Hobbies and interests
Soccer
Basketball
Softball
Bible Study
Beach
Clinical Psychology
Coaching
Fitness
Legos
Karaoke
Mental Health
National Honor Society (NHS)
Psychology
Pickleball
Reading
Adult Fiction
Drama
Young Adult
Literary Fiction
I read books multiple times per month
Mia Ianneillo
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FinalistMia Ianneillo
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FinalistBio
Hi! My name is Mia Ianneillo and I am from Saddle Brook High School and I am most passionate about my family and friends. I plan on attending a four-year university next year and majoring in psychology in hopes of obtaining my doctorate degree shortly after. I hope to one day become a clinical psychologist or counselor and earn several certifications to help those who need it!
Education
Saddle Brook Middle/High School
High SchoolMiscellaneous
Desired degree level:
Master's degree program
Majors of interest:
- Psychology, General
Career
Dream career field:
Mental Health Care
Dream career goals:
Clinical Psychologist
Part-time job where I hosted over 100 children's birthday parties
BounceU2023 – Present1 year
Sports
Softball
Varsity2020 – Present4 years
Basketball
Varsity2020 – 2020
Soccer
Varsity2020 – 20244 years
Awards
- 2x NJIC Second Team All League
Public services
Volunteering
Calvary United Methodist Church — Organizing and volunteering the local food pantry for those in need2017 – Present
Future Interests
Volunteering
Philanthropy
Keri Sohlman Memorial Scholarship
Lauren Bernett; Katie Meyer; Sarah Shulze - these girls share more than just being division one athletes in common; they share the feeling of being an athlete struggling with mental illness, and unfortunately losing their battles. More than ever before, athletes are severely struggling with mental health issues involving various stressors from their environment such as over-training, injuries, social media scrutiny, and the ongoing pressure to perform. Mental health issues within athletes can occur within anyone and everyone; there is no specific level or athlete that can be affected more than the other.
I can’t remember a time in my life where my life didn't revolve around sports. Whether it was playing wiffle ball in the street on a rainy day, going to watch my sister’s club basketball games, or juggling my own three sports, athletics simply always surrounded me. In reality, I didn’t want it any other way - a life without sports seemed boring. However, as I made the switch from travel athletics to varsity high school sports as a freshman, I had a rather daunting realization - this was no longer fun. Instead, it became homecoming dances being interrupted by practices, football games becoming non-existent for games, or even practices canceling family dinners. Getting up to go to practices was dreadful, each strike-out only worsened my attitude, and every sprint as a punishment made my resentment towards being an athlete heighten. Attempting to comprehend how something I used to cherish gradually became insufferable grew difficult, and I accepted soon after that my mental health as an athlete was suffering.
This challenging point in my career not only changed who I am as a person today, but it also changed the way I view others. I now look back on this story of my mental health challenges within athletics and wonder how many others feel this way? Were any of my teammates struggling? Are they still hurting? My challenges during my early years of high school sports have inspired me to pursue a career in mental health, and eventually help others who were similarly struggling. I want to be the difference between someone who is struggling and their journey to getting better and healing. I find human emotions and feelings fascinating, and I want to guide others to celebrate life. I envision myself counseling and guiding not only athletes struggling with their mental health, but everyone in between who is seeking guidance. No one deserves to suffer in silence, and I aim to counsel individuals and remove the harsh stigma behind therapy.
As my high school athletic career is soon coming to an end, I have now found my balance between school, sports, and my social life. With the help of professionals, friends, and family, I have now rediscovered the love I once had for sports and I aim to continue my journey through club softball wherever I decide to pursue my college education. I am currently deciding between three schools (Virginia Tech, Rutgers, and Ramapo), where I aim to study psychology and eventually become a clinical psychologist or counselor. As I enter the next phase of my life, I hope to also work towards a doctorate degree to future my education in the field of psychology in order to help others who are struggling in silence. No matter if you are a professional or highschool athlete, the importance of mental health is equal. I aim to be the difference in erasing the stigma of mental health within athletes as Lauren, Katie, and Sarah serve as my inspiration.