Journey through Mental Illness, Teaching Teens Leadership

Mental Illness (3:52) Statistics say that 1 in 4 people have mental illness. And 1 in 25 suffer so badly from it that it disrupts their professional and personal life. Many suffer in silence. They’re afraid or ashamed to tell others, for fear of the stigma. Rachel visits with young adult novelist, Robison Wells, about his journey through mental illness, and, the passion he has for speaking out on the subject, especially in his books, articles, and social media. Robison Wells is the award-winning author of Blackout, Variant, Airships of Camelot and others. Robison lives in the Rocky Mountains in a house not too far from elk pastures. His wife, Erin, he says, is a better person than he will ever be, and their three kids cause mischief and/or joy. Wells suffers from five mental illnesses, as you will hear him explain, and is an outspoken advocate for others like him. Leadership Skills (15:01) Next, Rachel visits with Angela Nederhand, a teacher at Salem Hills High School. She talks to Rachel about her work, teaching leadership skills, and why she feels these skills are so important for teens to learn. Angela Nederhand is a TV Broadcasting teacher at Salem Hills High School. Previously, she taught Leadership Principles and worked with multicultural students as they sought opportunities for community service. She studied at Westminster College and graduated valedictorian in the College of Technology and Computing at Utah Valley University. Sneaking a Book into Bed (24:16) We finish up the show today with Mark Burns, producer of Thinking Aloud on BYU Radio, who offers some great tips on “How to Sneak a Book into Bed!”