FAIRFAX, Vt. (WCAX) – A former BFA-Fairfax student is using her struggle with depression to teach other students about mental health.

What began as a senior year project for school could redefine how Fairfax area middle school students learn about mental health.

Elise Towle was a middle schooler at BFA when her depression first kicked in. She was already feeling the stigma surrounding mental health and didn’t feel supported in her health classes.

“They didn’t teach us about depression and anxiety and all that stuff in middle school, and I think it would have been really helpful if they did, because when you’re starting to see those signs, then you can notice, ‘Hey, maybe I need to reach out for some help,’” Towle said.

Fast forward to senior year of high school last fall when Towle created a program to teach other students about mental health. The Mental Health in Adolescents project covered signs of mental health struggles, common challenges middle schoolers may face, and where to find help.

“It’s kind of more about just trying to help other people in the ways I wish I could’ve gotten help at that age,” Towle said. She says she hopes to eventually implement the program into BFA’s curriculum.

BFA Principal Liz Noonan believes a student-led conversation about mental health could get through to students better than standard lessons. “When it’s created by students, it’s real to them. It gives them such a more grounded idea of like, ‘Oh, I’m not alone. Somebody else went through this and they came out, and this is how they handled it.,’” Noonan said.

Towle, a lifelong Girl Scout, received a Gold Award, the organization’s highest award that recognizes girls in grades 9 through 12 who develop sustainable solutions to challenges in their communities and beyond. Towle also created a patch that Girl Scouts can purchase after learning about mental health.

Carrie Loszewski with Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains, says Towle exemplifies what the group is about. “Instead of just saying, You know what, that’s too big of an issue or there’s nothing I can do. She said, You know what, I can make a difference. I can do something that will help to make my community better.,” she said.

Now a first-year student at The College of Saint Rose in Albany, Towle is continuing on the mental health path, studying forensic psychology.

Copyright 2023 WCAX. All rights reserved.