By Anna Yang '23

Notre Dame’s student leadership group, Lighthouse, is bringing awareness to students’ mental health across campus. Lighthouse focuses on building community through the lens of mental health, hoping to destigmatize the topic. In the past, Lighthouse has led events at ND, including the series “Tackling Taboo Topics,” covering issues ranging from body positivity to healthy relationships. “Overall, I think the ‘Tackling Taboo Topics’ series is the most impactful thing our group has done because we have opened up the floor and provided information to help ND students have these hard conversations with their friends and families,” says Ambika Ramadurai ‘23, a Lighthouse student leader.

Ramadurai first joined Lighthouse after attending a seminar on Youth Suicide Prevention at San Jose City Hall, where she heard people's stories and first-hand experiences with suicide. “That seminar inspired me to want to learn more about mental health and help people,” she notes. In Lighthouse, she was able to find a community that not only discusses, but educates others about the importance of mental health.

Although many other schools may underestimate the value of mental health education, Ramadurai believes mental health leadership is extremely important.“As a bunch of high schoolers coming out of the pandemic, Lighthouse can help open up conversations about the struggles we have been facing and normalize talking about mental health.”