According to a statistic published by the National Institute of Mental Health in 2013, one in four adults experiences a mental illness in a given year.
This statistic is alarming, and a group of Seneca High School students felt a strong need to alert people of it.
In the fall, seniors Cailey Talbot, Morgan Lubner and Lauren Bogardus attempted to put this plan in motion by creating a psychology club at the high school.
Sean Kennevan, the Seneca’s AP psychology teacher, seemed like the perfect person to approach with this idea. Kennevan didn’t hesitate to give the kids approval for the program and is now the advisor of the new psychology club at Seneca.
“The idea was to bring about the awareness to some serious illnesses and help raise money for families affected by them along the way,” Kennevan said.
The three girls invited other students from all over the spectrum to join.
“The students all come from various backgrounds and have personal stories that motivate them to do something that makes them feel good, brings hope and sheds light on the stigma as a whole,” Kennevan said.
The club has really taken off, as it now holds meetings once or twice a month in which members discuss different ideas for events. Members have also examined the specifics of the club and how it should be run from top to bottom.
“Club members have recently asked about the idea of holding elections. So as this club grows in the future, it will now have a president, a vice president and various other leadership roles,” Kennevan said.
Soon after it was created, the group was planning its first big event to raise awareness of mental illness and the need for support. The unique idea for its first annual “Glow Run,” held on May 29, was a collaborative effort. The run was based off of the theme of “Shine a Light in the Dark” to emulate the importance of happiness and properly dealing with mental illness despite the difficulty.
“The glow idea is metaphorical,” Kennevan said. “It’s the whole concept of shedding light in the darkness being symbolic for people who feel hopeless.”
The event was an approximate 5k around the school and the property that students dressed in fun glowing attire for. It ended in a tunnel of lights at the finish line. Within Seneca’s stadium, runners enjoyed music, food and a series of glow games.
The group partnered with the National Alliance on Mental Illness for this event. NAMI FACE is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness.
The psychology club was able to raise $1,500 to support this nonprofit organization. All of the money was raised through t-shirts that it sold and donations from the Seneca family.
“The event generated a lot of kids talking about it at school,” Kennevan said. “Numerous kids came up to me the next day and asked about getting involved and what we could do for next year.”
Due to the success of the event, the club plans to open it to the community next year, getting the middle schools involved.
Kennevan could not say enough about how impressed he was with the group as a whole.
“This is what I think education is really all about, getting kids involved in making a difference in our community,” Kennevan said.
He also wanted to give special recognition to the event’s largest donor, the Bogardus family, which donated $500. Lauren Bogardus was part of the original group of seniors who created the idea for this group. She will be attending St. Mary’s College in the fall where she will be playing soccer.
“The more students actively participating in making a positive impact for a cause like this is powerful,” Kennevan said.
