Emily is an advocate for mental health and disability rights because of the firsthand experience she has with both subjects. She writes about her experiences and life lessons she has learned from growing up with an estranged mother who was ridden with a drug addiction. Her future plans include going to graduate school and becoming a drug and alcohol addictions counselor.

Emily Smith is a native of Scranton, Pennsylvania. She now resides in Fairfax, Virginia, where she is a sophomore in George Mason University’s undergraduate psychology program. She also minors in photography, her lifelong passion. She is an advocate for mental health and disability rights because of the firsthand experience she has with both subjects. She has participated in many lobbying events on Capitol Hill for complex rehab technology and other disability issues. She is also a writer for The Odyssey, a university wide publication, where she writes about her experiences and life lessons she has learned from growing up with an estranged mother who was ridden with a drug addiction. Her volunteer work includes the Muscular Dystrophy Association as well as mentoring children with disabilities and working with literacy foundations to offer children the gift of reading and education. Her future plans include going to graduate school and becoming a drug and alcohol addictions counselor.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx