May 1st marks World Maternal Mental Health Day, which draws attention and awareness to essential mental health concerns impacting mothers and their families. Without such acknowledgment there is a risk that these individuals struggles would go unnoticed beneath the surface of societal expectations and the inclination to remain silent.

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Founded in 1985, the conception of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month was to promote mammography and early dedication in women. Now over 30 years later, October is the month where we paint the town pink. From the popularized pink breast cancer ribbon to NFL players sporting pink cleats, it is hard not to be aware that the month marks Breast Cancer Awareness. But is awareness enough to make an individual impact? Can we be simultaneously aware and disillusioned? Are we culturally aware, but not self-aware? What role do you play in early detection and fighting for a cure?