Minority Mental Health Month reflections: Myles Calhoun

Above: Myles Calhoun laughs with Dr. Sonia Hunt, Director of Counseling Services.

As a legendary actress once said, “I’m an actor and I embody all of humanity.” Looking back on all my previous roles in the theatre, I portrayed some interesting characters. Some more strange than others, one that wasn’t human, most of all one that was comedic but laid back. I see myself getting inspiration and motivation from some of these lovable but looney and cool guys, as they've helped me escape my dark but sometimes fortunate reality. Acting isn’t just playing pretend — it’s a part of who some people are in life.

Just like mental health is the crucial component of humanity, I treat acting the same way because it’s a part of who I am. 

Recently I’ve noticed how in tune with my emotions — and others around me — I am after I spent time with my aunt and stepmother, Dr. Sonia Hunt and Francis Calhoun from Central State University Counseling Services, as well as alongside the heroes and heroines of the Upward Bound program. This foundation has helped me be aware of the main mechanisms of mental health, which are recognizing feelings, understanding them, and being able to manage them effectively. I realize the saying: 

“Listen nonjudgmentally.”

July 20, 2025: I have met upstanding gentlemen who have made an impact on my life mentally, and I’d love to sit here and journal about all of them and the dynamics of my relationships with each personality to share with you all. It all began my junior year when I befriended a boy from North Carolina who is a relative of pop singer Fantasia Barrino, who won a contest on American Idol and later enrolled at Central State University. 

Robert Barrino and I have been friends since our teens and have been going strong since. In the friendship, we’ve benefited from each other by holding safe spaces to have deep, mind-refreshing convos about love, family, careers, and our futures. At times, I found myself bumping heads with Robert and everyone else, but somehow, at the end of the day, our whole friend group comes back together, and we all make up like a big happy family. 

Time and time again, this guy has been a good friend and has made me feel heard and taught me to go after anything I put my mind to instead of sitting back and doing whatever I’m told — as a student, a son, athlete, journalist, and actor. Those traits have made our bond grow stronger over the years, including when our friend group separated. You could think of him as some sort of life coach.

July 21, 2025: It was April 2023 of spring semester when I met a man that was all the way from Indiana who followed in the footsteps of our shared mentor to crossover into the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity while juggling his responsibilities on Royal Court at CSU. It wasn't until after I claimed star status in the performing arts program that I would find out we shared the same mentor when he came backstage to give the cast of The Wiz our flowers of appreciation — Javonte Neal, 2025 alum of CSU. 

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This man and I had a lot in common, as I remember we both shared a liking for the pop megastar, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter. Time after time, Javonte showed up, as well as our mentor (John McGee), when my dad and brothers fell short. In a recent conversation, he revealed to me that he and my stepmother, Francis Calhoun, worked together at the Health Center — and that instantly told me that Mr. Neal was intentional with everything he did around the campus. The saying that I like to use to describe our relationship is “He’s the Breezy to my Gawd Tiller” (Chris Brown & Bryson Tiller). Together, we bring that dynamic duo energy like a real ‘brotherhood,’ and that’s why I greatly appreciate him. He makes everyone feel seen on campus, and it’s honest coming from me that Von has always been an ally of the community and my family! 

I believe what most people don’t know about him is that he’s playful, respectful, and resilient — and you can’t get that side out of him. He shows leadership in anything that he does and doesn't have to be vocal, because he knows his worth. He knows that speaks volumes — just like that Chris Brown/Beyoncé star power. I want Javonte to know he’s a huge support system, and if he reads this, he needs to know someone appreciates him.

July 21, 2025 – 9:00 p.m.: Let's get into these two content creators I met in 2024 right before I registered for spring semester of 2025 at Central State University, who have their own side ventures all while building a brand that will someday be the future of big household names (clothing brand, music, YouTube, etc.).

ARP Zay is a rapper/content creator from Mobile, Alabama, and a motivational speaker on his YouTube channel also named after himself. He speaks about uplifting himself and everyone around him and speaks about life into everything. If it weren’t for Isiah coming into my life, I wouldn’t continue to build my degree in journalism. 

As time went on, we continued building a strong connection. At the end of the day — whether it comes down to creative ideas, career choices, financial responsibilities — we always keep it real because Isiah is different than any other male companion I’ve had and isn’t afraid to be honest with me and step on a few toes. 

From conversations we had while I was paying my debt to CSU, I could tell how he had been through so much and shared that in common with me. I showed gratitude to him for stepping into my life to be the cushion I needed, because I hadn’t known what I would do to get myself back into college — until one day I watched one of his videos on YouTube. This video he uploaded to his channel was different than most and spoke louder to me than usual. He continues to inspire me, especially with his pop-rap songs and versatility in each song he records.

Los Mero hails all the way from Los Angeles, California, and is originally from Atlanta, Georgia. He is a protector, hands down, and is genuine — even though sometimes he can be annoying in an older cousin's love kind of a way, and we treat our relationship as such. 

When I first came back to school, I had to be my own support system — but every step of the way, Los was checking on me to make sure my move-in day went smoothly, and college wasn’t a train wreck for me! In the past, just like one of my older cousins, whenever I joined his live videos on TikTok, Los would ask me every detail of life on campus, give encouragement to complete all assignments, and study my butt off before I goof off! Also, he’s coached me on how to talk to women, as he helped me talk to a woman I had intense feelings for. 

As the owner of Mero Apparel, he supports my passion for the arts and has invited me to buy anything handpicked by myself on my birthday once — which I’m thankful for. Having someone in my life that cares about me so much that they’ll go as far as to protect me — as long as I live, my memories with Los will never fade away. I use his TikTok lives as another safe space to wind down and kick my feet up for some relaxation and to feel a little warmth through the screen — mixed with small giggles from he and his majestic but humorous girlfriend who has transformed into a sweetheart. Los is the male figure I someday hope to grow up into after college life.

Today, all these things are personal and hold together the essence of who I am — and those who get it, get it! 

This is mental health in the view of a young boy who came so far from downtown Cincinnati and watched his parents — mainly his mother — provide for her family. Taking all of this into account while going through a lot as a Black boy in America, navigating life to figure out who he is and what he needs in this world of “who is who?” and “who has what?”