“My submission depicts a person sitting on a pedestal on a stage, with wings that are being cut. I meant for this to symbolize a child with a parent that expects great things from them while controlling them and stopping them from pursuing things they like. I created this artwork in hopes that the people who go through this could finally feel seen and heard.”
“This poem shows how there is hope even when things get hard. This piece is particularly important regarding the current mental health issues in classrooms in America. While working on this piece, I learned the impact of my words on the people around me. This poem was created to give hope to the hopeless.”
“With everything going on, it is hard to focus on one thing at a time without worrying about another thing. I chose the theme of ‘hope’ because I wanted to show what gets me out of my negative state and come back with a better mindset. Whenever I feel overwhelmed or overly stressed, I try to find a new atmosphere and do something completely different. This usually involves being around the people I care about the most.”
“My mother is the unifying piece in my soul, the all-important keystone which keeps me together. I look forward to embracing her warm smile every day after I arrive home, tired and stressed from the long school day. Her hard work inspires me to be the best person I can be. She is what makes me hopeful.”
“This poem shares my experience of the trauma of growing up as a woman – being treated as less than, and knowing your rights wouldn’t be as compromised if you were born male. I wrote about the lack of justice that people born female face when entering the world and how the trauma and fear is passed on for generations. As someone who is gender nonconforming, I have always felt like the world has (and always will) treat me with less respect because of the body I was born in.”
“As a young closeted queer person, I often felt alone. However, once I finally got to high school, I saw all of these wonderful openly LGBTQ+ people who were happy to reach out their hand to me. They supported me as I came into my own identity and helped me gain the confidence to be out myself. Seeing them out and proud gave me such hope for the future.”
“All it takes is one message to ask if someone is ok. It may be hard to reach out, but in the end it will be worth it. I believe it’s important to share how we feel. We should feel no shame in telling our friends about our mental health.”
“When you know your friend is struggling, you’ve got to be persistent. They may be afraid to ask for help or talk to someone about their problems. You’ve got to make them feel seen and let them know they can come to you and that they aren’t a problem. It’s never good to leave someone suffering. Always check up on them.”
“My entry is about how having someone check in on you can make you feel. For me, it has always given me hope that things will get better and reassured me that people care. For someone who is struggling with their mental health, someone who thinks they matter is the greatest gift. Reaching out to someone who struggles with their mental health can make them happy.”
“This submission is about a boy who is having a hard time with comments from the internet, and it’s taking a toll on his mental health. Then, his sister comes in to check on how he is doing; she wants her brother to know that she is there for him to talk to. I am the oldest of three siblings, and my brother and my sister and I have all been close ever since we were young. I always want them to come to me if they have problems.”