Ben Ballman (he/him/his) – Potomac, Maryland
Ben Ballman is a senior at Winston Churchill High School in Rockville, Maryland. The mental health crisis in America has always been very present within and around his life. From family, friends, and even himself struggling with mental health, he sought from a young age to make change where nobody else seems to be.
To make this change, he has started and led several projects to support the mental health of his community. These have included leading a team of students to conduct research into his school district’s counseling departments, which culminated in meetings with county leaders. He also founded a mental health coalition (DMVsfmhr.org), which seeks to unite student advocates, clubs, and schools from around the DMV into a cohesive unit for change. To create an immediate change for students, he developed the Students for Students program. This program is based on the peer support model and seeks to act as an extension of the under resourced counseling department.
