Written by a BRITE young adult spokesperson.

You are your father’s child.

Half of him and your mother.

He watched you become the woman you are today.

She helped groom the woman that now stands before them.

Mommy’s little gem.

Daddy’s little sunshine.

They both saw greatness in you.

You are the product of their love.

Their greatest treasure.

She took her time in raising you.

He...

Written by a BRITE young adult spokesperson.

With a world covered in grey,

A heart filled with rage,

I am the flower.

I am the flower in the garden.

The one that was chosen,

Fully blossomed, I stand tall.

Proudly on my own.

With no hand to hold.

I am the flower.

I may not be as needed as the trees.

That’ll give human air;

Just for them to ungratefully breathe.

I am not as small as the...

Written by a BRITE young adult spokesperson.

In primary school, we were practicing for a school play and I remember there was a guy that didn’t want to play his role because it meant being alongside me. I never knew what the issue was but that day after school I went home and cried because I felt that something was wrong with me. My mom saw me, and she asked what had happened and I just...

By Amanda Mathis, a local college student

Mental health and well-being plays an important role in one’s life, as well as how we deal with stressors and trauma that can negatively impact us. There are all kinds of possible variations when it comes to how individuals manage painful or difficult emotions, and what they do to regain a better mindset when times get rough. The more coping...

By Olivea Herrera, one of our Young Adult Guest Bloggers

I learned many things throughout high school, and all the way up until graduation. School in itself taught me to keep composure when the system was failing its students. It taught me to be even stronger when they didn’t do anything about things that really upset the students. Yet, that is not the topic. It could be a topic for a...

Stressed about graduation? It's gonna be okay.

Written by David Zecua, a CSU Channel Islands Service Learning student.

Our semesters are quickly coming to an end and for many students, the end of the school year may be an exciting thing to look forward to and anticipate. It can also be stress- and anxiety-inducing for students having to deal with final exams or...

This post was written by a CSUCI student. 

Through working with BRITE, I’ve been able to reflect on my own experiences involving drug and alcohol abuse. By bringing awareness to these dangerous activities, I’ve been able to get a better understanding of why underage kids and even my own siblings participate in them. I wasn’t able to help or essentially persuade my...

This post was written by Tamara E. Citrowske.

Hello everyone, my name is Tamara E. Citrowske. I am here to share my personal story of a family member who suffered from alcohol and substance abuse, and ultimately got the help she was looking for to live a sober life. This person who suffered from alcoholism and drugs is my cousin who is now 24 years old, living a happier and healthier...

This post was written by a CSUCI Service-learning student. 

Hello Everyone! I am writing this blog to give people some healthy alternatives to dealing with life that do not involve drugs or alcohol. Growing up in a drug-addicted family where most of my relatives did drugs was very stressful because I got to see the negative effects and tolls that drug and alcohol consumption have on the...

This piece is by Isabel Mercado, a writer and a senior at Ventura High School.

I know my future because I know my history.

Ghetto Prison, we won’t stop until we are free

We will rise in the city of fallen angels 

If money is the root of all evil then greed is the seed

Private Prisons, this isn’t livin’

Perhaps we take because nobody is giving

America is a rich man’s...

This piece is by Isabel Mercado, a writer and a senior at Ventura High School.

Anxious. The word itself when muttered trembles out of your mouth with the worrisome fear it is being a nuisance in your vocabulary. The “x” in Anxious is much like the feeling, unexpected and quite frankly, uncalled for. Break this word into syllables, An-xious, each flustered on the tip of my tongue...

The following article is from Mental Health America’s website.

July was designated as Minority Mental Health Awareness Month in 2008 to bring awareness to the unique struggles that underrepresented groups face in regard to mental illness in the United States (US).

While the term ‘minority’ is traditionally associated with racial, ethnic, or cultural minorities within the US,...