As I approach the end of my ACHIEVE training year, I find myself reflecting on the incredible journey this has been. I am so grateful for the opportunities and connections this year has afforded me, which have been pivotal in building foundational research and leadership skills for me as a young investigator.
Throughout my project, I have had the privilege of engaging with mental health program leaders, guidance counselors, and adolescents on mental health prevention in Northern Ghana. I’ve been able to lead my research team through data collection, analysis, and stakeholder co-creation through human-centered design. We will be finishing the year with two adolescent human-centered design workshops, which are the result of extensive research, coordination, and innovative approaches to engaging adolescents in designing mental health prevention approaches. This weekend’s upcoming workshop, featuring toolboxes, time travel, and robots, will be an exciting and creative approach our team has come up with to catalyze discussion of these crucial topics!
Organizing these workshops was a massive effort from my research team and provided an opportunity for my local medical students and research assistants to step up and take on leadership roles. Seeing all our hard work come together successfully has been incredibly rewarding, and I’m happy that in ending my ACHIEVE year, I feel like I’ve not only accomplished my research goals but built lasting capacity within my team. Thank you so much to my mentors and ACHIEVE program leaders for this incredible opportunity, and I look forward to the many opportunities and next steps to come.