Fresno State student starts podcast on living with bipolar disorder

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A Fresno State student is taking action to shed light on a topic that's often tough to discuss: mental health.

It started as a senior project for Fresno State business student Andrea Lee.

"For entrepreneurs you have to take a big problem and create a bigger and grander solution and my problem was living with the challenge of bipolar disorder," she says.

Diagnosed in 2020, Lee faced a rocky start to her college career.

"That was a really hard time to graduate high school and be diagnosed in the midst of COVID," says Lee. "When you're diagnosed with something it's unfamiliar, it's really scary, it's something where you're not sure about your future."

She learned to navigate her diagnosis during her time at Fresno State, finishing her bachelors degree in entrepreneurship in only 2 years.

"That doesn't mean I went through it easily," said Lee. "Because of my condition I had some incomplete classes because I needed to take breaks."

But it was in her senior year, she decided to take action.

"I decided I'm going to start a podcast telling people my advice and sharing others advice on how to live with this condition," she says.

She pitched her podcast to professors this semester.

"Her focus is I want to help others," said Business Professor Jorge Cruz. "When I saw that I was like, 'Ok I'll do my best to guide you in that direction'."

Lee took her podcast live in March, helping listeners navigate the challenges of mental illnesses.

"Bipolar disorder consists of mood swings from highs to lows and that's why my podcast is named HiLow podcast," says Lee.

"She was always very calm," added Cruz. "With that demeanor you can go far."

Lee is currently applying for jobs and will start her MBA at Fresno State this fall. Want to check out the HiLow podcast? Click here.