For a trio of Auburn Mountainview students, teenage stress is more than a class paper.
It is an opportunity to make a difference.
Amanda Enz, Alexis Grames and Devan Pierce are writing on the topic with an eye toward advancing to the state and national DECA competitions next year. But Enz said they also want to raise awareness about that topic.
“We don’t think people think of teen stress as an issue,” said Enz, adding that all members of her team maintain at least a 3.5 grade-point average and take Advanced Placement classes. “It came to us through stress. We all have experienced anxiety attacks.
“We want to give teenagers healthy ways to deal with their stress.”
According to a 2014 study from the Washington, D.C.-based American Psychological Association, 27 percent of teenagers say they experience “extreme stress” during the school year, which is more than twice the summer average (13 percent). The study also found that teenagers do not always find healthy methods to cope with their stress.
Given that backdrop, the Auburn Mountainview group will write a 30-page paper on the topic, which Enz said will discuss the rationale for selecting their topic, correspondence with the media, and promotion activities, among other subjects. She said the team is busy developing a website and already has gained approval to have a “Stressless Week” at Auburn Mountainview. From Nov. 7-11, Enz said each day will have a designated stress-relief activity, ranging from petting a baby animal to adult-stress coloring books.
Enz said the group wants to educate others about stress and its “health effects on teens and our developing brains,” as well as providing them with coping mechanisms for dealing with it as they enter college and the workforce. Because that cannot be accomplished through a one-week theme, she said she would like to do one promotional activity, such as a presentation, each month.
“We didn’t want to do this project just for a score at a DECA competition. We want to make a difference in at least a few peoples’ lives.”
