[00:00:00] Walter: The hearts of gold podcast is brought to you by the grow and share network produced by off the Walter media productions.
[00:00:14] Sheryl: Welcome to hearts of gold. Today. We have Madison with us. Hi Madison. Can you tell us about your girl scout gold award project?
[00:00:23] Madison: So my project focused on mental health within my community. So as COVID-19 was ravaging through minority communities and remote learning took place, as well as the pandemic and most especially racial injustice with George Floyd and Brianna Taylor, I knew I needed to help those of my ethnicity, but more so those who are affected by the pandemic and I knew mental health was suffering traumaticly.
[00:00:48] And so I decided to take a stand and advocate for mental health within my community.
[00:00:53] Sheryl: When you’re advocating for mental health in your community, how does that look different than advocating for mental health in the broad community?
[00:01:02] Madison: Because oftentimes in minority communities, mental health is such a stigma. So I knew I needed to go out and speak about it in a way culturally, then other people will begin to de-stigmatize the topic.
[00:01:14] So for instance, of course you have to start with the you and I broke down what mental health was to them. And I also emphasized the importance of having a great self-esteem and taking breathing exercises. When you get frustrated.
[00:01:29] Sheryl: What kind of tools did you use as you were talking about mental health with your audience?
[00:01:34] Madison: Being virtual, although it wasn’t hinder, it was also an incredible advantage. So I used the tool of zoom to spread my platform to other people. And I also did use a laptop, of course, as I would write articles for my local newspaper, the New York beacon on mental health and the trauma that black youth experience on a daily basis that lead to the rising suicide rate amongst African-American adolescents.
[00:02:01] Sheryl: What is the takeaway you can share with the audience about how people can help mental health in help improve and identify mental health crisis in your community
[00:02:13] Madison: quiet is usually the most important sign. So oftentimes people say, oh, she was such a nice girl. She didn’t reach out for help, but those are the people you have to especially
[00:02:24] so, if you see that your friend has coming to school lately and has been extremely sad and you say, I’ll leave them alone, they seem like they need alone time. Really, you should be asking, what can I do to make you feel better? Are you okay? What’s going on and having those conversations and not just trying to mind your business or trying to keep a distance respectfully, but rather opening up and asking if anyone is okay, especially in these times of need is crucial to mental health awareness.
[00:02:53] Sheryl: It’s very easy to isolate right now. And we have to be even more aware of those that were close with. What was your biggest challenge during your project and how did you overcome it?
[00:03:03] Madison: I completed my project during junior year, which academically, as well as in reference to extracurriculars is a challenging year.
[00:03:12] And then completing junior year, completely remote on Google. Because of course schools were shut down during the pandemic. That was definitely a pretty big challenge to say as an understatement. But then again, it was also an advantage because I have the opportunity to reach a greater group of people.
[00:03:31] So for instance, We’re not able to meet in person for my seminar. I hosted a seminar where I had a nurse practitioner, Dr. Audrey Seeley, as well as the representative of Eric Adams speak at the event. And it was a seminar for all ages. And although I was, I wasn’t able to happen in person, I wasn’t able to serve bagels and coffee and have people rub their hands together.
[00:03:53] It was still an opportunity for me to bring people from across the country together.
[00:03:57] Sheryl: What do you think you’re most proud of as an outcome from your project?
[00:04:02] Madison: I’m most proud of the conversations had. So for instance, I received the chance to speak to elders, right. And I had the opportunity to talk to them and try to de-stigmatize mental to them and the seminar, which is a crucial part of my project and allowed for so many conversations to transpire.
[00:04:19] So I had teenagers speak about how their parents don’t understand the issues that come with remote learning. And then I have parents speak about how their teenagers are starting to isolate themselves and they don’t know what to do. And then I had elders speak about how they didn’t really consider mental health at all until they began to feel anxious at home.
[00:04:37] So the seminar allow for a much needed conversation to take place. And I’m so proud of those conversations. That allows to de-stigmatize the topic that we all know as mental health.
[00:04:47] Sheryl: While you went through the gold award project process. What did you learn about that process that you didn’t realize before that might be helpful to future gold award girl?
[00:04:57] Madison: The process definitely teaches you that you can do anything you put your mind to because I was unsure. I didn’t think it could happen. I thought. Yeah, maybe I’ll do this next year. Maybe I’ll never do it. Maybe I can’t do it, but you can do anything. You put your hard work determination. And of course mine too.
[00:05:15] So never give up on yourself and always chase after what you’re passionate about. And we’ll just try to help others. That’s the, that’s the key to a successful gold award.
[00:05:24] Sheryl: What other activities are you involved in?
[00:05:27] Madison: So I am very dedicated to service. So I’m the president of the national council of Negro woman, which is an organization that helps communities around us.
[00:05:36] So for instance, as the president I posted with my group, of course, we’ve had them anyone mother’s day brunch. Women who are in domestic abuse shelters. We do a movie day for children and the east New York low-income community. We’ve held a superhero day for children who are in SUNY downstate hospitals.
[00:05:56] And again, we’re all about emphasizing giving back to our community. Additionally, I am the editor in chief of Gen-Z’s voices and the founder and Gen-Z’s voices is a teen magazine run by Sesame Farms international check us on Instagram. And of course, this is how I raise social justice awareness. So we’ve done articles for centering the school to prison pipeline about sickle cell awareness and just articles about finding your voice as a young person in this world where often times, young people’s voices aren’t mattered.
[00:06:27] I’m the editor, and she looked my school newspaper and the president and founder of the Africa Carribean club, the club for black students at my school. And I’m the president of mock trial.
[00:06:37] Sheryl: Wow. That’s a lot.
[00:06:40] Madison: And then I’m also involved in a film program. So I’ve also received opportunities.
[00:06:45] So after my gold award was completed and I received the word, I knew I still wanted to tackle mental health. So I decided to dedicate a couple of months to shooting a documentary, centering black adolescent mental health. And this is the documentary in which I did a ton of research. And I looked into the effects of mental health during the slave times and during civil rights movements.
[00:07:06] And even today, as we see the. Killings of unarmed black men and women. And so I also interviewed black adolescents to, again, try to de-stigmatize the taboo of mental health. And I had them speak about their run into, with depression and anxiety.
[00:07:20] Sheryl: What are your future plans?
[00:07:22] Madison: I am going to be a incoming freshman at Columbia university in the fall, and I plan to study political science and I have a couple of niches.
[00:07:34] So I’m interested in economics. I, I took a. Class this year, which introduced me to child development and the study of the brain of children’s brain. So I’m interested in neuroscience most recently, and I love film. I just love anything I can make a difference in. So if I can be a playwright and write plays that raise awareness to a crucial issue, or if I can be a film director and shoot a movie that really opens eyes to.
[00:08:03] Crucial topic or even if I could be a lawyer who helps juveniles, who are a product of their environment, a politician who passes legislation that allows for the literacy rates of low income neighborhoods to raise. If I could become a teacher who goes into inner city neighborhoods and teaches kids that they really do matter, anything that I do in life.
[00:08:25] I just want to ensure that I make a difference to all.
[00:08:27] Sheryl: What other girl scout activities have you been involved?
[00:08:30] Madison: I’ve actually been involved in leadership Institute and leadership has led it, to help me achieve my gold award. It was run by Leslie field and desire. And so it started as a freshman. I started when I was a freshmen.
[00:08:43] And so it of course opens you up to different tracks. So. First, I created a fictional business with two other girl Scouts and it was called a Sparrow and it was a business for previously incarcerated Mexican women. So they can, they can gain skills. Cause of course we know that upon incarceration, the job employment.
[00:09:04] It isn’t so great and our rights are taken away. So that was the frictional business I created. And then as a sophomore, I did a research project which this actually started my interest in mental health editor research project, centering the rising suicide rate amongst black adolescents, and then junior year.
[00:09:26] Last year during the pandemic, I was a part of it once more. And I, along with a couple of the girls created a magazine and it was centering environmental poverty. So I wrote poems and a short story about the effects of an urban community and their lack of resources to healthy food options.
[00:09:46] Sheryl: Again. Wow.
[00:09:50] What don’t you do? What, what, what kinds of things have you decided that you aren’t interested?
[00:09:57] Madison: I’m not a stem person at all. I’m very much so humanities, but there’s also some interest in science because it affects our everyday life. Right. So psychology, which I know they consider a social science. That’s interesting, but I definitely know.
[00:10:13] Not an athlete and I’m not a stem person at all.
[00:10:18] Sheryl: Is there anything that I haven’t asked you to like to share with the audience?
[00:10:21] Madison: I’m just so honored to be on this podcast. Thank you so much, Cheryl. And yes, of course you can. Do you mind to let emphasize that earlier? But it’s just so crucial to believe in yourself.
[00:10:33] And I was, I was helped by my mother. Of course, she offered a lot of encouragement during those nights where I thought I can’t do that. Along with my family, my stepfather and my grandparents and my troop leaders. Miss Adia and Ms. Carlatab, they all helped me tremendously in this process.
[00:10:51] Sheryl: Having that support is so important.
[00:10:54] Madison: Especially because oftentimes as a young woman we doubt our capabilities.
[00:10:58] Sheryl: How do you make your smores?
[00:11:00] Madison: I like to roast a little bit everywhere. It’s called the tilting method. You have to tilt it all over. I found it to be very effective, but sometimes you don’t want to burn your smore. So you have to be kind of cautious.
[00:11:15] Sheryl: Well, thanks for joining us.
[00:11:17] Madison: Thank you for having me.
[00:11:19] Sheryl: Make sure to click, follow or subscribe. So you always know when new episodes are released and don’t forget to, power your passion and conquer your challenges.
[00:11:32] Walter: The hearts of gold podcast is brought to you by the grow and share network produced by off the Walter media productions. Thank you for listening and spreading the word on what we do. If you want to share your story of how you earned your gold award, reach out and send an email to growandshare@outlook.com.
[00:11:50] Be sure to listen to the newest episodes on your favorite podcast app, as well as view the full video episodes on youtube.com/SherylMRobinson. That’s youtube.com/Sheryl, the letter M, Robinson. Take care, and we’ll see you next time.