The Every Mind Matters club helps train students to be mentors for their peers and advocate for mental health issues.

The club has 25 members, who all went through training last semester to become peer mentors and raise awareness around mental health. Their goal is to let students know that other students struggle with similar issues and are available to talk to. Counselor Jessica Kempa said that the club is made of students that want to help students that are struggling with mental health and show them that they can ask for help.

“Students in Every Mind Matters want to raise awareness around mental health and lower the barriers to seeking help. They also want students to know there are other kids out there who struggle with similar issues and they are available to talk to if needed,” Kempa said.

Senior Sahithi Jilakara came up with the idea for the club and she said that the club is a safe place for students to relieve stress and more.

“I think this club benefits students because it gives them a sort of safe space. Personally, I am definitely one to always try to help people, and sometimes that gets overwhelming. This club acts as a place for students to come together and relieve their stress, learn about better coping strategies, skills to help their peers, and more,” Jilakara said.

Counselor David Schroll said that the members of the club went through training last semester and they made presentations to present in classrooms.

“We don’t have regular meetings, but members did go through a peer helper training from Kids Under Twenty-One. That training was last semester and was about 12-15 hours long. Members also have met to develop and go through a classroom presentation that we are currently presenting in classrooms,” Schroll said.

Counselor Allyson Sedlak said that they meet in the library during flex and she thinks the club has great potential.

“Every Mind Matters members hold talk sessions during the first flex in the library to help support any students. I think this group has great potential and will do great things for RSHS students and I am proud to be a part of it,” Sedlak said.

Kempa also said that the training focuses on not only accessing resources to help other students but helping them with counseling skills, conflict resolution, and much more.

“The training is provided by Kids Under Twenty-One and focuses on training students in the areas of counseling skills, conflict resolution, suicide warning signs and prevention, and how to access resources to help other students,” Kempa said.

Jilkara said that the club benefits more than just members and their training helped them understand how they can help others.

“With the support of the counseling department and the training our peer mentors (me and a group of other selected students) received from Kids Under Twenty-One we are able to understand a little bit more about how we can be of help to those who need us but also be supported ourselves to be rid of that overwhelming feeling. Therefore, the club doesn’t only benefit our student members but also other peers, faculty, and staff,” Jilakara said.