By DMA Senior Monica Germack

Mental Health should be important to everyone. In today’s world, I feel as if some people do not know the full extent of what mental health actually is. In my senior year of high school I was offered to take a class called Optimistic Mindset. In this class we have learned many different strategies that can make us happy, why we should be grateful for the things we have around us, and how meditation can truly help us cope. The environment in the classroom made me feel very comfortable and it felt very welcoming to anyone to share feelings that they would like to express. This class was very laid back but we still completed a robust curriculum and accomplished a lot. One of the impactful projects we did as a class was to make a Community Building Agreement to try to make the school a better place. After everyone in the class signed it, we tried many strategies to spread the word throughout the school including presentations to the Commandant, at a faculty meeting, and eventually to the whole school. We ended up getting 31% of the entire school to sign the agreement! A lot of high school students struggle with mental illnesses and by taking this class I feel that people can get a better understanding of what we go through. I feel that since the beginning of the class I have made an impact on myself and have understood some new ways to cope with mental health. My favorite strategy is to meditate. Meditating at least 5 minutes a day can make you feel so much calmer. I would recommend that everyone starts to put a special time in their day to have a meditation session. This class has helped me build a better relationship with my mind and I would strongly recommend any cadet who has an opportunity to take this class to take it.