November 2022 Winners

I wanted to create an artistic portrayal of how words can empower people and encourage them to persevere through difficult circumstances. People say that actions matter than words, but I think that words should not be underestimated in how powerful they can be. When I was creating this artwork, I wanted to juxtapose sadness and relief…

“Querido Mexico” – Short Film is a poem I wrote to my home country – and overall the people in my situation – that contrasts the differences in cultures between Mexico City and Palo Alto, California. It is a thank you note to Mexico for keeping me grounded and for helping me not fall into the…

This piece is about the hope and resilience of the Ukrainians in the War raged by Russian leader, President Vladimir Putin. When the war first began many photographers and journalists captured the devastation and shock of Ukrainians. A photo was captured of a woman awaiting a train out of Kyiv. The way her hands were held…

My artwork relates to something I’ve been thinking about for a while. I’ve been doubting my art skills a lot and I feel like I’m not on the same level as other people my age. I’ve realized that I shouldn’t be comparing myself to the people around me and that I should look at their success…

I drew this during the Black Lives Matter movement and COVID lockdown. It gave my little sister and I the chance to spend time together and bond during a challenging time. Being black myself, I learned that my life may be more difficult and different than others around me who may not experience the same bias…

I wanted to illustrate a scene that showcased how hope could help you recover from a dark mental state. The chains that the character is being held down with represents the circumstances and emotions that’s keeping her in a dark place, where the diving mask/bubbles represent hope in the situation, as it’s keeping her stable until…

I love my older brother. He is so kind, and he has helped me through so many struggles.

My entry is a drawing of my mom made up of words describing her. She has always been someone who I can look up to and who cares for me no matter what I do. She is an incredible figure in my life who I try to model myself after. In short, my hero. I would…

Reggie is the CEO/founder of Project Aware, a program that helps kids learn to cope with their emotions. There are thousands of things I could say about this amazing man. He’s done so much for me and my partner, we’ve learned so much about not only ourselves, but others. We’ve learned to be more emphatic, more…

This piece represents my mental health hero in multiple ways. Within my piece I wanted to show the feeling of being alone without the realization of someone waiting to catch you. At the top of the page my character has to wake up to the struggles of reality. As my character falls she becomes intertwined with…

The mental health heroes I decided to portray are my friends. Individually, we all have our struggles and mental blocks; together, we can fill in each other’s gaps of mental vulnerability. If one friend is going through something, the rest of us will help support them however we can. Not everyone has the same problems, which…

I drew a picture of my older sister. She has inspired me. She has supported me. And she has used her incredible influence for good. I went into freshman year of high school practically knowing no one. I had transferred from a charter school to a traditional public school that was in another district. Predictably, I…

I chose my dog, his name is S’mores, as my mental health hero. After a long day, going home and spending time with my dog always makes me happy. I drew that landscape to describe the highs and lows of life. The right part of the drawing represents the sad parts of life. My dog and…

I’ve chosen to take the monthly prompt “mental heroes” as a way to look back and see what my mental heroes looked like dating all the way back to my childhood. I had this one stuffed animal that I just couldn’t ever part with, and his name was Ozzy. Ozzy was a friend to keep at…

I wanted to depict a happy family because the minute you are born and brought into this world, the people that will always be there for you no matter what is your parents. For me, family means the world. I come from an Italian background, and with that come people who are always there willing to…

I have a friend who is always upbeat and radiates positivity; she is a person who makes everyone around her feel good. She not only supports and consoles me but also those friends around her when they are unhappy; in my eyes, she is a mental health hero who will always be there to encourage and…

This entry is a dedication to my mom. I wanted to tell the story of her struggles and how much I really appreciate her. Her selflessness is something I want to carry with me as I grow older. And I hope that others can take away something greater from this: You can tell a lot about…

In our entry, we showcase the story of a high school water polo coach and her journey with mental health. Coach Veronica reveals her past struggles in battling her mental health issues with depression and ADHD and how water polo became a sanctuary for her. The tight-knit community of teammates helped support Coach Veronica through her…

My film talks who my mental heath hero is and why they helped me.

I decided to write about this entry because I think it’s important to have plenty of awareness towards mental health. I found it a bit easy to write about this since my community brings a lot of awareness to mental health and tries to help us with it by providing resources for us. I tried to…

My hero is my voice. It’s powerful, supported me through everything. With my voice I was able to influence good for everyone who surrounded me. Your true authentic voice demands to be heard, and once you unleash it, things will never be as they were before.

This piece is a poem that shows how a person’s negative feelings only dig them deeper. but I also wanted to show that our confidence and our positivity lifts us even higher. I wanted to show everyone that we are our own heroes, even when we don’t feel like it.

This category reminded me of my auntie Melea and I wanted to take it as a chance to honor her.

I am lucky. There are so many people around me that I consider to be a hero, but the one that helps me the most mentally and physically is my mother. She is everything to me, and always has been. I know that I will always need her, and I’m thankful that she is my Mental…