For many high school students, learning how to manage their time is an important skill to develop before moving on to college or the workforce. For Taryn Thomas, masterfully crafting a schedule that somehow balances extensive responsibilities of schoolwork, an internship, multiple civic engagement roles, and her own mental health, has been essential in order to survive and thrive during her senior year at Beaumont High School and ahead of enrolling at Stanford University in the Fall of 2022.
When Taryn’s family moved from Redlands to Beaumont after her 8th grade year, she lost a lot of friends and found it difficult to make new friends as a freshman at Beaumont High School. Her mental health dwindled, and when she sought out resources on her new high school campus, they were limited, prompting her to take the reins of her own mental health and also help others.
“I had big ambitions at first and wanted to bring change to the whole city and school district,” Taryn admitted. “But, I realized that I first had to work on what I could at the school level, and bring about change there.”
“I talk about my depression and anxiety all the time in the club and how it affects me daily,” Taryn said. “It removes the stigma from the words because it’s normal to have some anxiety—even if it is feeling like we don’t want to get out of bed in the morning.”
For Taryn who struggled with truancy and chronic absenteeism for the first half of her high school career, the club was a key connection point that kept her engaged with school. The club grew to attract approximately 30 students as members and regular attendees.
“Honestly, this club got me to school some days,” Taryn shared. “Finding these little places that people feel comfortable at school, that’s what matters the most. We created this safe space for people talk about how they were feeling.”
Taryn reported that one of the biggest barriers was getting adults to listen to student needs—a scenario that the pandemic has since laid bare in the area of mental health. An opportunity arose for Taryn to serve as a voice for students on the Beaumont Unified School District Superintendent’s Advisory Council.
Taryn’s ground level advocacy for students has led to even more invitations to share her voice on local, regional, and statewide platforms. And, thanks to her mastery of her calendar and optimizing the digital communications tools at her disposal, she is able to balance the following engagements:
- Youth Advisory Council for State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tony Thurmond. Only 12 students across the state were invited to be champions for equitable change in their schools as part of this first-ever cohort.
- Student Trustee at the Beaumont Unified School District. Beyond her high school campus, the student trustee represents the voice of students to the elected officials on the Board of Education who provide oversight on policies and procedures for the entire district. Taryn has used this platform to advocate for more mental health resources in all district schools.
- Governmental Affairs and Policy Director of California Association of Student Councils. She leads efforts for Riverside and San Bernardino Counties—including a focus on establishing city youth advisory councils and seating student board members in districts that have not established student trustees.
- Co-Commissioner of Riverside County Youth Advisory Council which advises Riverside County Supervisor Jeff Hewitt in addressing the current and future needs of today’s youth.
- Redlands Youth Council to share her voice for student needs in the community—with an eye towards developing a similar group in her new home town of Beaumont.
In her non-existent free time, Taryn was also selected as one of only 10 students to be invited to participate as an intern in the Loma Linda University ABC program. The ABC High School Program offers internships in health disparities research for high school students in the Inland Empire and features hands-on biomedical research experience under the supervision of an expert scientist.
Her project involved studying DHA—an omega-3 fat that could contribute to clinical applications for alternative solutions to opiods or potentially addictive treatments for those suffering from neuropathic pain.
As she approaches graduation and the potential of being the class valedictorian, Taryn is excited that she has been accepted to her “dream school” of Stanford University where she will study biology with plans to pursue her medical degree and Ph.D. in neuroscience.
“STEM education has always been a part of my life after I got started in computer science and Girls Who Code,” Taryn said. “Science became second nature for me and I knew I wanted to choose the health care field because I think that’s where I could help the most people.”
Her desire is to focus on the racial inequities that many minorities face consistently—especially biases that exist in the health care field.
“I want to show people in my community that it’s not impossible to use your voice and make a difference,” Taryn said. “Maybe someday I can work on a drug that can help people with their mental health.”
As Taryn keeps track of her packed calendar, she is thankful for the support of her parents and cognizant of the impact her work has on the experiences of others.
“It’s easy to get wrapped up in so many organizations and clubs, and I do experience burnout. But, I’m motivated to see my end goal of improving education,” Taryn said. “I keep the goal in mind that what I’m doing is not just for me, it’s for all the people I’m advocating for. If I stop what I’m doing, I don’t want the people I’m advocating for or inspiring, to stop what they’re doing.”
Taryn’s closing message is a reminder of the unique impact that teachers and all educators can have on students.
“It’s so important to show kindness to students and be understanding. I’ve had teachers cut me slack for something and show some empathy and understanding that most students are doing their best,” Taryn said “I hope educators know that, no matter what, they have the opportunity to even touch one person’s life, and that is special.”