A key component of the course is mentorship: Each AAR class is assigned two to three mentors — ranging from district parents to local professors to business owners — who regularly check in on students’ progress. According to AAR teacher Rachael Kaci, this model of mentorship has evolved since the course’s development nine years ago.

“Most students, prior to Covid, were assigned to a mentor one-on-one, but we saw such a variance in how the students relied upon the mentors,” she said. “Now that the mentors come into the classroom, they have the opportunity to watch the progress throughout the year and the student growth.” Under these mentors, students learn critical research skills, such as professionalism and writing. Kaci appreciates how the course challenges students to strengthen their soft skills of time management, communication and adaptability.

“Every single year, every student runs into a hiccup,” she said. “It could be a major one — like last year, I had two students who completely pivoted second semester and redid their project. Or, it could be a minor one, like not having enough respondents on a survey.”

SCRAPP

Despite these challenges, AAR students finish the school year with newfound answers to their research questions or having made an impact on an aspect of their community.

For instance, while walking around campus, students might notice green and blue posters with “Don’t Trash Your Planet” in bolded text plastered on any empty wall.

These posters are part of the Sustainability Campaign to Raise Awareness of Plastic Pollution initiative, begun by Social Justice Pathway juniors Phoebe Mota-Judges, Floyd Neesen and Talya Schube this year. SCRAPP’s goal is to motivate Gunn students to clean up trash from school lunches.

“We just saw the problem was so bad,” Neesen said. “If you take a look at the senior and sophomore (quads after lunch), there’s so much (trash). If you’re walking by, you can’t not notice it.”

The group hopes to combat littering by raising awareness. As part of the sensibility campaign, they have created an Instagram account to post videos and infographics about the detriments of non-reusable plastic and the impact of trash on campus.

Although existing posters in each classroom highlight the different materials that go in compost, landfill and recycling, they don’t include all of the wrappings used by the school cafeteria.

“There are reminders to throw away your trash and waste sorting guides that include the (packaging) that is used in the cafeteria,” Neesen said. “The (existing posters) don’t have the things that they use to wrap sandwiches and burgers. We have those.”

Fueled by their determination to improve Gunn’s sustainability, the SCRAPP team has learned valuable skills, such as networking, adaptability and teamwork. According to Schube, there were challenges when working with a lot of people.

“Trying to work on other people’s time, as well as going through a lot of people, was difficult,” she said.

BuddyBonds

AAR projects also extend beyond Gunn’s boundaries. For instance, juniors Namya Kasturi, Samhita Krishnan and Lia O’Donovan have worked to combat elders’ loneliness in Palo Alto through pen pal assignments this year. In collaboration with Palo Alto Commons, a retirement community, they sent a sign-up form to the home’s residents and are currently waiting to hear back.

From the beginning of the brainstorming process, O’Donovan and her team knew their main goal was to build community.

“We wanted to create intergenerational events between the elderly population and teenagers, and we were hoping to branch out to other schools and care homes to work with,” she said.

For O’Donovan, this project stemmed from her desire to become closer to elderly family members.

“I live far away from my grandparents, so when I get to talk to them, it’s very special,” she said. “I know that I have older neighbors on my street and I feel very connected to them when I get to talk to them a lot. I wanted to form that bond for others.”

Although BuddyBonds originally wanted to organize student groups to go to retirement homes, they had to adapt their idea, as finding a retirement home willing to partner with them was much harder than expected.

“It’s taught me a lot about moving on and how to make a change in a community that isn’t sheltered by a class, because this is something we could have done outside of AAR,” she said. “I learned that it’s the real world.”

Staff mental health

AAR is more than hands-on work, however: Students must also write up their findings in a formal paper. As sophomore Alisa Sonehara begins drafting her research paper, she needs to cite information from other sources while still integrating her own ideas.

Luckily, she has the support of experienced mentors to help analyze and organize her data. She also uses generative artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT, which help check that her writing is clear, concise and, most importantly, accurate. With these resources, Sonehara has been able to delve into staff mental-health supports in PAUSD.

While Sonehara originally planned to research students’ mental health, she ultimately shifted her focus to staff, in light of district staffing shortages and new support initiatives following the pandemic.

“I wanted to see the type of support they are getting because I think there’s a lot of awareness and support for students right now, and there’s a lot more talk about it compared to educators,” she said. “I feel like educators deserve the same attention for mental health, because they matter a lot too.”

Sonehara was surprised to find that improving certain areas of mental health isn’t within the county specialist’s purview.

“For example, in the Healthy Kids Survey, if a teacher’s respondents are saying how they don’t have a good work environment, the mental health specialist isn’t really directed from the district to help improve that — she’s kind of just working on the overall view of the support for mental health,” she said. “That kind of surprised me because I feel like she could do a lot to help (those particular areas) as well.”

According to Kaci, this long-term, hands-on investigation makes AAR unique. With the wealth of professional resources and guidance, she recommends the course to anyone passionate about something and unable to find a class on campus that caters to their interests.

“You’re placed with a mentor or a manager and in a field that’s different from the traditional classroom and still get credits to put on your transcript, so that’s why I like (AAR),” she said. “Don’t shy away if you’re nervous about research — we can help anyone.”

According to PAUSD Director of Mental Health and Wellness Dawn Yoshinaga, Romero provides more direct therapy for staff. “When you’re in your most vulnerable state, you can’t think straight when you’re online and there’s so many clicks to get to the right place,” Yoshinaga said. “(Romero) has a calendar that’s available, and staff can immediately schedule something.”

The appointments themselves can take place online or in person. “As a staff mental health specialist, I conduct either a 20-minute phone call or a 45-minute in-person or video session to address mental health concerns, offer resources and assist staff to begin the therapy process,” Romero said. “We create a safe space for discussing work-related or personal issues.”

These new counseling sessions, however, are meant to guide staff to psychological treatment and don’t function as long-term therapy options. “(Romero) is there to support you to get to that (long-term) care,” Yoshinaga said.

The district offers other mental health services that include counseling sessions through teachers’ insurance providers and free access to Care Solace, an online service that helps individuals access mental health counseling programs. However, district leaders and educators collectively agreed that these services were unable to sufficiently support PAUSD employees due to their complicated and often-delayed scheduling process. “We have an employee-assistance program where employees can get eight free (counseling) sessions through their insurance, but we want to support staff right where they are,” Yoshinaga said.

This shift reflects the district’s commitment to addressing staff mental health after a stressful era of online school. “(The pandemic) took a toll (on staff), just like it did on our students and our families,” Yoshinaga said. “Now is the time where we want to put our money where our mouth is and provide therapy options for staff.”

One common phrase that Ghasemzadeh tells herself when she is stressed is that “everything will work out in the long run.” “As long as you put in the effort, work hard and try to cope with the stress, everything will be fine,” she said.

Often, the stress that Ghasemzadeh feels at school is carried home and can affect the way she acts around her parents. When she finds herself becoming frustrated, she is able to de-stress by communicating with them instead. “With my parents, I try talking it out with them to see how we can all go through this stressful time together,” she said.

Experiencing the most stress her senior year, she believes that she has found more ways to handle stress as the years have progressed. “Over the years I have been getting more stressed, but I’ve been getting better at learning to cope with it at the same time,” Ghasemzadeh said.

One activity she found this year to help her feel relaxed is listening to music, specifically Rhythm and Blues (R&B) music. “I usually listen to pop and happy music when I’m not stressed out, but when I’m stressed out, I listen to more mellow and relaxing music,” she said.

To the people who are stressed right now, Ghasemzadeh wants them to know that stress is a universal thing. “If you’re stressed out right now, know that you’re not going through this alone,” she said. “There are a lot of people that are going through something similar, whether you are a freshman, sophomore, junior or senior. Stay safe and happy, and do the things you enjoy.”

Diversity Commissioner sophomore Sophia Howell helped organize the event. “The purpose of the event was to look at mental health intersectionality and the barriers many BIPOC faces in accessing mental health,” she said. “Having panels like this and having these discussions really helps to lessen these barriers and increase knowledge on how to go about accessing mental health care and what that entails.”

After the panel was almost canceled due to complications with Flexisched, Howell is glad the event occurred. “I’m glad that so many people came to be informed on this topic, whether or not it relates to them personally, or through a community,” she said.

This month, Diversity Commissioner junior Chania Rene-Corail and the other Wellness and Diversity Commissioners have focused on highlighting mental health in communities of color. They also aimed to bring attention to the resources students have access to when seeking help in a system of disparity. “I think a really important thing about diversity is inclusivity and intersectionality,” Rene-Corail said. “I thought it would be very interesting to have some sort of campaign or education to talk to the student body about that type of intersectionality and how being a person of color affects that [mental health] aspect of your life.”

Sophomore Aarya Bhushan enjoyed that the event addressed the stigma surrounding mental health throughout different cultures. “Every culture has its own stigma and even though a lot of the panelists come from different cultures and backgrounds, they were still able to relate to the fact that there is a barrier between asking for help,” she said. “I think that will help us as students overcome that with our families and our cultures.” Bhushan also found the event helpful in supplying resources for students’ mental health. “I got to know about resources that are offered at Gunn that I didn’t know about before and I think [the panelists] presented themselves as people that I can go up to if I need any help with anything,” she said.

According to Robin Jacobsen’s elder brother Brandon Jacobsen, who graduated from Gunn in 2016, having other siblings who went to Gunn helped when it came to course and activity selection. “I think one of the coolest things about having all of us go to Gunn was that we were able to relate and help each other out when we had the
same teachers,” he said.

At the same time, the siblings were able to explore different activities. Robin Jacobsen’s elder sister Maren Jacobsen, who graduated in 2021, carved her own path in high school. “I definitely got a variety of things I could get involved in, but I also found my own interests,” she said.

Beyond advice on classes and extracurriculars, having siblings at Gunn also allows the Jacobsens to share experiences with one another. For example, Robin Jacobsen’s elder sister Camille Jacobsen, who graduated in 2019, participated in track her freshman year with Brandon Jacobsen. “It was something completely out of her comfort zone, but I encouraged her a little to do it,” Brandon Jacobsen said. “We ran in meets together and got to share those experiences.”

On the other hand, Maren Jacobsen and Robin Jacobsen both enjoyed choir. According to their mother Julia Jacobsen, a long-term sub for English teacher Ethan Halter, the sisters had fun singing together and brought joy to others during the pandemic. “It was like a bright light in that time,” she said. “It was just so inspiring
that they could still be making music. It was definitely not like singing in person at all, but at least they were able to do something they loved.”

However, Camille Jacobsen found that going to the same school as her siblings could foster unwanted pressure. “Sometimes, I’d have some of the same teachers and they’d compare me to my older siblings,” she said. “That was annoying sometimes.”

From a broader perspective, the Jacobsens’ long-term relationship with Gunn also provides valuable insight into cultural changes over the past decade. One major paradigm shift the Jacobsens have observed has been in the school’s approach to mental health. According to Brandon Jacobsen, this transition began to occur when he was an upperclassman and experienced one of the suicide contagions at Gunn, which included someone he knew. “That year, they spent a lot of resources and time trying to help students,” he said. “I think that period of time was when they realized that they needed to shift in focus to actually helping kids with mental health.”

This shift is evident from Robin Jacobsen’s experience at Gunn thus far. “I think that Gunn’s definitely gotten better about putting people’s mental health into the equation,” Robin Jacobsen said. “When my sister [Nicole Jacobsen] was going here, I don’t think there was any of that [mental health support].”

Another change in the past decade has been the usage of technology at Gunn. Maren Jacobsen, the second youngest of the five, cited an increase in dependence on technology in the past decade. “I remember when my oldest sister was there [at Gunn], iPhones were just starting to become a thing,” she said. “They weren’t using a ton of technology for school. Now, we did Zoom school for a whole year, and we were using our computers
for everything.”

Although there may have been many changes over the years, including the unexpected twist of the pandemic, one thing has stayed constant: the siblings’ connection to each other. According to Camille Jacobsen, it’s always comforting to have someone familiar on campus. “It was fun to have somebody that I could relate
to with all the stuff that was going on,” she said.

In the most recent school board meeting on March 22, board members proposed the School-Based Mental Health Program (SBMH) “to offer a comprehensive and coordinated approach by coupling mental health services with other supports already provided in the school setting and establishing a mechanism for supporting student well-being across all dimensions of health.” In summary, this plan would increase wellness staff on PAUSD campuses with support from local mental health agencies, implement early intervention services for mental illness and create school-wide awareness of early signs of mental health struggles.

Sophomore Juan Acosta-Perez, who is working with senior Anika Saraf and junior Abby Kuang on a Youth Community Service project to increase mental health resources to PAUSD students, believes that the current wellness program at Gunn can be improved significantly. “Mental health counselors are a good idea, but [the Wellness Center] is very, very understaffed,” Acosta-Perez said. He also pointed out that the information students are taught during Social Emotional Learning and Functionality (SELF) classes don’t adequately explore mental health issues. “I think many students can agree that [SELF lessons on mental health] are just done to check off a box,” he said. “It’s not very sensitive. [Mental illness] has to do with environment or what somebody might be struggling with at home. It’s such a deep issue that cannot be resolved with one presentation.”

Currently, the wellness staff at Gunn is supported by Counseling and Support Services for Youth (CASSY), which provides resources like on-site counselors to Bay Area schools. Despite this partnership, the Wellness Center is still understaffed to the demand in students requesting wellness services. SBMH intends to bolster wellness staff, especially in elementary and middle schools, and promote personal wellness for students in all grades.

School Board Vice President Jennifer DiBrienza described the specific goals of SBMH. “[We want to] make sure that we provide wellness earlier in the process, before it’s a crisis,” DiBrienza said. “The way that I heard staff talk about it on Tuesday night was [about] creating a culture of wellness. We’re in a school district that is highly academic [and] somewhat competitive. There’s a lot to do; the expectations are high.”

PAUSD Director of Mental Health and Wellness Dawn Yoshinaga explained the proposed timeline. “Our high schools will continue their partnership with external agencies with an additional day of support through Asian Americans for Community Involvement,” she wrote in an email. “As we roll out this first phase of the SBMH program at elementary and middle schools, we will seek input from our high school students, staff and families to design an in-house program that will best meet the mental health needs of our students.”

The program includes a tier list which offers information about how to help low-, moderate- and high-risk students struggling with mental health issues. DiBrienza compared it to the elementary reading levels and resources. “[There are three tiers],” she said. “Tier one, in terms of reading, is like regular reading instruction in elementary school. If you’re talking about mental health, it’s part of the SELF curriculum. Tier two is [if] there are elevated needs. If I’m learning how to read and I’m struggling a bit, maybe I need more than what the classroom teacher is giving everyone. [In terms of] mental health, it’s taking advantage of our counselors. Tier three is an even greater need. [This program would] make sure that we have robust systems so that we’re not just catching kids when they’re at two or three or when they’re in crisis.”

Assistant Principal Michalis Gordon explained that SBMH, as it is now, will not have huge effects on Gunn campus. “It won’t affect us much because we’re still contracting with CASSY,” he said. “It may help with getting us more therapists.”

“There were times when everything became very stressful, and [it] almost felt like something was weighing me down,” he said. “When it got really bad, it felt like I couldn’t get out.”

He then spent the next few years discovering himself and his values through spirituality. With the help of a mentor, he ultimately gained a healthier sense of identity and self-worth.

Joshi believes that complete satisfaction with oneself is the key to being truly happy. Controlling individual thoughts in the face of mental illness can be incredibly difficult and at times impossible. Despite his realization of self-contentment, he still struggles with keeping a consistently positive mental state. According to Joshi, it’s hard to stay mentally stable when dealing with uncontrollable circumstances. “Because you’re in [a depressive] state, you have no ability to control your internal thoughts,” he said. “You’re always affected by things going on around you instead of being the truest version of yourself.”

According to a study published to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, improvement in mental health is not always consistently evident. Seeking professional help is incredibly important, especially because mental health recovery is a long process that isn’t always linear. “It’s pretty up and down,” Joshi said. “But I think it’s definitely on an upward trend right now.”

Joshi explains that expanding his perspective on the world catalyzed a shift in the way he approached mental health, directing him towards a healthier state of mind. “It’s a mental snap,” he said. “For me, hearing about the experiences of people that aren’t as privileged as the people in Palo Alto really opened my eyes.”

Through advocating for racial justice and becoming involved in various protests, Joshi was exposed to the personal experiences of people less fortunate than him. Acknowledging that not everyone lives the “Palo Alto life” helped him to realize that his self-worth doesn’t depend on academic and social excellence, a core foundation for his recovery. “I’ve learned a lot in the past six months about people who haven’t had the privileges that I have living in Palo Alto,” he said. “[People who don’t live in Palo Alto] are able to maintain a worthwhile life without having to have all of these superficial things—money, high GPA, a certain degree, a good school. Even without these privileges, they are some of the most quality people in the world.”

Joshi stresses that acknowledging privilege isn’t always beneficial for everyone struggling with mental health issues. “It doesn’t work for all people,” he said. “I know some people feel invalidated when they hear other people talking about their struggles. But for me, it was less of an invalidation and more of an understanding.”

Receiving support from a trusted adult also greatly helped Joshi. “He is the smartest person I know,” Joshi said. “I never really had friends [that I could really] rely on, but when you have a strong connection with someone, nothing can break that spiritual bond between you two. He provides me with insight on life. I know that there are people that have quality friends their age, but I think for me, [what I needed] was a mentor to get me through my problems.”

Joshi believes that listening is the best form of support. “[My mentor provided the] integrity and strength [I needed],” he said. “He was someone who didn’t even need to help me, but he listened. An ear can do a lot for people who have a lot on their mind and a lot weighing on them.”

While there is a seemingly endless number of emotional obstacles, academic struggles or personal hurdles to get through, Joshi feels significantly less pressure. “I now have an understanding of what mental freedom is,” he said. “I was lost in this abyss back then. It felt like there was nothing and everything around me at the exact same time. It felt like being squeezed and let go. While it still somewhat feels like that, it’s less tangible for me to give up now.”

Part of Purnama’s depression can be attributed to her disillusionment with art, which had initially motivated her. “For two years, I wanted to be an artist,” she said. “I knew which colleges I wanted to go to, and I was so set on this path that I was already looking at application details. But somewhere down the line, reality gave me a good beating, and I realized it was just a fantasy. Now, I can’t pick up a pen and paper without wanting to throw my supplies on the floor. I’ve forgotten how to draw. With that, I’ve forgotten why I drew in the first place. Something I loved to do has slipped away, but I was too numb to stop it.”

Purnama’s mental state made her daily life feel increasingly robotic and monotonous. “I was just going through the motions,” she said. “I woke up and went to school; after school, I’d have volleyball practice, go home, have dinner, force myself to draw and go to bed. I saw a lot of things as meaningless—school, for one. My depression made me lose motivation to do a lot of things I once loved.”

In the beginning of her sophomore year, Purnama wrote a lengthy, vulnerable letter to her English teacher, Kristen Kim, in response to an introductory prompt for the class: “Tell me something about yourself that most people wouldn’t know.” The letter was the first time Purnama shared her struggles with depression to an adult. “I am struggling, and that’s something most people don’t know about me,” Purnama said in her letter. “I’m struggling to live as myself… I’m struggling to get a grip on life.”

Worried about Purnama’s mental health, Kim alerted then-Wellness Coordinator Genevae Dixon, who reached out to Purnama. Eventually, Purnama sought professional help off-campus. “My first step to recovery was accepting the help that was offered,” she said. “Being open to therapy and talking to my psychiatrist about my feelings really helped me in the beginning.”

Transferring from Gunn to Lydian—a private, personalized-learning-based school—for her sophomore year also assisted Purnama’s gradual improvement in mental health. “Being at Lydian meant that I was in control of my education,” she said. “Learning was at my pace, and I felt more capable. I had great teachers who wanted me to learn and cared about my education and personal life. I transferred back to Gunn this year, but Lydian was a huge part of my recovery.”

During her recovery, there was a shift not in Purnama’s overall philosophy on life, but in her reaction to it. “I used to have this notion of nihilism,” she said. “I’d think, ‘My life, in the very grand scheme of the universe, is insignificant, so it doesn’t matter whether I am alive or dead.’ Now, I’m more of an optimistic nihilist. I still understand that I play a very small part in this world, but because of this, I feel freer to live life however I want.”

After Purnama’s family decided that she was ready to stop going to therapy, Purnama found herself prepared to handle her new freedom. “In the beginning, having a professional psychiatrist was really great for talking through my issues,” she said. “But I realized that there was only so much my psychiatrist could do after she helped me navigate my past—it was up to me to improve myself for the future. After I stopped having appointments, it felt like I could find my own way in the world. I began to feel better a lot faster after that.”

After setting strategies to keep herself grounded, Purnama now feels more stable. “I like to rationalize my feelings by finding a logical explanation for them,” she said. “Most of the time, these explanations are simple: sleep, diet, my period. This kind of thinking helps me keep myself in check and avoid directing anger at myself. I also keep a conflict journal where I write through my problems by identifying reasons for them as well as solutions that I can use to resolve them.”

Purnama hopes that other students struggling with similar problems will reach out for help like she did. “Be honest with yourself and what you think you need,” she said. “A lot of the time, people who are depressed feel that their struggles aren’t enough to ask for help. Depression is an illness with actual diagnoses, but it doesn’t mean that there’s a certain threshold of ‘depressed enough’ in order for you to seek help. Everyone’s situation is different, and I don’t want to speak for everyone. It’s not easy, but I believe there’s always a way out.”

On Monday, April 12, Shappley testified against two Texas bills, SB 1311 and SB 1646. SB 1311 would criminalize both medical workers and parents applying for medically approved treatments for either physically transitioning into their identified gender or delaying puberty. SB 1646 redefines child abuse to include aiding a minor with their physical transition. Regardless, both bills have failed to advance out of the House, a potential sign of progress towards transgender healthcare rights in Texas state legislature.

Since the start of 2021, 28 states have introduced anti-trans legislation. The most recent bill is Montana’s “Save Women’s Sports Act,” passed on April 23, which bans transgender students from participating in girls’ or women’s sports. Additionally, Florida recently legalized the inspection of student genitals in competitive sports if the student was suspected to be transgender. In the context of present-day America, this concerning trend towards anti-trans legislation threatens not only the physical safety but also the mental health of transgender youth across the country.

Past Administrations

Obama-era policies protected people from discrimination based on sex. However, Trump-era legislation began to challenge such policies, especially concerning trans youth. In February 2017, Trump removed guidelines that placed trans individuals under the protection of Title IX, which prevents sex-based discrimination. This provoked a heated discussion about trans people’s bathroom rights. “In 2015, my high school banned me from using the boys’ bathroom because I’m trans,” activist and American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) board member Gavin Grimm said. “My case was the first trans bathroom case that the Supreme Court accepted. But when the Trump administration rolled in, one of the first things they did was get rid of the Obama-era Executive Order.”

From 2016 to 2020, the Trump administration allowed such anti-trans bills to pose more restrictions on gender expression, compounding America’s history of discriminatory legislation against the LGBTQ+ community. The political rhetoric that Trump brought into popularity directly impacted minorities and widened the divide between Democrats and Republicans. “They have this agenda,” Grimm said. “[And] the reality is that there’s a culture of distrust, as well as a specific framework of language, that the Trump administration and Trump himself built around Joe Biden and the Democrats.”

Palo Alto City Council member Greer Stone, an ally of the trans community who has worked on policies directed towards inclusive language in legal settings, sees the deterioration of politicians’ integrity towards transgender rights as a direct result of the previous administration. “Unfortunately, I think it’s just kind of the Trump effect—causing certain conservative politicians to recognize that they can gain more politically with their base by passing these ignorant legislations rather than supporting greater civil rights for all people,” Stone said.

In January, following his inauguration, President Biden signed an executive order to combat discrimination against LGBTQ+ people in housing, education and healthcare. While this worked to return rights to the targeted community, Biden’s action seemingly catalyzed a cascade of anti-trans bills passed or introduced in state legislatures. “The executive order was really scary to conservative Republicans,” Grimm said. “This kind of behavior from Biden fits perfectly in line with what Trump warned them about. It’s pretty inflammatory—‘Oh no, Biden’s getting in here, and he’s been one-hundredth as progressive as your average leftist would like him to be; this is really scary’—so they’re going to be scared, regardless of what he did. It has provoked some direct responses without a doubt.”

Support in California

Sophomore Stella Keating, a high school student from Washington and the first transgender teenager to testify before the U.S. Senate, lives in a community similar to California. “Right now, I live in a state where I have equal protection under the law,” Keating said during her testimony to Congress on March 16. “As a sophomore, I’m starting to look at colleges. All I can think about is this: less than half of the states in our country provide equal protection for me under the law.”

Historically, California has not passed anti-trans policies—if anything, California is a leader in legal inclusivity and LGBTQ+ rights, with the exception of a few social anti-trans protests. Southern California has dealt with a variety of anti-trans movements, though all ultimately failed at setting anything into law.

Nonetheless, California’s local history of eugenics continues to harm the trans community. “There have been a lot of examples of systemic discrimination and racism and hate against all underrepresented groups in California,” Stone said. “We just don’t focus on it. We don’t teach it, and we don’t study it. We really need to understand our past—the good and the bad—to be able to better understand the problems  that we’re facing today and how we can prevent them in the future.”

Stone explains that raising more awareness among students is the first step. He also suggests commissioning a study on the issues facing the LGBTQ+ community in California, and he hopes the state will recognize its own history and teach it in schools.

Currently, there are programs within the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) included in the Gunn curriculum that are intended to support LGBTQ+ students. “Each of the five secondary schools has a Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA),” GSA advisor Daisy Renazco said. “Ours is referred to as a Gender and Sexuality Alliance. They’re all there to support students. There is also a districtwide LGBTQ+ committee for adults that meets regularly, and that’s where a lot of the conversations are had about more districtwide policies and districtwide implementation.”

Despite all of the talk of inclusivity in the Bay Area, it ultimately comes down to how much can actually be translated into equal treatment of minorities. “I was Vice Chair at the Santa Clara County Human Rights Commission,” Stone said. “One of the things that we were pursuing there was to change all language within county policies and ordinances and laws and documents to be gender-neutral, because most laws are written with the male or female pronouns.”

In the meantime, California’s progressive ideals are widely recognized. “We are grateful, and we understand that the state of California is oftentimes a leader in terms of more accepting laws,” Renazco said. “The students within our GSA and within our district feel like there are a lot of policies and a lot of adults that advocate for their own safety and their well-being, so they feel cared for.”

Mental Health Effects

While transgender identities are not legally at risk under California law, the mental health impact of threats elsewhere can still have strong repercussions on individuals. In 2015, a Veale statistic from the American Association of Suicidology reported that 1 in 3 transgender youths have attempted suicide in California.

According to Grimm, bills threatening trans safety and rights only add to the struggles of a trans individual, which already include dysphoria and social stigma. “Watching a bill [being] debated publicly and watching a bill move through the courts to potentially impact your life in a negative way is absolutely terrifying,” Grimm said. “It turns an aspect of who you are into negative public discourse.”

A common issue in classroom or legal settings is minority lives being discussed as talking points or educational topics rather than human experiences. Transgender people are discriminated against both by law and by their environment, based on their gender identity and not their humanity. “It’s really just a crime across the entire world for young people to recognize that there are elected leaders who believe that they are less than others simply because they’re transgender,” Stone said.

Future of Trans Rights

Moving forward, the main goals are to ensure that anti-transgender legislation is not made into law and that there are laws passed to reverse such bills in the future. However, placing all of the responsibility in the hands of politicians may not be the best option. “I think trans activists and other civil rights leaders are going to lead us to our salvation,” Grimm said. “I do not think it’s going to be moderate Democrats or prior prosecutors.”

Grimm’s Title IX case, currently moving to the Supreme Court, will be one to look out for, in addition to individual laws aimed to prevent discrimination on the state level. There’s still hope that the anti-trans bills passed in recent months may be nullified, perhaps even in higher courts. “The Supreme Court doesn’t take many cases, [but] these might end up being cases that the Supreme Court would want to take because they would impact dozens of states,” Stone said. “I would imagine litigation happening immediately, and we’ll have a decision by the court that could reverse the anti-trans bills.”

Many students share Lakhani’s feelings of disconnection in the online setting, including junior Joseph Abadi, who moved to Gunn from Panama fewer than two months ago to escape his online learning environment. “At home, I had my cellular and my family distracting me,” Abadi said. “It’s much different being in school, in class, with a professor in front of me.” For Abadi, the promise of in-person learning at Gunn motivated him to leave his high school in Panama, which still held classes remotely, and move to Palo Alto, where his older sister lives. Despite the complications of adjusting to a new town, language and environment, Abadi felt that the difference between an engaging in-person education and the Zoom meetings offered at his former high school was reason enough to move.

Lakhani and Abadi’s situations reflect a recent phenomenon: online learning has created a lack of engagement and has isolated both students and teachers, especially those who rely on social interactions to succeed.

Disadvantaged Students

Upon first glance, it may appear that privilege exists across all communities at Gunn. Most students do “very well,” according to Assistant Principal Pier Angeli La Place; they have the support and resources they need to succeed in Gunn’s environment. “It’s easy to adopt a narrative of ‘that’s good enough,’” La Place said. “But 15% to 20% [of students] don’t survive under our system, because the system wasn’t designed to work for them.” This minority of students faces more obstacles to success—whether it be an English language barrier or lack of familial support with academics. Online learning, which relies on stable internet access and a quiet learning environment for success, has only perpetuated the pre-existing learning gap between students with resources and those without.

For students who have technological issues or disruptive home environments, the pandemic has made it even harder to learn productively, if they can attend class at all. In English teacher Danielle Whichard’s Advancement via Individual Determination (AVID) classes, a good portion of her students have issues with connectivity and access to technology on any given day. In addition, many students have familial obligations that they must attend to, which distract from class. “I have a lot of students who are the primary caretakers for younger siblings especially earlier on in the pandemic before childcare became more open or accessible to families,” Whichard said. “They had to balance either overseeing their siblings in their classes, or, if their siblings were younger than [school age], helping actually watch the little kids while trying to do their own schooling.”

At Ravenswood Middle School in East Palo Alto, eighth grade math teacher Harriette Huang has noticed similar distractions for her students, many of whom live in crowded households. “Their families usually have multiple kids, and if their parents have to go to work, my students become babysitters,” Huang said. “Their siblings are running around in the house.” As a result of their crowded living situations, Huang’s students often turn off their cameras, creating a less engaging classroom environment. Other difficulties for Huang include the language barrier with her primarily Spanish-speaking students and other familial responsibilities.

District Response

La Place, who has worked in the district for over 30 years, acknowledges that our educational system is oftentimes too rigid for adaptations. However, the pandemic has forced the district to change learning requirements to better meet the needs of all students and families. “The silver lining in the pandemic is that nobody has been able to ignore the inequities of our system,” La Place said.

To combat the prevalent issue of lack of engagement, the district has reopened in-person school, which is now available for all students four days a week. Although a low percentage of students have returned to campus full-time, the district has been able to support students like Abadi, who has a home environment that makes it difficult to focus, and students who need social engagement. Together, La Place refers to this group of individuals as the “school-reliant” population.

To avoid students becoming trapped in a metaphorical “hole”—the hole of missing assignments, sinking grades and the overwhelming feeling of falling behind—administrators also monitor attendance. If they notice patterns of absence, administrators reach out to teachers, who then reach out to students to provide support. “The teachers’ role is to create a ladder so students can climb out [of the hole],” La Place said. “The first rung is communication: asking what teachers can do to support students.” Then, a group of administrators, counselors and parents meet with students to discuss future accommodations, which often include letting go of nonessential assignments or providing extended time on tests.

Increased Teacher Support

Throughout the pandemic, teachers have had to intervene with students on numerous occasions, even more than in non-COVID years. After realizing the difficulty of online learning, math teacher Kathy Hawes always assumes the best intentions. “I ask [my students], ‘Are you okay, how can I help you?’” Hawes said. “I don’t say in an angry voice, ‘Why didn’t you take the quiz? You’re in deep trouble. I’m mad at you.’” With recommendation from the administration, Hawes offers what she calls “special deals” to help students who are struggling in her classes. These “special deals” typically consist of a reduced number of assignments to alleviate the stress of passing the class. “I look at the core work that needs to be done to show me that students understand [the material],” Hawes said. Otherwise, Hawes, like every other teacher, runs the risk of no longer being able to help her students who become stuck in the metaphorical “hole.”

Whichard also meets with students individually every class period to assess their performance and provide support. She emphasizes flexibility and taking the time to learn about students’ situations and why they may or may not be able to engage with the class to their fullest potential. In cases where students live with immunocompromised family members or are unable to obtain resources such as school supplies on their own, Whichard has dropped off resources at students’ houses, resulting in longer workdays.

Huang has also noticed a steep increase in hours helping students; on any given day, she can spend up to three hours in office hours tutoring students. “When we were in person, kids could help each other,” Huang said. “They could peer tutor and chat about homework, and that really, really helped many kids.” In an online learning environment, however, students—especially those who do not turn on their camera for personal reasons—have difficulty connecting with one another, leaving the teacher responsible to help every student individually.

Looking Forward

Overall, the district and teachers have taken steps to accommodate students during the pandemic. Still, for some, it hasn’t felt like enough. The pandemic has exposed inequality issues, made mental health resources less accessible and impacted students’ learning experiences. “For me, it feels like COVID-19 pointed out that we have a communication issue,” Whichard said.

La Place emphasized the importance of including student voice in decisions related to student needs. “Often, adults will sit in a room and decide what the problem is,” La Place said. “In the future, we need to work to amplify the voices of students who are being impacted.”