T.I.A.H

14 rustlernews.com December 19, 2019 by Maggie Petersen, entertainment/opinion editor

As students, we are encouraged to make a difference, to have big dreams, and Jayme Ingalls’ dream is one that applies to us all. “I’ve always been passionate about advocating for mental health,” Ingalls said. As president of TIAH (There Is Always Hope), C. M. Russell’s mental health club, she’s turning her passion into a reality with a clear vision of what TIAH wants to accomplish.

“I’ve been interested in TIAH since I heard about it,” she reflected. “[Mrs. Virts] asked me if I’d be interested in running it, and I just said yes because I was excited about it.” Ingalls admits to feeling in over her head in the beginning, but now she’s raring to push the club into the limelight.

TIAH originally existed as a national organization and came to CMR three years ago. Previous to this year, it was directed by Gabrielle Pope and Kylie Giltcher. After their subsequent graduation, TIAH lacked all student representation before Ingalls stepped up and took on the task. Now, with a fresh start, TIAH is ready to take on the problems afflicting our community.

“As most people know, Montana has a pretty high rate of suicide and mental health issues, and obviously CMR has not been immune to that. We’ve have multiple suicides at the school and several suicide attempts unfortunately, and we just are sick of seeing people we love feeling alone,” Ingalls said. With the sobering realities of our environment, taking action has been long overdue. Now, the only question is what to do about it.

“We are planning on starting an anonymous text or email hotline where we can direct people to the help they need,” she said. Armed with an arsenal of ideas, availability is one of their biggest goals. However, if there’s any message Ingalls wants to push, it’s the club’s motto.

“Everybody has bad days. I don’t feel there should be a stigma about it because it truly affects everybody.” TIAH There is always hope “I saw TIAH as a perfect opportunity to spread awareness about mental health. That’s something I see as very important, and I hope by the end of the year it is more recognized at CMR.” “I joined TIAH because mental health is something that this generation needs to focus on, we see too many people struggling with their health and no one is there to listen.” “I joined TIAH because I have mental issues as well as I have helped others with theirs. I thought if I joined I could help make mental health be a bigger and more important subject that everyone needs to learn about.” “I personally joined TIAH because of the impact I saw it made on students in its first year as a club. I want to bring more awareness to our school and community and continue to help others!” “When I was invited to join the program, I had no Idea what to expect. TIAH has opened up many doors in my understanding of mental health, and has introduced me to the stigma associated with talking about mental disorders.” “I have always been passionate about mental health. I grew up with poor mental health [and] having the people around me that I did is what got me through it and that’s what I want to do for other people.” “I believe in this cause and in the people in this club with me. Mental health needs to be considered a vital part of student life. From bringing awareness to making help more available, TIAH is fighting to improve the lives of its peers.” “I’m in TIAH because mental health is important in this day and age and so is identifying signs of mental illness in others. And I really like the people who are involved in the club with me.” “TIAH came as a surprise to me. I originally hadn’t even known it existed, and that makes me sad. Mental health is ridiculously important. Many kids just need that little ounce of reassurance, that little spark of hope, and my goal is to give other teens exactly that.” “Schools are constantly working to ensure students are provided with the safest and most effective educational setting possible. A key part of that system is providing mental health help, resources, and education to students and staff.” Taylor Willmarth Kaileia Wendt Jamela Munsinger Nick Smith Amiya Williams Dawson Williams Jayme Ingalls Maggie Petersen Ashton Blake Reighanna Miller

IDENTITY