“I felt very lonely and isolated during most of my early teen years. I never had the vocabulary to express how I felt, and I blamed my negative emotions on myself. I constantly looked down upon myself, and I felt very lost. However, writing was my outlet. From scribbling on tear-stained pages in my journal, I was able to find my voice and eventually produce national award-winning pieces. I felt like my voice was finally heard, my experiences finally validated.

I know that I’m not alone in feeling like this. 1 in 3 adolescents will meet the criteria for an anxiety disorder by 18 years old. Between 2007 and 2012, anxiety disorders in adolescents increased by a shocking 20%. These numbers are only skyrocketing as we’re living through a global pandemic. I hope that this organization will provide a platform for your experiences to be validated. We will grow to not only better ourselves but also the collective of our generation.”

Gia Shin – Founder of YNA