2026 nursing graduate receives national recognition for mental health awareness efforts

For Danielle Paisley, receiving the 2026 National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Young Leader Award represents far more than personal recognition. It reflects years of advocacy rooted in empathy, lived experience, and a deep commitment to ensuring people struggling with mental health challenges feel seen, supported, and hopeful.

“Mental health advocacy has always been deeply personal to me,” said Paisley, who is graduating from the UCLA Joe C. Wen School of Nursing’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing program in June. “So much of this work started with simply wanting people to feel less alone.”

Over the past several years, she has blended her experiences in psychiatric clinical care, research, and campus advocacy to promote more conversations about mental health, both within UCLA and throughout the broader community. Paisley credits much of her growth to mentors and leaders who encouraged her passion and helped her build confidence, including faculty and staff at UCLA Nursing, colleagues at UCLA Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital, and staff at NAMI Westside Los Angeles.

Her path to nursing began long before UCLA. Growing up, Paisley witnessed firsthand how profoundly mental health affects individuals, families, and entire communities. When she discovered the UCLA Joe C. Wen School of Nursing, she felt immediately aligned with the program’s emphasis on leadership, research, and holistic care.

“From the beginning, UCLA Nursing encouraged students not only to become skilled nurses, but also advocates and changemakers,” she said. “The idea of being an advocate is woven throughout the curriculum, and it’s incredible to see how the program transforms students into future nurses who believe they can make a difference.”

Two defining experiences shaped how Paisley sees herself as a nurse. The first occurred during a public health nursing class taught by Dr. Skrine Jeffers, when a guest speaker led the class in repeatedly chanting the phrase “mental health is health.”

“I had never felt so heard or understood,” Paisley recalled. “It reinforced the importance of emphasizing mental health and psychiatry in nursing education – not just clinically, but for destigmatization and truly holistic care.”

The second experience came during her psychiatric clinicals at UCLA Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital. There, she learned that effective nursing does not always hinge on complex interventions.

“Sometimes the most meaningful part of care is simply showing up consistently for someone during one of the hardest moments of their life,” she said. “Being there, listening, and helping someone feel seen taught me that nursing is about trust, dignity, and human connection.”

Paisley’s passion for mental health advocacy also led her into research. Working with Dr. Kristen Choi on trauma-informed care within inpatient psychiatry profoundly shaped her perspective. The project culminated in a poster presentation that won the People’s Choice Award at the 21st Annual UCLA Nursing Science and Innovation Conference.

After graduation, Paisley plans to work as a psychiatric nurse while remaining deeply involved in mental health advocacy and research. She hopes to improve mental health care for young adults, neurodivergent populations, and underserved communities, with particular focus on suicide prevention and trauma-informed care.

For students considering UCLA Nursing, Paisley offers simple advice: “The program will challenge you and push you, but it will also help you grow in ways you may not expect. UCLA helped me find confidence in my voice and shaped the kind of nurse, advocate, and person I hope to become.”