In my freshman year of high school, I was at a spring dance for a neighboring school. It was two weeks before my first HOSA State competition, a month before my first AP exam, and two months before my first high school spring finals. As the loud music shook the stage, my heart rate rose. Rather than having a good time with my friends, all I could think about was everything I had to do that weekend. All the homework, practice, studying - "it was never like this in middle school," I thought.

That night, I had my very first panic attack. I couldn't breathe, let alone think about calming myself down. Moving forward, I decided things were going to need to change if I wanted to be successful in high school. I started using an agenda, so I could track my assignments and study plans in a tangible book rather than in the back of my mind. And, most importantly, I started recognizing times when I needed a rest, such as an afternoon every Sunday or a weekend here and there. That was one of my first real interactions with my mental health and played a major role in starting PEA in an attempt to help high schoolers and middle schoolers around the nation.

- Siena