After being active for over a decade, Carlmont’s Students Offering Support (SOS) program continues to thrive and have a striking impact on student life.
The SOS program at Carlmont was developed for students to get the help they need and support each other. This student-led program offers counseling, conflict mediation, presentations, parent meetings, and many other support systems.
In hopes of making their resources known, they present various topics to freshmen at Carlmont. The topics include suicide, depression, drug and alcohol abuse, eating disorders, LGBTQ+, academic stress, and unhealthy relationships.
“We, as SOS, really want people to know that they can get help. I think that the presentations help establish the resources we can offer to students,” said Tanya Khosravi, the vice president of SOS.
Thanks to these presentations, more students have been reaching out for help and getting involved with SOS.
“A lot of people reach out for help now when they otherwise wouldn’t. I guess people are sometimes scared to go to their counselors, and sometimes it’s easier for them to talk to students,” Khosravi said. “The presentations shed light on that. They let the students know that we’re here for them. And when we present them, we’re letting them know there’s a resource.”
Carlmont’s student life has seen improvements since this program flourished, and it continues to expand its resources.
According to Shelley Bustamante, the head of SOS, mental health issues were not taken seriously before the SOS program emerged. At the time, not many students could receive the help they needed or learn how to effectively resolve their crises. Students and staff were focused solely on academics. This resulted in a less connected student community.
“When I first came here 20 years ago, there were a lot of physical altercations and a high rate of suspension and expulsion. There was gang activity, lots of depression and poverty, and situations that required community agency involvement which there was not a lot of,” Bustamante said.
In addition, the SOS program is an opportunity for students to experience self-improvement.
“I have seen students who’ve never seen themselves as leaders before all of sudden see their self-esteem grow. That gives me chills. It’s the best thing to watch ever,” Bustamante said. “And there are studies that show that your self-esteem drops when you’re entering high school, and by having a purpose, they grow as individuals, and they help others grow.”
This benefit stems from the design of the program, which is effective, as noted by Eric Perkins, a history teacher who is heavily involved with SOS.
“Overall, the idea of student-led information on such topics is a great idea and done pretty well, but there are always ways to improve and reach more students,” Perkins said.
The program’s progress, accomplishments, and growth throughout the years have developed a prominent legacy.
“I’m very proud of the program, and I’m very proud of the students because it’s really them at the core. I think our impact has been positive, and it changes every year with what’s going on in our world,” Bustamante said.
