MetroWest Ice Cream Social Connects Teen Activists With Area Leaders

HOPKINTON, MA - A group of female teen leaders mentored by the MetroWest Commission on the Status of Women met with local leaders last week in a unique icebreaker event designed to give officials the scoop on issues that most urgently impact teen mental health - an ice cream social.

Held at the Hopkinton Historical Society, the MetroWest Athena Council hosted the two-hour meeting. It attracted more than 25 legislators, officials, school committee members and women leaders from Hopkinton, Holliston, Framingham and Natick despite schedules jammed with graduation and community events.

Some of the dignitaries included state Rep. Jack Lewis; Framingham School Committee Chair Priscila Sousa; former Framingham City Councilor Margareth Shepard; Hopkinton Select Board members Amy Ritterbusch and Shahidul Mannan; Holliston political advocate and state rep candidate James Arena-DeRosa; Hopkinton Town Clerk and state rep candidate Connor Degan; and Hopkinton School Committee members Nancy Richards-Cavanaugh, Amanda Fargiano and Holly Morand.

"I always say I think I found my posse with the commission," commision co-chair Heather Panahi said. "These women are some of the most committed activists and changemakers in women's advocacy right now."

Since its inception in 2015, the commission has hosted dozens of forums and public awareness campaigns championing issue of particular concern to women. The members have been sharing their skills by mentoring nine Athena Council members this school year as the young women conducted research on what they found to be increased stress and mental health concerns among their peers. Other issues they have tackled this hear include human trafficking in MetroWest, LQBTQ+ and BIPOC students' rights, and climate resiliency.

"A few years ago after one of our events, our commission recognized that if we truly wanted to be sure that all voices were heard, heeded and amplified, we had to find a way to engage our youngest constituents," Panahi said. One goal was to mentor and inspire those who identify as teen girls "to feel empowered and entitled" as they advocated for solutions to issues that impact their lives daily.

The Athena Council, which officially formed in January 2021, was named for the Greek goddess of war, wisdom, law, justice and inspiration. It includes memers between the ages of 14 and 19 who live or attend school in MetroWest who share a commitment to advancing the rights of those who identify as women or girls.

Panahi added that the idea of the Athena Council now may be replicated in other regions of the state.

Deirdre Belger, who just graduated from Hopkinton High School, led the presentation on the Athena Council mental health survey, which they worked on for 18 months. Members noted that 56% of respondents said that their mental health decreased during the school year. Ninety-three percent of them attributed this decline to stress as they coped with the pandemic, school and family challenges, and increasingly demanding schedules.

"Through the hosting of multiple teen listening sessions, our monthly meetings, and ultimately the distribution of a region-wide survey," Belger said, "we believe we have a much better understanding of what teenage girls in MetroWest need from all of you - better support and resources regarding mental health."

Members noted that they gain most of their information on mental health concerns from the internet, which may not always be the most reliable source because it presents a myriad of opinions. During breakout sessions with leaders, young women shared that they were reluctant to tell their families about their problems because of cultural stigmas around mental illness. They were also unsure about confiding in school leaders who might think they were suggesting that their families were the source of their stress.

One concern the teens found was that 77.6% of the respondents were white females. They are looking for ways to better reach students of color and teens who are immigrants.

Sousa, who is currently running for state representative, said that she has adopted the term "mental hygiene" in her discussions rather than mental health due to the negative perception about mental health treatment.

Athena Council member Ashwina Bangari said she appreciated that term.

"It sets a precedent for the future and will help break the cycle," she said.

Nearly two-thirds of the survey respondents said they reached out to a school counselor or social worker for help. For those who wanted to pursue professional help, the cost was their primary worry.

One concept that helped students at Hopkinton High School was the implementation of flex blocks. These unscheduled periods allowed students to make up work or tests they had missed due to absences caused by COVID-19 quarantines or other health issues.

One concern of the young women was the mental health of their male counterparts, who they said are less likely to discuss their feelings.

"They tend to downplay what they are going through and not ask for help," Bangari said.

Sousa added that commonly used phrases like "cry like a girl" and "take it like a man" further reinforce the negative stereotypes about mental health.

Anjali Batra said she has had to take a mental health day absence because the pressure of Advanced Placement classes, stress, afterschool activities and counseling her peers became overwhelming.

"I missed an AP exam," she shared. "Catching up was so stressful."

She noted that, when students had to be absent school because of a quarantine, they could miss a whole section of learning, compounding their stress as they tried to make up the work.

As the event concluded, the teen and adult leaders said they would collaborate to find ways to better engage young adults in both advocating for and seeking mental health resources. The momentum to move forward together was both genuine and palpable.

"It was exciting to have an open discussion about mental health with these leaders," said Tomo Oga after the event.

“As a former commissioner on the MetroWest Commission on the Status of Women, I greatly enjoyed connecting with the Athena Council at the Legislative Ice Cream Social," said Shepard, who is running for state representative. "The Athena Council does remarkable work advocating for the needs of female-identified teens 14-19 in their own communities and in the larger Commonwealth. The commission has been instrumental in advocating for vital legislation, and I look forward to continuing to work closely with them in building a Commonwealth that truly supports women and girls."

"I felt so lucky to be invited to this event," noted Morand after the meeting. "The young women of the Athena Council are doing outstanding work. Their presentation on mental health made it clear that they are passionate about this issue and did the work to collect meaningful data. These data show there is a huge opportunity in the MetroWest region to improve mental health resources, both in school and out of school, for our student population."

"It was an honor to connect with the students on the Athena Council of the MetroWest Commission on the Status of Women," added Lewis. "The commissioners are steadfast champions of equity and justice for women and girls and have been vital partners in the legislative process. I look forward to ongoing work with the Athena Council and larger commission in advancing our shared values.”

"I was so thrilled to see these young women working to identify these concerns among others in the region," Degan noted after the event. "We need to take this as another sign to treat mental health in the same way we do physical health to address the pressure that is caused by the demands of education in the MetroWest."

The Athena Council currently is seeking new members for the upcoming school year. To learn more, go to this Instagram link or email metrowestcommission@gmail.com. Follow this link to the online application for the Athena Council.