Laura Jessup

Hi! To start, I've always had a hard time completing assignments like these because I never know what others consider interesting, and I really don't feel I have a single aspect of my life that is super compelling. I really am just a college student attempting to complete a degree with a waitressing job on the side. However, I think if there is one thing that may not be necessarily interesting to others, but is important to me it is mental health. Bringing awareness toward mental health is necessary in changing narratives or stereotypes of disorders. To me, mental health is something to be taken seriously and is just as important as phsyical health. I grew up with a brother who struggled with multiple mental health disorders. It made me more empathetic, more compassionate, and more curious. Knowing and understanding a mental health diagnosis of someone so close to me altered the way I view things, do things, and live my life in general. I spend a lot of time with my family, and I think it's because we have become closer since discovering my brother's diagnosis. I prioritize working out and staying active because I know that it betters my own mental health. I have done a great deal of research on Autism and the struggles that many individuals with Autism, including my brother, carry. Wanting to learn and understand more about mental health influenced the classes I've chosen to take being a student at UGA and my major in general.