Cherrial Odell Inspiring Children's Foundation

Cherrial Odell is a mental health advocate, peer counselor, and suicide attempt survivor who has transformed childhood adversity into a mission of healing and service. After surviving two suicide attempts at age thirteen and growing up in a family affected by substance use disorders and mental health challenges, she found the tools to heal through Jewel’s Inspiring Children Foundation (ICF). She now dedicates her life to helping others heal, showing that pain can be transformed into immense love and joy. She is currently studying Psychology and Interdisciplinary Arts at Stanford University. Her story has been featured on The Kelly Clarkson Show, in PEOPLE magazine, and in national documentaries. She serves as the President of Stanford’s Mental Health Outreach Club and is theCo-Founder of Wellness Buddies, a mental health & wellness program created in partnership with Jewel and ICF. She volunteers as a peer counselor and works as a Student Mental Health and Well-Being Intern and as staff with Stanford’s recovery program, Cardinal Recovery. Before college, Cherrial served as a peer support specialist with ICF, and was co-captain of Bob and Mike Bryan’s TEAM BRYAN as a nationally ranked tennis player and Valedictorian. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she built a Twitch-based mental health community with ICF that reached over 2.7 million people and created Inspire Cards, a conversation card game. Cherrial currently serves as Co-Chair of the Inspiring Children Foundation Alumni Board. She has been a youth advisory board member of Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation and was selected for Selena Gomez’s RARE Beauty College Ambassadors program. With over a decade of mindfulness practice and lived experience healing through mental health challenges, she brings wisdom, joy, and compassion to every stage she speaks on. She hopes to show others struggling that healing is possible