First-ever Youth Mental Health Rally held in Franklin, spearheaded by 10-year-old girl

By Taylor Thompson

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    FRANKLIN, North Carolina (WLOS) — 10-year-old Gracie Parker put together the first-ever Youth Mental Health Help Rally in the town of Franklin.

Gracie, who’s a 4th-grade student in the Macon County School District, had a clear message Sunday, April 30, during her rally: All schools, especially elementary schools, need trauma counselors.

And she’s calling on county officials to make sure this happens.

She has experienced her own fair share of trauma in just 10 short years.

When Gracie was a baby, she lost her mom due to drugs, and her dad has been in and out of jail her entire life.

Gracie said for a long time she felt helpless, until she talked with her friends and classmates and realized she’s not alone in experiencing trauma.

That’s when Gracie knew that she needed to speak out about the mental health issues kids face.

She said trauma, along with bullying that occurs in all grade levels, can push some kids over the edge, and that it’s unacceptable that there are children silently hurting because they don’t have anyone to talk to.

That’s why Gracie said she’s advocating for trauma counselors in every school. She said that if Macon County Commissioners and the school board don’t prioritize funding for these counselors, their positions will be eliminated by 2024.

Gracie explained that during the COVID-19 pandemic, all schools received trauma counselors, but now that COVID-19 funding is gone, all those counselors will soon be gone if they don’t make a change.

She said she believes mental health and physical health go hand-in-hand.

“Sometimes, the word is spread to my school, like what I’m doing, and they’re like, ‘Thank you for speaking out for me, thank you for doing something I could never do,’” Gracie said.

She said she, along with many other kids her age, has dealt with so much to still be so young, and that they need a safe space to talk about their experiences and gain knowledge and understanding about how to deal with them.

One advocate for youth mental health, Rhonda Drake, said it’s vital for these kids to have an outlet.

She said trauma counselors in schools are important because kids need a safe space they can go while in school where they’ll be heard and not judged.

As a parent and grandparent herself, Drake said adults must be the help.

“Find help, be the help, find it together because they’re looking up to us,” Drake said.

She added that this is not a conversation to take lightly and that Gracie is the bravest kid she’s ever met — to be able to step up and advocate for this issue at such a young age.

As for Gracie, she said her plans go further than just the Macon County School District.

“I’m going to become President,” she said. ‘You’re going to see some changes in this world once I’m 36.”

Gracie said as President, she would ensure trauma counselors are funded in every school countrywide and that all teachers obtain more mental health training.

At the end of the rally, Gracie led a march to the courthouse where she left her call to action on the door.

The call to action has two goals she’s asking of commissioners:

The need for trauma counselors — not just guidance counselors — back in all schools, especially at the elementary school level. Continue to raise awareness for youth mental health needs and stop bullying in schools and everywhere else.

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