ALEXANDRIA — Students and faculty members from Alexandria's Kalon Prep Academy held up construction paper signs and marched north along Broadway in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month on Monday, May 9.
Forty to 45 students from grades 9th through 12th and a few faculty members began the walk around 12:30 p.m. at the Burger King parking lot located at the northeast corner of Broadway and 30th Avenue, following a tour of the Alexandria Technical and Community College. They headed north along Broadway on the newly constructed sidewalk and crossed west on 22nd Avenue toward Aga Drive and north toward Kalon Prep Academy.
Some of the students and staff held up signs with messages like, "You can't tell just by looking at someone what they are going through," "It's okay to not be okay," and "Care about your mind."
Kayla Hoelscher, the social emotional learning interventionist at Kalon, said the schools wanted to find a way to honor and celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month.
"Mental health is a real thing here at Kalon," said Hoelscher.
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One student metaphorically described struggling with mental health as "sunny during the day and thunderstorms at night."
Organizers of the walk contemplated postponing the trek due to Monday's gloomy weather. Still, they decided to march anyway as it seemed fitting for the theme of maintaining mental health, according to Hoelscher.
"Life isn't always sunshine and rainbows," said Hoelscher.
However, they did allow some of the students to opt-out if they didn't feel comfortable walking in the weather conditions.
"This Mental Health Walk is important to help spread awareness and end the stigma and shame surrounding mental health. Mental health is real, and it matters. It also impacts so many. I hope this march will empower our students and help start conversations, so no one has to suffer in secret," said Hoelscher.
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