Support is Only a Stinger Away

"Sources of Strength"

By Isabella Martinez 

Sources of Strength is a suicide prevention and mental health promotion program that focuses on making people feel seen. It is to make people feel like there's hope even when their brain may tell them otherwise. 

Sources of Strength has a wheel made up of eight categories: mental health, family support, mentors, physical health, spirituality, generosity, positive friends, and healthy activities. The wheel is used as a tool for people to see what their strong suits are to lean into during difficult times, and what their weaknesses are to build up and seek help on. 

 












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Photo from Sources Of Strength website


Mr. Ryan Moore, assistant principal, explains, “The district recognizes the need for many different student support systems in our schools. When they asked if someone at County High would help implement Sources, I jumped on board. I have been associated with Sources of Strength in other schools and like their message of identifying strengths and not dwelling on problems. I expect good things from our “Stingers of Strength” students over the next few years.”


This program is a combination of students and administrators who have the same goal, to create a safe place so students want to come to school Math teacher Mr. Koshak is eager to share his opinions on the group. “When I hear Sources of Strength, I think of all the things in my life that keep me going. I want Sources of Strength to bring a stronger sense of community to our school.  Society today is so divisive and negative, it is easy to get caught up in it.  I hope that Sources of Strength becomes a thing that all our students can bond over and find connections with.  No matter who you are or what your background is, we all are struggling in different ways.  Rather than trying to compare our struggles, it would benefit us all if we figured out how to help each other out.”

This is Sources of Strength’s mission statement,  “We are a group of diverse students and adults from many different corners and cultures of our school and community.” Sources of Strength, or the Pueblo County Stingers of Strength entered our school’s community this year. It truly pulls together many different groups of kids with the same goal, to help their school and community. 

As a student mentor, I can attest that, going to the meetings I saw a lot of unfamiliar faces. It was clearly evident that we all live different lives, though we could all agree upon the fact that life is hard no matter who you are. I thought it was amazing that no matter the individual or “clique” people come together to care about our community.

Throughout school and life in general, everyone knows what it feels like to not be okay, but Sources of Strength’s goal is to remind everyone that you will get through the hard times. Koshak says, “It is more than just reading something and writing about how we feel.  This organization is about how we can create an environment at our school that is inclusive and inviting for all.  It makes you really think about who you are as a person and makes you focus on being someone people can rely on and look up to.”

Senior, Capreese Lisac says, “Being a part of Sources of Strength has allowed me to identify many of the common and uncommon struggles that people go through. I think that this group matters because it offers help to students and adults, where if Source was never a thing, they would have no choice but to struggle. Just starting it this year has already opened my eyes to realize that even though I may be lucky and fortunate to have an amazing family support system, others do not. I hope that those who lack certain parts of the wheel could come to this group to gain support.”


At the end of the mission statement, it mentions, “We know our most powerful impact comes from our personal actions, conversations, and messages that use our music, our art, our writing, our activities, our social media, our culture, and our voice. This gives life to our efforts.” Sources of Strength starts off the action, and the goal is for it to spread throughout the school. Sources of Strength have many more years to come in PCHS. 

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