Samantha Avila
I Graduated
Throughout our lives, we are expected to go to school and work for a career that will ultimately bring us success. We are responsible for finding our balance in life. As a college student, I have found myself and many of my colleagues prioritizing our education over our mental and physical health. As important as career and school life are, they aren’t worth the lack of attention to sleep, nutrition, and overall mental health. According to Gaston Harnos and Phyllis Gabriel of the World Health Organization, mental health disorders are extremely common within the United States workforce [1]. How can we remind young adults of the importance of taking care of themselves?
As children, we are typically rewarded in school with stars, badges, or stickers. Following B.F. Skinners Operant Conditioning Theory, this conditions us to feel a sense of gratification, therefore increasing the recurrence of the rewarded behavior [2]. Do we have to be physically rewarded like we were, as children, to understand the importance of taking care of ourselves? I Graduated emphasizes the same concept of being awarded for what would seem like a simple task. The overall topic of mental health and self-care is typically swept under the rug and can easily become a dark or sad point of conversation.
Meme culture has become popular among today’s younger generations. Memes are commonly intended to create humor and relatability out of serious issues we are struggling with. This inspired me to create the exhibited prize ribbons to bring a light-hearted perspective to the topic, while also highlighting how relatable and common this issue is. I Graduated is meant to make audiences laugh, but also reflect on our efforts to refrain from neglecting our personal care.
[1] Harnois, Gaston, Phyllis Gabriel, International Labour Organisation, Nations for Mental Health, World Health Organization, and Department of Mental Health. Mental Health and Work: Impact, Issues and Good Practices. Geneva: World Health Organization, Dept. of Mental Health, 2000.
[2] Ben M. Law, Andrew M. Siu, and Daniel T. Shek, “Recognition for Positive Behavior as a Critical Youth Development Construct: Conceptual Bases and Implications on Youth Service Development,” The Scientific World Journal 2012 (2012): pp. 1-7, https://doi.org/10.1100/2012/809578.
Contact me
Samantha.avila6@gmail.com
720.589.9201
IG: Sammm.michelle