YouthAwareIssue11

Cover credits: The Atlantic, NPR
EDITOR'S NOTE
Dear Readers,
Fall is upon us, the season of change, of transition and
new beginnings.
While we know that warm days will be behind us, we
also look forward to the beauty that autumn brings.
We also look forward to schools reopening- a huge
transition for many like me, who cannot wait to return
to learning in person. "Back-to-School" season has
never been more meaningful! As the pandemic
continues to rage, kids and parents are cautiously
optimistic for the new school year.
The isolation has taken a toll on us and teen mental
health has suffered during the pandemic. School
reopening is a vital step towards supporting kids
emotionally. In this issue, we address the parallel
mental health pandemic that is taking a bigger toll than
COVID-19.
We are excited to publish an inspiring interview with Dr.
John Lynch in this issue. "Making of a Leader" highlights
the incredible journey of Dr. Lynch, who is the Medical
Director of Infection Prevention & Control, Harborview
Medical Center, at UW School of Medicine.
His journey shows that a true leader not only leads
from the head of the line, but also mobilizes and
supports those at the back .
I hope you enjoy reading this issue and wish you the
best for school!
Grewal
CO-FOUNDER
Mehr

HAPPINESS
TIP #6
CHANGE WITH
MEET
CONFIDENCE
BY KATIE REMPE
The seasons are changing, school is
about to begin here in the United
States, and there is no question that
this year will be different than any
other school year. Feeling anxious?
That’s to be expected! The key to
facing big changes is confidence: belief
in yourself that you can meet the next
challenge, walk through that open
door, and take action!
Where do you find that kind of
confidence? You can find it in your
past. Think back on all the things you
did well especially during hard times.
This reveals your strengths. To help
you get you started:
1. You are flexible. You adapted to
Covid, to wearing a mask and keeping
a physical distance while maintaining
relationships with friends, teachers,
and family. Be prepared to make
changes in your routines again this
year.
2. You are curious. You have learned
many new skills based on your
interests. Design your
projects this year around things you
want to learn about.
3. You are kind. You have stepped in
to help others many times. Your
kindness is contagious, it makes
people want to be around you. Every
smile, every door you hold open
causes a ripple effect, making a better
day for everyone around you.
4. You are willing to share your
emotions, which builds strong
relationships. Continue to open up to
others and be a listener as well.
5. You focus on the positive. You
remember the good moments and let
go of the hard ones.
Change is in the air, and you can greet
it with confidence! Walk through those
doors with an open mind.
Listen, have fun, and most of all smile,
they will see it in your eyes.

The PARALLEL
PANDEMIC
the teen mental
health crisis
during covid-19
BY LAUREN
CHANG
Disrupting school and interactions
with peers, the pandemic has left
teens with stress, anxiety, and
other mental health challenges.
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic
began, concerning mental health
trends and major treatment gaps
were noted among adolescents in
the United States.

According to data from the
National Survey on
Drug Use and Health, an
estimated 13.3% of US
adolescents aged 12-17
experienced at least 1 episode
of major depressive disorder in
2017, yet 60.1% of these
individuals did not receive
treatment for their
illness. These issues are being
further exacerbated by the
current crisis, with an especially
high risk of worsening mental
health among individuals with
pre-existing psychological
problems. There are
increased symptoms of
depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic
stress disorder
among youth of various
age groups. For adolescents
and teens, whose interactions
with peers are so central to
their lives and development,
the pandemic’s shrinking of
their world has been especially
difficult. Schools provides a
safety net to recognize child
abuse, mental health-related
issues,
homelessness, and other
concerns. During the
pandemic, we haven’t had
that system in
place.Adolescents and other
youth are also affected by the
impact of the pandemic on
their caregivers, including
unemployment, financial and
emotional stress,
and fear of infection.
Adolescents and other youth
are also affected by the
impact of the pandemic on
their caregivers, including
unemployment, financial and
emotional stress,
and fear of infection.
Time for conversations
Parents set the tone in the
household. Keeping lines of
communication open with
kids can give parents
a glimpse into their minds.

Some children or adolescents may need more time and space to
express their feelings. Some may do better with gradual
conversations and other activities besides talking, such as
painting or drawing to express themselves and manage stress.
Others might be more comfortable with direct conversations or
activities.
They may need to talk to a trusted adult about how to keep up
social connections safely, or their feelings of boredom, loss, and
even guilt.
Staying in touch with the child’s pediatrician is vital. They can give
families guidance on ways to best support their child and check
in on the child’s social and emotional health.
As we navigate this pandemic, let’s help ourselves, our peers and
friends by taking the first step… to start the conversation.
Supporting kids through loneliness, anxiety, and frustration can create
a safe space for conversations between kids and trusted adults

why i like gardening
summer I developed a new hobby. I
This
to grow something. I decided to
wanted
a small patch of land in my backyard
use
grow a kitchen garden
to
aunt Sarah inspired me to try
My
and helped me prepare the
gardening
by mixing in compost with the dirt.
patch
bought 6 huge bags of compost and
We
the soil upside down
turned
compost was a bit smelly but it had a
The
texture. The dirt became very
beautiful
and fresh. Once we aerated the soil,
soft
planted tomatoes, peas, strawberries,
we
chard, basil, cilantro, mint, rosemary,
kale,
potatoes, and rhubarb.
basil,
watered the plants daily and took out the
I
I even put a fence to keep rabbits
weeds.
my gardener out because he would
and
it up. mess
even talked to my plants daily, telling
I
how beautiful they were. Sometimes,
them
plants talked back
the
me, gently swaying in the wind
to
two months, I had a bumper crop of
In
– including tomatoes,
vegetables
peas, carrots, beets,
potatoes,
and greens. I am enjoying eating
herbs,
veggies every day just as much as I
fresh
growing them. My book called
enjoyed
Garden Primer” tells me about
"The
plants and I hope to continue
different
next year as well!
gardening
by simar grewal

BY SHRAVYA KOTHA
EXPLORING
BEIODIVERSITY

An ocelot, an endangered species native to the Amazon region
The term biodiversity “shortened form of two words "biological" and "diversity”
refers to the variety of life on Earth at all its levels, from genes to ecosystems, and all
the variety of life that can be found on Earth (plants, animals, fungi and microorganisms)
as well as to the communities that they form and the habitats in which
they live.
Biodiversity is important to most aspects of our lives. We value biodiversity for many
reasons. This means we value biodiversity both for what it provides to humans, and
for the value it has in its own right. Humans obtain many basic needs from
biodiversity such as food, fuel, shelter, and medicine. Further, ecosystems provide
crucial services such as pollination, seed dispersal, climate regulation, water
purification, nutrient cycling, and control of agricultural pests. Biodiversity also holds
value for potential benefits not yet recognized, such as new medicines and other
possible unknown services.
Biodiversity has cultural value to humans as well, through cultural or piritious
reasons. Finally, biodiversity and its value can also be understood through the
relationship we form and strive for with each other and the rest of nature. These
relational values are part of peoples’ individual or collective sense of wellbeing,
responsibility for and also a connection to the environment and nature. The different
values placed on biodiversity are important because they can influence the
conservation decisions people make every day.

A close up of a red-eyed tree frog in Costa Rica
However, as the human population rises and wild areas are razed to create
farmland, housing and industrial sites. The felling of forests is often the first step and
30m hectares - the area of the Britain and Ireland - were lost globally in 2016.This led
to a loss of biodiversity.
Poaching and unsustainable hunting for food is another major factor. More than 300
mammal species, from chimpanzees to hippos to bats, are being eaten into extinction.
Pollution is a killer too, with orcas and dolphins being seriously harmed by long-lived
industrial pollutants. Global trade contributes further harm: amphibians have suffered
one of the greatest declines of all animals due to a fungal disease thought to be
spread around the world by the pet trade. Global shipping has also spread highly
damaging invasive species around the planet, like rats.
Why do we need to protect biodiversity? Biodiversity is the key indicator of the
health of an ecosystem. A wide variety of species will cope better with threats than a
limited number of them in large populations. Even if certain species are affected by
pollution, climate change or human activities, the ecosystem as a whole may adapt
and survive. But the extinction of a species may have unforeseen impacts, sometimes
snowballing into the destruction of entire ecosystems.

the need to live up to others’ expectations and to keep up with trends we may
not be comfortable with.
Social media, like a double edged sword, adds to these pressures especially on
young people who are the most vulnerable.
COVID-19 has pushed mental health front and center in a way it wasn’t
before. The pandemic increased the demand for conversations around mental
health. Celebrities like Biles and Osaka have further highlighted the need to
acknowledge and own mental health struggles.
In general, research shows that mental health issues are most likely to affect
people during their teens and young adulthood. That’s not surprising, given the
dramatic social changes occurring at that point in people’s lives. About 30% of
people aged 18 to 25 years report having a diagnosis of a mental illness in
the preceding year, which means this age group already represents a higher
risk group. Even more concerning, the impact of mental health issues can be
more grave in this age group than in any other.
It’s ok to not be ok
Acknowledging a mental health struggle is by no means a sign of weakness.
Rather, it is the first step on the road to building resilience. While stoicism was
the norm years ago, acceptance is the mantra today. The willingness of
athletes to acknowledge their struggles sets an example young people around
the world to speak up and seek help.
This isolating pandemic really highlights the
fact that nurturing our
minds just as we care for our bodies has
never been more relevant.
As a generation of change , we can
spearhead these conversations and help
reduce the stigma surrounding mental health.
After all, we are all human.

PLAYDATE
WITH A FOX (OR 2)
B Y I V A N K A V A R S H N E Y

There are so many different ways to connect with animals in their natural habitat. I like to
see and interact with animals in their natural setting. But sometimes animals need
rehabilitation after being injured and need to be rescued and live in sanctuaries.
One such sanctuary is called Wolf Park located in Battle Ground in Indiana. It mostly has
wolves as rescued animals but also houses few foxes that needed to be saved. Here you
get an option to sponsor any of these animals for a year. Then you can visit your sponsored
animals few times a year and have a personal visit ! Due to my age , I could not sponsor
and interact with a wolf ,which is my favorite animal. So for my gift for my 9th birthday last
year, I requested my parents to help me sponsor a fox at the sanctuary.
I sponsored a red fox named Scarlette . Due to the pandemic I was unable to visit her in
2020. Finally this summer we decided to drive to Indiana and visit my sponsored fox. It was
such a great experience ! I was allowed to see her from upclose in her enclosure. And as a
bonus I also got to interact with its friend Joker - a gray fox .
I could go in there with the caretaker and she was so knowledgeable and gave so much
information about them. She showed me safe ways to interact with them, feed them, play
with them.
I had such a good time interacting with the wild animals. I also did a tour of the whole
facility and saw some wolves. I will be able to sponsor a wolf and have a personal visit
when I am 18. Wolf Park does a phenomenal job in rescuing and rehabilitating these
animals. You can visit them during the year on various tours and also during fun events
they organize. You can also help by donating food and other items they need for the
animals. We donated gloves and cheese as it was on their list of items they needed.
I came back with such great memories of a fun experience and learnt so much about these
animals and also about animal rehab.

THE MAKING
OF A LEADER
Conversation with
Dr. John Lynch
Any time doing your medical school, residency or
fellowship training did you expect that you will be in the
eye of such a storm and what helped you to take charge
and manage the situation?
The answer to the first part of your question: No. I never
expected to be in something like this, I obviously went to
medical school. I was really interested in infectious diseases
when I went into medical school and really steered me into
Dr. Lynch is a professor at the UW
Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy & Infectious
Diseases and Medical Director of the Harborview
Medical Centers for Infection Prevention & Control,
Employee Health, and antibiotic stewardship.
the work that I do now.
-Mehr Grewal and Ajooni Dhanoa

The Delta
Divide
Invasion of the Mutants
By Sneha Sadhwani and Alessandra Azure
The delta variant has been the cause of
much recent concern, quickly becoming the
predominant strain of the COVID-19 virus
in the United States. The delta variant is one
of four variants of concern in the U.S.
identified by the CDC - the others being
Alpha, Beta, and Gamma. These variants are
caused by one or more new mutations
(meaning changes) to the SARS-CoV-2 virus
that causes COVID-19. Mutations can occur
when a virus replicates (copies itself), so the
more widely circulating a virus is in a
population, the more it will replicate and
have opportunities to change in a way that
creates a new variant. In the case of delta,
this variant has found by the CDC to be
“nearly twice as contagious as previous
variants.
”Its properties make it likely to outcompete
other variants, with the CDC estimating the
delta variant to account for more than 80%
of all COVID-19 cases in the U.S.
Additionally, according to Yale Medicine,
“people who have not been fully vaccinated
against COVID-19 are most at risk.”
Washington State Department of Health data
shows that “at least 94% of COVID-19 cases,
deaths, and hospitalizations in individuals
12 years or older from Washington state
occurred in individuals who were not fully
vaccinated.” Similar patterns across the
United States have led officials like Dr.
Rochelle Walensky, the CDC's director, to
call this “a pandemic of the unvaccinated.”

The majority of people still getting covid or
a variant such as the delta variant are
people that are unvaccinated. The vaccines
are quite effective but sometimes a
breakthrough infection occurs which is
when a vaccinated person gets covid or a
variant. With such cases, health experts say
the vaccines should help lessen the severity
of the illness. Overall getting vaccinated will
protect you either by keeping you safe from
covid or lessening symptoms.
Worth A Shot, one of our community
partners at Youth Aware, and the City of
Bellevue are putting on information sessions
for the community so people can get the
information they need about vaccines, new
variants, guidelines, etc. So far we have held
multiple sessions in which we had health
care providers to answer any questions from
the community as well as guide people
through the process of signing up for a
vaccine. We have more sessions coming up
in August and September so please use the
link below to sign up.
A discussion of the
effects of the variants on the
pandemic, vaccinations, and
school reopening
Friday, August 27th
@ 5-7 PM PST
REGISTER VIA EVENTBRITE:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/youth-link-
covid-19-delta-variant-info-session-tickets-
167504381113
- Do I need a 3rd booster dose of an mRNA vaccine?
-What types of masks will offer the most protection to my child at
school?
-What steps are schools taking to ensure the safety and health of
all students?
-Do vaccines work against the Delta variant?
-What extra precautions should I take against new variants of
concern?
-Can we expect a rise in respiratory viruses in the fall?

W E W O U L D L O V E T O
H E A R F R O M Y O U !
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