Students gathered in the library on May 12 during lunch and flex to learn about careers connected to mental health, public service and youth support during a Mental Health Awareness Month event.
About 30 students attended the discussion-based event, with seven professionals working in psychology, social work, probation services and public health. Instead of formal presentations, speakers sat with students in small groups and answered questions about their educational paths and experiences working with teenagers.
“We explore helping professions during May because it’s Mental Health Awareness Month,” Del Mar social worker Katie Taylor told students at the beginning of the event.
Among the speakers was Nancy Vargas, an associate marriage and family therapist who works with students at Del Mar. Vargas spoke about the importance of empathy and trust in therapy.
“People will share a lot of different things with therapists, and you don’t want to be judgmental,” Vargas said. “Being caring and empathetic is really important.”
Vargas also explained how studying psychology helped her better understand anxiety and mental health in her own life.
“I came from a Hispanic Mexican family that did not talk about mental health,” Vargas said. “Taking psychology classes helped me understand what it means to have anxiety.”
Ayla Steed, a licensed marriage and family therapist who works in crisis response, described how her team helps young people experiencing mental health emergencies.
“I saw a lot of my friends struggling with their mental health when I was younger,” Steed said. “I wanted to learn how the human mind works and how to help people when they’re struggling.”
Students also spoke with social workers involved in Child Protective Services and learned how family instability, poverty and mental health challenges can affect teenagers and their access to support systems.
One of the most memorable conversations for students came from probation officer Robert Reyes, who has worked in juvenile services for 28 years. Reyes explained that probation work often focuses on rehabilitation and behavioral support rather than punishment alone.
“At the end of the day, what we’re trying to do is help them,” Reyes said. “If we don’t, then they’re going to continue doing the same thing, and we’re never going to get change.”
During the discussion, Reyes presented students with a scenario involving a violent assault committed by a teenager and asked how they believed the situation should be handled. Several students responded that therapy, counseling and family support would be more effective than punishment alone
Students also asked questions about salaries, education requirements, emotional burnout and maintaining personal mental health while working in helping professions.
A public health worker from Santa Clara County, Marcos Rivera, emphasized the importance of self-care in mental health careers.
“You can’t take care of somebody else if you’re not taking care of yourself,” Rivera said.
For junior Sonia Rocha Nolasco, the event changed the way she viewed careers connected to youth mental health and rehabilitation services.
“What surprised me was with the probation officers, that they are also part of the mental health career umbrella,” Rocha Nolasco said. “If they work with minors it’s usually about fights or not being in school, and they try to help the minor and not wanting to escalate the situation further.”
Rocha Nolasco said the conversations made her more interested in pursuing a future career supporting adolescents after mental health crises.
“This actually made me more interested in exploring a career in it,” she said. “It made me think more about possibly being a psychiatrist for young adolescents who get discharged after a crisis because it sounds really interesting to me and rewarding in a way.”
The event took place during a stressful period for many students as finals, college decisions and end-of-year academic pressure increase stress levels for teenagers, according to mental health professionals at the event.
By the end of the discussion, students left with a broader understanding of the many career paths connected to mental health and the role those professions can play in supporting young people and the community.
Mental Health Resources
- Del Mar High School Counseling and Wellness Center
- Santa Clara County Behavioral Health Services
- Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
