Kaleb Harris, 21, is an English major from Ingleside and hopes to one day write a memoir that will relate to people suffering through anxiety and mental health issues.
Harris is currently a part-time student taking two classes, Newswriting and Women in Literature. The Women in Literature course that they’re taking is working to inspire their writing. The Newswriting course they are taking pushes them toward uncomfortable situations that they would likely not take on their own.
“I wanted to see if I liked journalism,” they said, “but because of my anxiety, the interview part is kind of getting to me, but other than that I’m fine.”
Harris began writing at the age of 6, but it wasn’t until they were 8, when they started journaling, did they find writing as a form of self-expression. They found writing as a way to articulate their thoughts and feelings in a way that they didn’t think would be possible in real life.
Growing up, they didn’t really understand why they felt the way they did. Their parents didn’t talk about the issues Harris was having, nor did they understand how to deal with them.
Harris was also secretly part of the LGBTQ+ community, which also added to their anxiety. They were nervous about coming out to their family and worried whether they would be accepted by them. But with some encouragement from their friends and others in social media, Harris became more comfortable about their identity and decided to come out to their family.
“They were all supportive, with the exception of my dad, but he eventually came to terms with it,” Harris said. “I felt more authentic as a person afterwards, as I felt like I had to hide parts of myself from them before coming out.”
Even as a student at Grant Community High School in Fox Lake, Harris felt somewhat disconnected. Their anxiety made them feel uncomfortable when going to school, causing them to skip classes or even be sent home early.
In 2020, halfway through their junior year, the Covid-19 pandemic caused all their classes to become remote from home. While other students found this frustrating, Harris found it surprisingly helpful.
“Being at home, especially with something as scary as the pandemic, helped me chill out and focus on the work,” Harris said.
Harris graduated from high school taking all their classes online. When it was time to start college, they took advantage of the online classes CLC provided. However, as they near the end of their associates degree, they’ve begun to take in-person classes, despite their anxiety.
“You gotta get used to life eventually,” they said. “Going in person just helps with that.”
When Harris completes their time at CLC this spring, they hope to transfer to Lake Forest College as an English major. There, Harris plans on taking only in-person courses to fight through feelings of anxiety. Harris hopes to apply the knowledge gained from Lake Forest College into producing a book that will help others experiencing the same things Harris has been through.
“I have noticed that mental health has gotten more attention over the years,” Harris said. “I would like to do that through my writing, I don’t know how, but I’ll figure it out.”
