John N.
Photography by Jessica Pentel
If you’re reading this, thank you for allowing me to be a part of this community.
I joined the IfYoureReadingThis team in the Fall of my First Year and have benefited from that decision every day since. I joined the IfYoureReadingThis community with little understanding of mental health and an even worse understanding of my mental health. As I approach graduation, I am awed by all that I have learned about myself and others.
As a First-Year student, I did not know how to recognize my struggles with mental health, and honestly, I did not think I could or should struggle with my mental health. I was a young student at a great school with a great group of friends. I could not understand that just because life on the surface level was going well did not mean that I was truly doing well. It took my involvement in IfYoureReadingThis and reading the inspiring letters from our authors to begin to change my perception. Seeing the letters from my fellow students and even from successful faculty taught me two important lessons.
First, I learned that mental health is universal. No matter where they come from or what they have achieved, anyone can struggle with their mental health. I could be a happy student and still struggle with imposter syndrome and stress in a new environment, just like many other students.
Secondly, through reading the stories of my fellow students and friends, I learned the importance of reaching out to a community. Like many who struggle with their mental health, I initially felt apprehensive about asking for support or telling my friends and family about my struggles. I was exceptionally hesitant to reach out to my guy friends as mental health was not something that we talked about very often. However, once again, this community gave me a newfound perspective. I saw that reaching out to others was not a sign of weakness but one of strength. I realized that my friends and family were there for me and wanted to help if I would just let them know that I needed it.
Through the IfYoureReadingThis community, I learned how to recognize and overcome my struggles and be more supportive of my friends. Through the community, I realized that struggling with your mental health is a part of life and that I did not need to struggle alone, and I will be forever thankful for my involvement in this growing community.
Now, as a Fourth Year student, I have been struggling with those same feelings of imposter syndrome as I have attempted to find a job for next year. While the process has been challenging, I have been able to rely on the IfYoureReadingThis community and the skills that it has taught me to work through these concerns and appreciate the process for both its positives and negatives.
If you are reading this and you are struggling, then please join our community. Read our letters and learn that you are not alone. Reach out to our authors and realize that others are willing to help. Contact our Peer Contacts and begin the conversation about your mental health and your mental health journey in the Charlottesville community. If you aren’t struggling, please read our letters and learn how to better recognize and connect with your friends. As a fourth year, trust me that the feelings of insufficiency or imposter syndrome or just plain stress will always be there, but knowing that you’re not alone makes all the difference.
If you are reading this, please know that you are not alone and know that this community is here for you and always will be.
John N., University of Virginia ’21
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