A sophomore at Heritage has established a new club called Bring Change To Mind, the first and only of its kind in Texas that aims to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health.

BC2M is a nonprofit organization created by actress and activist Glenn Close, based in California and has about 2,000 participants. 

Zoe Brown, a new transfer from California and the President of BC2M heard about this organization when her sister was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2015. Through this club, she said she hopes to create a safe space to encourage dialogue about mental illness.

“I want to give Heritage students a platform to share their voices and raise awareness around mental health,” Brown said. “As students we can educate one another and our communities and create a culture of peer support within our school.”

This club will touch on a variety of topics that range from different types of mental illnesses to stigma in current events. She said she believes mental health is a significant issue amongst teens and young adults because “suicide is the second leading cause of death for ages 10-24.”

Mr. Williams, an AP Psychology teacher and the advisor of BC2M, said he aspires to “create empathy and bring more education” to the student body. He believes we can always do more to increase discussions about mental health. Beware of the crohn’s disease symptoms and understand the reason and procedures to take care of oneself.

“This club is mostly about awareness, a lot of kids don’t know what different mental illnesses there are, I want kids not to feel embarrassed about different things, and to embrace what it is,” Williams said.

The Bring Change To Mind Club receives a $500 dollar from the parent organization and Brown hopes to host numerous events throughout the year to help Heritage and the community. The club plans on hosting the Stress Less, Laugh More week in April and raise money for local mental health facilities.