Sharon Shon and Sarah Underhill
Liz Tyo and Hope Cook are the new leaders of the New Albany High School Mental Health Club.
The New Albany-Plain Local School District made a commitment to support and increase mental health awareness in its schools with the start of the Well-Being Initiative back in 2015. The mission is to empower a caring community with resources that help maximize the mental and physical well-being of each student.
The key to any program such as the Well-Being Initiative is buy-in from those who stand to benefit the most; in this case, of course, that’s the students themselves.
Enter Caroline Klodell and Katie Vatke.
While they were students, Klodell and Vatke – who both attended New Albany schools from kindergarten through high school graduation – took it upon themselves to form the Mental Health Club at New Albany High School. It was a leap of faith at first, but the pair knew they would both benefit from a club like this, and believed others would too.
“Katie and I created Mental Health Club in our sophomore year of high school in an attempt to spark the conversation surrounding mental health,” says Klodell. “Mental health is a heavily stigmatized topic and we wanted to help break the stigma.”
Klodell and Vatke shopping for the Relax Room
Mental Health Club meets regularly throughout the school year, providing a safe space for students to discuss their mental health challenges with understanding and compassionate peers. The club also runs an educational campaign during World Mental Health Day in October to educate students on some common misconceptions, such as the distinction between mental health and mental illness. Mental Health Club’s most impactful achievement to date is the Relax Room.
“For final exams, Caroline and I wanted to bring in therapy dogs to help relieve student stress. The idea grew into something even bigger: The Relax Room,” says Vatke. “Students can go here before or after exams, or during a free period to unwind and recharge. There are food and drinks for energy, coloring, relaxing music and, most importantly, a lot of therapy dogs. We were unsure if students would actually take advantage of it, but it turned out to be a hit.”
All official clubs at New Albany High School have a teacher advisor, and Sarah Shon, a mathematics teacher, has served in this role for Mental Health Club.
“When Katie and Caroline came to me over a year ago, wanting to start a Mental Health Club here at NAHS, I could not say ‘yes’ fast enough,” says Shon. “This type of club was definitely missing from our school, and I knew right away that it could really benefit so many of our high school students.”
Shon provides the room for Mental Health Club meetings and helps the student leaders turn their ideas for the club into reality, a task that is made easier because of the students’ enthusiasm for the group.
Katie Vatke showcasing the resources in the Relace Room.
“What impressed me the most about Caroline and Katie was their maturity,” Shon says. “They had a vision and passion about what Mental Health Club could and should be, and at every turn they impressed me with their organization skills, creativity, and leadership.”
While Klodell and Vatke are now enrolled in college, Klodell at The New School in New York City and Vatke at The Ohio State University, Mental Health Club is still going strong under the direction of its new leaders, Liz Tyo and Hope Cook.
“Toward the end of the year last year, the previous presidents and founders, Caroline and Katie, approached us and asked us to take over the club as co-presidents when they graduate,” Tyo says,” and we were ecstatic.”
According to Shon, the transition was logical and seamless.
“When Liz and Hope started coming to Mental Health Club meetings last year, it was easy to tell that they would make outstanding leaders. They were engaged in all of the club’s activities, and were brave enough to share their ideas with Caroline, Katie and the whole club as we went along,” says Shon. “Liz and Hope were truly the perfect duo to take over this year.”
Tyo and Cook are focused on working to remove the stigma surrounding mental health, continuing Mental Health Club’s momentum and establishing the club as a pillar of the New Albany High School student experience.
“I think Mental Health Club is very important to our school’s culture because it helps to improve our diversity and inclusion,” says Tyo. “I want to break the stigma surrounding mental health and promote ways to positively impact others’ mental health so people can feel healthier and happier.”
Caroline Klodell participating in a Well-Being Initiative Meeting.
Bob Valasek is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
