By Elle Knofczynski

When you see senior Lenna Espinoza in the halls, you see a bubbly personality, a loud laugh, and a smile spread across her face. She looks like she embodies what it means to be carefree. But assumptions aren’t always reality.

Espinoza is attempting to discover how to best support herself and her own wellbeing through reflecting on past experiences with mental health issues. “I think the first real climate that I observed around mental health was in middle school,” said Espinoza. “I had just turned thirteen and one of my close friends committed suicide.”

Espinoza explained that the school administration didn’t address the situation, but rather attempted to silence it, and that the silencing of such traumatic events made it feel like “having mental issues … was taboo.”

Espinoza said that the climate is different here at Lincoln.

“Today at Lincoln,” she said, “it feels generally more positive.” Espinoza explains how, as more people come out and are willing to share their stories surrounding mental health, adults become more aware of what they can do in providing resources. “I think there are spaces provided to those who seek help,” said Espinoza, including the counselor center, the school therapist and varying hotlines posted on students’ ID cards.

Having a safe space to go when in need is important for Espinoza. She knows how much having a place to just be can help when everything — school, family, friends — all seems too overwhelming.

When discussing self care, Espinoza explained that she prioritizes the basics of brushing her teeth and making sure she’s got her comfy clothes on. It’s easy to forget how much better those simple tasks can make us feel, she said.

Espinoza has always advocated for mental health resources, and while she agreed that there is “generally positive talk around getting help for mental health related issues,” she also suggested that there needs to be continuous improvement on resources for students to feel comfortable sharing.