Students recognized for mental health advocacy in their school communities
[June 11, 2025, NEW YORK CITY] — The Jed Foundation (JED), a leading nonprofit that protects emotional health and prevents suicide for teens and young adults nationwide, announced today that Rohan Satija of Austin, Texas, and Nora Sun of Seattle, Washington, are the 2025 Student Voice of Mental Health Award recipients, recognizing their outstanding work in youth mental health advocacy.
JED’s annual Student Voice of Mental Health Awards honor one high school student and one college student who demonstrate exceptional commitment to raising mental health awareness, fostering connection and belonging, and encouraging help-seeking behaviors among their peers in their school or campus communities.
17-year-old Rohan Satija, a 2025 graduate of Westwood High School, transformed his personal experiences with bullying, isolation, and anxiety into powerful advocacy. He founded the Let’s Learn Foundation, bringing educational resources into book deserts for local students, and established the Vibrant Voices Project, helping youth in juvenile detention centers express themselves through storytelling. Satija also serves on committees at the National Alliance on Mental Illness in Texas, Texas Children and Youth Behavioral Health, and the youth advisory board at The Born This Way Foundation. He will attend The University of Texas at Austin this fall.
“As someone who has faced mental health challenges, receiving this award feels like a full-circle moment,” Satija said. “Through storytelling, I’ve worked to support youth in low-resource communities, normalize the conversation, build empathy, and reshape policy.”
20-year-old Nora Yanyi Sun, a rising junior at Harvard University, found her deep interest in mental health advocacy and research after supporting a high school classmate struggling with depression. She became a crisis counselor and created the Little Talks Movement, an online peer-to-peer support platform. Nora also serves as CEO of mercuri.world, a nonprofit that curates and translates global mental health resources. Her published research focuses on identifying stressors as well as protective factors and gaps in mental health outcomes within intersectional subpopulations, and tailoring interventions to effectively meet the needs of various communities.
“I am honored to receive this award,” Sun said. “My work focuses on developing evidence-based mental health interventions that can help all people access the support they need. I aspire to contribute to a future where quality mental health support is accessible for everyone.”
Award winners receive a $3,000 scholarship, recognition on JED’s platforms, and opportunities to collaborate with JED.
“We are inspired by Rohan and Nora’s remarkable dedication to mental health advocacy,” said John MacPhee, JED CEO. “Their leadership exemplifies how young people can make a meaningful difference in preventing suicide and supporting emotional well-being for students.”
This is the 18th annual Student Voice of Mental Health Awards. Created in 2008, 27 students have been recognized for their contributions to youth mental health and suicide prevention. Both winners were honored at JED’s annual gala on June 4 at Cipriani Wall Street.
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About The Jed Foundation (JED)
JED is a nonprofit that protects emotional health and prevents suicide for our nation’s teens and young adults. We’re partnering with high schools, colleges, and school districts to strengthen their mental health, substance misuse, and suicide prevention programs and systems. We’re equipping teens and young adults with the skills and knowledge to help themselves and each other. We’re encouraging community awareness, understanding, and action for young adult mental health.
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Media Contact
Justin Barbo
Director, Public Relations
The Jed Foundation
Justin@jedfoundation.org
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