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I can't believe I am a published book author! I have worked on this novel for over three years and I've never put more hours and dedication into any other project. The story it tells is so meaningful and special to me, and I am proud to share it with the world. 10 is now available on Amazon both in print and eBook.   

10 unfolds the story of the troubled and impulsive Simone struggling to navigate through the tumultuous years of adolescence. She finds support and guidance through an exchange of letters with the enigmatic Joy, a beautiful and affluent globe-trotter, helpful and wise far beyond her teenage years. As Simone’s life gradually descends into chaos, Joy strives to rescue her, drawing from her life experiences. 


10 is a coming-of-age story about friendship, love, depression, and the virtues of life. Simone and Joy build a strong bond through letters as they both, in their own unique and surprising ways, grapple to come to terms with the significance and challenges of living a fulfilling life.

Improving Mental Health in the College Station Area

“Nobody can save you but yourself, and you’re worth saving.  It’s a war not easily won, but if anything is worth winning then this is it”, said the German-American poet, Charles Bukowski. Appropriate mental health support and services are critical in aiding those with psychological illnesses. Unfortunately, many do not have access to these local interventions, as there have been too many budget cuts to treatment dollars and too few providers available to deliver the adequate care. We need better funding in providing more effective treatment, supports, and psychiatric hospitals in the otherwise undeserved. The College Station area needs more and better mental health facilities and services to aid those with mental illnesses. College Station needs the creation of a youth support group to provide an appropriate atmosphere for struggling adolescents. Currently, there is one only support group in College Station called NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) for 18 years and older. There is no support group for those under 18. In Judith Johnson and William McCrown's book Family Therapy of Neurobehavioral Disorder, they state, "Although support and self-help groups can vary greatly, all groups share one thing in common--they are places where people can share personal stories, express emotions, and be heard in an atmosphere of acceptance, understanding, and encouragement" (Family 47). By sharing experiences in the struggles of mental health with others, especially peers, it provides an obvious feeling support and comfort. The social interaction of a support group provides an unprecedented amount of nurturing, encouragement, intimacy, and consolation as it brings together those with a common problem. Also, by providing a place for teenagers to engage in a place of proper sobriety, this allows for active conversations on providing solutions to a common problems. Creating a support group for adolescents is an area of need because at least "20% of teenagers are affected by mental illness in the United States" (Mental). There are hundreds of teenagers in College Station, and according to these statistics, 1 in 5 of them have a mental health illness. This clearly emphasizes how beneficial the creation of a support group would be in the College Station area. Life experiences being one of the key factors that affect mental health, especially in the stage of adolescence, is crucial in impacting their mental health. The ability to be able to share the sometime destabilizing moments in adolescent years will significantly support teenagers who are suffering in College Station.

While considering solutions for increasing funding for treatment of mental illnesses, one has to take into account the existing general unawareness of the issue demonstrated by students and staff, which might be identified as the source of the problem. According to the survey, “65.7% of the survey conductors agrees that Texas in one of ten worst states for youth access care.” The college staff, including professors, nurses, and authorities, needs to spread awareness among students, who cannot have access to this knowledge at home or publicly, since the Texan government tends to ignore the issue, as it has been proven in the surveys. According to NAMI, “taking action and raising awareness of mental health conditions can further break down obstacles and improve the chance of recoveries” (My).

Being the home of Texas A&M University, College Station needs better financial aid in mental health because college students are more prone to psychological illnesses such as but are not limited to, eating, anxiety, and depressive disorders. An arising psychological issue faced by many college students is the formation of serious appetite abnormalities that can result in anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa. The Eating Disorder Hope Foundation, estimated that “clinical eating disorders affect ten to twenty percent of female university students and four to ten percent of male university students”. That means millions of college students — both women and men alike — develop eating disorders, which have the highest mortality rate for any psychological illness, during their college years. In fact, eating disorders among college students are likely much higher, largely due to lack of awareness, intervention, and support. Another arising  mental disorder that affects tens of millions of college students are related to anxiety. According to the American College Health Association, nearly one in six college students (15.8 percent) had been diagnosed with, or treated for, anxiety. It is no secret college is stressful with increasing academic pressures, peer influence, and independence. These anxiety disorders occur when it interferes with daily life: halting functioning abilities by causing an immense, unhealthy amount of stress and fear. Being the most common psychological illness among college students, affordable treatment options should be increasingly made available to students on campus as well as low cost treatment plans and resources needed to further develop the appropriate skills in handling stressors. As reported by in a survey by the Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors in 2013, “36.4% of college students reported they experienced some level of depression and that depression is the number one reason students drop out of school.” Depression is an increasing serious mental health concern that clearly not only impairs a person's physical and psychological well-being but also seriously affects a college pupil’s willingness to pursue their academic future. These dropouts should be taken more seriously due to the fact that college dropouts experience significantly lower rates of unemployment, salaries, and work benefits. On top of that, depression, if left untreated, leaves a gateway suicide. We need better funding in college counselors and university support groups to aid those who suffer from depression not only in the Brazos Valley, but other college towns as well. We need better financial aid to mental health services in the College Station area due to the increased chances a college students has in developing serious psychological illnesses. 

There should be an increase in mental health funding because of lack of facilities, insurance coverage, supports and providers available in the Brazos Valley. According to Joshua Cabrera, a Texas A&M University child psychiatrist in College Station, “there is not enough facilities that are in between inpatient and outpatient hospitalization.” In fact, Rock Prairie Behavioral Health Center is the only one mental health facility in the College Station. There are no residential treatments in the Brazos Valley. There needs to be additional funding for the building of residential, which are essential in aiding those with mental health conditions, if not more beneficial than inpatient and outpatient facilities. It is more advantageous because they create a greater distance from a patient’s previous unhealthy lifestyle, allow a more intimate relationship to be formed with counselors,  and give the appropriate freedom and time to change in a peaceful setting. 

“Mental Illness.” National Institute of Mental Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness.shtml.

“My Coping Skills.” Get Involved | NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness, www.nami.org/Get-Involved/What-Can-I-Do.

Joker: An Unexpected Lesson About The Consequences of Mental Health

Joker has been out since early October 2019 and the media is still abuzz with Gotham City's most infamous villain. Behind every mask, or I guess clown makeup, is a face, name, and story. Arthur Fleck, played by Joaquin Phoenix, is shown on screen as being plagued by neurological and psychological conditions but worse by the mistreatment he faces from Gotham City's residents.

The Joker, for the first time, is not portrayed as purely an evil man who has no empathy for anyone other than himself, but rather, someone who wants to be loved and who cared deeply for his mother. His descent into madness is a result of his society's inability to accept and to provide him with the proper care.

Viewers will not view the Joker the same way after watching this movie. An untold story is unraveled through the stellar performance of Joaquin Phoenix. Not only is this movie gripping, it is important in understanding how we treat one another. I recommend this movie to those dare to be told an untold, dark story that makes viewers feel as if they were in Arthur Fleck's mind, even if they don't want to be.