A former Californian high school student, Aanya Mukherjee, has turned her traumatic experience with bullying into a powerful initiative aimed at supporting her peers. At just 17 years of age, Aanya created a nonprofit organisation called Buy Yourself Flowers, after struggling with severe harassment during her time at a private school in San Jose.
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Reflecting on her experiences, Aanya describes how relentless bullying and harassment undermined her confidence, affected her mental health, and took a toll on her academic performance. She recalls feeling overwhelmed by relentless rumours and stalker-like behaviour towards her and her family. In an effort to address the severity of these issues, her family sought assistance from their school, only to be disappointed with the lack of effective support provided.
Aanya’s journey took a pivotal turn when she began attending Pinewood School in Los Altos. This new environment sparked a determination within her to better understand how schools address the issues of bullying and student wellness, which, during her prior experience, had not worked in her favour. “That experience made me much more interested in how schools approach these problems,” she stated.
Motivated by her challenging experience, Aanya engaged with various coalitions comprised of educators, parents, and mental health professionals. It was during these interactions that she noticed a significant oversight—adults were predominately discussing the mental health needs of students without including the students themselves in these important conversations.
This realisation prompted Aanya to establish Buy Yourself Flowers approximately a year ago, creating a space for teens to actively participate in discussions about their mental health. Her organisation features a variety of initiatives, including workshops aimed at empowering youth and a podcast to raise awareness on mental health issues affecting adolescents. One of her flagship initiatives is the distribution of “bloom boxes,” which are not filled with flowers, but rather contain essential mental health resources.
The bloom boxes, described by Aanya as small shoebox-sized toolkits, offer resources such as candles, herbal teas, affirmations, mini journals, face masks, and important information about available support services. To date, her nonprofit has successfully donated around 500 of these boxes to local schools, with aspirations to expand the initiative beyond California to places such as Florida.
As part of her outreach efforts, Aanya encourages teenagers to report incidents of cyberbullying early on to school officials, emphasising that issues will not simply resolve themselves. She also advocates for schools to establish clear policies addressing cyberbullying, which she points out can often be more damaging psychologically compared to physical bullying.
“Bullying isn’t anything new, but it has evolved,” Aanya remarks, pointing out the role that social media plays in exacerbating the issue. “Adults don’t always understand the extent of it,” she adds, explaining that the pervasive nature of online harassment makes it impossible to simply switch off the problem.
Her personal experience with bullying began back in December 2023 and affected her in both digital and physical spaces. Aanya highlights that schools should be sanctuaries where students feel safe and supported. Fortunately, her recent change of environment has significantly improved her situation, and she feels more empowered to help others.
Nonetheless, Aanya recognises that changing schools is not the only solution. She aims to create supportive environments where other students can thrive and feel heard. The peer-led workshops she assists in organising hinge on shared generational experiences, creating a sense of camaraderie among those who attend.
“Although it may sound clichéd, it reminds you that you’re not alone,” she shares, recalling her own feelings of isolation during her experiences. “I had no idea how I would make friends or if it would ever end. But it did.”
Ultimately, Aanya’s message is one of hope and empowerment: “It’s possible to move on. At the end of the day, you are in charge of your own life.” Through her nonprofit, Aanya Mukherjee continues to inspire others, advocating for meaningful changes in how mental health and bullying are addressed in educational settings.