On September 14, students attended an assembly regarding mental health stigmas with a speaker from Minding Your Mind.

Mental health is incredibly pertinent to high school students, especially ones adjusting to a new school year or life transition. Louis DeSanto, a speaker from Minding Your Mind, stressed the importance of mental health advocacy for young adults during his presentation and shared his story pertaining to those topics.

DeSanto began and ended his presentation by sharing three reminders for those who are struggling: live your truth, ask for help, and remember that you’re not alone. These words of wisdom guided DeSanto through his own mental health struggles and he urged students to use them as well.

Some students shared that Desanto’s words impacted them in a positive way.

“I really liked the presentation. It sounded really genuine and he was able to convey his message really well,” junior Cole Dangerfield said.

Throughout his discussion, DeSanto also urged students to find outlets to safely express their emotions and shared how being involved in athletics as well as various arts programs helped him to do so.

DeSanto also shared what inspires him to share his story. Having gone through issues similar to what students face now, he discussed what drives him to speak about his experiences.

“You know, I really just hope that anyone can connect to some part of my story,” he said. “I feel that if someone could connect to a little part at least a part that gets them thinking, and if there is they need to take another step after, see a counselor or something. I hope that that gives them a little push that they may need to do so.”

Another point of discussion during the presentation was how difficult it is to find yourself in high school. DeSanto shared how peer pressure can affect one’s ability to grow individually and become their own person.

“I didn’t know who I was. I just knew I had to do what was cool at the time,” he said.

According to Choosing Therapy, an organization advocating for mental health research on behalf of therapists and psychologists, 85% of high schoolers have dealt with peer pressure and 75% of teens who have tried alcohol have done so due to peer pressure.

DeSanto relayed his experiences with peer pressure, but also advised students to note how their actions and the impact of them can affect others. Many teens struggle with depression, anxiety, and many other internalized disorders.

“You never know what others around you have dealt with, so you want to make sure you’re sensitive to them as well,” he said.