Her Story
About Maame
Maame Forson founded Inspire Scholars, a nonprofit focused on mental health literacy and education resources for students, shortly after earning her Bachelor's of Arts in Psychology and Neuroscience from Harvard in 2025. Based in Mt Vernon, New York, she works across youth health, mental health advocacy, mental health literacy, and education, leading workshops that teach adolescents coping mechanisms, emotional identification, and interpersonal skills while connecting them with mentors. Forson attributes the creation of Inspire to her family, particularly her two siblings, following a traumatic family event a decade ago that highlighted the need for better mental health support for children, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds in the post-COVID era. She values authenticity and kindness in her approach, emphasizing bottom-up problem solving and genuine communication. Her professor Mark Hatzenbiel advised her to avoid limiting herself to one path and instead create her own role by working backward from her vision, which inspired her nonprofit work. Forson advises young women entering the field to build confidence and assertiveness in leadership roles.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Maame
01What do you attribute your success to?
My family, especially my two siblings. A traumatic moment a decade ago influenced their mental health, leading me to focus on the root causes of issues in children, particularly post-COVID, and create Inspire to fill gaps for underrepresented youth.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Stop trying to put yourself in one box. You can create your own job and path. Think about your vision of life and work backwards from there to decide studies and schools, rather than following a fixed 5-year path.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Be confident in your abilities. Especially as women in leadership, be assertive and believe in yourself before expecting others to believe in you. Self-belief and confidence are key.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Challenges include governmental changes affecting public health funding and loss of public confidence in science post-COVID, creating a disconnect that requires better emotional communication. Opportunities lie in improved communication and education to bridge science with people, as seen in places like New York.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Authenticity and kindness. Be genuine and honest for better communication. Approach problems from the bottom up, considering context and feelings, especially in leadership roles.
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