On March 13, during unit lunch, Bridgewater-Raritan High School’s Hope Squad held its Minding Your Mind event.

The guest speaker was Sarika Agarwal from the non-profit Minding Your Mind.

Held in the Bridgewater-Raritan High School auditorium, the assembly was open to any students who were willing to gain insight into strategies for improving their mental health. Many students attended, learning valuable techniques for managing their emotions and fostering personal well-being.

Hope Squad is a suicide-prevention club that strives to educate the student body to reduce stigma and change school culture for the good. Composed of students who have been trained to notice and respond to signs of distress, students are encouraged to talk to members for peer-to-peer help.

 Lauren Amisial, one of the Hope Squad advisors, reflected on why she brought Minding Your Mind to the high school.

“One of the missions of Hope Squad is to reduce the stigma of mental illness and encourage conversations about mental health and mental wellness. Minding Your Mind does exactly that through sharing personal stories and their journey with mental health and wellness,” Ms. Amisial said.

Centering on guest speaker Sarika Aggarwal’s life, the purpose of this assembly was to spread awareness about mental health and personal strategies for overcoming challenges. Students were captivated by Sarika’s speech, in which she shared her own stories of coping with depression and anxiety in high school, ultimately getting to a point where she attempted to take her own life. 

Sarika spoke candidly about the importance of seeking help, breaking stigmas and building supportive relationships. Her journey of resilience and self-acceptance resonated with students, reminding them that they are never alone in their struggles. 

The event concluded with a Q&A session, where students had the opportunity to ask Sarika questions about mental health, coping mechanisms and advice for overcoming obstacles. As the assembly concluded, the auditorium was filled with applause as students expressed their gratitude for Sarika’s encouragement and heartfelt presentation.  

Freshman, Soumya Choudhary, a member of the Hope Squad, shared her thoughts on the numerous benefits of this event. 

“I’m really thankful that many students were able to attend this event because it was a great opportunity for students to realize that there are many resources available at our school to reach out for help. This event showed students that there are other people out there who are dealing with the same struggles as them, and the guest speaker delivered a powerful speech that related to us as students,” she said.

Ms. Amisial further reflected on the success of this event and future events that Hope Squad will be hosting. 

“I hope students were able to relate and/or empathize with some or all of her story and take away the message of HOPE and asking for help when you are having a difficult time. This was a very successful event! It was awesome to see so many students choose to open their minds and come to this event. We are having a different Minding Your Mind Speaker on Wednesday, April 23rd during lunch. All are welcome to attend!” she said. 

The Minding Your Mind event served as a reminder that mental health matters and that support is always available around the Bridgewater-Raritan High School campus. Through personal storytelling and open discussion, the Hope Squad continues to foster a culture of care and understanding within our school community. The Hope Squad extends its heartfelt thank you to Sarika for taking the time to educate Bridgewater-Raritan students!