College student reflects on mental health struggles and how her "school mom and school dad" changed her life

A college student at UCLA credits two of her former educators for changing the course of her life.

When Caitlynn Hauw was in high school in San Diego she said she struggled with her mental health. Her mother, Vanessa Dang, was a single parent raising four kids and fighting breast cancer – so while Hauw worried about her mom, she kept her own struggles mostly to herself until she said she couldn't anymore.

"It got so bad to the point where I attempted suicide in my sophomore year of high school," Hauw said. "I thought that everybody would just be better off without me in the world."

But Westview High School counselor Vanessa Ho and journalism teacher Jeff Wenger stepped in to help at the time Hauw needed it most.

Wenger recalled Hauw would be absent from school for "a few days or stretches at a time."

"When she was here, she was so locked in … and all in, and she was curious and engaged and interested in learning," he said.

At some point Ho said Hauw "fell off" and she "didn't hear from her anymore," which is when she started reaching out.

Hauw's mother emailed Ho and told her that her daughter was in the hospital following her December 2020 suicide attempt.

"I think in those moments where you're giving up on yourself and you feel like all hope is lost, they show you there's humanity in the world and it gives you hope to just have a future," Hauw said about how the two educators helped her.

Hauw admitted she wasn't going to apply to college until they encouraged her, "despite my very shoddy transcript and just my lack of hope and belief in myself," she said. 

She ended up being accepted into and attending UCLA.

"Growing up, you know, it's pretty daunting," Wenger said. "The future, the uncertainty of everything, so anything we can do to just help encourage them and what Caitlynn really has going for her is that she has a heart."

"Thank you for believing in me"

CBS News shared Hauw's words about how Ho and Wenger made an impact on her life with them and the three reunited.

Once together, Hauw shared a letter she prepared for her "school mom and school dad."

She told Wenger that he instilled "feelings of confidence and competence" in her, while thanking Ho for providing stability in her life that "has meant the world."

"You let me study under your table in your office. You let me cry laying down on the floor as other students side-eyed. When things got bad and I wouldn't go to school, almost not graduating, you told me you would pick me up from my house if that's what it took," Hauw said to Ho.

Hauw told Ho and Wegner how happy she is both in her academic and social lives, and that they changed her life "for the better." 

"I go to the gym consistently. I'm talking to a cute boy. I have therapy twice a week and a popping social life," she said. "It's funny because I almost didn't graduate high school. I almost didn't apply to colleges because I didn't think I stood a chance. … I hope you know the impact you've had. Thank you for believing in me."

Hauw is now studying psychology in the hopes of helping others and says her mother is doing well. 

If you or someone you know is in emotional distress, get help from the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. Trained crisis counselors are available 24 hours a day to talk about anything.

In addition, help is available from the National Alliance on Mental Illness, or NAMI. Call the NAMI Helpline at 800-950-6264. There are more than 600 local NAMI organizations and affiliates across the country, many of which offer free support and education programs.