One of McQuaid’s newly founded Mental Health Awareness Club plans to bring awareness to mental health at McQuaid Jesuit. The Mental Health Awareness Club was founded by junior Sean Oberlies, ‘22. Sean felt that the mental health of students at McQuaid was being overlooked by many, so he took the initiative to create a safe haven where students can have a comfortable space where they can talk openly about topics surrounding mental health.

During Mental Health Awareness Club meetings there is typically a main topic that the club focuses on, after covering the main aspects of the topic students break out into small groups and share their thoughts amongst each other. After this students share what they discussed with their groups during the break out session with the whole group. The dialouge created by students during these meetings help break down barriers for students and help them become more comfortable talking about mental health.

Sean talks about the importance of having a Mental Health Awareness Club at McQuaid Jesuit,

“First and foremost, McQuaid students are held to an extremely high academic standard. In a school full of very competitive, hard working guys, it’s fair to expect that many of McQuaid’s students put a lot of pressure on themselves to succeed in school. Many students choose to also participate in sporting commitments and extracurriculars, while balancing these demanding academic requirements. Additionally, there’s a stigma that surrounds men in modern society, which in turn affects many of our own students: toughen up, handle it yourself, “be a man,” to name a few. Thus, raising awareness for the subject and making the uncomfortable conversation more comfortable is incredibly important to me” said  Sean Oberiles, ‘22.

Most recently the Mental Health Awareness Club teamed up with the Mosaic Club for a “Destress Day” held at McQuaid on May 27th. The event was a huge success, students were able to have a stress free time where they enjoyed activities such as spike ball, while also enjoying free Rita’s italian ice.

Sean also talks about what drove him to create a Mental Health Awareness Club,

“In all honesty, I have heard about some of the mental health difficulties that many of my peers have experienced in the past. These, alongside my own desires for better self-care and stress management, ultimately motivated my decision to create a Mental Health Awareness Club here at McQuaid. I am extremely thankful for the Bring Change to Mind Organization, for making this opportunity possible. I really look forward to the future of this club’s platform within McQuaid’s walls” said Sean Oberlies, ‘22.

The future looks bright for the Mental Health Awareness Club, as they look on for bigger and better things next school year. For any questions regarding the Mental Health Awareness Club contact Sean Oberlies. For more information and updates on the Mental Health Awareness Club check out their Instagram page (@mcq.mentalhealth).