Sachem East’s Angelica Knudson wrote a proposal for a plan to improve teen mental health, self-esteem and well-being and submitted it to the 2017 Long Island Youth Summit. Her project was selected as a finalist in her category and she was invited to and participated in the summit.
After a day of workshops working with professionals in each field, the finalists in each category presented their research to the entire Summit. Angelica’s project focused on attention to student wellness in the area of mental health and is centered around trying to removing the stigma associated with metal health disorders.
The Long Island Youth Summit was held on April 7 at St. Joseph’s College in Patchogue. This day provided a forum for high school students to meet with professional adult mentors and other students to explore varied concerns on Long Island. Within workshops, students worked together to formulate and discuss solutions regarding issues facing Long Islanders-among them medical, environmental and economic concerns.
“Students and teachers made lasting connections at the summit meetings and each student presentation included careful research and the ideas reflected the creativity of a diverse Long Island student population,” Tracey Melandro and Kate Taylor, project advisors. “We were so proud to accompany Angelica as she was recognized for her hard work and dedication to making our schools a better place. We look forward to increasing our presence at the Summit and encourage our faculty to promote this within their classrooms and clubs.”
Angelica on the experience: “The Long Island Youth at St. Joseph’s college was such an incredible event. The speakers, presentations, and workshops were all incredible – thought provoking, eye opening and inspiring. I was able to get the chance to work in a workshop with professionals in the field of mental health and other students who felt the same way I did. We were able to have an open and honest conversation about mental health, mental illness, the stigma surrounding it, and most importantly ways to improve mental health awareness and education in our schools and in our community. I am so grateful for the opportunity to be able to discuss mental health so honestly, share my work, meet so many amazing people, and spend the day with two of the most influential people in my life. It was a day I will always hold close to my heart. As someone who is passionate about and has been advocating for the cause of mental health for years, I couldn’t be more honored or appreciative for the opportunity.”