The issues this school year just seem to be coming one after another. On top of 600 more students, Covid-19, adding an extra relocatable to our school, traffic, and parking trouble, Taylorsville High School has been trying to combat dangerous TikTok trends and an unusual amount of tension causing fights, arguments, and controversy. All of these unique situations are causing a dip in students’ social life, academic progress, and mental health. However, one of our own students, Maryn Seaman, is trying to help put the school in a better mood with her #showyoucare challenge. 

The #showyoucare challenge took place during the entire month of November. Each day had a specific theme where you could show gratitude for different people. Participants were encouraged to show gratitude in a number of ways. “You could write a letter to them, send a text, talk to them in person, post on a social media platform, leave a voice recording for them, give them a call, send or draw a picture to/for them, leave a little note, write an email, show an act of service, record yourself expressing your gratitude, or FaceTiming them,” said one of Maryn’s first social media posts about the challenge. A calendar was also posted of the different themed days. 

The purpose of this challenge was to help lift students’ spirits during the Thanksgiving season, but the inspiration for the challenge had a much deeper meaning. “Me and my friend Jenna went and watched the Dear Evan Hansen movie which is about suicide,” Seaman said. “We went on a nice mountain drive and had a really cool talk about how we don’t like feeling this way. I was thinking later, why should we let others feel this way too? I could do better at showing people that I care about them because sometimes it just takes somebody to take the first step and make the effort.”

Maryn then began working on the challenge. She posted a video about the challenge that was later featured on Tville TV. She also created an Instagram account (@show.you.care21) and used a Remind text to spread awareness. “It was kind of cool the first day where there was 84 people that reposted it,” Seaman said when the challenge was first starting out. “My video has about 860 views [on Instagram]. The account has 307 followers, and then the daily Remind has probably 230 people signed up for it.” At the end of November, Maryn achieved 890 views on the original video and 317 followers on the Instagram account.

Overall, the challenge seemed to be a success. Many people had positive experiences when participating in the different gratitude days. Junior Emma Buhler participated in many days of the challenge by telling her younger sister how much she made her laugh and posting about her older brother on Instagram. “This impacted me because it helped me focus more on others every day than just myself,” she said. “It also helped me be happier from seeing others be happy from me telling them how much I care for them.”

The feedback that Seaman has received about her challenge shows just how much little acts of kindness and service can brighten someone’s day. “I got a sweet note from a lady in my neighborhood that on the coworker day, that was exactly what her coworker needed to hear while they were going through a hard time in their life that my neighbor was unaware of,” Seaman said. “Those little experiences give me this happy and proud feeling in my stomach. First knowing that other people’s moods have been lifted, and that I could be the instrument in helping to do that.”

Not only did students enjoy participating, but teachers benefitted from the challenge as well. Choir teacher Leah Tarrant encouraged everyone she could to participate in the #showyoucarechallenge. “I believe my best voice is through my students,” she said. “If I am excited about it, they will want to help as well.”

However, the overall goal of the challenge was not just to lift spirits during Thanksgiving, but to encourage others to help show gratitude as much as possible. Maryn and many others encourage people to share kindness and gratitude even though the challenge has ended. 

“Even a smile will make someone’s day,” Tarrant said. “ I think it’s students like Maryn who help make this world a better place. There have been so many that jumped on her idea and helped everyone think about others and not just themselves. We need more of this in the world.”