By Janice Wong, Staff Writer
Excitedly preparing themselves for the meeting ahead, the Mental Health Committee prepared to pitch their project to school administration officials. With a nervous smile, founder and junior Karina Pan detailed her own experiences with mental health and eagerly described their plan to spread awareness and help others.
The committee is a group of students who focus on educating about mental health and promoting helpful resources. It consists of the core leadership team and sub-committees, who hold different responsibilities, such as development, research and managing social media.
“I’m really passionate about helping people, especially those who are going through a hard time,” Development committee co-chair, junior Theint Lei said. “I think this program should’ve been here a long time ago and I want it to be something that is really going to help the students and be beneficial.”
Earlier this year, Pan attended a video conference featuring members of the education senate. They inspired and helped her reflect on her own struggles with mental health. Moved by the conference, Pan founded her own committee in late-January.
She conducted interviews to recruit members for her main staff, while also meeting with school administration officials. Pan plans to propose her committee to the school board in late March or early April. In addition, the committee will request a grant to fund a mental health training program for teachers.
As the year progresses, the committee will hold bi-monthly Zoom meetings as well as maintain an active social media presence on platforms such as Instagram, a website and a podcast. The committee also hopes to incorporate more students and collaborate with faculty members, parents and student representatives from other schools in the district.
“Deterioration in mental health can start before high school, so expanding the committee will allow us to help people who may be feeling this,” Research committee co-chair and sophomore Chelsea Fung said. “Including the faculty will really help create a greater bond between the students and the faculty.”
Many students struggle with stress and concerning mental health issues when balancing academics, home life and other commitments. For some, the pandemic exacerbated their mental health issues through the loss of loved ones, potential financial instability and isolation from friends and family.
“I think now people get the impression that having a decrease in their mental health means that they’re sick,” Fung said. “This is completely false, but unfortunately that’s the way society views the topic. There are also people who are afraid to seek help because they don’t want to put their burden on others shoulders.”
They encourage students who are also interested in spreading awareness and participating in this group to attend meetings and contribute to group projects.
“Everyone is different so it’s hard to improve someone’s mental health if you’re an outsider,” Lei said. “But in general, talking with others and doing self-care activities allows people to know that they’re not alone in the world.”