On Dec. 15, mental health advocate Hakeem Rahim spoke to students about recognizing the stigmas surrounding mental illness. He shared his personal experiences with bipolar disorder and offered advice to students about how they can help themselves and their peers. During his visit to campus, he met with student leaders of the group Bring Change 2 Mind (BC2M), an organization dedicated to promoting acceptance and awareness of mental illness, in which Hotchkiss alumnus David Watson '78 is actively involved. Hotchkiss is the first high school on the east coast to launch a chapter of BC2M.

Rakim's talk, supported by the Class of '65 Health and Wellness Fund, was part of the Human Development (HD) lecture series, which brings speakers to campus to talk about issues related to adolescent well-being. Last month, Matt Bellace came to campus to talk about making healthy choices; future speakers will include sex educator Cindy Pierce and health education consultant Justine Ang Fonte.