Moving here last year was tough: BHS, while wonderful, is a completely different environment than I was used to. My old school wasn’t as open; the kids and staff there were not as welcoming. Coming here was such an eye opener….especially in the area of mental health.

For this reason and more, Sources of Strength—a program introduced to BHS last year—was truly a breath of fresh air for someone who didn’t grow up here and never even heard of it. 

Many schools don’t have the resources or even think that it should be a priority to focus on students’ mental health, but this generation needs this kind of attention more and more every day. 

I was invited into the program, and after just one Sources of Strength meeting, I realized I did in fact have a support system in many different ways. I also had to understand that many people need their own support systems to help them through their issues—not just mental-help-wise, but even emotionally or socially.

After the meeting, I asked BHS psychologist Dr. Ricci why he felt Sources of Strength is such a necessity for Bethpage High School students. He explained, “This program is trying to provide a space where students can feel safe but also connect with their teachers and peers.”

Dr. Ricci also expressed that last year was about letting the students of BHS understand what Sources of Strength was…but this year, he hopes Sources of Strength can prosper even further.

For this new student who was quite impressed…I can’t agree more.