FORTVILLE — On a flyer posted on bathroom stalls around Mt. Vernon High School, multiple QR codes are available to scan for students who need access to mental resources and more.
Senior Mya Adams created a QR code that leads to a self-made website, which then provides multiple pages of self-help resources that students can utilize on their own and in private.
Adams said that the four topics the website offers resources and quick links to help students are on drug abuse and addiction; domestic issues that can be found at home; bullying; and then overall mental health.
“I initially created it at a summer camp where they encouraged us to identify an issue within our school district or within other school districts, and so I just chose the kind of the issue that everyone has seen rising recently,” Adams said.
Adams said that working with Jordan Gerbsch, who was a school counseling intern this past semester while also teaching English, had allowed her to make her idea of bringing this to the school a reality.
Adams said that Gerbsch helped edit and make tweaks to the website, making it productive as possible.
Gerbsch said that Brooke Tharp, principal, and Kacie Grimm, school counseling director, liked Adam’s idea and wanted to find a way to streamline what she had created and also add the resources that were available through the high school. QR codes for the already existing Request to See Counselor form as well as the Bullying Report form were added along to Adams QR code.
“I think Mya’s project is a positive and important addition to our school because it brings an approachability to accessing mental health resources since it’s a student-led initiative. Students are often more eager to pay attention when information is coming from their peers, and Mya has made it so easy for students to access the help and resources they may need through her QR code,” Gerbsch said.
Gerbsch said she plans to also use these resources in the future with her career.
“Students have so many resources at their fingertips with their phones and Chromebooks, but it can also be overwhelming to know where to look or where to begin,” Gerbsch said. “As an aspiring school counselor, I would love to use resources like these in my career.”
By bringing this resource to her school, Adams said she hopes to give kids at her school different opportunities to get help without feeling ashamed and allow them to take full advantage, or perhaps just simply view the quick links.
“Just knowing that it’s there for them is important to me,” Adams said.
Adams said what really inspired her to make these resources available was the passing of her relative who suffered from alcohol addiction.
“She was such a good person, and I know that she did have a lot of potential and that a lot of her issues started in highschool and I think that sometimes, even if she was able to get help in a private way, or where she wasn’t ashamed of it, things could have been different,” Adams said.
Adams said that normalizing the conversation goes a long way, and is getting the conversation started — whether it’s an actual conversation or looking at links — by having a flyer in every stall in every bathroom. Adams said by doing this, it’s a constant reminder that there is help available.
Adams said that while she believes her school offers good resources for students, it is often in a public way and that sometimes taking the first step is the hardest step. Adams said she hopes these QR codes make that first step easier.
Being a part of student government, Adams also utilizes her position and fellow students to help make sure the QR codes are to remain posted and in good condition.
“I think it’s so impressive that Mya is using her voice and position of Student Body President to make mental health resources accessible and approachable to Mt. Vernon’s student population,” Gerbsch said. “I’m proud of what she has achieved for herself, for other students, and our school.”
Adams also recently received the Lilly Endowment Scholarship, tuition for a four-year college or university in Indiana, and plans to triple major in political science, psychology, and history to pursue a career in public law.
