Scholarship to raise awareness of mental illness
Austin American-StatesmanMar 21, 2019
His step-dad
"People were attracted to him and he always seemed to make people feel happy around him," he said.
Hanson died in
A group of parents, educators and friends of Hanson have formed a scholarship in Hanson's name to help open the dialogue in schools and in the community that mental health and anxiety should not be treated any differently than other diseases.
"It's just a matter of continuing a conversation," said
The
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Local therapist
Suicide is the second-leading cause of death for people between the ages and 10 and 24, according to statistics from the
"With the school being so big, its competitive to be in that top 10 percent, which is supposed to guarantee auto admission to college," Floyd said. "And now UT is cutting that to only admitting the top 6 percent. The difference in your class ranking can literally be one point. There's just a lot of pressure all around."
The group behind the Erik Kyle Hanson scholarship fund said the project is more than just about rewarding money to a deserving student, but also about starting a "movement" to Engage and Heal, an acronym of Hanson's name, and reminding people to never take for granted the opportunity to say one thing that may change a person's life in that very moment
"Take a moment to engage someone in conversation, listen to what someone is saying, put down your phone, ask some questions and show some interest," said
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Hanson was a 2017 graduate of
Floyd said that through their efforts, they hope students realize they aren't alone. Everyone can be affected by mental health whether they are an athlete, cheerleader, band member or theater kid.
"We have to stop sweeping it under the rug," Floyd said. "This is real. It's not just teenagers, it involves adult and kids. Anxiety and depression lead to bigger things. If you can start the conversation you're already winning half the battle."
The group is hosting a minigolf event at
Tickets can be purchased at eventbrite.com. Floyd said for those who cannot attend and want to donate, a donation option is available on the event page. Donations will be accepted through
Based on Hanson's parents wishes, the scholarship will go to a graduating football player who does not have an athletic scholarship and has a financial need. The scholarship will be awarded in May.
"Our goal is to delicately educate the community with every fundraiser and opportunity we have with students," Hassenfratz said. "We'll have some educational materials available for participants. As we start to introduce this to schools, I'm hoping we can go to athletes and do presentation to kids on how to balance. We want them to be happy, open to learning and connecting, and be able to ask for help."
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