About Me

Who am I?

Hi all! My name is Riley Walsh and I am class of 2023 at Milford High School. Apart from academics, I enjoy playing on the Milford tennis team, watching a lot of Netflix, and just being able to wind down with my cats. Although it was the COVID-19 pandemic that made me start my journey of receiving help, I've struggled to keep up with my mental wellbeing for a few years now. I've started to realize how important and influential mental health can be more and more each day.

So, why mental health?

For starters, I've always been interested in how our brains can be impacted from the environments we surround ourselves in. I think that it's interesting to note how our feelings can take a huge toll on the way we act and function. I, for one, grew up with a life full of anxiety and I did a lot of research on why I had been acting the way I was. During the recent pandemic, I've learned a lot about how mental illnesses can impact our lives. With that, I decided that after high school I really want to make it my goal to study more in-depth psychology. I want to help others feel like they always have somebody to talk to- nobody should feel alone.



When I took part in MIT's Leadership Training Institute (Spring, 2022), I really wanted to develop a project that would help others. I noticed that there were a lot of students I saw in my school struggling with a variety of things, including myself. From mental illness to struggles at home, I felt as though my town needed a change. I decided that because the internet is easy access to most, a website with different resources would lead me in the right direction to make a difference. Through a lot of brainstorming, Mending Milford Minds came to light.

On April 14th, 2022, one of my close friends took his own life. Hearing that news truly shocked me, especially after talking to him for hours the previous night. After taking a few days to grieve, I realized that this project means a lot more to me than ever before. Mental health is not something to joke about, and it really is a matter of life or death. Everybody deserves their chance to live.

This website is dedicated to Lucas, my parents, Milford's guidance department, and my LTI mentors. Thank you.