Ianna Yao
she/her
"I hope to generate awareness and change how mental health is perceived in the eyes of my peers that generalize and gaslight issues like depression, anxiety or PTSD as commonly "normal things" that everyone should experience. By showing that mental health struggles look different for everyone and that they cannot be confined by a simple box of what should and shouldn’t be, I can challenge the perspectives of people who have this public stigma. "
"I used to be enrolled in opera lessons :)"
A fun fact about me!
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How do I wish to
#challengethestigma?
Passions
Passion #1
Art & Design
Passion #2
Figure Skating
One of my biggest passions that have followed me through elementary and now high school is art and design. From a young age, I’ve always shown huge interests in art and subconsciously made design apart of my everyday life since childhood. For the longest time, I wasn’t sure if I should pursue this post-secondary as the industry is predominantly white and male-dominated, however when I asked myself the question “who am I and what am I meant to be?” I couldn’t picture myself working under conditions that didn’t allow me creative freedom in all aspects. Thus, I’ve decided to challenge myself and see where my passion takes me.
Another huge passion of mine is figure skating. Since childhood, my parents threw me into outdoor sports where I tried everything from fencing, swimming, field hockey, soccer, basketball, gymnastics, and dance. However, it wasn’t until a couple of years into those sports where I became bored easily and soon they weren’t enough for me. That’s when I stumbled upon an ice dance show produced by Disney, called “ stars on ice” From there I signed myself up for lessons the next day and started a young career in figure skating. The sport was a combination of everything I loved: speed, rhythm, team building, and creativity. Unfortunately, I don’t compete at the competitive level anymore but on my days off you can find me coaching my sister by the rink :)