Federal parties should adopt student recommendations on addressing youth mental illness
There is a growing, often overlooked, trend that is finally starting to reach the forefront of people’s attention: more and more college and university students are beginning to seek help for mental illness. In many ways this is an unsurprising development – post-secondary students face enormous stress and daily pressures, from maintaining good grades, to dealing with rising tuition fees and debt, to navigating an unfriendly job market both during school and after graduation.
For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to be a writer. I started at Carleton University undeclared and later decided to do a combined honours bachelor degree in Journalism and Greek and Roman Studies. As my journalistic skills began to develop, I looked for opportunities outside of the classroom to practice and hone my writing abilities. I sent samples of my work to various publications, and as if a dream came true, a national music magazine called "The Scene" contacted me to cover events in Ottawa. 
University can be an extremely stressful experience for students, but it's also a time of growth. Learning how to balance school, extracurriculars, a social life, and living on your own is useful training for dealing with the challenges that come with adulthood. While graduation should be a celebration of conquering the intense demands of a post secondary education, for many students it's more nerve-racking than university itself. That's because youth unemployment is a major problem in Canada.
The Ontario Election is right around the corner, and if everything goes as planned, young voters will turn out to the polls in much lower numbers than our older counterparts. And that's a shame, because our generation can have a major impact on the election if we choose to get out and vote.
