The Farmers Bank Ambassador students brought mental health awareness to the forefront Wednesday afternoon during a ribbon-cutting ceremony in front of a new mural “You Are Not Alone” they painted on the side of a building on West Market Street in downtown Princeton.
Farmers Bank HR and Marketing Director and leader of the bank’s Ambassador Program Tiffany Massey said this is the 4th year of the bank’s Ambassador Program and year after year she continues to be amazed by the passion our youth leaders have and what they see is important for our community. She said she was proud of the students that were a part of this year’s Ambassador Program.
click to download audioShe also thanked District Judge Matt Schalk for allowing them to use his building to paint the mural, Judge-Executive Kota Young, Mayor Brock Thomas, Joiner’s Hardware, Caldwell County High School, the Pennyroyal Center, and Joe Duncan for sharing his amazing artistic talent and helping the Ambassadors bring their vision to life.
Following her comments, Judge Young thanked Massey for her incredible leadership for four years. He then read a proclamation written by the Ambassador students.
click to download audioFollowing his remarks, five Ambassador students spoke about the issues that they face with Colin Teutsch talking about the importance of mental health among high school students.
click to download audioKendra Winters spoke about the impact of mental health issues stemming from natural disasters, grief, and suicide. Winters noted that she has been affected by COVID-19, the tornado, the passing of Wes York, and losing two classmates to suicide.
click to download audioJack Englebright talked about the difficulty young men face when discussing mental health issues.
click to download audioEllie Ramey talked about the stress of high school life which is a challenging time with many demands due to sports, tests, and academic standards.
click to download audio
And the last Ambassador student to speak was Rachel McClung, who said no matter what age, shape, or stage of life everyone goes through struggles and mental health challenges. She said it’s important to ask for help when you need it.
click to download audioFollowing their remarks, Farmers Bank President/CEO Jeff McDaniels said this was the second time he has celebrated a mural, but he was “extremely humbled” to be standing in front of this mural.
click to download audioCertified Prevention Specialist Chris Sparks from the Pennyroyal Center also spoke and met with the Ambassador students at one of their meetings to help them know what resources were available and share some information on mental health.
The Ambassador students have also created a website www.caldwellcountymentalhealth.com where you can go to access local and national mental health resources.
For complete remarks from the students and other speakers, click on the audio link below:
