How I Would Change My School by Chayse

How I Would Change My School by Chayse - September 2023 Scholarship Essay

If I possibly had the authority to make a change to my school for the betterment of the students, I would make mental health a bigger and more important focus. Yes, school is challenging, but it shouldn't affect a high school student's mental health in a drastic way. In the United States, more than 4 million adolescents have depression due to school, high school to be specific. Many people who are perfectly fine, may not feel as affected by this number. As a person who has experienced depression, it's tough and this number affects me deeply. One day you could feel fine, then the next day you feel as if your life isn't worth it or everything you do is a failure. Many people who experience depression aren't just because of high school, but could stem from home problems, relationship issues, self worth issues, and the list continues. If I had the authority, I would be determined to help those students and hopefully save many lives.
If given the opportunity,I would assist those kids and make them feel comfortable talking to teachers, counselors, etc. I would also try to have a system where we have about 5 therapists who come to the school maybe 2-3 times a month, and allow kids to go talk to them for free. Doing this, could possibly give those children a day to relax from working and also give them a moment to talk to a licensed person to help with the mental issues they may feel need assistance. I know many students, including myself, don't always feel comfortable with talking to teachers or guidance counselors because they may feel like what they expressed will be told to others. Having therapist there, will ensure the confidentiality that most students would prefer.
I believe doing this could help an abundant amount of high school students in this country. It won't be able to help absolutely everyone, but it can help a vast majority of them. Many students don't always have that person to "talk" to at home, so they would have that person at school.This idea would hopefully shed light onto the sometimes disregarded mental health issues of high school students and create a healthy environment for all students.