Written by: Seth Gordon, Newberg Graphic 

Senior projects center on suicide awareness, wellness among high school students

With several student deaths in recent years, including three suicides since the end of the 2015-2016 school year, some students at Newberg High School have taken it upon themselves to better support each other and improve mental health awareness.

That includes a surge of efforts in the past month as several students made mental health the focus of their senior projects.

"It's been amazing to watch all of this stuff that is so needed and just put it to the pain that has been experienced in this community in the last year and more," NHS behavior specialist Shyla Jasper said.

At the forefront were seniors Sarah Hughes and Savannah Pilcher, who coordinated a host of activities as part of their "You Matter Week" leading up to spring break.

The main component of the duo's project was to train 90 students to give presentations and lead activities and discussions around several mental health topics in all 61 of the school's advisory classrooms.

The program began, for instance, with those students showing a video presentation on the difference between sympathy and empathy, then facilitating further conversations and creating classroom door decorations to post around the school.

The students also elicited the help and expertise of Lines for Life — a nonprofit organization that operates Oregon YouthLine, a free and confidential 24-hour crisis, counseling and referral line for youth — to make presentations in each health and physical education class March 22-23.

Hughes and Pilcher also distributed grab bags to all 1,600 plus students at NHS, which included informational stickers provided by Lines for Life.

Students were instructed to place the stickers on the back of their student ID cards so that every one would have easy access to the YouthLine's phone (877-968-8491), text (send "teen2teen" to 839863) and email (youthl@linesforlife.org). Jasper said the school has even decided to print that information on the back of all student ID cards next year, too.

"It fills my heart, really," Jasper said of Hughes and Pilcher. "They did a great job."

Senior Israel Pintor was one of the 90 students to receive training and lead activities during advisory classes. Having formed a month-long support group for students at NHS between February and March, Pintor said he was eager to sign up and participate.

"It might have been more, but we've had like four suicides in the last two or three years and things like this are what helps to drop those numbers because lots of kids feel alone, like they have no one to help them," Pintor said. "But when they see these different organizations and find people that really are there for them, it can really change their outlook on life and what they decide to do with it."

Inspired by the ongoing community art project PostSecret (www.postsecret.com), Hughes and Pilcher also set up their own You Matter board so students could anonymously share their secrets on notecards.

"It kind of gave us a new perspective on our school," Pilcher said. "It shows that not all students are as happy as they seem. It gets secrets out there so you realize what goes on actually matters to people. Sometimes they don't speak up about it and this kind of gives the message that you can, that it's all right to."

The duo also coordinated You Matter Week to coincide with classmate Impris McMillan's NHS Wellness Fair, which made representatives from 18 mental health and community resource organizations available to students after school on March 22.

Jasper said that numerous teachers gave positive feedback about You Matter week activities and praised staff members for their willingness to engage in such difficult topics.

"The hope is that You Matter Week will continue next year as well," Jasper said. "Lines for Life will also return to do a full lesson next year."

Thanks to a $5,000 grant recently procured by district community resource specialist Leo Cejahidalgo, efforts to better equip students to support each other will continue over the next year. The funding from Providence and the Mental Health First Aid National Council will allow the district to host between seven and 10 Mental Health First Aid training seminars that will help students recognize when their peers are struggling, as well as how to engage them and direct them to needed resources.

"It's everybody's responsibility to help in our efforts to work on suicide prevention and mental health awareness," Cejahidalgo said.