Moving Mental Healthcare Forward – Meet Scholarship Recipient, Alicia Terenzi
October 15, 2026Postpartum depression affects nearly one in seven people who give birth, according to a study published in 2020, yet as many as 58% of people will not seek help or speak about their experiences.
Alicia Terenzi, scholarship recipient and nurse practitioner, hopes to change that statistic. Her plan? To use her personal experience and mental health expertise to help others feel heard, empowered, and cared for.
Care Grounded in Personal Experience
Alicia Terenzi’s “why” for advancing her nursing degree came from her own experience with postpartum depression.
“Going through [postpartum depression] made me realize how important support, education, and reassurance are for women during vulnerable times,” said Alicia. “It inspired me to pursue psychiatric nursing so I can help other women feel understood and supported.”
When asked about her initial journey toward nursing, she explained, “Nursing felt like the perfect path because it combines compassion, leadership, and advocacy. I later decided to go back to school to become a nurse practitioner so I could provide mental health services to people in need.”
Mental Health Advocacy for Women and Birthing Parents
For Alicia, mental health is the cornerstone of holistic healing and wellbeing, yet often overlooked in healthcare.
“One thing I wish more people knew about women’s mental health is that there is no ‘right’ way to feel after giving birth or during different stages of life. Everyone’s experience is different, and struggling does not make someone a bad mother or a weak person. I want women to know that it’s okay to ask for help, and that they deserve compassionate care without judgment. My goal is to provide education, support, and mental health services that empower women and help them feel less alone.”
“Women go through so many life experiences that can deeply affect their emotional well-being, including postpartum depression, hormonal changes, infertility, hysterectomies, menopause, pregnancy loss, and abortions,” said Alicia. “Despite how common these experiences are, many women still feel dismissed, unsupported, or afraid to speak openly about their struggles.”
As a future psychiatric nurse practitioner, Alicia hopes to provide compassionate care so people in the Rochester region get the help the deserve.
Advancing the Mental Health Landscape
For Alicia, a thriving Greater Rochester is a place where people feel safe asking for help, where mental health is treated with the same importance as physical health, and where families and individuals feel connected rather than isolated.
The Elizabeth Schmidt Nursing Scholarship supports Alicia with continuing her education and moving closer to her goal of creating a practice focused on women’s mental health, where women feel supported without judgment.
Invest in the Health of Our Community
Behind every mental health advocate is a community that advocated for them first.
You can help students in our region by donating to our Education Fund or establishing a named scholarship. To learn more about setting up a scholarship fund or supporting students like Alicia, please contact Kara Dwyer (kdwyer@racf.org), Philanthropic Planning Officer at Rochester Area Community Foundation.
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