By Granville Jr/Sr High Senior, Grant Gould
The JCK Foundation, a mental health advocacy group, visited the Juniors and Seniors at Granville Jr/Sr High school on Tuesday, May 27th. The powerful presentation delivered by John Tessitore and Kevin McMahon focused on awareness, forgiving yourself, and creating a culture of support. The message really resonated with many of my peers and with me personally.
As student council president, I had the opportunity to help coordinate their visit, and I was proud to see their message and its impact. They are returning in September with the same message, which is beneficial because it will be a new school year and they will speak to more grades.
Included below is a photo from their Instagram account, @jckfoundation. They provided a presentation and then day-long activities, where collaborating directly with students in small groups was the focus.
Here are what some of the students who attended their activities had to say about the experience:
Senior, Amaya Glinka - "The organization visiting Granville was probably the best thing they could have done for this school. Talking to us and taking the time to explain awareness allowed us to feel heard and seen. Thank you!"
Senior, Carter Powell - "When I first heard that we would be having a mental health assembly, I was apprehensive and unsure that it would be very useful. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the presentation. It was a refreshing perspective on the topic, and I felt like it did a good job of de-stigmatizing the topic of mental health."
Senior, Ava Warren - "I appreciate their time coming here. They made a huge impact in my life by spreading the message of mental health awareness. I know my friends feel the same, and I am greatly appreciative of that!"
Senior, Gavin Ardis - "They are and will continue to make a huge impact in the world through what they are doing, and it needs to be presented in other schools as well. Lastly, it is inspiring how passionate they are about their work."
Junior, Carter Perry - "I thought that they had a great way of keeping the viewers glued on them and how they talked about difficult topics so easily."
Junior, Claire Gould - "I think their overall message was very touching and inspirational."
Junior, Madelaine Wilson - "I thought their message was very inspiring and a great way to spread awareness about mental health."
Junior, Lillian Baker - "I think that their story was very good for high school students to hear and it reminds us that we are not alone."
Thank you to the JCK Foundation for visiting our school!
Pictured Left-to-Right: Student Gracie Hall, JCK Foundation Founder, Director and Speaker, John Tessitore, Student Elyas Al Assere, Student Grant Gould, and JCK Foundation Speaker and Program Manager Kevin McMahon
Resources:
JCK Foundation Free Mental Health Resources
Smiling Mind Free App for Building Mental Fitness by psychologists with short, daily exercises
Families and Teachers - Free app to get personalized tips and learn techniques to improve your students’ behavior over time—all at your own pace