"You can be at the highest of highs and then find yourself a year later at the lowest low."
Madison City Schools is hoping to start the conversation about kids' mental health after the pandemic with a  at Bob Jones High School.
The school district hopes it opens the door to a very crucial conversation, and one way they're hoping to do that is by bringing back an alumnus to talk about how he overcame his battle.
"You can be at the highest of highs and then find yourself a year later at the lowest low," guest speaker and former Bob Jones student Dustin Haraway said.
He knows what it's like to deal with depression.
"I just found myself in this — I call it like a pit of despair," Haraway recalled.
He said he was able to overcome that battle but knows it can happen to anyone. Madison City Schools' mental health services coordinator, Stephanie Allen, said she sees it in the halls.
"We see mental health issues from kindergarten all the way up. It's not isolated by age or grade, or background or where you come from," Allen explained.
That's why they organized the mental health summit, to break the stigma, raise awareness on how to deal with mental health and show the resources available.
"We're hoping to open doors to the conversation, where parents, educators and even teachers alike know that it is OK to talk about it and it is OK to reach out for help," Allen said.
Haraway said talking about your struggle is the first step to getting better. He hopes his story gives hope to those who are struggling.
"Just breaking down those barriers and those stigmas and helping them understand that, hey, there are resources available to help them," Haraway explained.
Haraway said it's important that those struggling with mental health lean in to the support available and commit to those changes to get better.
The mental health summit was set for 5:30-7:30 p.m. Monday at Bob Jones High School. you can find a link to some of the local resources featured at the summit.
