On Friday April 8, Monmouth College held its annual My Story event, a program of students who wish to stand in front of their peers and discuss difficult topics. Held in the Hewes Library black box theater, a full house of students sat eager to listen to the speakers’ stories.
Speakers Aiden Earley, Kamea Graham, Leonardo Hernandez Zungia, Olivia Turley, and Ethan Panganiban highlighted a different difficult topic dealing with mental health, and how it affected their lives. Earley, who spoke on the power of music said, “Always respect music and the people who give it out. Any artist that gives anything, they are giving you a piece of their soul.”
Graham touched on the reality of dealing with grief when it came to the passing of her grandmother. “She taught us the importance of being a giver,” she told the audience. Turley read poetry she wrote on the changing perspectives of mental health after processing trauma, and Panganiban opened up to the room about thinking versus doing.
Zungia spoke about finding his inner light, where he discussed turning loneliness into solitude and sadness into grief. “A moment of pain is worth a lifetime of glory,” said Zungia.
Mia Martino Features Editor