Graduate student Arian Fulcher is passionate about black women’s experiences with mental health issues.

For her capstone final in media studies and production, she created a four-part episodic short film series about the topic.

“I felt as though through the conversations with black females, we don’t talk about mental health because we don’t see it,” Fulcher said.

She feels that black women are misrepresented in film and television. She said that community experiences higher levels of anxiety on average than their white counterparts, and unfair portrayals in forms of entertainment can be detrimental to lively discussions about mental health.

Fulcher found inspiration from her mom and the women she talked to for her capstone final. She interviewed eight women for the series, and through it, she realized that she wasn’t the only one who didn’t know a lot about mental health.

The discussion of mental health, however, seems to be changing in her view.

“I feel like the media will start portraying it more,” she said. “In my generation, we are going to start having our kids and start talking about it more in our household. That’s what going to happen in the future.”

Laura Zaylea, who is the chair for her project in the MSP master of arts program, raved about Fulcher’s work.

“It’s wonderful to work with Ari because she is full of energy and enthusiasm for what she is doing. She is very passionate about the projects she takes on,” Zaylea said.

Zaylea taught Fulcher in two prior classes: the project workshop and graduate TV production.

“It’s really exciting to see someone move from working with a team to working independently to owning their own creative vision and voice,” she said.

Fulcher wanted to thank her team for working on the project.

“I would like to thank Sam Anthony, who is my director of photography and mentor, and the 11 cast members who helped me with the project as well,” she said. 

She earned her bachelor’s degree at Clarion University for digital communication and media/multimedia. Looking back, she wishes she took her undergraduate studies at Temple University.

“I still can’t believe I go to Temple. I can’t believe I’m getting my master’s degree, period,” she said.

She hopes to one day own her own news company and television network.