Rise Part II: The Power of Storytelling and Song in Mental Health Education

This session is a powerful follow-up to my original presentation, “Rise: Know Your Worth, Find Your Way,” which explored my personal journey with anxiety and depression through live storytelling and music. In this second chapter, I go deeper—sharing new stories, original songs, and reflections that connect directly to the emotional lives of students and educators alike. Rise Part II continues to use creative expression as a bridge to discuss mental health, resilience, and self-worth in an accessible and impactful way. Through vulnerability, music, and lived experience, participants will gain insight into how we can better support students—and ourselves—through anxiety, self-doubt, and the pressure to perform. This is not a lecture. It’s an honest, artistic experience meant to foster reflection, connection, and hope.