By McKENZIE CUNNINGHAM
The members of Fort Hays Honor Society are passionate about raising awareness for mental health, physical disabilities and learning disabilities — especially FHHS President Paulyna Alcorn.
To kick off the third annual Disability Awareness Week on Tuesday, members of the honor society, volunteers from FHSU, students and other participants joined in a group discussion to talk openly about their mental health.
“I think when events like this occur, the question to yourself is are you willing to learn more about others to defeats stigmas like mental health, and I think we did make that impact,” Alcorn said. “I know students walked out of here with a better understanding of what it means to have a mental illness and how to cope with it.”
Professional tables were set up in the room, with volunteers from the Kelly Center able to discuss student mental health. Shelly Boyce, a mental health therapist who owns a private practice in Nebraska, discussed self-care; Sylvia Alcorn, Paulyna’s mother and a certified speaker for the Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention Program, promoted suicide awareness; and Ken Windholz, a psychology instructor at FHSU, discussed different mental illnesses and disorders.
“Being a part of the Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention Program keeps me going. And if I could just get that one kid help when they need it, then it’s all worth it,” Sylvia Alcorn said.
She became certified in the Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention Program after her son died in December 2014 due to suicide. She believes as though this is her way of giving back to other families and students.
“I think it is important that our mental health illnesses and the stigma that are around us are treated no different than a physical illness,” she said. “They are just as important, and they should be just as recognized.”
During Disability Awareness Week, FHHS also had opportunities to learn about physical disabilities and learning disabilities.
For more information, contact Fort Hays Honor Society at forthaysstatehonorsociety@gmail.com.