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Coquitlam student podcasts tackle stigma, mental health concerns

Saturday podcasts on topical issues for Coquitlam area teens put mental health in the spotlight: Two former Gleneagle students to share how they transitioned from high school to university life in program leading up to April 25 virtual conference
0324 Gleneagle Talk to Me
Gleneagle secondary students in Coquitlam get ready for their Talk To Me virtual conference on mental health.

A group of Coquitlam students wants to lessen the stigma around mental health concerns with a special virtual event where people share their stories with the goal of empowerment.

Talk To Me is an annual event run by Con-X leadership students at Gleneagle secondary to raise awareness about mental health in the local community. 

Each year, Talk To Me features student and guest speakers sharing inspiring stories with the audience. This year, the group has partnered up with Jack.org, Canada's only charity that trains and empowers young leaders to revolutionize mental health, to present Talk to Me 7.0.

“With the purpose of de-stigmatizing discussions surrounding mental health, our theme this year is “Initiating empowerment, giving power to all,” said student Liz Jung in a press release.

The conference features speakers from Jack.org, as well as student and guest speakers sharing their stories about mental illness. 

This year, due to COVID, the students will be hosting a pre-filmed virtual conference, with screenings and a major release April 25.

There will also podcasts each Saturday to provide exposure leading up to the conference, with the last podcast on April 3. 

This week’s podcast, on Saturday, March 27, features Phia Guan and Aileen Zhang, two former students of Gleneagle, who will share their experience with transitioning from high school to university life and how they learned to shift their approach to mental health