Eleanor Roosevelt High School students are working to bring the issue of mental illness, with all its stigmas and difficulties, out of the shadows and into the forefront for discussion and empathy. On Thursday, May 31 from 3:30 to 5 p.m., a session titled What’s On Your Mind was held in the school cafeteria. The session was organized by the student club Bring Change to Roose (BCR), headed by juniors Keny Cordero and Vanessa Aguocha-Sam, with help from teacher Patrick Gleason and Principal Reginald McNeill.
Three speakers were featured: Lorna Cuthbertson and Emma Allen, both juniors and members of BCR, and Theresa Smithson from Greenbelt CARES. Cuthbertson spoke on the importance of having a support network of friends and family to derive strength from or to just listen. Allen emphasized self-care, including getting proper sleep, eating and reducing stress. Smithson gave an overview of the services provided by CARES and offered information on mental health resources in Maryland.
Read more of this story in the June 7 News Review.