Interview Questions by Claire Tang
Interview Answers by Erina Haque
Mind4Youth is the world’s largest non-profit organization focusing on teen mental health. Led 100% by youth, Mind4Youth focuses extensively on making mental health resources more accessible by spurring the teens themselves to make change. The goal: to ensure that all youth have adequate education, resources, and services for mental health. The organization has now grown to over 10,000 student volunteers, interns, and youth activists for mental health across 42 countries. Learn more here.
CT: What is your role at Mind4Youth?
EH: I serve as the International Director of Public Relations at Mind4Youth, where I facilitate media relations to promote youth mental health awareness and the Mind4Youth mission. Prior to this role, I interned at Mind4Youth under the marketing team to aid in the creation of graphics on mental health related topics for our instagram.
Claire Tang (CT): Why did you join Mind4Youth? Why is mental health important to you?
Erina Haque (EH): I joined Mind4Youth because I am truly passionate about mental health advocacy for teens. After the pandemic, I watched many of my peers struggle with their mental health, and I also saw how the pandemic had negatively impacted teen mental health. Because the mental health crisis is a continually growing issue, we need to ensure that we are providing all youth with the resources they need to take care of their mental health. By expanding access to moth educational resources and resources for therapy through our partnership with BetterHelp, Mind4Youth has truly been instrumental in bridging disparities within teen mental health. I am proud to be a part of this effort through my media advocacy.
CT: Have you ever used literature as catharsis while navigating your own mental health? If so, how?
EH: Reading has helped me take care of my own mental health. I’m currently reading the Divergent and Inheritance Games series. As a rising high school senior going through the college application process, this is a stressful time. Reading helps me to envision a larger world for myself and relax when I get stressed.
CT: Do you have a comfort book?
EH: My comfort book is definitely “Looking for Alaska”. I love how complex Alaska is as a person, and I love how John Green portrays the ignorance of Alaska’s friends to her own sufferings, despite her squad being so close. Although the ending is sad (I won’t spoil), the book has brought me so much comfort with the cheesy romance plot and the complex characters.
About Polyphony Lit
At Polyphony Lit, we believe that every piece of writing is valuable and every writer shows potential, regardless of whether their work is accepted for publication. Since our founding in 2004, we've received submissions from students in 84 countries and 52 U.S. states / territories. Our student editors have given feedback to every submission, over 21,000 and counting!
With your generous support we are able to:
Provide 100s of program scholarships each year to aspiring teen writers and edits from all over the world.
Publish 3 print literary magazines annually, featuring writing from our global community of high school students.
Offer numerous writing contests each year, designed by students.
Place physical copies of our publications in schools and libraries.
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