Influential Woman · Mental Health

Mariah Claywell

Skills Trainer, Valley Oaks Health

Lafayette, IN

Certifications · Degrees · Memberships

Degree Bachelor's in Forensic Psychology (Criminal Justice and Psychology) Degree Master's in Social Work (MSW) - Indiana School of Social Work (starting fall 2026)

Her Story

About Mariah

I love people helping. I love being able to make new connections, meet new people, and I love seeing them grow and flourish into their true selves, whether that's through mental struggles, emotional struggles, anything like that. I'm a people person, and I just love seeing people grow individually. Growing up, I quickly realized that I was one of those friends that people just said they could talk to, and a lot of my friends would just come and sit in front of me and be like, hey, I'm struggling with this, and I was like, oh wait, like, I actually really enjoy helping people and talking through things like that. From early high school, freshman or sophomore year, I knew that I wanted to work with people, that I wanted to be with somebody else and communicating and working through stuff. The clinical psych part came more in undergrad, as I started to really dive into what it meant to work in mental health.

Her Interview

Ten minutes with Mariah

01What do you attribute your success to?

My parents. I am a first-generation college student, so my mom and my dad both work in factories, they never had the chance to go to college, and so just watching their hard work and dedication to get me where I'm at today is probably the biggest motivator behind what I do and why I do what I do. I'm super proud of them as my parents.

02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?

The best career advice I've probably received is from an educator of mine, a professor in my undergrad. She told me that you can't help people unless you help yourself. She taught me that in the world of mental health, for me to help other people be mentally healthy, I have to be mentally healthy, and I think that that's such a good lesson for anybody working in the field of mental health. As much as my clients' mental health is important, so is mine.

03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?

I would say, go get it. Whatever you want, it's yours, you just have to fight for it, find the grit, and yeah. As long as you keep walking through doors, they're gonna be open.

04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?

I work in a lower-to-middle-class town, and I think for me, money is hard, and I think finances and insurance is hard, and so for me, I think the biggest struggle that I see is people that need help that can't afford it. So, if I could have any hand in that in any way, I would love to help.

05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?

I personally am a follower of God. I am a Christian. So for me, that's one of my most important personal and individual things. The biggest thing that I follow is just respect. Regardless of where someone's at in their life, I like to meet them where they are, whether they are lower class or higher class. I work with all the spectrum, so I think the biggest thing for me is regardless of where you're at in life, we're equal, and we're together, and we're gonna work through whatever you need to work through together on the same playing field.

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