Grade 11 student Alanna Bastien, of Lowell, holds a Mental Health Matters sweatshirt that is now available for sale in the Greater Lowell Technical High School store store. (Courtesy Greater Lowell Technical High School) 
Grade 11 student Alanna Bastien, of Lowell, holds a Mental Health Matters sweatshirt that is now available for sale in the Greater Lowell Technical High School store store. (Courtesy Greater Lowell Technical High School)
TYNGSBOROUGH — Superintendent Jill Davis is pleased to share that Greater Lowell Technical High School students designed and created special sweatshirts to bring attention to Mental Health Awareness Month this May.
The sweatshirts are now available for sale in the Greater Lowell Technical High School school store as the school seeks to raise awareness about mental health.
The initiative to create the sweatshirts began last September, when student Alanna Bastien attended a suicide prevention presentation along with her mother, and wore a sweatshirt saying “mental health matters” to the event.
Superintendent Davis noticed the sweatshirt, and after speaking to Alanna that evening about her outspoken support of mental health awareness, Superintendent Davis suggested that Alanna work with students and staff to design sweatshirt or T-shirt that could be sold in the GLTECH store.
Bastien then scheduled meetings with Technology CTE Chair Valerie Branco, Personal Services CTE Chair Kellie Ready, and Design and Visual Communications Instructor Nathan Lord.
In the months that followed, Bastien worked with students in the Graphic Communications and Design and Visual Communications programs to design sweatshirts with different mental health awareness messages and stating “Mental Health Matters.”
The sweatshirts became popular in the school store, prompting Superintendent Davis to recommend another sweatshirt be created in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month this May.
Graphic Communications and other students who assisted with the design of the sweatshirts are Sebastian Lucarotti, Rylee Siopes, Divani Ek, Emily Dubey, Skylar Bergeron, and Lauren Patno.
“The staff at Greater Lowell Technical High School have done everything possible to make my voice heard. They have allowed the Graphics and DVC students to create something inspiring for all students and staff to enjoy,” Bastien said. “If it wasn’t for that one night in September when Superintendent Davis complimented my sweatshirt, I do not think this achievement would have been possible. The opportunities here are endless, and for that, I am grateful to have chosen such an amazing school.”