Growing up in a community filled with unique, creative expressions of life and love, I’m no stranger to the power of the arts and creativity being used to build and strengthen community. I am also familiar with this community being underrepresented and under-resourced in equitable and culturally competent mental health care. Both mental wellness and creative expression are initiatives I am passionate about and this realization led to my mission: to amplify diverse voices by welcoming passion and creativity as a tool for growth in each person’s mental health journey. This led to my pursuit of a master’s degree in mental health counseling at Johns Hopkins. Through this program, I have collaborated with the career office and student affairs to create engaging events and social media posts that promote wellness for diverse students. I am also currently working on my tech venture, iamme, a digital platform and consulting space that connects consumers to interested hobbies for wellness and mental health. My venture idea was accepted into JHU’s Accelerator program and is currently being actualized. During my undergraduate time, I also had the opportunity to present a research paper to a research lab at The George Washington University which explored college students of color’s mental health and access to mental health resources during the pandemic. This paper was used as insight into the mental struggles that BIPOC students have faced during the pandemic and strategies to provide meaningful mental health care moving forward.In addition to my academic and professional experience, my passion for music and mental health motivated me to make my music expressing my wellness journey.As I continue in the mental health profession, I am eager to connect with passionate, creative, and wellness-driven folks who strive to help improve the well-being of BIPOC communities through artistic and innovative means. Together, I believe we truly can create meaningful change and empowerment for our community. Feel free to reach out to me at jgibso32@jhu.edu if you want to connect!
Listed skills include Negotiation, Event Management, Administration, Critical Thinking, and 5 others.