We had a wonderful opportunity to watch one of our leaders Jenna Fitzgerald tell her inspiring story at the Student Leader Congress for Cycle Against Suicide on the  April 9^th 2019 in the 3Arena.

 

The Student Leader Congress for Cycle Against Suicide is an annual event attended by 8,000 second level students from schools all over Ireland. This year’s theme for the event was #PositiveVibesSuperLives. The aim of the event is to raise awareness among the students on the importance of looking after your mental health in a fun and inclusive environment with the main focus being on building resilience. A range of people with many different backgrounds came to speak at this event and tell their stories. The event was interspersed with many entertaining performances and live acts such as the internationally acclaimed Kodaline who played at the event this year.

After the moving performance from Kodaline, Jenna was next to tell her story. As she began to tell her story the arena fell into complete silence. She spoke about her personal experiences with mental health, the different challenges and struggles she faced throughout her life from her time in secondary school up to the present day, sharing with extraordinary bravery and honesty many  of the ups and downs she experienced along the way. It is no exaggeration to say that Jenna completely captivated the audience and deservedly received a rapturous ovation in recognition of her selfless sharing of her story with the students.

 

See photos below: