High School Students Raise Awareness for Hey Sam

Hailey and Jillian were in sixth grade when they first heard about Hey Sam, Samaritans’ peer-to-peer mental health textline for young people. Both knew they wanted to be involved with the program someday. 

Now students at King Philip Regional High School, they’re spreading awareness for Hey Sam and normalizing conversations about mental health with their classmates, teachers, and other members of their community.  

As sophomores during the 2025-2026 academic year, Hailey and Jillian partnered on a project through their school’s membership with DECA, a global nonprofit organization that prepares high school and college students for careers in fields such as finance, hospitality, tourism, and marketing. Hailey describes DECA as “business for kids,” giving students hands-on experience through competitive projects. 

For their project, Hailey and Jillian chose DECA’s Community Awareness Project category because it aligned with their interest in Hey Sam. The category required them to raise awareness for an organization and create a 20-page presentation documenting their work, impact, and results. 

“Hey Sam was still relatively new, so we knew we wanted to spread awareness,” Jillian says. “We thought it was something a lot of people could relate to.” 

They both appreciated that Hey Sam was a peer-to-peer service. 

“Being able to text someone like you’re texting a friend is really appealing to people like me who may not always want to vocalize their struggles,” Jillian says.  

Creating Wellness Within

Hailey and Jillian titled their sophomore project Wellness Within. To raise awareness for Hey Sam, they hosted events at their school, including Mental Health Bingo Night, and used social media to share daily messages throughout Mental Health Awareness Month. 

In May 2025, they posted each day to their Instagram account (@kpwellness.within), featuring photos of people holding Post-it notes with encouraging messages such as “You matter,” “Take time for yourself,” and “Share your story.” 

Hailey and Jillian also assisted Samaritans staff at community events such as Boston’s Pride Parade and the Samaritans 5K.  

“The 5K was an eye-opening experience,” Hailey says. “So many people were vulnerable with us, even though they didn’t know us. We heard so many powerful stories. I had never been in an atmosphere like that. That really stuck with me.” 

In addition to hosting and attending events, Hailey and Jillian took part in DECA’s annual high school competition, at which their project—including their 20-page paper—was judged. In the Community Awareness Project category, they performed well enough to advance from a district-level competition to a statewide event, and then to an international competition held in Atlanta. There, they were the only team from Massachusetts named a finalist in their category. 

“Hearing our name get called was such a surreal experience,” Jillian says. “All our hard work paid off.” 

Making an Impact

Hailey and Jillian brought Wellness Within back for the 2026-2027 academic year, building on their sophomore successes. This year, they are looking to reach even more people, raise more awareness for Hey Sam, and attend more events. 

Through social media and events, Hailey and Jillian estimate they have reached roughly 8,500 people. They see the impact they’re making. 

“I’ve gotten messages from people using Hey Sam because of us, and it’s amazing,” Hailey says. “It’s such a good feeling knowing we’re helping those around us who are looking for help but don’t know how to vocalize it. That’s exactly what we were hoping to do.” 

It’s great to see the impact we’ve had on our community.

Throughout their experience, Hailey and Jillian have gained a deeper understanding of how many people struggle with mental health, and how important it is for resources like Hey Sam to show others they are not alone. 

“When you first meet someone, you don’t know what they’re going through—but everyone has their own story beneath the surface,” Hailey says. “This project has shown me how real that truly is.” 

As sixth graders back in 2022, Hailey and Jillian couldn’t have known how strong their connection to Samaritans would become. Though their junior year is still young, Hailey says they are already hoping to continue raising awareness for Hey Sam as seniors. “Because of the success we’ve had with this project, and all the connections we’ve made, Hey Sam just feels like a family now.”