For students in the NAMI Club at Justin Garza High School, shedding light on mental health is a passion.
“It’s important to use your voice to your advantage when you have the opportunity to speak,” says Emily Salas. “Mental health is a serious cause.”
On Wednesday, 31 students from Justin Garza will be traveling to Sacramento for the annual NAMI California Conference.
They will be joining 300 students from across the state.
Dozens of other Central Valley students are also partaking in the conference.
“Eighty of them are coming from the Fresno area,” says NAMI California CEO Jessica Wilson. “It’s so exciting. We had about 40 students last year from the area. We’ve doubled that this year.”
The annual symposium is a chance for students to hear from one another and learn what’s happening in other communities.
It also lets them know they’re not alone in their struggles and pressures.
“It’s a feeling of comfort, almost that there are other people that can relate to you, and sympathize with you,” says Honey Gill.
Wilson explains it’s important to share different perspectives and have deeper conversations when it comes to mental health to help break the stigma surrounding the topic.
“Everybody in some way is impacted by mental illness, whether that is somebody within their family, whether it’s themselves that struggle, or whether it’s just somebody within their school community,” she said. “We don’t talk about it enough.”
Students will also have an opportunity to meet and engage with state leaders.
“I’ve already thought of my question, but I want to ask them why it’s so difficult to receive mental help in a difficult time, because I needed help and I couldn’t receive at one point,” says Aleah Musto. “I’m just really hoping that with talking to them, they can see that a chance needs to happen.”
Because anyone can be the change and make an impact.
“I’m hoping to make some changes, to make some movement and to really make some effect in our community,” Salas said.
