My name is Jasmin Brooks and I am a current PhD Student in Clinical Psychology at the University of Houston. My passion in choosing this career path was to be able to promote the mental health and well-being of Black youth and families. I am hoping to dedicate my career to developing culturally mindful mental health interventions that address racial trauma and suicide, as well as the stigma against mental health, that exists in Black communities.
As a Black female who spent much of my life in predominantly White communities in Atlanta GA, I have always been aware of my racial identity. I vividly remember as an eight-year-old girl, my mother finding me after I tried to straighten my curls to fit in with my White classmates. I remember hearing the label “oreo” from other Black students in my class, and feeling as if among all communities my race determined my identity. As a result of these experiences, I became invested in exploring how race shapes the lives of other Black Americans. After graduating high school, I went on to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where I maintained my commitment to encouraging and empowering marginalized communities, studied abroad in Barcelona, and made best friends that will last a lifetime.
When I think of the future I look at it with extreme excitement and trepidation. I know that with all the possibilities that my degree and passions bring me, I will lead a fruitful career dedicated to improving the mental and physical well-being of my people. I aspire to have a prevalent mark in both academia and my community, through the development and implementation of culturally mindful mental health interventions that address racial trauma and suicide for Black populations. I am excited about the opportunity to teach and mentor developing minds in psychology, to create research that can impact health policy, and to have an active presence in my community to help foster healing and liberation within the Black community.