Mental health has been a growing issue among teens for several years, and the issues have only become more prominent throughout the COVID pandemic, online school and a feeling of isolation which students at Ludlowe experience. In an attempt to ameliorate the mental health situation at Ludlowe, our administration hosted two assemblies: The Steered Straight and Will to Live Foundation presentations. 

Presented by John Trautwein, the Will to Live assembly touched on the idea that depression is a maskable illness and Trautwein stressed the importance of delivering hope, love, and support to your peers. He gave a personal tribute to his son, Will, who took his life in 2010, and explained how Will’s death caused him to devote his life to improving relationships among students and promoting difficult discussions in order to essentially increase students’ will to live. Mr. Trautwein’s main message was that people who appear happiest on the outside may have genuine internal issues, can struggle with mental health and be dissatisfied with themselves. However, he emphasized that these feelings are ok but it is imperative that we communicate as a school community to resolve those issues effectively. Please feel free to reach out to any teachers, counselors or administrators at Ludlowe if you are experiencing any mental health issues. You can also contact Prospect staff (or me, at [email protected]) if you do not feel comfortable reaching out to a Ludlowe staff member. It is safe to say that any Ludlowe students and staff are happy and willing to help out. 

FLHS also hosted Michael DeLeon from the Steered Straight organization who discussed pertinent topics including alcohol awareness, hard facts about the dangers of marijuana and vaping, prescription drug misuse, and how to deal effectively with transitions. As our freshmen and sophomore Falcons transition into their first “normal” year of high school, this assembly was particularly relevant to their experiences at Ludlowe. 

Overall, students were grateful towards the administration for organizing these meaningful opportunities to step back from academics momentarily and discuss mental health. The discussions will continue to go on in our lives, whether at home, in homeroom advisory meetings and in our classes. Hopefully the efforts made now can positively shape Ludlowe lives and have a lasting impact at FLHS.