Wyoming teen raises awareness about mental health during White House visit

WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - A young woman from Wyoming is bringing her mental health struggle and activism to the national spotlight.

Jazmine Wildcat, 18, a member of the Northern Arapaho Tribe, was invited to the White House Wednesday. She was a guest of first lady Dr. Jill Biden, who hosted a panel discussion about mental health issues in young people.

Jazmine told an emotional story about her own mental health issues that began when she was a high school freshman. She saw two therapists and wasn’t happy with the results. So, she started her own organization, the Nii’iini Project. Nii’iini means “Things are good.” The organization focuses on volunteering and activism to help those struggling with their mental health.

“Well, I found that the more basic and traditional options of the coping mechanisms and the traditional practices aren’t really what worked for me,” said Jazmine. “So, I really had to find something new. And I found that helping others was really a good way for for me to cope.”

Jazmine hopes to one day expand her organization.

May is National Mental Health Awareness Month.

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