Look around at your classmates.  Look at your friends, acquaintances, those you know and those you don’t.  Now, I want you to think about this: every single person in this school has their own issues that they are dealing with.  Everyone has their own story.

Imagine if this was your story: after dealing with major depression and self-harm for two years, you finally tell your parents and spend a month of your junior year in a psychiatric hospital.  Imagine you were so depressed you thought you would never get better.  Imagine thinking of suicide and really believing this was the only way to stop the pain.  What if you felt like you were lost in a cave and would never find your way out?

The truth is, there is always a way out.  Although this story might be your past and/or your present, it does not mean it has to be your future.  There is hope.  There is help.  For my senior experience, my goal is to bring hope and help to those students who need it at Schreiber.  I have found that many students who deal with issues don’t realize that there are people who want to listen to them.  I want to listen to you.  I want to help you find happiness in your life.

I am bringing To Write Love On Her Arm’s campaign, The Storytellers, to Schreiber.  It is a campaign that not only brings awareness to mental health issues, but seeks to help those who think they will never see the light.  Regardless of what you might think, your story is important.  People want to hear it.  I want to hear it.  This program can offer help. And maybe it will help.

So, look out for our fliers in the hallways.  We’ll be selling bracelets in the lobby, as well as hosting other events.  We will be having meetings for those who want to come and establish a safe community at Schreiber for those dealing with mental health issues.  There will be meetings for those who would like someone to talk to.

The Storytellers has onlhy just begun at Schreiber, and I hope by the time this school year is over it will have a place here.  Don’t give up.  You are important.  You matter.  There is a way out of the cave.  The light will always be there, waiting for you to come find it.

Thank you,

Tamara Hoffman