LOS ANGELES -- When Meera Varma was in high school, she felt like a black cloud followed her everywhere she went.
Her struggles with mental health were difficult to explain to family members in their mother tongue, Hindi. Although they were supportive, she needed professional help. She found it in her school counselors, whom she saw almost daily as a senior.
After suffering frequent panic attacks in class, she started advocating at school district meetings for mental health services to be made a priority.
