***This article is written by Joey Drawyer, a participant in The Kewanee Voice Student Journalism Program, funded by the Harry Anderson Memorial Trust.
The Wethersfield School District has recently made great improvements in regards to students’ mental health.
Last year, the elementary school welcomed a new guidance counselor, Tawny DeKezel, who specializes in the mental health of younger children in the district.
DeKezel has a great passion for mental health, which is why she decided to get involved in the Gray Matters Collective in 2021 (during her school counseling internship).
During the 2022-2023 school year, Wethersfield began collaborating with Gray Matters Collective, a mental health awareness and suicide prevention movement, and started a club dedicated to educating and helping people with mental health struggles.
Gray Matters Collective was founded in 2020 by Haley DeGreve, with the mission to educate people about the importance of mental health. The Collectives’ goal is to spread awareness to the struggles faced by people with mental illnesses. Most importantly, they strive to create a world without suicide.
Common activities of the club include talking about further improvements Wethersfield can make for students dealing with mental struggles. The club also aims to spread positivity throughout the district, so people don’t feel like they are alone in the community.
DeKezel would like to reach and inform as many people as possible about the phone number to call when you or a loved one is going through a mental health crisis: That number is 988.
