Students today wake up at seven in the morning, spend eight hours at school, two and a half hours at track practice, and another three -hours of homework. Then they wake up the next day, and do it all over again.  

  “People enjoy being busy. For me at least I strive under stress. I am able to balance a lot of things at once, but everyone has a breaking point,” said senior Ryan Wells. Everyone has a different outlet when it comes to stress, it’s just all about finding out what it is and when it’s necessary.

  “When I’m stressed out, I go for a run. It helps clear my mind, and I just let my thoughts organize themselves while I’m alone in the woods,” said sophomore Kelly Mogenson, “personally, I think that keeping busy in school activities, whether it’s a club or sport, is very important because it provides a structured schedule where students can be surrounded by kids with the same interests. Although school can become stressful at times, skills learned in high school about time management, cooperation, participation and dedication are crucial to life,” said Mogenson.

 Your behavior, mood, the way you think or feel, all of these things are affected by your mental health. If you feel helpless, have no energy, or don’t sleep, these are early signs of a mental health problem and a big sign that it is time to talk to someone. According to the National Alliance of Mental Illness, approximately 20 percent of youth ages 13 to 18 experience severe mental disorders in a given year.

  “I think that Potomac Falls is realizing it needs to do more. Mrs. [Martha] Ryman and I have made it our personal goal to express to the student body that anyone within the building would be willing to talk to them whether it be a friend, a trusted teacher, an administrator or even Mrs. Ryman or myself. We want to help the students and show them that they are not alone,” said Wells.

  “Schools these days ask for so much from students, and it does hold a lot of pressure over our heads. However, I believe some kids take that pressure to a different level can put an unhealthy amount on themselves. Not everyone has the same priorities or strives to be a well-rounded perfectionist,” said Mogenson.

  The Student Council Association of Potomac Falls, the administration, faculty and even some students are coming together to help alleviate some of the stress and to give back to the community to show that the panther family cares, especially after the tragic loss of two fellow panthers. The SCA has planned a 5k race to be run during the spring where all the money earned will be donated to a local mental health facility. Wells and Ryman have begun a segment known as #RealTalkWithRymanandRyan that will be shown every Friday on Feature Fridays.

 “Each week the two of us will address a new topic or mental health issue. The whole point of the segment is to normalize these issues and to break down any pre-existing beliefs or stigma that surround them. Mental health issues need to be talked about in order for people to understand them and for people to get themselves or get others help. This segment is simply Mrs. Ryman and I’s vehicle to do that,” said Wells.   

  “After the first death at our school, we [SCA] took a step back, to look for things we could do that involved all students,” said Alexandra Swinimer, the sponsor of SCA. Pairing with the school psychologist, Morganne Owens and Dr. Elizabeth Noto, SCA began to brainstorm things to do that bring awareness to mental health. With the knowledge of May being mental health awareness month, SCA wanted to host an event around that time.

  “When the first death occurred, it was a week before homecoming and we certainly did not want to just throw something together. We wanted a plan. We wanted something that will actually benefit the whole community and not just an event thrown together so SCA could say we did something,” said Swinimer, “and that’s where the idea of a 5k race came to mind.”

   Unfortunately, it is hard for people to get excited run three miles, even if it is for a wonderful cause, in seven degree weather. Wells and Evy Koon, both members of SCA are said to be putting together a plan for a 5k in the near future, hopefully in conjunction with Out Of The Darkness, an organization that already holds a 5k in hopes of raising mental health awareness.

  “After the first death, SCA came together and set a plan for the whole year because most of the time, we have a knee jerk reaction that makes us want to do something immediately, but we didn’t want to be one and done. Following the second death, we realized issues at our school were extremely pressing and we wanted to put supporters in place immediately. A group of administration, teachers, parents and students are working together to implement support for the whole community,” said Mogenson.

  Today, what seems to be the hardest struggles of today’s teenagers is stress and anxiety.

  “Society also puts a lot of pressure on students to perform well,” said senior, Alexis Rubin. With May just around the corner including SOLs, SATs, AP exams and finals, stress levels will be through the roof. What students can do during this time, especially if they find themselves overwhelmed and stressed, is to always just take a breather and a step back.

  “The school can teach and arm students with effective methods of handling stress. We have discussed the possibility of having stress relievers such as a puppy room during May. May is one of the most stressful times of the years for students throughout the school as both AP and SOL testing are occurring,” said Wells.

  School, sports, a job, it’s all stressful and it takes a enormous toll on students today. But when things become hard or stressful, what students need to understand most is that the person they sit next to at school might be going through the same exact thing. Students need to understand when to speak up when they feel necessary. It’s always okay to ask for help, no matter what the circumstance. You should never be ashamed of your story.

  “Potomac Falls has plenty of teachers and staff willing to talk to students and support them whenever, but sometimes students need to have courage and attempt to reach out. I do realize that taking that first step is very challenging for someone with a mental illness. My message for anyone who is struggling is that we all go through dark times, but they are never permanent. No one has to go through their burdens alone, so don’t be afraid to lean on someone else. It’s okay to not be okay,” says Mogenson.