Wearing a CarefreeMind
“Join everything and anything! Even if you later realize that it’s not for you, at least you got to try something new and meet new people.”
That’s Nina Rahgozar’s advice to incoming freshmen. A senior graduating this May with a bachelor’s degree in Management, Nina has not only integrated herself into the Bentley culture by joining different campus organizations and bonding with professors, she has also been able to create and manage a small business.
Prior to Bentley, Nina knew she had an entrepreneurial side to her. She enjoyed the idea of being a leader and her own boss. Bentley furthered her interest and helped her realize that entrepreneurship was something she truly wanted to pursue and pair with a personal seven-year battle: mental illness.
CarefreeMind apparel inspires those struggling with mental illnesses to stay strong and keep going. Nina says she decided to start the business after seeing her family’s mental health “plummet” during the pandemic in 2020.
She hopes to diminish the stigma mental illness has in today’s society by spreading awareness, and empowering self-love and positivity. Ten percent of the profits made from every purchase are donated to mental health research, and Nina plans to pursue CarefreeMind full-time, and give an even higher percentage to mental health causes. Her goal is to grow her business by expanding her product collection and reaching a larger audience.
“I have grown immensely since starting at Bentley!” she says, adding that the university has helped her become more independent and guided her toward where she wants to be in the future. Managing classes, extracurriculars, a small business and mental health are not easy things to do, but Nina says she has achieved a graceful balance. She is beyond prepared for what life after Bentley may bring.
As her sweatshirts remind us all: “The best is yet to come.”