There were no spotlights. No big announcements. Just a quiet decision: to show up — again and again — for something we believed in.

At first, it was a modest internship program built out of our deep belief that mental health storytelling deserved more than a platform. It deserved mentorship. It deserved rigor. It deserved heart.

And it worked — not because it was fully funded or widely recognized — but because people kept showing up.

We Showed Up for Students

When USC gave us the green light to host their interns, it wasn’t just a box checked. It was a recognition of trust. We were officially seen as a place capable of training students from some of the most competitive programs in journalism and social work. But for us, it was never about prestige. It was about the people.

We Showed Up for Savannah

Savannah Thomas joined us as a USC journalism intern — sharp, perceptive, and deeply human. She wasn’t just logging hours. She was leaning in. Asking meaningful questions. Telling real stories.

She later became one of the few interns we hired post-placement at Peer Mental Health. But her roots go back to Painted Brain, where she was mentored and published. Eventually, she chose journalism as her true path. That was never a detour — it was the destination all along.

We Showed Up for Noah

Noah Kim, another USC intern — quiet but wise, brought his Korean-American perspective and sharpened our lens on inclusion. He wasn’t hired after his time with us, but his contributions live on. He made us better, more thoughtful, and more grounded.

We Showed Up After the Paychecks Stopped

When Peer Mental Health lost funding, the program didn’t disappear — not really. The structure may have ended, but the soul didn’t. Tristan and I kept showing up. Because the mission hadn’t changed.

This wasn’t just an internship program. It was a living proof of concept that peer-led media mentorship works.

We Showed Up to Build Something That Lasts

Today, that belief lives on through the Breaking Barriers Journalism Fellowship — a paid initiative rooted in everything we’ve learned. It centers storytelling, justice, and lived experience. And it only exists because of what came before.

Because Savannah showed up. Because Noah showed up. Because we did.

And we’re not done.

We’re not starting from scratch. We’re continuing a lineage.

And this time, we’re building it to last.