Our daughter struggled with school from grade 2 onward. Every year brought new challenges. Her anxiety grew into anorexia and depression in grade 8. Her circle of friends dwindled as she withdrew into herself. Once into high school, she fought hard to find a place within social groups to feel as if she belonged. She bounced from peer group to peer group, experimenting with drinking and weed. As a parent, it was terrifying. We had psychiatric help all the way through, but we never could break through her low self-confidence. I truly believe this is a vital piece of her mental well-being. The social pressures, friendships, feelings of being judged by others in high school grew, and she missed so much of grade 11, we thought she might not graduate. Through medication, therapy, and the ongoing support of her high school, she rallied and had a stellar grade 12 year. Her kindness, sensitivity, and high intelligence shine through. Now she is entering university with two academic scholarships. We are Canadian, so we are lucky not to have had SATs to study for, on top of everything else. Otherwise, I’m not sure if she’d be entering university this year. She still struggles, but she is a fighter. We will support her, every step of the way. And honestly, it has been an exhausting, terrifying, and heartbreaking journey.