When she was in the seventh grade, Lauren Shrack assisted a struggling algebra student only to discover she has a passion for teaching and community service.
As the pandemic wore on, Rachel Suter worried about everyone’s mental health. She had endured the suicides of three neighbors years ago, and had taken note of the alarming statistics how El Paso County led the state in suicides in 2019, and that youth suicides had increased 54% in 2020 to 17, from 11 the year before.
The Pine Creek High School senior president had noticed that her peers were discouraged by online learning from home, saying they were less motivated and felt isolated.
As student representative to District 20’s Health Advisory Committee, she suggested that they more aggressively address those mental health concerns. She and two others got permission to create a social media survey asking students about current mental health and well-being. They had decided to ask two questions: How would you describe your pandemic mental health, and how can the district help?