Vanessa Lopez

I've seen firsthand the struggles that a lot of students face. I truly hope to represent those that are struggling and that are first generation, especially in underserved communities, because I feel like sometimes we are neglected and don't have access to all the available resources.

Mental health has definitely played a huge aspect in my life. As someone who has struggled with their mental health and seen the front line of mental health struggles in my community, I feel like it's essential to address it.

One thing that has definitely helped my mental health is fitness. October makes four years of my fitness journey. It became a form of therapy for me. In order to grow in life, you have to place yourself in an uncomfortable position.

This summer, I had the privilege to intern for the New York City Mayor's Office of Community Mental Health. I was able to contribute to a research paper produced in collaboration with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and researchers from UPenn. Another major project I was able to do was campaign work helping promote different initiatives in New York City, specifically in underserved communities, one of which is 988,  a crisis line that people could call. I recently received a return offer from the Office of Community Mental Health, and have just started working with them again until spring of 2026!

‍