Our Mission
At Dear, Self - we aspire to inspire. Our mission is to cultivate experiences that empower individuals to become better versions of themselves.
In pursuit of our mission, we vow to
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Focus on mental health disparities in efforts to provide resources that encourage individuals to prioritize their mental health
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Advocate for the accessibility of adequate mental health services nationally
Mental Health is Health.
About
Dear Self was founded in October 2020 by Khadijatu (Khadi) Jackson. Khadi was a Human Services major in her third year at the University of Delaware. As a Human Service major she had a strong passion for helping individuals across many different aspects of life. During her sophomore year of college, Khadi battled with some mental health issues. Throughout her undergrad years, she began noticing how mental health impacts student performance levels - both academically and personally. Khadi found a dire need to advocate for mental health resources. She strongly believes mental health is health, however healthcare in the United States is so inadequate which causes the huge gap between mental health and health. In order to help bridge the gap, Dear Self is going to advocate for the accessibility of mental health resources nationally through educating, advocating and raising awareness. We will make strong efforts to connect with individuals across different communities in order to empower them.
Message from our Founder
During my sophomore year of college, I experienced first hand what it feels like to be surrounded by so much but yet feel so alone. I was simply existing but not living. For months, no one noticed I was not myself. I had low motivation, no desire to complete day to day tasks, etc. yet when in public settings I adapted to my surroundings and knew how to appear “okay”. I neglected my mental health. I neglected my happiness. I neglected myself. Depression forced me to coexist with negative thoughts and that became my reality. For months, I had no outlet. Having to constantly battle with my inner thoughts on a daily basis was one of the biggest challenges I ever faced. I silenced myself and was closed off from close friends and family. I was unable to express myself verbally so I began to write and translate my thoughts to words on paper.
I always had a passion for writing and during my lowest points I started writing letters. I wrote letters to my feelings, letters to other people, letters to myself - and that is how we have the name “Dear Self”. Writing allowed me to release the feelings I had and express myself in a way that I could not verbally. I understand how we oftentimes get sucked into the outside world and forget to take care of ourselves. It is okay to not be okay. But the question then becomes, what do we do when we’re not okay? My vision is for Dear Self to be able to bridge that gap and help individuals become more self aware and in-tune with their emotions. I have a wonderful support system and team behind me - I look forward to the bright future of Dear Self.
Thank you for visiting!
- CEO/Founder - Khadi Jackson
