May is Mental Health Awareness month, and one Gilman senior hopes everyone in the community knows that “we all have each other.”

For his Personal Directions art class, Truman Paternotte ’24 chose the theme of mental health awareness on which to focus his projects for the school year. “Mental health is not talked about enough in our youth, so I wanted to take this year of independent work to spread a message of love so everyone can be heard,” he said. 

For his sculpture project, Paternotte built a six-foot-tall semicolon, punctuated with messages of encouragement submitted by members of the student body, such as “You are loved” and “You got this.” The piece, titled “Hope,” sits on display in the Lumen Center, just outside the dining hall. The concept of the semicolon — which indicates a sentence isn’t over yet — became a symbol of suicide prevention in 2013.

“He used a variety of materials throughout the year to approach mental health awareness, and, with this piece specifically, he did a great job of engaging the community as well,” said sculpture teacher Sarah Sachs. “By polling students, displaying their quotes, and installing the piece in a high-traffic area, Truman met his goal of spreading awareness on a personal level. I’m thrilled by the positive responses.”

Director of Wellness and Support Christina Kim is, of course, a strong supporter of Paternotte’s art as well. “Proactively strengthening and managing one’s emotional well-being is so important to overall health,” Kim said. “Using the strategies of positive self-talk and reframing can be helpful when someone is struggling with depression, anxiety, and other challenges, and the semicolon sculpture, with its uplifting notes, is a great visual representation of that.”

Paternotte chose to engage others in the making of his art because he wanted “everyone at Gilman to feel like they are a part of this fantastic community … I wanted voices from all around to spread the word that they are there for each other.”

Kim offered the following suggestion to keep in mind for Mental Health Awareness Month and throughout the year: “Remember to check in with your own mental wellness. Am I using healthy coping strategies? How can I help my friends and teammates to do so as well? How can I care for my community?” She noted that everyone has an inner dialogue, and though it can oftentimes sound unkind, people can consciously make the switch to a gentler voice. “Instead of saying ‘I’m not good enough,’ for example, you can say, ‘I’m going to try, and it’s okay to make mistakes.”

And, of course, always remember that support is within reach; on your good days and on your bad days, your Gilman community has your back.

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If you or someone you know is in crisis, help is available: 988helpline.org