The high school launched its “Sources of Strength” campaign today as part of a national program that promotes wellness, community and suicide prevention.
The initiative encourages participants to identify their personal “sources of strength” — such as family support, mentorship, or generosity — as part of a school-wide effort to normalize conversations about mental health.
School counselor and yoga therapist Cathy Szendrey is leading the school’s campaign. “It’s actually a suicide-prevention program, but we’re framing it as an empowerment program because it’s about people finding strength in different parts of their lives,” she said.
Today’s “Getting to know us” event took place in the upper cafeteria and invited students and staff to take photos while holding signs that represent their chosen sources of strength. The images will be compiled into a mural to be displayed in the high school.
Szendrey introduced the program to the high school after attending a Sources of Strength training session in North Carolina over the summer. “In 25 years of education, I have never led a program before because they never felt relevant enough,” Szendrey said. “But this one has everything — and it’s backed by data.”
Szendrey said the initiative was inspired in part by the April shooting at the Shaker Heights Main Library. “We were looking for a way for people to rise back up,” she said. “The person who was shot was my former student. This felt like something that could actually help rebuild our community.”
More than 70 students and staff members are involved with the program, with roles divided between peer leaders, adult advisors and supporters. Szendrey hopes to double participation by spring.
Junior Gavin Hurley, a student leader, said he was nominated by teachers for his ability to support others. “As peer leaders, we help students recognize their strengths and use them to get through the day,” he said.
Hurley said that the program has been personally meaningful as well. “It empowers me to understand my own strengths while helping others do the same,” he said.
Junior Sofia Boitor was also invited for her leadership qualities. “Teachers reached out to students they noticed as leaders,” she said. “Now we’re focused on recruiting more students and expanding the group.”
Boitor said that being a part of the program has helped her see the practical ways students can support one another. “It’s not just talking about mental health — it’s about taking action and being there for people when they need it,” she said.
Szendrey said that the program’s goal is to foster a culture of resilience and support. “It takes the whole community to have strength,” she said. “We all might not have every source, but we all have one. And when we lean on each other we are stronger together.”
Future campaigns will focus on themes such as generosity, positive friendships and family support. The high school Sources of Strength team will also collaborate with the middle school’s team during an upcoming wellness fair.
“This is just the start,” Szendrey said. “Our goal today was to get to know each other and show that everyone has a source of strength. When we all share that, we all grow stronger.”
For Boitor, the program has been a reminder of why their work matters. “It’s given me faith that people are looking for connection, especially in a time of so much sadness and negativity,” Boitor said. “We can be sources of strength for each other.”
