Meet Adrienne...
Title: Miss Chester County BBQ Festival
Social Impact Statement: Ending the Stigma
Talent: Hula Hoop Dance
Age: 25 years old
Hometown: Dallas, TX to Memphis, TN
Growing up, I learned early on how mental illness stigma works as I witnessed how my own family struggled to talk openly about a family member with developing signs of mental illness. After coming to Memphis for college, I saw how afraid my peers were to reach out for help, and how often they turned to harmful or insufficient coping mechanisms to try to deal with their problems on their own. I drove one of my friends to the ER at 2AM for their third bout of alcohol poisoning that semester. I called emergency services after a different friend asked me to hide their pocket knife so they wouldn't be tempted to use it. I graduated from Rhodes College in 2017 with a BA in Psychology and the intention to eventually practice counseling psychology. Right now though, my mission is to combat the stigma people with mental illness face in all facets of life, and to break down the barriers to receiving treatment, to gainful employment, to being open about their struggles without shame or fear.
Social media
Instagram:
@missccbbqfest2020
@amariecherie
Facebook:
Miss Chester County BBQ Festival 2020
Headshot by Ty Randall Photography