We are currently in what can only be described by the CDC as a mental health crisis. School is something that strongly affects students’ mental health.

Some students become more stressed out with their clubs, classes, sports, and other activities, while other students think school makes their mental health better because it keeps them more occupied, and they get to see more of their friends. 

Caroline Murray, junior, is one of those students who thinks school betters her mental health. Murray said, “I love coming to school and talking to my friends, so I would say [my mental health] is better during the school year.”

Murray is a part of many clubs, including Women in STEM, engineering, and junior class council, she is also in many honors societies. Murray prefers having lots of activities to keep herself occupied. 

Lily Morgan, junior, thinks that school makes her mental health worse than it is in the summer. 

Morgan said, “[My mental health] is probably not as good. Yes, I am doing activities that I enjoy, but sometimes it can be a lot.”

If Morgan is having a bad day, she goes home and takes a nap to reset. Another student, Zaniya Pierson, a senior, also likes to take a nap after a hard day.

Throughout the halls, you can hear people saying, “I’m gonna crash out,” or “I just can’t,” Many of these people don’t actually have people that they can talk to about their struggles.

Pierson has a good group of people that she can talk to if she is concerned about her mental health.

“[I can talk to] my mom and my friends, they’re pretty cool about stuff like that,” said Pierson.

School has a different impact on everyone who walks through the school doors every day, whether it’s a sense of dread because your to-do list is three pages long, or it’s excitement because you get to see your favorite people in your favorite class, no two people feel the same.