Ilana Ramos

Advisory Board Member, Outreach Volunteer

My name is Ilana and I am a non-traditional college student who is perusing a B.S in Psychology. I was born in Berkeley, CA and raised in Oakland, CA. I love nature, reggae music is my soul, jazz seeps through my pours, softball is my dream, and I enjoy basking in the ambiance of pure bliss. Making others feel good, in turn makes me feel good. I love people. Everyone has a story, and I’m the person who will sit for hours and listen to it.

My struggles with mental illness have aided me in wanting to make a career out of my understanding. My purpose in life is to lead others to emancipate their selves from mental slavery. I want to help my black and brown communities raise the awareness on mental wellness, because it’s overlooked and looked down upon. I always say silence is golden, conversations are missed, because nowadays ignorance is bliss. I want to break the cycle and lead my people into mental freedom by gaining the knowledge that will help. I’ve learned from my experience that an idle mind can be your worst enemy. We have all the power we need within, in order to make a difference.

In the near future, I hope I can become a therapist, or a life coach and incorporate what I learned from my community and books. We will all encounter negativity at some point in our lives that can interfere with our sense of self and well being. I made a change so I can be the difference.