“It’s about showing the student body someone cares and encouraging both students and staff to acknowledge our school’s stressful environment,” Bring Change to Mind (BC2M) vice-president Lillie Davis states. BC2M is Maggie Walker’s mental health club dedicated to promoting the awareness of mental health in the school environment and beyond. Maggie Walker is infamous for its mental health stereotype: burnt out and sleep-deprived students attempting to persevere through another week of school with little care towards mental health. BC2M is actively working to change this, highlighting different outlets for managing stress.

The club meets every other Monday in room 209 at lunch. There, you can expect a very inviting and positive atmosphere. In addition to introducing different strategies towards caring for mental health, Davis mentions that a main goal of the club is to inform students that there is a community within Maggie Walker that is actively connected to and supportive of every student at this school– a community willing to fight for necessary change to protect our local youth.

Club officers have already initiated other plans this year, such as the freshman care packages that were distributed during lunch in the cafeteria between August 30 and September 1. “Starting high school is tough and can cause a lot of stress and anxiety,” Davis stated. “We wanted to show [freshmen] our school cares and invite them to be part of something bigger.”

BC2M plans to introduce new mental health activities at each meeting throughout the year. Davis hints of simple but effective tips and practices for managing stress such as play-dough and meditation. In addition, BC2M is looking to partner again with Maggie Walker’s Honor Council for its annual Mindfulness Week, a weeklong event full of workshops dedicated to raising awareness of mental health and intuition. Davis, also a representative on the Honor Council, describes, “Mindfulness Week is a much needed event for our school. The crafts, treats, and little workshops are fun, but the event is so much more.”

BC2M is always open to interested students, and you can learn more about the club on its Instagram page, @bc2m_mlwgs, where it posts updates on future plans, meetings, and recaps. BC2M is excited for the upcoming school year, and like Lillie, the club officers cannot wait to revitalize our school’s environment.