Oanh Meyer and her mother Anh Le (Mai Le-Diloy)
Wartime Trauma Hits Close to Home for Scholar of Dementia
Kaiser Health News & republished in the LA Times — December 10th 2021
Oanh Meyer was a postdoctoral fellow studying the experiences of caregivers for those with dementia in 2012 when her research took a very personal turn.
That year, her mother, a Vietnamese immigrant, began to show signs of dementia and paranoia that seemed to be linked to the trauma she had suffered during the long war in Vietnam, when bombing raids often drove her to hide underground and she lived in fear of Communist troops.
Photo by Joice Kelly on Unsplash
As Pandemic Worsens Students’ Mental Health, WCCUSD Tries to Keep Up
Richmond Pulse — November 8th 2021
Rates of mental illness among Richmond and Contra Costa youth have risen sharply during the pandemic. A new bill in Washington, introduced by California Sen. Alex Padilla, aims to address the problem — but experts say it may not be enough.
Photo by Alexander Schimmeck on Unsplash
Language Barrier Poses Extra Challenge to Latinx Domestic Violence Survivors
Richmond Pulse — November 10th 2021
Survivors of domestic violence face many obstacles to getting help. Fear that their abuser will retaliate, lack of financial resources and even love for their partner can make it hard for someone to leave. For Latinx survivors, speaking little to no English can make it even harder to get help.
Photo by Anthony Tran on Unsplash
The Hidden Crisis — Covid's Impact on Mental Health
So far there have been more than two million deaths worldwide because of COVID-19. Hospitals have been overwhelmed with patients, parents have struggled to juggle work and homeschooling, and many have lost their jobs. Yet there is one aspect of the pandemic that has been severely underestimated and underreported. Behind the lockdowns, the isolation and constant doom scrolling, lurks a mental health crisis.
Radical Empathy in I May Destroy You
So far there have been more than two million deaths worldwide because of COVID-19. Hospitals have been overwhelmed with patients, parents have struggled to juggle work and homeschooling, and many have lost their jobs. Yet there is one aspect of the pandemic that has been severely underestimated and underreported. Behind the lockdowns, the isolation and constant doom scrolling, lurks a mental health crisis.
Photo by Emiliano Bar on Unsplash
A Culture of Punishment — Exploring a Society's Response to Crime
Lisa Montgomery was the first woman to be executed by the federal government since 1953. She was put to death for murdering a pregnant woman in 2004 and abducting the unborn child, whom she claimed as her own. She was also “profoundly mentally ill as a result of a lifetime of torture and sexual violence”. She suffered from depression, schizophrenia, personality disorder, PTSD and a traumatic brain injury. She needed help and instead she was sentenced to death.
Photo by Chris Henry on Unsplash
The Climate Movement Must Show Up for the Movement for Black Lives
Written by Grace Galletti and edited by Julia Clark-Riddell
We’re living in a moment of urgent and intersecting crises.
Countless Black people, some whose names we know and others we do not, are being murdered by manifestations of white supremacy. As we take to the streets to demand justice, police are responding with deadly and terrifying force. Meanwhile, the COVID-19 pandemic and rising unemployment are ravaging our country, particularly in Black and Latinx communities. These crises are connected, they reflect systemic problems, and they are existential emergencies.
About Me
My analytical expertise in environmental engineering, my passion for writing and visual storytelling as well as my interest in social justice issues have led me to journalism. Currently in my first year at UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism, I look forward to deepening my skills and covering underreported topics such as mental health issues, and sexual assault.
Previously, I had the opportunity to complete a domestic violence training and volunteer as a support line counselor. This experience helped me build better listening and communication skills which will help me cover difficult subjects with a more empathetic lens.
I was also able to deepen my understanding of sexual harassment and sexism in the workplace through an internship at the Sheryl Sandberg & Dave Goldberg Family Foundation.
Before attending UC Berkeley, I worked on my storytelling skills by creating a video on the impact of COVID-19 on mental health as well as multiple blog posts on a range of topics including radical empathy, misinformation, alcoholism and the criminal justice system.