Lending a Hand by Gracee

Lending a Hand by Gracee - September 2019 Scholarship Essay

Growing up, we're told high school and college is the prime time to "find yourself." We're told to try new things, meet new people, grow, learn, achieve, strive, excel, etc. Don't get me wrong, I personally loved my high school experience. Granted, I was 1 of 280 students, and nobody went unnoticed. One of the absolute highlights of my day in high school was choir with Ms. S. You never knew what to expect; one day we would be singing "Build Me Up Buttercup" and the next we would be pretty much participating in the classroom equivalent to group therapy. Being the curious, self-proclaimed student of human nature that I am, I found it fascinating to listen to my peers struggles. When we leaned it to vulnerability, small bonds began to tie us together. Your family is falling apart too? Now I know I'm not alone. You experience the same throat clenching, stomach churning anxiety during tests as well? I thought I was the only one. I remember these thoughts going through my mind.

With the increasing pressures on todays youth, anxiety and depression rates are simultaneously skyrocketing. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, Anxiety disorders affect 25% of adolescents ages 13-18. Data and research proves that untreated adolescents with anxiety disorders are more likely to perform poorly in school, miss out on extracurriculars and social events, and partake in riskier behaviors. One huge issue at hand is treatment. Less than half of those diagnosed with anxiety disorders actually receive treatment. Inaccessibility to treatment due to healthcare, expense, location, parental/guardian support, etc. is prevalent among adolescents.

If we found a way to put more support systems in our schools, maybe we could start to reverse these statistics. If I could create an extracurricular activity in high schools, I would implement an after-school support group and counseling. Free, for all students. It would be called Lending a Hand. Support groups would be led by older peers, junior or seniors who have an interest in psychology or counseling. School counselors, or volunteers who are counselors within the community, would lend an hour and a half-two hours of their afternoon to work one-on-one with students. While sports are amazing for both our physical and mental health, sports typically do not emphasize the importance of mental health and only focus on the physical. Providing an extracurricular opportunity to solely work on mental health with the support of professionals and peers, I believe we would start to see some shifts in the trends of rising anxiety and depression among youth.

Thank you for taking your time to read my thoughts!