“Our film highlights a unique spot at Buena Park High School. It’s more than just a room, it’s where we go when things get tough. Here, you’re never just another face in the crowd – you’re greeted, heard, and supported. It’s about the everyday reassurance that we’re not alone in this.”
“If you notice that a friend is sad, you should talk to them. It’s okay if you don’t always know what to say; most of the time, people just need someone to listen to them.”
“An anchor doesn’t have to be one thing, and it doesn’t have to be one hundred. Anchors are whatever you want them to be as long as you feel they’re helping you be the best version of yourself you can be.”
“During times of stress, I find myself either wanting to be active or make any form of art […] I made my entry to share what my anchors are and hopefully inspire others to find their anchors as well. […] Now that I know what my main anchors are, I can go to them whenever I need to. It makes me feel organized and prepared knowing that I can always go do these things and come back feeling better.”
“People are so set in their ways and don’t have hope for what their lives could be if they broke the cycle of depression in their lives that is holding them back from success. As someone who is autistic, it can feel like I’m the ‘outcast’ or the ‘weed’ who can’t have hope or succeed in life because I am disabled. I wrote this poem to show people who are on the spectrum or don’t feel worthy that [they] can still find hope and live a life beyond what others think [they can].”
“As a biracial female in a white-male-dominant environment, I find it very important to point out racist and sexist behavior when I see it. I was very excited to make an entry about my personal experience and how I’ve dealt with these unjust problems in the hope that others might be able to take some of the ideas and apply them to their own situations or simply be more understanding.”
“My mother has always been someone I can rely on and brings me happiness. She is always available to offer me guidance and console me when I’m going through a hard time. My painting shows my mother acting as a guide, helping me go through my journey of life which is represented by a map of rough terrain. Her touch radiates warm yellow light, a symbol of comfort that repels negative emotions.”
My animation, “Reach Out”, is about a person reaching out to another person who is in a dark place due to stresses and anxieties, and brings them into the light and good of the world. I drew this animation because one thing I want to see more of in the world is people reaching out to others just checking if their okay. As humans, it is our nature to just stay centered around ourselves, but in reality we need each other to make things work, and one way we can help others is just by checking in on others, and asking them if they are okay.
Millions of teens, including many at our own school, struggle with their mental health and we want to tell them that they are not alone. With this video, we want to rid the stigma that surrounds mental health problems, and let them know that they are entitled to all the support they can get. The monthly prompt was taking action for mental health, so we showed a few actions that individuals can do, and listed additional resources to support them.
The red-haired character picks up on her friend’s anxious and stressed body language. because of this, she gently confronts her friend about the tension she has noticed. She even offers talking online as a more comfortable approach to talking about her stress. The two talk online and discuss the purple-haired girl’s stress cause, and how she can be helped. In the end, she is much less stressed, because her friend gave her resources to call when she needs (hotlines), a playlist to listen to, and healthy coping methods, as well as listening to her. This applies to the “check-in-chat” theme, because the friend notices tension, brings it up and talks to her+gives her ways to deal with stress.