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Ross Eugene Szabo (born Bethlehem, Pennsylvania) is the wellness director at Geffen Academy at UCLA. [1] He is a mental health speaker [2] and the CEO of Human Power Project. [3]
Ross Eugene Szabo | |
---|---|
Nationality | American |
Organization | Geffen Academy |
Szabo was the Director of Outreach for the National Mental Health Awareness Campaign from 2002 to 2010. [4] In that time, Szabo helped create the first nationwide youth mental health speakers' bureau in the country, called the Heard, which was later acquired by Active Minds. [5] He spoke to over one million young people and reached millions in media appearances. [6] Szabo was awarded the 2010 Didi Hirsch Erasing the Stigma Leadership Award [7] and had his work entered into the Congressional Record by Congressman Patrick Kennedy. [8]
He is known for being one of the most sought after mental health speakers in the country, [9] co-authoring Behind Happy Faces: Taking Charge of Your Mental Health - A Guide for Young Adults. [10] and creating a mental health curriculum also titled Behind Happy Faces. [11] The curriculum is being used by over 200,000 students across the country. [12] Behind Happy Faces Mental Health Curriculum received the 2016 Excellence in Education Award from the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors. [13] In 2020 Szabo authored A Kids Book About Anxiety, published by Penguin Random House and distributed worldwide. [14]
Szabo's work at Geffen Academy at UCLA is to create a comprehensive mental health curriculum that follows the milestones of adolescent development for grades 6–12. [15]
Szabo was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at age 16. [16] As a senior at Northampton Senior High School in Northampton, PA, he was hospitalized for attempting to take his own life. [17] He started talking about his experiences with bipolar disorder and the issues he faced during his senior year. [18] After numerous struggles, Szabo graduated from American University in 2002. [19] Szabo received an MA in Educational Psychology from Ball State University in 2018.[ citation needed ] He is a blogger for the Huffington Post [20] and a returned Peace Corps Volunteer having served in Botswana from 2010 to 2012. [21]