Maggie Arian: 2020 Graduate of MHS. Attending Rutgers New Brunswick in the Fall
The main part of Maggie’s project is to start a support group in Montclair, New Jersey for people who have experienced the loss of a loved one due to suicide. She believes that seeing other people that have gone through similar experiences and surviving and or thriving is a very critical part of healing. It brings one out of the mindset that this pain will never end and begins to bring back the idea of hope and that this does change and shift for the better. Within the project she will also have two sub goals or projects to accomplish. After her boyfriend and best friend, Ryan Kolenovic (2019 MHS Grad) died due to suicide in April of 2020, she searched hours to find any kind of support groups or information that could help her. She subsequently has many resources and links to put onto the Jared’s Fund website and would also like to make a booklet to put into the Montclair High School guidance counselor offices. The second sub goal of her project is to reach out and talk to the high school about a better way to go about supporting students after someone passes away due to suicide. The general theme of Maggie’s fellowship is making sure that the early death of one person does not start a ripple effect within our community. Maggie's mentor is Kitty Culina-Bessey who is a therapist who over 30 years experience in the mental health field.