Sam’s Senior Project

My name is Samantha Dean, and for my senior project, I am partnering with “Dana’s Sweet Wishes” to help educate our community about the importance of positively promoting mental health awareness and the importance of educating to help end the stigma.

It is estimated that  1 in 5 adults and youth (aged 13–18) experiences a severe mental disorder at some point during their life.  For children aged 8–15, the estimate is 13%. with  7.1% of children aged 3-17 years already diagnosed with anxiety and depression. It is also believed that suicide is the second leading cause of death among 15–29-year-olds.  These statistics are alarming because they also tell us that more than 90% of people who die by suicide show symptoms of an underlying mental health condition; and what is worse, for every one lost life to suicide there are many more people who attempt suicide every year. Also, there is much research that supports that unsupported mental health illnesses like anxiety and depression often lead to the overuse of illegal drugs resulting in many of the drug overdoses that we have witnessed in society today.   

These statistics frightened me, and that is why I decided to partner with “Dana’s Sweet Wishes” for my senior project. This Non-profit organization was founded on behalf of Danamarie Watka who sadly lost her battle with mental illness three years ago. Her organization is dedicated to the support of Mental Health Wellness and education for both children and adults, and I can’t be more excited to work closely on their mission.

T-Shirt Orders

Orders closed, thanks everyone!