On Wednesday (11/13), some West Campus teachers made appearances in a video made by ASB students with encouraging messages as part of an activity for Mental Health Awareness Week (MHAW). MHAW takes place all of this week with unique activities planned for each day.

The video included messages of encouragement, such as:

“You matter. You belong here.” written by Honors English 10 teacher Nicole Cannady.

“La felicidad no es la meta, es el camino.” meaning, “Happiness isn’t the goal; it’s the journey,” written by Spanish teacher Julie Tarman.

“You are magnificent, and you deserve the WORLD!” written by Precalculus and Math 2+ teacher Tim Hebert.

Many students felt touched and very positive about the video. One student said, “It did make me feel happy to see all my teachers in a video made for the students. The idea and effort was there for sure! I would love to see more videos like this that maybe take more time to make something great!”

Another student said, “I felt grateful that they put out the video.” Their view towards the video and the words of encouragement were positive, a common view with many other students. “I liked that the teachers wrote positive advice on the whiteboard. It was encouraging.”

“This s***t was hella cute.” Another student says on Instagram.

Parents even commented on the Instagram post saying, ” Now this is what you call beautiful” and “Some of the best humans, leading by example.”

Overall, the kind words of the teachers made many students and parents feel encouraged and loved (the parents feeling that their students were encouraged and loved). Mental Health Week reminds us that an encouraging and supportive environment creates a safe space for students on campus–something that is very necessary in a learning environment.