LAHS Clubs Host Rescheduled SALA Seminar on Youth Mental Health

Los Alamos High School students brought a community conversation about youth mental health to the SALA Event Center on Friday evening, offering local resources, fundraising and conversation after a snowstorm forced the program to be postponed. The rescheduled seminar ran from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and was open to adults as well as youth.

Organized by LAHS Key Club with help from the National Honor Society and Rotary Interact Club, the program featured local speakers Dr. Magdelena Karlick of Los Alamos JJAB and Jessica Strong, described as a mental-health advocate and Los Alamos County Social Services Director. Promotional material for the event summarized the program this way: “Together, they will discuss emotional well-being and how to support oneself and others.” Attendees were offered a free catered meal from El Parasol and the event included cotton-candy sales, with all profits pledged to Erika’s Lighthouse.

Student organizers framed the seminar as part of a broader effort to reduce stigma, create safe spaces for young people to speak about struggles and to equip peers and adults with tools to support emotional well-being. Key Club members have a history of local fundraising for youth mental health; earlier efforts included cotton-candy sales at the Los Alamos Summer Concert Series that previously resulted in donations to Erika’s Lighthouse and Los Alamos JJAB.

The student-service dimension of the evening was underscored by recent recognition of LAHS junior Gyasi Atta-Fynn as a Rotary “Distinguished Student of Service.” Gyasi, a member of National Honor Society, Key Club and Rotary Interact, logged 109 service hours in Key Club and 40 service hours in Rotary Interact over three years, has served as Key Club vice president elect and Rotary Interact publicist, and is active in school choir. In an essay summarized by the Rotary writeup, Gyasi wrote that “the rise of social media and cyberbullying” is taking a toll on self-esteem and confidence, “leading to feelings of isolation,” and that volunteering at a Christmas party for foster children helped him “to better understand the need of young people to fit in and be part of a larger community.”

The seminar fits into a pattern of student-led civic engagement in Los Alamos, where service clubs move between community events, fundraising and public education. Rotary’s local recognition of student service rests on the club’s motto, “Service above Self,” and honors juniors nominated by teachers for demonstrated service and adherence to Rotary’s 4-Way Test. LAHS Interact continues other activities this spring, including a talent show with an application deadline in March and proceeds designated for an international health cause.

For Los Alamos residents, the event illustrated how school-based service clubs act as a bridge between young people and community supports, channeling fundraising and volunteer energy into local mental health efforts. Organizers did not specify registration or admission requirements in event notices; those seeking to stay involved can watch for future school-club events and local volunteer opportunities that link youth service and behavioral health supports.