By: Norman Dotson Jr./BNC Digital

An HBCU alumna and mental health advocate have created an innovative space that combines live-changing experiences and photography.

Wilberforce University’s alum NaAsiaha Simon created the Gem City Selfie Museum in Dayton, Ohio. She sees selfies as a way to come out of tough places.

“I want to provide a space for people to have positive, life-changing experiences and a space to heal using photography,” said Simon. according to HBCU Buzz.

The mission came together with a close-knit collective of like-minded young professionals that helped Simon get her dream off the ground. In the last four years, she beat back a brain tumor and overcame personal wellness struggles.

“When I was in my season of crisis, dealing with a brain tumor and a lot of emotional trauma, taking selfies helped me see myself and love that reflection of me, flawed and still beautiful,” Simon says.

According to the Gem City Selfie Museum website, the exhibits are specifically selected to evoke positive energy and emotion from guests of all ages while cultivating community engagement and sparking creativity through the use of visual art installations.

“The mission of the Gem City Selfie Museum is to be a space with interactive illustrations that are created to help alleviate anxiety, depression, and stress,” the site reads.

The museum is set to open this summer.