Jason Lee, a senior at the Bronx High School of Science, was recently recognized for his advocacy on youth mental health with a state award.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
Lee, a member of the Asian American Student Advocacy Project (ASAP) under the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF), received the 2026 \u201cWhat\u2019s Great in Our State\u201d Youth\/Young Adult Award, recognizing young people who step outside their comfort zone to advocate for change in their diverse communities.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lee, whose parents immigrated from China as young adults, told the Bronx Times that the statewide award \u201ccame as a big surprise to me.\u201d\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing recognized at the state level for work I just want to see done, it\u2019s definitely kind of inspiring,\u201d he said.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
His work with ASAP comes at an opportune time. Across New York, youth mental health has presented major challenges, especially in the post-pandemic era. A 2025 report<\/a> by the former City Comptroller\u2019s office said that nearly 40% of New York City\u2019s young people experience \u201cpersistent sadness or hopelessness.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cJason\u2019s advocacy for Asian American and Pacific Islander youth is helping to reduce stigma and remove barriers to mental health care that these young people often experience,\u201d said Dr. Ann Sullivan, commissioner of the state Office of Mental Health. <\/p>\n \u201cBy providing a strong voice for these youth and advocating for more equitable care, Jason truly exemplifies the spirit of \u2018What\u2019s Great in Our State\u2019 and our efforts to reach young New Yorkers.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The comptroller report also said that the vast majority of DOE schools are not well-equipped to handle such a challenge. More than 70% of New York City public schools lack enough social workers to meet national standards, and 53% lack enough guidance counselors, according to the report.<\/p>\n Even more discouraging, the comptroller\u2019s office found that providing every DOE school with the nationally-recommended number of social workers and guidance counselors would cost the city up to $426 million annually.\u00a0<\/p>\n As an ASAP member, Lee has tackled this issue and more. The group has advocated for more school counselors in DOE schools and conducted research and surveys to inform their work.\u00a0<\/p>\n While the recommended ratio is 250 students per social worker, Lee said Bronx Science has only two social workers for about 2,800 students \u2014 he\u2019s heard of even larger schools with only two.<\/p>\n Thinking, researching and advocating for issues affecting young people is new to Lee, who lives in Bayside, Queens.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n He said growing up in a predominantly Asian neighborhood, he didn\u2019t always think about his Asian identity. \u201cTopics like anti-Asian hate weren\u2019t really apparent to me,\u201d Lee said.\u00a0<\/p>\n He said he found it hard to put himself out there and speak openly about the challenges of life as a young person today.\u00a0Much of his resistance came from a stigma in Asian American Pacific Islander communities, Lee said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe belief that if you seek any support with the mental health sector, you\u2019re kind of seen as weak, or \u2018Maybe I shouldn\u2019t share this,\u2019 out of shame or embarrassment to bring it to light.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Even the general concept of mental health is sometimes framed as \u201cWestern propaganda,\u201d he added.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n Many people think of mental health in terms of disorders, such as anxiety and ADHD, Lee said.\u00a0But the reality is more complicated.\u00a0<\/p>\n For instance, among high achievers at a prestigious high school like Bronx Science, \u201ccrunch culture\u201d is the norm \u2014 which Lee described as \u201cpushing yourself to the point where you\u2019re physically demanding more from your body in return for a higher grade on a single test, or things like that.\u201d<\/p>\n When he first started high school, Lee said he thought this mindset was inherent and unchangeable. \u201cWe thought it was so normalized, it wasn\u2019t worth mentioning.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n But two years as an ASAP leader have taught him that openly discussing these issues helps, even if it\u2019s uncomfortable at first.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n Many people don\u2019t want to burden others, but \u201cBeing able to share how you truly feel is extremely important,\u201d he said.\n<\/p>\n Lee said he hopes his award will inspire more students to use their voices.\u00a0Although sharing personal thoughts can be \u201cextremely uncommon\u201d in communities like his, \u201cObviously, I\u2019m not the only one facing these barriers or obstacles,\u201d he said. \u201cBeing able to scare myself, resonate with other people out there, is something really important to me.\u201d<\/p>\n Reach Emily Swanson at\u00a0eswanson@schnepsmedia.com<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0(646) 717-0015<\/a>. For more coverage, subscribe to our\u00a0newsletter<\/a>\u00a0and follow us on\u00a0Twitter<\/a>,\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Instagram<\/a>!<\/p>\n