Today we’d like to introduce you to Adaria Crutcher.
Hi Adaria, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I co-founded Storyunfinished two years after my father’s death. When my dad passed away, I felt long periods and sadness and anger. I was confused about how to carry on with life; most importantly, I felt alone through the process. Very few children around me had lost a parent, so I felt different from my peers. Fast forward to my junior year, I saw multiple students struggling with their mental health. The recurring pattern was that they all felt isolated from their peers. Seeing these kids feel alienated like I once did inspired me to create Storyunfinished, a mental health awareness and suicide prevention page for my school.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The biggest struggle we faced when creating Storyunfinished was adult support. Many adults do not want to get “too close” to the topic of suicide, so they ignore the problem all together. However, ignoring or failing to acknowledge the detrimental affects of suicide leads to kids who experience suicide thoughts feeling alienated from their peers. We narrated a lot of our mental health campaign by using outside resources or surveys from students to see what specific topics they needed to read about.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I work in the mental health field. I am most known for Storyunfinished’s motto “Don’t let your story go unfinished.” I am most proud of winning the 2024 National Civil Rights Museum’s Keeper of the Dream Award for continuing Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream of equality by advocating for mental health awareness. My drive for change sets me apart from others. Numerous people can say they want to see or create change;however, very few actually put in the effort to make change in their everyday lives.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
I am happiest when I feel content. My goal in life is to feel content with my circumstances, knowing that my present life is the highest possible I could have achieved.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://whitestationscroll.net/staff_name/adaria-crutcher/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/storyunfinished_wshs?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==
