Video contest winners announced on “Mental Health Matters Day”

The University of California has announced the winners of a statewide video contest focused on making a positive impact on campus life.

UC and California high school students were recognized for films they created as part of the Directing Change video contest. Winners were announced during a ceremony in Sacramento on May 13, Mental Health Matters Day.

Participants were asked to submit 60-second public service announcements in two categories: “Suicide Prevention” and “Ending the Silence About Mental Illness.” This year, 432 videos were submitted, representing 996 students from 112 California high schools and nine UC campuses.

Contest submissions were judged by more than 200 volunteer experts in mental health and suicide prevention, members of the media, and professionals in filmmaking and video production. Awards were presented by director Bradley Buecker and actor Max Adler from Fox’s television show “Glee.” Judy Sakaki, UC’s vice president of student affairs, assisted with the presentation of UC’s awards.

The contest is funded through the California Mental Health Services Authority (CalMHSA) Student Mental Health Initiative, also known as Proposition 63. Winning videos will be shared with higher education partners in the California State University system and the California Community College system, and used as education and awareness tools at UC locations.

Winning films in the suicide prevention category are:

University of California

High school

  • First: “A New Tomorrow” by Analy High School students Kendra Goff and Sullivan Rutherford (Sonoma County)
  • Second: “Perception” by James C. Enochs High School students Caleb Meyer, Jacob McNeilly, Justin Benziger, Brandon Wilcox, Mariah Davis and Megan Johnson (Stanislaus County)
  • Third: “Hey Taylor” by Canyon High School students Kimberly Stratton, Stephen Gracia, Cassidy Foelsch and Nicholas Jackson (Orange County)

Winning films in the “ending the silence associated with mental illness” category include:

University of California

High school

Prizes:

First place: $1,000
Second place: $500
Third place: $300
Honorable mention: $100

UC campuses associated with student winners will also receive a Go-Pro camera for their counseling center.