If I could change your views... by Heather

If I could change your views... by Heather - March 2017 Scholarship Essay

One thing I have noticed while in High School is that the majority of students are under immense stress and that can cause behaviors that could be potentially dangerous to the student and his/her peers. Behaviors that are displayed can create an image and reputation for the student that might not even be true to who they really are. When adolescents are under stress, they act out in some cases. In other cases, they do the opposite: they recede into the shadows and become an outsider to themselves and everyone else. If I could give a speech to my school (preferably without stuttering on my own words), I would advocate for increased counselor activity in the lives of students and activities that could possibly help reduce and prevent stress in the school.
The more advanced you become in school, the more difficult the courses and the homework/projects become. Usually people are taught how to deal with the many responsibilities that one encounters during school. But what about the people who weren't taught anything about dealing with stress and are taking 4-5 AP classes, compete in varsity sports and have a job? Do we just continue to let them struggle until their grades start to drop, they quit the sport they love, and they are forced to quit the job that would pay for their AP tests because they are failing? The answer to that question is quite simply: no.
Some parents and teachers do not understand the concept of teaching children how to cope with the pressures of daily life and the children miss out on necessary skills needed for adult life. While children and teens are going through school, they are developing mentally and physically which is already quite stressful in itself. Now add school, friendships, relationships, jobs, sports, and basic self-care on-top of that and you get someone who is very overwhelmed. Based on the many reports teenagers have either said or written, the majority of parents forget that High School is one of the most difficult times for a person and a lot of the times, parents add to the stress that students feel. If parents could teach young children to cope with the realities of life, we would have a much more mentally stable group of kids going into Middle School and High School.
Let's not forget College, too. So many teenagers succumb to the pressures of Junior year. Depression and anxiety are on the rise and unfortunately, a few are hospitalized because of poor mental health. If you ask any Middle School or High School student, almost every single one admits to having some form of depression, anxiety, or even suicidal thoughts and actions. That is the problem that kids are facing today. Parents constantly commend their kid and tell them that they are the smartest and strongest out there and when that kid finally realizes that he or she isn't "the best," they crumble. It could be even worse for the kids who don't realize this until High School because they realized it in the most pivotal time of their life.
If all of this could be avoided and I could convince the students, faculty, and maybe even the parents to take stress and mental health seriously, so many lives could be saved and helped. Students need to learn how to cope and manage the stress of everyday life, but in order to accomplish that, parents and teachers need to help the students learn how to grow and take care of themselves mentally and physically. Everyone needs to see that life is worth living even if stress gets in the way. Students especially need to understand that life gets better and the stress of yesterday will fade away eventually.