(Photo credit [right]: Natalia Fumagalli)

By Josh Hall

personal journey inspires passion project

Grade 11 student starts magazine to break stigma around mental illness

Nov 4, 2020 | 12:27 PM

A Red Deer teen is using personal experience to break the stigma around mental illness, one magazine submission at a time.

Sophia Lia, a Grade 11 student at Notre Dame High School, launched her self-titled magazine with a debut issue in August, but that came after a long and winding road dealing with her own mental wellness.

She shares that after a bout with pneumonia in grade three, she would have repeated respiratory problems year after year.

“I was actually making myself sicker because my self talk was so negative,” she says.

“Around grades eight or nine, I started being more aware of how I talk to and treat myself, and I thought ‘What if I just completely try to switch it?’ Even if I didn’t believe it at first, I would say ‘I’m powerful, I’m strong,’ and I would repeat those positive affirmations over and over.”

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Lia says if you can focus on putting mind over matter, you can change your circumstances. She says since making that change herself, illness has stayed away.

In 2019, Lia began writing about mental health and other topics for Edmonton-based Teen Look Magazine. Fast forward a year, she says, and she thought it would be a great idea to launch her own publication, solely focused on mental health, self-care and self-love.

After putting out feelers, Lia wound up interviewing Canadian musician k.d. lang and 2003 shark attack survivor, and professional surfer, Bethany Hamilton, both of whom are featured in the first issue.

“I thought ‘How can I help teens or young kids who are going through the exact same thing?’ Even if it was just one, that would be amazing,” she says.

“A few people online were saying they didn’t think people would want to share, and weren’t so positive that the magazine was a great idea, but once we did the first issue, I think people realized that others are open to sharing and that it will help people.”

Submissions have come in from a vast array of people, from Canada to the U.S.A. and Brazil. They can be published anonymously or with a name attached.

Lia, who’s also Miss Teenage Central Alberta 2020, has more than 130,000 followers on each her personal Instagram account and the one she uses for the magazine.

While that title is separate from the magazine endeavours, the two easily go hand in hand in terms of her position as a role model and community leader, she says.

“Mental illness has always been a problem, but it’s really come out extra with people quarantining and the coronavirus. I thought that even though it’d be hard to pull off launching this magazine right now, it is the best time because it’s needed more than ever.”

Another positive factor for Lia is learning new skills and deciding what she wants to do after graduation.

“Being editor-in-chief is crazy to even say. It’s an honour to have that title, especially for a project I’m so passionate about. I’ve learned so many skills, such as social media, communications, PR, graphic design, and business skills,” she says. “I’ve also learned so much about mental health because we’ve had so many professionals contributing to the magazine too. This is why I want to be a psychologist.”

The magazine is available for free online, and print copies are available by order. If you want to submit an idea or your own story, email submissions@sophialiamag.com.

All profits from the sale of the debut issue are going to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Issue #2 is due out later this month at SophiaLiaMag.com.