HIGH POINT, N.C. — Student-athlete.
 
It's a hyphened word with meaning beyond the obvious. From the outside perspective, a student-athlete is an individual who is recruited to play its sport and earn an education.
 
And while that's true, a student-athlete is much more than that.
 
It's why High Point University women's soccer sophomores Shannon McGovern and Isabelle Lee took it upon themselves to advocate for the student, the athlete, and more importantly the person of their fellow Panthers with the implementation of Morgan's Message on HPU's campus.
 
"For me, sports are supposed to be fun," Lee said. "It's going to be stressful, but it isn't supposed to consume everything you're doing. I think having a program where you're prioritizing your mental health every day and making sure it is not affecting every single thing you do is super important.
 
"I also think it's important to build a community of athletes, where we all feel like we can talk about anything that's going on at any time."
 
The Conversation
 
In the moment, it seemed like a coincidence.
 
Over this past winter break, McGovern invited the Atlanta native Lee to her hometown in Tomkins Cove, N.Y. In regular conversation, McGovern mentioned Morgan's Message — a program that strives to eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health for student-athletes — to her teammate and it was like a lightbulb turned on.
 
Lee instantly responded, knowing exactly what Morgan's Message was and the impact it has had on many. It stemmed from her high school strength coach texting her about the program after Stanford goalkeeper Katie Meyer died by suicide on March 1, 2022.
 
"Isabelle was the first person I thought of when thinking of a person to do this with," McGovern said.
 
It was a coincidence no more as if it was already written. Because for some time, standing up for student-athletes' mental health and normalizing the conversations about it had been weighing on their hearts.
 
The thought turned conversation spiraled into action as the duo got back on campus for the spring semester. After applying and being accepted to become ambassadors for Morgan's Message, McGovern and Lee spoke to their coaches about their plan and how they wanted to take their personal struggles with mental health to help their fellow student-athletes.

"Shannon and Isabelle informed our staff at the beginning of the spring semester that they had been accepted as ambassadors for Morgan's Message, and instantly I thought it was fantastic opportunity for both of them to be part of such an impactful organization," HPU Women's Soccer Head Coach Aaron McGuiness said. "This is something they are both passionate about, and I'm incredibly proud of them for seeking out this opportunity and bringing greater mental-health awareness to HPU for student-athletes and the campus community.
 
"We are excited to see the impact they can have by being ambassadors for Morgan's Message and fully support them with what is needed to do this." 
   
What is Morgan's Message?
 
A program built in effort to eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health because of a life cut short too soon.
 
On July 11, 2019, Morgan Rodgers — a daughter, sister, friend, and teammate at Duke University as a student-athlete on the women's lacrosse team — died by suicide at the age of 22.
 
The devastation resulted after she injured her knee and was never able to get back to herself on the field. It was because of Morgan's love and energy that empowered her family and friends to help others who are suffering in silence and battling mental health with the creation of Morgan's Message.
 

Morgan's Message® strives to eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health within the student-athlete community and equalize the treatment of physical and mental health in athletics. We aim to expand the dialogue on mental health by normalizing conversations, empowering those who suffer in silence, and supporting those who feel alone.

 
Currently, there are 2,556 ambassadors on 973 high school and collegiate campuses. One of Morgan's teammates, Kyra, is the liaison for HPU and connects with McGovern and Lee on a weekly, if not daily basis.
 
"I had mentioned Morgan's Message to Isabelle because I have friends who are ambassadors at other schools," McGovern said, "and I thought it was a great platform for advocacy for student-athletes because it really talks about breaking the stigma for mental health and saying it's ok to talk about it and pay attention to it for student-athletes."
 
Morgan's Message has sent bracelets, T-shirts, stickers, and informational material to HPU after becoming a campus ambassador. It's the duo's plan to set up tables at games to promote Morgan's Message and have dedication games across every sport to spread awareness and break the stigma surrounding mental health.
 
More information about Morgan's Message can be found here: www.MorgansMessage.org.
 


Taking Action
 
It didn't take long for the word to spread about Morgan's Message on HPU's campus.
 
McGovern and Lee, who both saw their mental health struggles carry over from high school to college, didn't skip a beat with moving the process along. The duo created an Instagram page (@morgansmessage_hpu) to announce the Panthers' partnership with Morgan's Message, and then the positive feedback and questions began to flood in.
 
Instantly, there were HPU student-athletes asking how to join Morgan's Message and how they could be a part of helping end the stigma. So far joining McGovern and Lee as ambassadors are Patrick Matthews and Brett Wozniak, who are on the baseball team, alongside Erin Peters and Marietta Valente who are members of the women's track and field team at HPU.
 
"I wanted to join Morgan's Message because some people think just because you have a smile on your face or you're performing well in your sports means that you are happy or have a stable mental health," Valente said, "and being athletes, it makes it harder to speak up about your mental health.
 
"A stigma I think is important to break is speaking out about mental health. It doesn't have to be uncomfortable conversations, sometimes it can just be about being there for someone and just listening."
 
McGovern and Lee said the main goals they have are to create a safe place for all HPU student-athletes and normalize talking about mental health struggles. Together, they can support each other and know it's ok to not be ok sometimes.
 
And to be reminded, you are more than a student-athlete. Like Morgan and others who have lost their battle with mental health, you are a friend, sibling, daughter, or son.
 
You are a person and you matter.
 
"We are really excited to bring this program to High Point to break the stigma," McGovern said.