First provide a safe space. And work from there to make a difference.
That’s how Amanda Saleh creates positive change in her community.
As president of Active Minds and a team member with the Mental Health and Wellness Peer Mentor Program, Saleh provides compassion, empathy and a listening ear to help students focus on improving mental health. In the Muslim Students' Association, she also led an all-female discussion on the mental health stigma while providing education on different mental illnesses, potential causes, the importance of seeking help and self-care techniques. Besides engaging in mental health work on campus, Saleh is a crisis counselor for the Crisis Text Line, a national 24/7 help service.
“Amanda has shown to be a true advocate for mental health on UM-Dearborn’s campus and is truly breaking down barriers that have prevented students from accessing mental health assistance due to stigma,” said Counseling and Disabilities Services Director Sara Byczek.
Saleh also took part in the University of Michigan’s global social entrepreneurship initiative M²GATE. Her team — which included students from UM-Flint and Egypt — focused on the lack of mental health education resources in Egypt and concepted mental health-related services that could be utilized by iPhone and Android applications.
She’s passionate about social justice work too. Saleh co-organized two events focused on gun control after the 2018 shooting in Parkland, Fla.: The March for Our Lives event in Detroit and the National School Walkout on campus.
“All in all, the main goal is to provide support, safety and hope,” she said. “Engaging in this work helps me to not only support and empower marginalized communities as well as fight for something that I'm passionate about, it also allows me to further break the stigma surrounding mental illness.”