2014 Mental Health Awareness Essay Contest

For junior and senior high school students, write an essay on the topic of "How does your personal definition of success affect your mental health?"

May 31, 2014

2014 Mental Health Awareness Essay Contest Winners

10 winners and 20 honorable mentions were announced at the mental health awareness essay contest award ceremony at Irvington High School in Fremont on May 31, 2014.

 
 
 This year we asked students to tell us about their personal definitions of success and how these definitions impact their mental health. We are greatly inspired by the essays submitted by 242 students from 78 California high schools throughout the Bay Area and beyond, and beleive you will too. This is a special opportunity to learn about the diverse perspectives and aspirations of the students in our community, while supporting and celebrating each of their individual paths towards archieving happiness and fulfillment. 

This year's contest judges included:

  • Mary Ellen, Chair of the Valley Care Medical Foundation and Ambassador and Community Volunteer;
  • Kenneth Mintz, San Ramon Valley Unified School District Board of Education Trustee;
  • Hung Wei, Member of Board of Trustees, Fremont Union High School District;
  • G. Julie Xie, Ph.D., School Psychologist at Fremont Unified School District;
  • Dr. Paul Yang, M.D., Ph.D., Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco
 Read the 2014 Mental Health Award Program, which includes contest summary article "Mental Health & "Success" by G. Julie Xie, Ph.D. and excerpts from the submitted essays.  Several winners and honorable mentions were subjects in a news article  "Local teens talk about mental health" that appeared on Pleasanton Weekly.

You can also read the 2014 mental health awareness essays written by the winning and honorable mentioned students.

May 20, 2014

2014 Mental Health Awareness Essay Contest Awards Ceremony

On behalf of the Culture to Culture Foundation, we cordially invite you to join us in honoring high school students throughout California at the 2014 Mental Health Awareness Award Ceremony. This year we asked students to tell us about their personal definitions of success and how these definitions impact their mental health. We were greatly inspired by the essays submitted by 242 students from 78 California high schools, and believe you will be too. We hope you can join us for this special opportunity to learn about the diverse perspectives and aspirations of the students in our community, while supporting and celebrating each of their individual paths towards achieving happiness and fulfillment.

 Awards Ceremony begins at 2:00 PM at Irvington High School

Reception will follow Awards Ceremony

Please RSVP by May 20, 2014 to culturetoculture2014@gmail.com

February 14, 2014

2014 Mental Health Awareness Essay Contest Information 

Topic: "How does your personal definition of success affect your mental health?"

Awards: 10 scholarship awards $1000 each
               20 honorable mention awards $250 each

Submit by March 17, 2014

Application Directions

  • Applicants must be 11th or 12th grade students
  • Essays should have a 1,000 word limit
  • Essays must include an introductory cover page that lists:
  1.               Full Name
  2.               Home Address
  3.               Telephone Number
  4.               Email Address
  5.               High School
  6.               Current Grade
  • Please submit essay as a single email attachment (PDF or MS Word format) to: culturetocultre2014@gmail.com
  • Please name the attached file: Last Name, First Name

What are some signs of a mental health issue?

  • Feeling exhausted all the time
  • Withdrawing from your friends
  • Difficulty sleeping
  • Gradual or sudden decline in grades
  • Alcohol and drug abuse
  • Hearing or seeing things that others don't
  • Extreme anxiety toward food & body image
  • Feeling stressed, anxious, or depressed
  • Finding it difficult to cope with academic pressures, family conflict, relationships, financial hardships, bullying or school safety issues

Tom Torlakson, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, California Department of Education, sent a letter to Bay Area educators publicizing this essay contest.