Meet the 2026 Mental Health Scholarship Winners!

We're thrilled to announce the incredible roster of scholarship winners in our 8th year of scholarships, each of whom carries with them tremendous power, spirit, and wisdom. We feel honored to support them on their journeys as mental health advocates for the self and community, and can't wait to see this global cohort make waves no matter where they go from here! With such an impressive application pool, we also offered numerous other resources to all applicants as recognition of their incredible fight, including but not limited to free books and career opportunities.

Now, read on to find out more about this groundbreaking cohort of awardees in their own words!

2026 Mental Health Changemaker Scholarship Winner

Syndel Kozar

Canada, Plains Cree

(she/they)

"I am really honoured to be selected as a recipient of the Letters to Strangers Mental Health Changemaker Scholarship. Mental health and wellness are at the core of my work and how I approach life, and to be acknowledged in this way is truly meaningful. As a first-generation Indigenous student, mom, and community-based artist/advocate, I hold a lot, balancing education, community care, and creating spaces where Indigenous youth can feel supported, seen, and connected. When people invest in me it helps make that balance possible. It allows me to continue my education while staying grounded in the work I care deeply about, and to keep building spaces rooted in wellness, culture, and community. I am so grateful for the support to be able to continue doing this work in a good way."

2026 Mental Health Warrior Scholarship Winner

Paola Maytorena

Mexico

(she/her)

"I am incredibly grateful to have been selected as a recipient of the Letters to Strangers Mental Health Warrior Scholarship. I am currently pursuing my Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy at the University of San Francisco, and I am deeply passionate about being on a path where I know I can make a meaningful impact on the mental health and well-being of others.

At the same time, being a full-time graduate student has made it increasingly difficult for me to access mental and healthcare support for myself. Balancing the financial, academic, and emotional demands of this journey has been incredibly challenging. Because of this award, I now have the opportunity to reconnect with essential mental health resources and continue prioritizing my own well-being while pursuing the work I care so deeply about.

I am truly thankful for this support and for the reminder that those who hope to care for others also deserve care themselves.”

2026 Mary Louther Changemaker Prize Recipient

(Mental Health Changemaker Scholarship Runner-Up)

Chiamaka Juliet Osueke

Nigeria

(she/her)

"Being selected as a two-time awardee of the Letters to Strangers Changemakers Scholarship is one of the most humbling and joyful moments of my journey. Reading that I am the first-ever two-time award winner, and the words encouraging me to view myself with “even more depth of worth,” deeply touched my heart. It reminded me that my story, my healing, and my work have meaning.

As someone with lived experience of displacement, depression, trauma, and hardship, this recognition is more than an award to me. It is a confirmation that supporting vulnerable people affected by conflict, flooding, natural disasters, and poverty is truly worth doing. My work in mental health and livelihood support is about restoring hope, dignity, and life to people who feel forgotten.

Through my initiatives, I provide mental wellness, psycho-socio and livelihood support to vulnerable communities impacted by trauma and depression, helping them rebuild their lives and confidence. This award is not just recognition, it is encouragement to continue creating safe spaces for healing and inspiring other young people to take action.

Being an L2S Changemakers Scholar strengthens my commitment to ensure that others do not suffer in silence the way many of us once did. This scholarship encourages me to continue creating safe spaces for healing, empowering affected persons with livelihood skills, and changing the narratives of vulnerable communities. With my lived experience, this recognition reminds me that healing is possible and that my work is helping restore hope and dignity to others.

I am deeply grateful to the judges and the Letters to Strangers team for believing in me again. I do not take this opportunity for granted. It will remain an unforgettable achievement in my heart, and I will keep working until my vision of healing, peace, and resilience is fully achieved."

2026 Mary Louther Finalist Prize Recipients

(Mental Health Changemaker Scholarship Finalists)

The finalists are listed in random order.

Phoebe Vong

Macau, Portugal, Hong Kong

(she/her)

"As an awardee, I am deeply grateful to Letters to Strangers for recognizing work that has been shaped in quiet, often unseen moments - listening to strangers at the edge of crisis, and learning how much can be held in a single conversation. Volunteering with Crisis Text Line and in hospice spaces has shown me not just the weight of suffering, but the subtle, persistent ways people choose to endure, to hope, and to be heard.

These experiences have grounded my commitment to mental health as something inseparable from care itself. As I pursue a career in medicine, particularly in palliative care, I hope to carry forward an approach that resists impersonalization - one that makes room for grief, dignity, and story alongside treatment. This recognition is not an endpoint, but a reminder of the responsibility I carry to help shape systems that see people more fully.

Again, thank you for giving me the step up to achieving my dreams. I hope to further my involvement in the years to come.”

Joelle Moore

United States

(he/they)

“I am honored to be a recipient of the Mary Louther finalist prize. This upcoming fall, I will be pursuing my masters in social work at the University of Chicago and will use this award to help me pay for graduate school expenses such as tuition and fees. I aspire to become a licensed clinical social worker and build a practice rooted in culturally responsive, trauma-informed care. My focus centers on addressing barriers to mental healthcare while creating affirming therapeutic spaces for marginalized communities such as Black and LGBTQ+ communities.”

Adrija Jana

India

(she/her)

"I am a student, social activist and teacher currently pursuing my graduate degree in English Literature in India. Receiving this scholarship has made my educational journey much easier, as I feel supported financially and emotionally and am able to focus more on what really matters. I want to thank the Letters to Strangers Team for opening up this opportunity to students around the world..”

Shrihaan Chaudhary

India

"I’m incredibly honored to receive this award. Through founding Project: IGYB (‘I Got Your Back’), a peer-support initiative serving students across Maryland and Virginia, I’ve seen firsthand how important mental health, community, and access to care are in shaping people’s lives. Receiving this award is deeply meaningful to me because it affirms the importance of compassionate leadership and advocacy, especially for young people navigating mental health challenges. My experiences through Project: IGYB, alongside my work in health policy and medical research, continue to inspire me to pursue a future as a physician-policymaker dedicated to advancing more equitable, accessible, and human-centered healthcare systems."

Muskan Lamba

India

(she/her)

"Receiving this award means a great deal to me! Mental health has been close to my heart since childhood—in my own experiences, in learning, and in action. This recognition reaffirms my belief in continuing to advocate for better systems and more hopeful futures for all of us."

Ray Lynn Kaidbay

Lebanon, United States

(she/her)

"Being selected as a Changemaker Scholarship awardee by Letters to Strangers means far

more to me than financial support. As someone deeply passionate about mental health advocacy, trauma-informed care, and creating spaces where people feel seen and heard, this scholarship represents a belief in the power of lived experience, empathy, and community impact.

Through my work in psychology and mental health initiatives, I have witnessed how silence,

stigma, and intergenerational trauma can shape people’s lives. The Changemaker Scholarship

aligns closely with my commitment to fostering conversations around emotional wellbeing and

making mental health support more accessible and culturally sensitive.

Receiving this scholarship not only supports my educational and professional journey, but

also reaffirm my mission to continue advocating for healing, connection, and resilience within

underserved and trauma-affected communities. It motivates me to keep using my voice and experiences to create meaningful change, both within my field and beyond."

Elysa Yamada-Charles

Japan, United States

(she/her)

"I am incredibly honored, excited, and grateful to be selected for the Letters to Strangers Mental Health Changemaker Scholarship.

My journey navigating mental health and healthcare has deeply shaped who I am and how I hope to live my life.  

While there is growing recognition of the importance of mental health, there is still an urgent need for systems of care that go beyond stabilization and truly empower people to live with purpose, autonomy, and meaningful social connection.

These are not capacities that can simply be prescribed, but they can be integrated into mental healthcare when community is placed at the center of care. My current research focuses on a community-based model in Japan and its potential to transform how we understand and approach mental healthcare delivery.

I plan to become a licensed social worker and continue advocating for models that center community and collective care. As a recipient of this scholarship, I will use the funding to support the publication of my research and help share these ideas more widely."

Kate Louise Armstrong

United States

(they/she)

"I am driven by a strong commitment to helping others heal. I am motivated by the opportunity to help others navigate emotions, strengthen their wellbeing, and create positive change. Pursuing graduate studies to become a therapist is more than a career path for me— it is a calling rooted in empathy, insight, and advocacy. My experiences and goals demonstrate both my dedication to continued learning and my ability to make a meaningful impact in the lives of those facing emotional and mental health challenges. "

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ABOUT THE SCHOLARSHIPS

The Changemaker Scholarship Winner and Warrior Scholarship Winner each received $3000 USD for mental health higher education/personal advocacy and healthcare treatment costs respectively. The Mary Louther Changemaker Prize Recipient received $1000 USD towards mental health higher education/personal advocacy, and the Mary Louther Finalist Prize Recipients received $500 USD each towards mental health-related higher education/personal advocacy.

The 2026 Scholarship Applicants included entrants from the Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Armenia, Australia, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, Cherokee Nation, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cree Nation, Cuba, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Ethiopia, France, Gambia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon, Liberia, Macau, Malawi, Marshall Islands, Mexico, Mongolia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Palestine, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Romania, Russia, Somalia, South Africa, South Korea, South Sudan, Spain, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Venezuela, Vietnam, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The majority identified as Black, Indigenous, or Person of Color, while between 6-10% identified as a member of the LGBTQ+ community across both scholarships.

To learn about the Letters to Strangers Mental Health Scholarships, please check out this page here.