SAS West Student Making A Difference As Mental Health Advocate

When her then eight-year-old brother was diagnosed with anxiety in 2017, Andrea Pita was determined to advocate for people afflicted by mental health issues.

Five years later, the 17-year-old School for Advanced Studies student at West Campus has raised more than $80,000 through collection drives for the Anxiety and Depression unit at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital.

“I wanted to help kids that were like my brother in a way that would be meaningful and impactful,” said Pita, a high school senior simultaneously pursuing an associate’s degree in psychology at Miami Dade College.

Pita’s organization—The Anxiety Kids—hosts donation drives every two months at Tamiami Park, 11201 SW 24th St. They collect toys, books, clothing, school supplies and hygienic products. Events are promoted through the organization’s Instagram account: @theanxietykids. 

The teenager’s mental health advocacy has expanded to the SAS.

During her junior year, Pita founded the Mindfulness Club to destigmatize mental health. The organization holds meditation sessions, positive psychology discussions and workshops promoting healthy coping mechanisms.

“The club essentially became a platform for a lot of us to express our sentiments and our experiences with mental health,” said Kal Fernandez, a psychology student at SAS West who serves as the club’s vice-president. “I couldn’t be more thankful for her creating it.”

Since its creation, the Mindfulness Club has worked in conjunction with The Anxiety Kids and has more than 30 members—which is equivalent to one-fourth of the student population at SAS West.

Pita’s penchant for serving stems from her younger days. She’s been an active member of student government since eighth grade.

Last month, Pita, who serves as her class’ Student Government Association president, was appointed to represent more than 340,000 students at the monthly-held Miami-Dade County School Board meetings.

Her responsibilities include attending district events and informing students about school board policies using the MDCPS Student Advisor Instagram page—@mdcps_studentadvisor. 

“She’s going to have a very influential and important role,” said Giancarlo Orichio, a social studies teacher who serves as the SGA sponsor at West Campus. “I’m excited to see how she advances the student agenda.”

Pita, who attended St. Brendan High School as a freshman and sophomore, also holds several SAS leadership positions in the mathematics, social studies, science and English honor societies.

Since her junior year, she has been the tri-chair of the Youth Advisory Board for Youth4Wellness—an initiative partnering with the Yale School of Medicine to conduct youth-led action research on mental health and substance abuse.

In the summer, Pita participated in the Yale Young Global Scholars academic summer program and the Harvard Pre-College Summer Program. Both initiatives offer a two-week academic experience at the schools.

“She feels comfortable being a leader and having a lot of responsibilities on her plate,” said Melanie Tercilla, an English literature teacher at the school and the sponsor of the Mindfulness Club. “She’s very adaptable, respectable and thoughtful.”

Despite her busy schedule, Pita enjoys sports, reading and traveling.

She is an avid runner who takes morning runs at her local gym. At St. Brendan, she was part of the soccer, track and cross-country varsity teams. 

Pita devours non-fiction novels, memoirs and books about history. Her favorites include Pride and Prejudice and Tess of the d’Urbervilles.

Her interest in history and other cultures is stoked by her parents, who were born in Venezuela and often travel to countries like Colombia and Aruba at least twice a year.

Pita hopes to attend Yale University next year and major in cognitive neuroscience. She eventually wants to pursue a career in pre-law and become a United Nations attorney.

“Andrea shows me how capable and inspiring our nation’s youth is,” Tercilla said. “She has been absolutely one of my favorite and best students on an academic and personal level.”

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