Community Education

Circle of Friends Club leaders from Gig Harbor High dine with the governor

Four leaders of the Circle of Friends Club at Gig Harbor High School attended the South Sound Dinner for Gov. Bob Ferguson in Tacoma on Sept. 14.

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Attending were club President Will Park, Secretary Maddie Harding and co-Vice Presidents Amelia Schultz and Abby Conn.

Circle of Friends

Circle of Friends, founded two years ago, promotes suicide prevention and aims to erase the stigma of mental illness, said staff advisor and art teacher Alyse Yeaman. With the support of the Gig Harbor-Key Peninsula Suicide Prevention Coalition, the club provides a safe space where students can connect, support one another, and foster a more positive school climate, Yeman said.

Club members watch for signs that a peer may need a listening ear or even intervention. Some are already trained in mental health first aid, which is offered through the Suicide Prevention Coalition. 

Four leaders of the Circle of Friends Club at Gig Harbor High School attended the South Sound Dinner in Tacoma for Gov. Bob Ferguson on Sept. 14. Back. row, left to right: Amelia Schultz and Fergusonl; front row, left to right: Maddie Harding, Abby Conn and Will Park.

Park said he came away from the governor’s dinner with a few ideas for the 15 or so students who participate in the club.

“Governor Ferguson talked about values at the dinner,” Park said. “Being able to see that community that he was able to build, and all of the people who came to support him, we want to create an environment like that.”

Being their for peers

Circle of Friends has values as well, Park said. Everyone matters. Everyone belongs. And Park said he wants the group’s meetings to reflect those values.

As president, he said that he plans to spread the message that students can come in and talk about anything. Park said it’s important that they know the help is  available, whether they face depression, anxiety or difficulties in some area of life. And that people really do care about them, and what they are going through.

“We have all of the things necessary for people to get help,” Park said. “We have the hotline, counselors, clubs, everything we need, but why doesn’t that work all the time? They don’t feel safe or prepared to talk about it, that it’s a real thing that they can reach out and people will care. I’m focused on making people realize these systems are here to be used, not just checked off a box.”

Harassment, intimidation, bullying and discrimination

Club members also watch for anyone experiencing harassment, intimidation, bullying and discrimination, said Thelma Brown, president of the Suicide Prevention Coalition. She and former state legislator Larry Seaquist are community advisors for Circle of Friends. Each of them sponsored two students from the club’s leadership team to attend the South Sound Dinner. 

Brown said harassment, intimidation, bullying and discrimination can negatively impact mental health and lead to anxiety and depression. Circle of Friends members are the front line for the emotional well-being of their peers.

“They are the eyes and ears of the hallways for students in need, who are emotionally distressed,” said Brown, a retired teacher and school administrator. “I felt that going to the South Sound Dinner was important, because all of the turmoil in our society and country is in right now. The governor’s speech was about values, and kindness, and coming together, so I felt it was educational for the students. We as a community need to come together and be respectful and kind to each other and look after each other as much as we can. I felt like that was a part of this. Students need to have this experience.”

Schultz, a senior, plans to study psychology in college. 

“I’ve had my own personal struggles and I know how important and helpful it is to have people who you know will support you,” Schultz said. “I want to go to college to become a psychologist who specializes in working with teens.”