Deerwalk Sifal School

The Boat That Sunk

- Aayusi Shrestha - 26002, Grad ... 14 February, 2024

Isabella was a student. She felt like a tiny boat in a big storm. Every day, school was like a dark cloud over her head, always raining pressure and worry. Her room was like a quiet island, but the walls carried the heavy weight of her troubles. Isabella tried to tell others about the storms inside her, but they just looked past the clouds and said, "It's normal." No one believed that a tiny boat like Isabella could be in trouble.

Days went by like a never-ending storm. Isabella's books were like maps, but they led her to places where the rain never stopped. One day, Roseanne, her roommate, knocked on the door. "Hey, Isabella, how's it going?" Isabella tried to smile, but her smile was like a small boat trying not to sink. "Oh, you know, the usual." Roseanne left, and the room felt lonely again. Isabella's island was full of books and papers, and her boat was sinking under their weight.

One day, a paper on the board caught Isabella's eye. It was like a message in a bottle, promising a way out of the storm. "Support Group for Students Under Stress," it said. Isabella decided to give it a try. In the small room, Isabella found others like her, each with their own stormy seas. Lisa, the leader, was like a lighthouse guiding lost ships. Isabella's words spilled out, and for a moment, she felt a bit of calm. Jay and Jake, two students from the group, became her friends in the storm.

But outside the support group, the world was still. Teachers said, "It's just school stress," and friends thought Isabella was making a fuss. The storm inside her went unnoticed. Time passed, and Isabella's boat felt smaller and smaller. The group helped, but the world outside was like a big cloud that didn't care. Isabella left a note on her desk one night: "I can't do this anymore." The next day, the news of Isabella's end was like a thunderstorm on campus. Friends were confused, and the group felt a heavy rain of guilt. Isabella's funeral was a sad time. The group realized they missed the signs, hidden beneath the waves.

Isabella's story became a wake-up call. The campus started talking about storms inside students' heads. Teachers learned to see the clouds, and students were told, "It's okay to ask for help." Isabella's Haven, the support group, became a light for others. Isabella's story, though sad, became a reason for change. The campus turned into a place where students were not just grades but people with stories. The seasons changed, and so did the campus. Isabella's memory was like a flower in the rain. The university became a place where students felt seen. The clouds of pressure started to clear, and Isabella's story became more than a sad ending; it became a story of hope. The campus learned to care for each small boat in its sea.

Isabella's parents, after hearing about their daughter's untimely end, felt like a ship lost at sea. The news reached them like a tidal wave, washing away the joy and leaving only sorrow. They reflected on the times Isabella tried to tell them about the storms, but they brushed it off, thinking it was just the usual struggles of school.

Regret became a heavy anchor in their hearts. They wished they could rewind time, be more attentive, and listen to Isabella's silent pleas for help. The clouds of guilt hung over them, obscuring the sun of happy memories. They wondered if the pressure they unknowingly added to Isabella's journey was the reason her boat capsized. Isabella's teachers, too, were hit by a tsunami of remorse. As they learned about Isabella's silent suffering, they revisited their classrooms, recalling the times they piled on assignments and tests, unaware of the storm within her. The pressure to meet academic standards had blinded them to the individual struggles of their students.

Each grade given and every demanding task assigned now felt like weights they had unknowingly placed on Isabella's shoulders. They wished they could rewrite the story, providing support rather than adding to the storm. In the quiet corners of their homes, they questioned the education system that valued grades over the mental well-being of students. Isabella's story became a turning point for her parents and teachers. The grief of her loss turned into a commitment to change. They started advocating for mental health awareness in schools, pushing for reforms in the education system that would prioritize the emotional well-being of students. Isabella's story, painful as it was, became a catalyst for transformation. Isabella's Haven, the support group, expanded its reach. It became a platform not just for students but for parents and teachers too, fostering open conversations about the pressures faced by students and ways to create a more supportive learning environment.

The campus, once silent to the cries for help, became a place where empathy blossomed. Isabella's parents and teachers joined the cause, speaking at workshops and seminars, sharing their regrets, and urging others to listen to the whispers of struggling students. The university implemented comprehensive mental health programs, integrating counseling services and stress management workshops into the curriculum. Teachers were trained to recognize signs of distress, and students were encouraged to seek help without fear of judgment. Isabella's story, though tragic, became a beacon of change, illuminating the path toward a more compassionate educational system.

The seasons continued to change, and with each passing day, Isabella's memory transformed into a force for good. The campus that once overlooked the storms within its students became a haven, where every boat, big or small, was cared for and guided through the seas of academia. Isabella's story became a reminder that within every storm, there is the potential for a rainbow, a sign of hope for a brighter and more empathetic future.