide Prevention Collaborative, Marin 9 to 25, Find Your Way, Youth Leadership Institute, and Buckelew Programs.
I am beyond grateful for each representative of the coalition and proud that BTS is carrying on in Marin County with the help of these partners.
How you can help
Endorse or partner if you’re part of an organization that serves youth or the LGBTQIA+ community.
Offer pro-bono skills: social media, outreach, data analysis, or translation.
Share the site and our toolkits with schools, clubs, and providers you trust.
In between it all…
I was a regular human believe it or not! I managed the stress of college admissions decisions, went to school dances, hung out with friends, was an Admissions Ambassador and Executive Big Cat, ran student clubs, acted as an Prosecution Attorney on the Mock Trial Team, traveled abroad to Europe during breaks, went to concerts, volunteered for my community, and served as Stage Manager and Assistant Director in four major theatre productions.
I was doing everything and was everywhere all at once as I waited, hoped and prayed to get into my dream school. All my hopes and dreams rested on that one decision—or so I thought. Despite being a “perfect” student—10+ APs (AP Scholar with Distinction), 4.3 GPA, a hefty extracurricular list, excellent teacher recommendations and over 1000+ service hours—I got brutally rejected from my dream school of almost four years.
But sometimes life is messy, and it is true what they say, “rejection is redirection”, even if it feels soul shattering in the moment. I continued to receive decisions and began to contemplate my options when I saw the University of Santa Cruz (UCSC) catch my eye. It was not a school I ever took seriously in the application process as I was too blinded by previous bias and the idea of attending my dream school.
After touring UCSC and thoroughly researching their Psychology program, I fell head over heels and committed immediately. While the rejection still stings, I realized that I put too much credence in the decision of a massive school and I now see all the ways that UCSC is in reality a better choice for me socially, academically, and career-wise.
After committing to UCSC, I graduated shortly after from Marin Catholic Highschool with Dean’s List Honors, three medals of distinction (Christian Service, English, & Yearbook), as well as both NHS and CSF lifetime membership.
Among all the chaos of college decisions, graduating and managing a campaign all as a highschool student, I found a new community in the Quest Church. I have been raised in the Roman Catholic faith my entire life but began to disagree with key political beliefs and dogma that the Church preaches my freshman year. I still maintained an active faith life but had lost the sense of community that I most cherished about Christian spirituality.
After attending my senior year Kairos retreat at Marin Catholic, I found my eyes opened up to the possibility of pursuing faith down a different route. This summer, I researched and explored different faith spaces in Marin County but none quite struck me or felt right. That was until I stepped foot into the Quest Church and instantly felt like I was coming home.
At my first service I instantly learned that every person at the Quest is truly remarkable. I thought I would wander in and sit quietly in the back but I was quickly greeted with smiles and introductions. Incredibly confused, I thought I had surely forgotten these faces from events or parties in the past. But no, the truth was that every person I met had an unmatchable level of kindness, deep seated humility, and strong sense of community.
At the Quest, we take care of each other. Whether that means sharing our stories, connecting folks to jobs, hosting community events, featuring local artists on the gallery walls, attending game nights or local concerts. I mean what Church has free movie screenings with directors and actors or even free community fairs with taco trucks, bouncy houses, and vendors/artists? The Quest community is unlike anything I have ever experienced and I am so lucky to call it a home away from home. I am especially grateful to co-pastors Tony Gapastione and Matt Nightingale for supporting me every step of the way; whether it be my faith journey, my campaign, or my going off to college.
I am going to miss every single one of you: PJ for his awesome hugs every Sunday, Matt for always absolutely killing it with vocals and piano, Emmy for her powerful song writing and impeccable humor, Tony’s reflective and thoughtful yet always funny sermons, Ashton for absolutely everything (her time, her love, her support), Christine’s big smiles and awesome delivering of the announcements, endlessly sweet Margo and adorable little Addie, Geri’s check ins and our lovely conversations, Mark’s powerful rendition of What A Wonderful World, Cliff’s cool jewelry/trinkets, and every other person that I have yet to mention (these are just some highlights).
Thank yous (there are so many)
To my BHRS mentors: Kara and Mario for believing in my dream for a better future for LGBTQIA+ youth in Marin and sitting through every single late night zoom, massive email chains, always offering thoughtful advice and doing it all with an encouraging smile.
To Nancy Vernon for the LGBTQ+ planning group calls, FYW office hangouts, and constant available support/advice.
To Tyrrell Jeffries and Jimena Perez for providing the platform at MHAA that got this crazy dream started & Jessie Harney and Caelin O’Brien for encouraging me to dream bigger after reading my initial drafts.
To Mavi Pilloton for always supporting everything I put my crazy mind to & Ari Sifuentes for early advice and help on developing the campaign.
To all the folks at The Quest who supported this journey, especially my pastors Tony and Matt.
To Shriya and the Buckelew team for trusting a teen to train your staff (and join your staff!).
To Jane Spahr for being a pillar of the Marin LGBTQIA+ community & Mila and Iara for showing me what community truly means.
To Morgan for letting a teen curate an art show (two years in a row), Tyler Buttrey for your continued support, as well as Cathy, David, and Angelean for helping me in the hanging and take down scramble, and of course all the artists in Here and Queer 2024 & 2025.
To the youth who answered the survey, everyone who tabled with me, and lastly to my friends who were there to double check every flyer, sticker, card, speech and new webpage (especially Siena, Romi, Corey) as well as family and chosen family who cheered me on every step of the way… from the bottom of my heart, thank you.
Want to Start Something Like This?
When I started Break the STIGMA, I didn’t know what I was doing, I just knew something needed to change. If you’ve got an idea (no matter the size), you can build it into something real too.
One of the best ways to begin is by applying to the Mental Health Advocacy Academy (MHAA) through Active Minds, a paid leadership program for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ high school youth passionate about mental health. That’s where I learned the skills, built connections, and got the confidence to launch BTS.
Or check out other available programs like Marin 9 to 25, Find Your Way, Youth Action Team, YLI, Marin County Youth Commission, or AIM Youth Mental Health.
Or, if you’d rather start more locally, reach out to me directly, I’ll happily help you brainstorm, give advice, connect you with mentors, or point you toward resources and organizations who want to support youth-led change.
No matter your skills or comfort zone, there’s space for you in this work. Movements need artists, organizers, researchers, speakers, and behind-the-scenes builders.
If you’re curious, take the leap, apply to MHAA, or just send me a message.
Closing
When I started Break the STIGMA, I wanted to make something that could make one person feel less alone. This year showed me that small things ripple. I spoke to county officials, political representatives, trained providers, curated art, made a website that reached the other side of the world, and still…my favorite moments were tiny: watching a young queer kid finally open up at a QNest Meeting, seeing the crowd dance along with drag performers, and hearing a teen proudly point out their art to friends at our Here and Queer reception.
If you’re reading this and you think your voice doesn’t matter: it does. Start tiny. Ask for help. Tell one person your story. Plant one seed.
Here’s to keeping this alive—Rooted in Pride, We Bloom.
With too-much-gratitude, exhaustion, and hope,
Eva Hellmold
Founder & Director of Break the STIGMA
Inspiring and thought-provoking! Thank you for sharing.
Wonderfully written - thank you for sharing your process and experience. You are a force Eva! Excited for this next chapter for you 🌻