ROCHESTER — Among the dozens of rooms attached to Mayo High School’s iconic circular hallway is one with dimmed lighting and soft music.
On a recent Thursday, one student was napping on a couch in the corner, and another was sitting in a chair, engrossed in a laptop. That’s part of the purpose of this room: a place to decompress and unwind in a slow-paced environment.
But the most notable feature of this room is that there is always someone there to listen. To be more specific, I have friends who always listen to me. After all, that’s the point of this room. It’s in the name.
TOPS: Teens Providing Peer Support.
This has proven beneficial for students on both sides of the conversation: those giving and receiving support.
“Honestly, I think this program has been helpful to me and has created a safe space for me,” said Sam LeBlasser, a student who has used the program and is still in the program. . “I just wanted to give back and help others. I think helping others helps myself as well.”
In a world where anxiety and depression levels are on the rise among young people, the TOPS Room has become a well-known presence at Mayo High School, expanding from just the room itself to the entire school culture.
One helped spearhead Mental Health Awareness Week in schools. Students in the TOPS program also began discussing the program with younger students at Willow Creek Middle School to help them understand that the program is a helpful resource in high school.
Its influence extends beyond Mayo’s walls. Amanda Burgett, the school’s student resiliency specialist, spread the concept to schools in Austin and then Duluth through mental health networking circles. She also worked with Casson-Manterville High School as they were holding a mental health fair.
Burget has an office in the TOPS room and is responsible for school programs overseas. However, it is primarily student-driven. And just as students are the ones in the room providing a listening ear, they are also the ones vocalizing the need for it in the first place.
“In the fall of 2018, a Mayo High School student died by suicide,” senior Shannon Chen said. “So the student’s friends got together and went to the administration and said, “We need a program within the school building to support the mental health needs of students.”
While this program does not eliminate the possibility of such a tragedy happening again, students are confident that it will add at least one more precaution: that their peers will be safe and listening. I understand it’s another safety net to feel like I’m getting it.
Although it is a system for students to help other students, it is not as simple as it seems at first glance. Students must apply to become a peer supporter. There is an interview process and confidentiality requirements. Students working as peer supporters also had the opportunity to learn more about their role through a variety of speakers.
The program has continued to grow since it was first launched over five years ago. In its early days, only a few students visited the room throughout the day, Burge said. But then the pandemic hit and students were forced to return home and learn remotely.
When everyone finally returned from remote learning, a line of students snaked around the room, prompting the school to move the program to a larger space, Burgett said. These days, the program is just part of the school’s fabric.
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And while it’s a resource for students in need of support, it’s also proven to be beneficial for students who attend for their peers. Multiple students said it helped them learn to broaden and build their communication skills.
But beyond that, it also helped them build empathy for their peers. Leblassure and Chen said working on the program helped them to challenge assumptions about people and realize that everyone faces challenges that the rest of the world doesn’t. Ta.
Another peer supporter said that participating in the program helped her become a more empathetic and caring person.
Burge talked about it as well, emphasizing how helping others positively impacts both sides of the equation: those who serve and those who are served.
“I think we are built to serve people and build community with people,” Burgett said. “So by doing that, we can reap the benefits.”
