Change the Stereotypes Around Teen Mental Health: How Neah Murphy Advances the Conversation
By Jody Bell
Neah Murphy from Denver, Colorado is not your average 16 year old ‒ she is the CEO of Pep Talk Podcast.
“They were putting on this mask ‒ even before COVID ‒ it was this mask of happiness,” says Neah when speaking of the inspiration behind her venture.
Neah grew up homeschooled ‒ she had a close relationship with her family which allowed for open conversations surrounding mental health. However, once she got into her teen years she visited her local high school and noticed the mental health issues that ran rampant in classrooms and hallways; “they didn’t want to talk to their parents, let alone a guidance counselor. It was almost shocking ‒ the way people would go through these emotions and just be silent. I couldn’t believe it.”
Shortly after, Neah got onto social media ‒ smiling posts across Instagram showing happy-go-lucky teens popped up on her feed and timeline. Yet, while their posts may project a cherry life, Neah was the go-to person in her friend-group when it came to the more serious conversations and topics surrounding mental health. Almost daily Neah would get messages regarding anxiety and depression from the same friends whose social media page showed a life full of smiles and worry-free-joy.
As she puts it, “there’s this disconnect ‒ teens pretending to be happy and internalizing these dark, horrible, feelings.” As these mental health issues began to creep into her personal life, she knew she had to do something ‒ not only for herself, but for the thousands of teens experiencing these issues. She joined Girls With Impact and got to work.
After completing our 5-week Academy Program, Neah is now the CEO of Pep Talk Podcast ‒ a platform built by teens, for teens that aims to have candid conversations about mental health struggles.
As she describes the podcast, it’s a “place to talk about mental health or just talk in general. A place to have honest conversations about how bad your day was, your fears for the future, and a place to hear honest thoughts around mental health. A platform that can serve as an outlet to avoid letting these thoughts define you from the inside out.”
For Neah, the continued development of the podcast was not just something that has potential to benefit thousands of teens around the world, but also herself. Having a purpose and the resources needed to work towards that purpose resulted in “a moment away from my own depression; a real way to work towards something.”
Neah’s story resonates with hundreds of GWI graduates around the country ‒ including myself. The program serves as a way to access the resources needed to apply passion through ideating and building a venture. Not only does this have professional implications, but it serves as a catalyst for personal growth and development.
Girls With Impact: NextGen Denver 10k
For young women in Denver, specifically, there is a massive opportunity to join the Girls With Impact program. In recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month, the U.S. Bank Foundation announced a partnership with Girls With Impact to launch “NextGen Denver 10K,” providing girls of color and girls from low-to moderate-income families with skills that will transform their future career opportunities.
Under the program, the U.S. Bank Foundation will fund 1,000 scholarships for these young women over the next two years. Also supporting the NextGen Denver effort is Trimble, an industrial technology company with a key base of operations in the Denver metro area.
“At U.S. Bank, we draw strength from diversity,” said Andy Aye, Denver Market Leader for U.S. Bank. ”Even during the pandemic, Girls With Impact has been leading the way, arming women – and women of color especially ‒ with the skills, tools and confidence they need to succeed in the future. So we are thrilled to have them impact our future women leaders in Denver. ”
Under the partnership, Girls With Impact will recruit and train girls from the greater Denver metropolitan region, including low to moderate income areas in the surrounding cities such as Greeley, Fort Collins, Pueblo, and Colorado Springs.
The partnership is part of NextGen Denver 10K, an effort to train 10,000 young women in the Denver region over the next three years.
“We’re inviting Denver’s employers and philanthropists to join U.S. Bank and Trimble so that, together, we can impact lives, our talent, and our economy,” said Jennifer Openshaw, CEO.
Young women and girls ages 14-21 may register for programs starting in October. Those on free or reduced lunch or from low-income households may attend on a full scholarship. To choose from class dates and times, go here and use code: NextGenDenver.
Jody Bell, 20 is Girls With Impact’s Chief Editor and a program graduate from Greenwich High School. Girls With Impact is the nation’s only online, business and leadership program for girls 14-24, turning them into tomorrow’s leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators.