On Wednesday, April 28, the third annual Mental Health Summit at ELHS took place. Vendor tables, presentations and various activities were set up throughout the school for community members to visit. There were prize giveaways, slime making, Rooted Counseling, the Lansing Community College Psychology Club and many more.    

Colton Hughes, who owns Element Massage, was a popular vendor at the summit.  At his table, guests could relax in massage chairs and try different aromatherapy scents. 

“We take great care of [our clients], and then they leave happier than when they walked in,” Hughes said. 

Element Massage focuses on various nature biomes, relaxing music and themed decorations for the guests’ experience. 

Another vendor, The Women’s Center of Greater East Lansing, emphasized its goal of helping women become self-sustaining. Rashmi Travis, the new director of the center as of April 26, leads the organization as a whole with this same mentality.

“We offer employment support, personal hygiene supplies and basically empower women in terms of housing or food insecurities,” Travis said.          

Another favorite among attendees was Canines for Change, an organization that trains service, therapy and facility dogs. Five dogs and their handlers were present from the institute. 

Ranger, a one year old doodle training to be a service dogs for those with epilepsy, is scheduled to start working with patients in July, and the institute hopes to have him certified by the end of the summer. 

Gravy, a five year old chocolate lab and Arlo, a two year old yellow lab have worked full time at Grand Ledge High School for the past five years. Grand Ledge Public Schools was the first of many school districts in Michigan to add full time service dogs, many trained by Canine’s for Change. 

At 6:15 PM, vendors and members of the community gave presentations regarding their experience with mental health struggles or their involvement in the summit. Mathematics teacher Mark Foster was one of the presenters who spoke, sharing his experience with depression.

Foster was diagnosed with treatment-resistant depression in 1999 and has struggled with mental health throughout his life. In high school, his mother was diagnosed with lung cancer, and died of the disease his freshman year of college. Later, when he was a track coach, he experienced emotional numbness, struggling to feel excitement and joy during positive moments. 

“I was breathing but not alive,” Foster said. 

After multiple depression episodes, Foster teaches his students the importance of friendship when someone is struggling. Something as little as letting someone know you’re there for them can have an large impact.