Kealani Yamamoto grew up in a little town nestled in the Cascades. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder as a young teenager, she shares how she learned to thrive on the other side of her diagnosis.

A quick look at social media will tell any observer that mental health is one of the most important concerns facing college students today. My own experience has taught me that in times of high stress and intensity, mental health is usually one of the first things to go. College is a time of high stress, intensity, and uncertainty. It’s no surprise that the mental health difficulties students faced in high school are only exacerbated by the different stress of college. Over the course of my four years as a college student, I have learned a few things (mostly the hard way) about mental health.