By Eric Stevick
Herald Writer
MARYSVILLE — The lean young man in the crisp white T-shirt stood before 400 of his peers — a "small group" by Marysville Pilchuck High School standards — and described a path not taken.
He had considered and even planned to leap from the high school stadium to his death. His jump during a break between classes would be as messy as possible, a final exclamation point to his deep, dark depression. Instead, the dark-haired youth, who is now a junior, popped enough pills to poison himself, threatening his kidneys and liver in the process, and went to school. By fifth period, a friend noticed he was looking ill and informed a counselor.
"Right after school," he said, "was when I was officially going to end my life."
Instead, he found himself crying with a counselor, sharing an internal despair he could not control.
The soft-spoken teen would have to face his parents and meet with counselors. He learned his depression was related to a chemical imbalance in his brain.
Perhaps the most striking image in his re-adjustment was the faces of his friends.
"It’s the weirdest expression you will ever see," he said, describing the initial reunion with his peers. "You find out how many people really care about you."
The junior was one of many students at Marysville Pilchuck High School to share personal stories Wednesday during a compassion-building assembly aimed at increasing student awareness of warning signs to violence and suicide.
"We can make a difference by being aware," said Tiffani Harris, a senior.
"Whether it is being there to listen to someone talk about what is on their mind, or giving them advice and the right help, by knowing the warning signs and building blocks you will be making a difference in someone’s life."
Seven groups of 400 students heard from peers who had survived a personal ordeal.
One senior described the depression she felt after being raped at age 13 by a boy she thought she liked. She quit soccer, dance and "everything that had been important to me." She would wake up in the middle of the night shaking in a cold sweat.
Anorexia ravaged her body. In the 10th grade, she weighed 79 pounds.
When she gained weight and tried to conquer her eating disorder, people called her chunky, and she again felt alone. She took an intentional overdose of aspirin in an attempt to end her life.
Her journey back was long and hard.
She offered her testimonial Wednesday as a sign of hope from someone who "was so close to the edge," only to return and find happiness.
"I know what it’s like to suffer," she said, "to be somewhere you can’t get yourself out of. But with support from family and teachers and friends, I can look around and see people I have seen for years and years and years."
One by one, other students who were not scheduled to speak took turns disclosing inner turmoil they have endured. Later, other students spoke out about what they could do to help others.
"Rumors will push someone over the edge," warned another student who had suffered scars to her chest after a boy lit her on fire several years ago.
Students in the Marysville Pilchuck DECA program, an acronym for Distributive Education Clubs of America, worked with professional psychologists in preparing the assembly. When their teacher and adviser, Jim Pankiewicz, approached them with the idea, there was some initial fear.
"We basically backed him up with our fingers crossed," said Brea Kipperberg, a senior.
The teen who had been raped and recovered from anorexia and depression believes the exercise made an impression on other students and helped the school become closer.
"It was a big relief to look around and see people smiling at you and giving support," she said.
You can call Herald Writer Eric Stevick at 425-339-3446
or send e-mail to stevick@heraldnet.com.
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