FRISCO, TX — A recent study by the World Health Organization found one in seven adolescents struggling with their mental health. Centennial High School seniors Sruti Medavaram, Rithika Jamisetty, and Meghna Medisetti decided to take action by founding their non-profit organization, Generation Zen.
“We wanted to help our community and provide awareness to anxiety disorders and mental health overall to the younger generation– awareness we wish we could’ve had when we were younger.” Medavaram shared. “This led us to found Generation Zen.”
Generation Zen has reached over 34,000 individuals through its initiatives. One of the organization’s major projects is a three-part lesson entitled “Zen-Ed,” designed to be taught at schools with minimal mental health education. This series of lessons has been successfully delivered to 15 schools in India as of November 2024.
Each lesson begins with a student-crafted informational video by Generation Zen, offering practical tips on mindfulness. After watching, students apply what they have learned to their own lives by answering thought-provoking follow-up questions included in the lesson plan. Next, they dive into a writing activity, choosing from a list of prompts designed to foster introspection and mindfulness. Finally, students receive Generation Zen brochures with essential information and actionable steps to manage stress long term. Generation Zen has also distributed its brochures to three U.S. health centers and two Indian facilities.
Medavaram’s passion for mental health advocacy stems from personal experience. “As the daughter of Indian immigrants, the concept of mental health was often foreign,” she said. “Growing up, the awareness I had of mental health was limited to the few assemblies we had in school. When me and two other of my Indian friends discussed this, we realized that we shared similar experiences.”
The trio began work on the organization at the beginning of their junior year and achieved official 501(c)(3) status months later. However, getting a running start was difficult. “It’s hard to reach people and expand your organization in the beginning due to a lack of experience and credibility, but once you surpass that stage it gets a lot easier,” Medavaram said. Before they could achieve success, they had to hear “no” many times. “Generation Zen has taught me to deal with rejection. To get our Zen-Ed lesson plan implemented, I faced a lot of rejection. It was difficult to deal with and heavily discouraging, but it was all worth it for the places that did agree to collaborate with us.”
Managing a non-profit organization is no easy feat, especially for a full-time student. To balance the work required for Generation Zen with a rigorous course load, extracurricular activities, and college applications, Medavaram, Jamisetty, and Medisetti have had to work hard to manage their time wisely. “We use schedules and delegate work among our team based on each other’s strengths,” Medavaram said.
The organization has been recognized in the What’s Up, Dallas! magazine, and it is listed as a non-profit with the Frisco Chamber of Commerce. The hard work and dedication of the three Centennial High School seniors behind Generation Zen has already made an impact locally and internationally, highlighting the capabilities of Centennial High School students.
