Dear Johnston friends, alumni, parents, and everyone else in the community,
In light of the prevalence of mental health struggles and suicides, I am ready to take a stand and, with the help of some friends, form a nonprofit operation in an effort to address this epidemic. Last week we lost another beautiful soul to suicide. Dawson Kerr was a friend—someone who was always cracking jokes, someone who didn’t have a mean bone in his body, someone who had huge ambitions, goals and a huge heart. It is with much regret that action wasn’t taken earlier. Many well-intentioned folks fear that bringing up suicide is somehow sensationalizing and/or glorifying it. I disagree—raising awareness about mental health hardly constitutes the glorification of it. In fact, raising awareness and talking about it does the opposite. It creates a sense that it is okay to struggle, and that feeling down is normal. Depression or a period of depression is extremely common, especially amongst teenagers. There are so many challenges high school students face that are unique to their experience—pressure to decide what to do after graduation, pressure to succeed in academics and extracurricular activities, pressure to fit in with the “popular crowd,” pressure to find a first job, pressure (for those who identify as LGBTQ) to figure out who they are and how to come out. The list goes on and on. From my experience of battling my own mental health concerns, talking to others and hearing the normalization of depression and anxiety proved to be incredibly helpful. This underscores an important point. Depression feeds on feelings of loneliness; silence on the matter serves to only exacerbate the problem. If the conversation around mental health continues to be mute, then the stigma continues to escalate. This is not to the fault of those experiencing depression, but rather the fault lies in our unwillingness to directly confront this topic. If you are experiencing mental health concerns, please know this. This is normal. It is okay. Please talk to someone. A parent, a teacher, a coach, a counselor, a friend. People are willing to listen. I am willing to listen. Our nonprofit operation has a 4 pronged approach: (1) to chip away at the stigma; (2) to teach how to deal with and accept depression and depressive thoughts; (3) to show that everyone, including those who seem like they have it all together, has experienced depression or a depressive spell at some point in their life; and (4) to prevent more kids from taking their own lives. If you want to help us achieve those goals, please reach out. All support is welcomed, and appreciated. We are stronger when we work together. Join me in starting this long-overdue conversation. With much love, Marcus
35 Comments
Pat Gagne
9/24/2017 03:47:26 pm
I will help any way I can Marcus- thank you for getting the conversation started.
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Marcus
9/25/2017 09:24:09 pm
Hi Pat! Hope you are doing well. If you are interested, we would love to have you fill this out just so we have a centralized list of people to contact in the near future! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd9x7S0TUT_HfDUx6F045TtY8DsN1p5u3qklsF1QaEvzdkFQg/viewform
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Mindi Matthies
9/24/2017 04:21:12 pm
Please let me know how I can help!!
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Marcus Miller
9/25/2017 09:24:42 pm
Hello! If you are interested we would love if you could fill this out! Thanks! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd9x7S0TUT_HfDUx6F045TtY8DsN1p5u3qklsF1QaEvzdkFQg/viewform
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Matt stahr
9/24/2017 05:18:26 pm
Marcus,
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Marcus Miller
9/25/2017 09:25:12 pm
Hey Matt! Thanks so much. If you could fill this out that would be great! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd9x7S0TUT_HfDUx6F045TtY8DsN1p5u3qklsF1QaEvzdkFQg/viewform
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brad ortmeier
9/24/2017 05:56:09 pm
Marcus. Well written. Myself and many other parents and leaders are here to help. Let me know what I can do to help
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Marcus Miller
9/25/2017 09:25:53 pm
Hi Brad! If you could fill this out, that would be awesome! Thanks so much. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd9x7S0TUT_HfDUx6F045TtY8DsN1p5u3qklsF1QaEvzdkFQg/viewform
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Jyll Miner
9/24/2017 07:17:35 pm
Totally in full supportvof whatever help I can offer at any time in any way. Your words are heartfelt and speak for many. Thank you for your continued support of your hometown.
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Marcus Miller
9/25/2017 09:27:19 pm
Hi Jyll,
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Hannah Ryan
9/24/2017 07:28:12 pm
Well written, Marcus! Yes....let us know how we can help!
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Marcus Miller
9/25/2017 09:26:38 pm
Hi Mrs. Ryan!
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Kay Oberender
9/24/2017 08:17:53 pm
After 32 yearsworking in the mental health field, I am so pleased to see young people getting involved and being part of the solution to these devastating and potentially life threatening illnesses. Let us know what you need from us in the form of help.
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Marcus Miller
9/25/2017 09:28:00 pm
Hi Kay! Thank you so much for your service in this field. If you could fill this out that would be super helpful!
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Kay Oberender
10/25/2017 07:56:20 am
Willing to help in any way possible. My daughter is also a therapist and I have some other good network for mental health therapy. Thank you for initiating this support system and group.
Jodee Grefe-Strub
9/25/2017 04:36:28 am
Thank you for starting this conversation! My 20 year old attended Johnston and has known someone who committed suicide every year starting as a freshman. It is long past time that the light is brought to this subject!
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Marcus Miller
9/25/2017 09:29:32 pm
Hi Jodee-- that is unfortunately my experience as well. Thanks for reaching out. If you are interested in helping out, it would be awesome if you could fill this out! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd9x7S0TUT_HfDUx6F045TtY8DsN1p5u3qklsF1QaEvzdkFQg/viewform
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Debbie Hanauer
9/25/2017 05:26:50 am
This is wonderful. Thank you Marcus. Let us know what we can do to help
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Marcus Miller
9/25/2017 09:30:23 pm
Hi Debbie! Thanks so much. If you could fill this out that would be super helpful! Thanks again! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd9x7S0TUT_HfDUx6F045TtY8DsN1p5u3qklsF1QaEvzdkFQg/viewform
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Tammy Joslin
9/25/2017 06:24:03 am
Marcus, you and other students working toward awareness of this disease are amazing people. Please let me know what I can do to help.
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Marcus Miller
9/25/2017 09:31:03 pm
Hi Tammy,
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Dawn Vandermillen
9/25/2017 07:48:42 am
Please keep me informed! I’d love to be apart of this!
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Marcus Miller
9/25/2017 09:31:41 pm
Hi Dawn,
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Laura Scieszinski
9/25/2017 01:26:31 pm
Hey Marcus I think your action for suicide prevention is comendable. Johnston has grieved too many deaths and many more suffer in silence. I became a trained counselor spring 2015 for the National Suicide Prevention Line and am very involved in my local community's counseling center Headquarters Vounseling Center (link below) that aims specifically for suicide prevention. Theres a lot of helpful research on the younger population, especially marginilized communities as you mentioned. If there's anything I can help you with from my experience and network please let me know. ❤️
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Marcus Miller
9/25/2017 09:35:03 pm
Hi Laura,
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Chris Wilson
9/25/2017 05:06:13 pm
Hi Marcus, I am excited to hear more about your plans and ideas. I connected with Luke yesterday and he is sending me the Executive Summary for you not for profit plan. I am the student well being coordinator in Johnston. I would love to support your work in anyway I can. We are starting a new youth led mental health awareness program called Sources of Strength this fall. It would be great to engage our alumni in the effort! Thanks for all your work.
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Marcus Miller
9/25/2017 09:34:10 pm
Hi Chris,
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Andrea Schaa
9/25/2017 05:54:50 pm
Thank you so much for starting this conversation. I have two young children going through the Johnston School District and would love to know how the community could get more involved in this discussion.
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Marcus Miller
9/25/2017 09:33:14 pm
Hi Andrea,
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Jose Iregui
9/26/2017 05:33:16 am
Please read your own comments @ the Odyssey when my daughter raised this issue two years ago......
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Marcus Miller
9/26/2017 07:16:08 am
Hello Jose,
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Jodi Thorson-Eichacker
9/26/2017 05:59:34 pm
Marcus,
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Marcus
10/25/2017 07:42:34 am
Hi Jodi, So sorry for the delay in response! Have you had a chance to fill out the google form? If not, the link should is located towards the top of the comments section. If you could fill that out that will help us keep in touch and let you know how you can help! Thanks so much for your interest and support!
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Angela McKenzie
10/16/2017 01:05:22 am
Dear Marcus, Thank you for startinag these conversations. Dawson's friend was our neighbor and his family. I am also Sam Mckenzie's mom. We lost him 21 months ago. We need a support group for survivors in Johnston. Yes there have been to many deaths in this community. I am involved in a support group and it has been helpful and plan on volunteering and have been sharing my story. FLY HIGH SAM!
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Marcus
10/25/2017 07:47:07 am
Hi Angela,
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Marcus MillerHello! Thank you for checking out my blog. I graduated from Johnston High School in Iowa back in 2015, and am attending the University of Iowa, where I am studying political science and ethics and public policy. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Archives
May 2018
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