2025 Autism Acceptance Scholarship Winner: Layah Clinton

Honoring a Future Mental Health Advocate from North Carolina

Lighthouse Autism Center is proud to announce Layah Clinton as the winner of the 2025 Autism Acceptance Scholarship. A dedicated psychology major at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Layah embodies a passion for mental health advocacy and a strong commitment to creating lasting change for underserved communities, including individuals and families affected by autism in North Carolina.

A Calling Rooted in Compassion and Community

Layah’s journey into mental health began in her sophomore year of high school when she took her first psychology and sociology class. What she discovered was startling. Among children living below the federal poverty line, only 14 percent receive adequate mental health care. This stark reality struck a chord and has shaped her personal mission ever since.

Through volunteering at tutoring programs and food pantries in lower-income communities, Layah quickly recognized a troubling gap between academic knowledge and real-world access to care. She saw firsthand that textbook treatments for mental health often do not reach those who need them most, especially children living in poverty. Her experiences led to a deep understanding that intangible needs like emotional support and mental wellness are just as critical as food and clothing.

Inspired by Lived Experience

Layah’s commitment to mental health is personal. She shared the story of a young boy from her church whose father passed away from cancer. The family could only afford two therapy sessions. That limited support failed to address the grief and emotional pain the child was facing. This moment solidified Layah’s resolve to make mental health care more accessible and equitable, particularly for children from marginalized communities.

Her empathy grew into action. As a mentor, Layah has provided a safe space for peers and younger children to talk, reflect, and receive encouragement. Her goal is to help adolescents build coping skills to face life’s challenges in a healthy, sustainable way.

Research and Advocacy with Impact

In 2024, Layah served as a research scholar for the Baltimore City Government, Maryland Philanthropy Network, and the Middendorf Foundation. She helped uncover systemic inequities in grant distribution between larger nonprofits and smaller, minority-owned organizations. Her published findings and policy recommendations demonstrated her ability to turn research into advocacy. This is a skill she now aims to apply in the field of mental health.

Layah believes this experience, while outside the traditional healthcare setting, revealed important insights into accessibility and equity. These are issues that also affect families navigating autism services across North Carolina and beyond.

Looking Ahead: A Future Psychiatrist Serving Underserved Communities

As an active member of the UNC chapters of the National Alliance on Mental Illness and the Minority Association of Pre-Health Students, Layah is building the foundation to become a psychiatrist. Her vision is clear. She wants to provide accessible mental health care and support for underserved and underrepresented communities, with a particular interest in the social determinants of mental health and chronic illness.

At Lighthouse Autism Center, we are thrilled to support a student like Layah. She is not only passionate about psychology and autism support but also determined to address the structural barriers affecting mental healthcare. Her work resonates with our mission to bring hope and transformation to families and children with autism in North Carolina and throughout the region.

Celebrating Autism Acceptance and Educational Equity

The Autism Acceptance Scholarship exists to celebrate students who are dedicated to autism awareness, acceptance, and inclusion. Layah Clinton exemplifies what it means to be a compassionate leader and future change-maker. Her story serves as a reminder that creating a better future for individuals with autism starts with ensuring that every child, regardless of income or background, has access to the mental health services they deserve.

Congratulations to Layah. Your voice, vision, and values represent the future of mental health and autism care.