BELTON, Texas — Annisah Eugene is a freshman at Early College High School in Killeen and a mental health advocate for teens her age.
"I feel like everyone needs to do their part, even people my age," she told 25 News.
"I feel as if we don't feel comfortable enough to do so, and that's why I'm here."
Eugene joined the Bell County Public Health District's youth suicide prevention panel on Tuesday to talk about some of the challenges her generation faces and how to help.
"When it comes to being this age, especially in this generation, in this time, we do need a lot of support," she said.
Eugene touched on the importance of kids having support from family as they manage through a life of social media use, body image issues and mental health concerns.
"We are so focused on growing up and how our future is or how we're holding ourselves now, that we're now thinking about how that affects us mentally," she said.
"I feel as if parents today need to be prepared to hear hard things from their children randomly."
It's not just parents. The conference showed how everyone can play a role in keeping our children safe.
"We are all a part of the village that helps children to be successful," said Director of Killeen ISD's Elementary Counseling, Shannon Lumar.
"We need the parents, the teachers, the community members, everybody getting this information about mental health and social and emotional learning."
Susie Reynolds Reece was another speaker at Tuesday's event. She lost her father to suicide as a child and is now the Director of the Lived Experience Initiative with the Suicide Prevention Center.
Reece travels the country to raise awareness and encourage parents to start these tough conversations at home.
"There's several conversations we just know we'll have to have as a parent with our children," she said.
"I think these conversations are really important for us as parents, for us as community members, but we need to include the youth but be practical in how we do it as well."
If you are struggling with your mental health or suicidal thoughts, you can call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988.
