Together for mental health event emphasizes community
On Monday, Oct. 7, hundreds of high school students throughout Conejo Valley gathered with coaches, teachers and parents, filling almost every seat in the orchestra section of the Kavli theater. They were not there for a performance, but rather for the second annual Together for Mental Health event, hosted by the Meyer and Shulze families, aiming to bring awareness to the importance of taking care of one’s mental health. They hosted speakers including “The Mental Game” podcast host Brandon Saho, Emily Perrin, a social worker and yoga teacher, and an athlete panel, composed of former D1 athletes now competing professionally.
Following the passing of their daughters, Katie Meyer, an NPHS alumna, and Sarah Shulze, a graduate of Oak Park High School, in the spring of 2022, the Meyer family formed Katie’s Save and the Shulze family created the Sarah Shulze Foundation. Gina Meyer, Katie Meyer’s mother, worked with Brigitte Shulze to plan and prepare the second annual Together for Mental Health event. “Both families wanted to do something for the community, as the community has shown such love to both our families, and to bring something positive and helpful to others out of the pain both families have suffered through,” Gina Meyer said.
When planning this event, Gina Meyer and Brigitte Shulze worked to find impactful, relevant speakers, as well as to prepare their student athlete panel. “We invited teammates and friends of Sarah and Katie to share their perspective of losing a friend and how they have incorporated mental health into their lives,” Gina Meyer said. The athlete panel included soccer players Naomi Girma and Kennedy Wesley who attended Stanford with Katie Meyer, Sarah Shulze’s University of Wisconsin teammates Madison Mooney and Victoria Heiligenthal, as well as professional soccer players Alyssa and Gisele Thompson.
Victoria Heiligenthal shared her difficulties coping with the death of her friend and teammate during her collegiate track season. “I was using competing as a [distraction],” Heiligenthal said. “I was just trying to keep my mind busy, trying to push away all the thoughts, all the feelings that I was feeling in relation to Sarah’s passing.” When her grief began to affect her athletic and academic performance in her senior year, Heiligenthal began talking to a therapist to turn things around. “I realized that I needed to give myself more grace, I’m so much more than just Victoria the runner. I am Victoria the person, I’m a great friend to my teammates […] I’m a sister, I’m a daughter, so much more than just being a runner,” Heiligenthal said.
A former collegiate runner who is now beginning her professional career, Maddie Mooney, appreciates the difference encouraging teammates can make. “Your teammates are there to pull you through the hard workouts and to help you on your bad days and also celebrate with you after a good race,” Mooney said.
Now an advocate for mental health awareness, Brandon Saho shared his own journey beginning as a struggling teenager to television sports reporter to where he is now, hosting celebrities and athletes on his podcast to discuss their own challenges. “I didn’t treat [my mental health] real well. I buried it down when I was in high school,” Saho said. “I wish I would have done what I do now, which is when I’m feeling a certain way, I reach out to my best friend, I talk to my therapist, or go to that trusted adult.” Saho emphasized three things you can do if you feel stressed: call a friend, intense exercise or slow breathing and remember feelings are temporary.
Katie’s Save and the Sarah Shulze Foundation aim to bring mental health tools to students to ensure they know that they are not alone. “[I want students to know] that you are loved, you are cherished, and you are treasured by those in your lives,” Gina Meyer said. “Not every day is going to be easy, and life has its up days and down days, but you do have support all around you to help you have a better next day.”
