Voices Ringing
Carroll High School Blog
Meet Erik S. Ramsey ‘93, Director of Student Development
Editor's Note: Mr. Ramsey’s letter originally appeared in the Fall 2024 issue of Reflections. Click here to read the entire magazine.
Past, Present and Future Patriots,
Allow me to reintroduce myself. My name is Erik Ramsey. I have recently accepted the position of Director of Student Development and am honored to be chosen for this opportunity. The crucial responsibilities of this position have been most recently and honorably fulfilled by the likes of Greg Derus, Ben Rulli ‘03 and Dave Wolodkiewicz, who have left big shoes to fill. My gratitude is exceeded only by my excitement, as this role allows me to continue my journey of giving back to the Archbishop Carroll community that has given so much to myself and my family.
After traveling, via the Air Force, from California to Nebraska and to the Philippines with my mom (JoeElla), dad (William) and sisters (Erin ‘99 and Paz), we settled in Beavercreek and were introduced to Carroll. Since then, I have served many roles at Carroll, from being a graduate of the Class of 1993 to a coach to a teacher to the spouse of a graduate (Sara Whitener ‘95) to the parent of a graduate (Eli ‘18), a current senior (Isaiah ‘25), and a future Patriot (Ella ‘31, a current student at St. Helen Catholic School), who have all been raised in this community. I have served with Carroll in numerous other capacities and am thankful that this new position will still allow me to have an impact in the classroom, teaching the newly offered class, American Culture and Social Responsibility and through coaching with the boys’ basketball program.
I cherish the opportunity to directly and thoroughly assist our present and future students in their pursuit of our mission to form “a life of virtue, academic excellence and service to the common good.” My ultimate goal is for all of our students to leave Archbishop Carroll with the same love and appreciation for this community that I and many others share, embrace their opportunities to give back, and bless the lives of others. I not only welcome you all to join in this journey with me but even more so, I am looking forward to it.
Gratefully,
Erik S. Ramsey ‘93
Director of Student Development
Three new ways Carroll is looking out for students' mental health
In conjunction with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), Carroll High School is spending the year researching, training, and presenting on issues related to greater awareness of mental health issues among teens. The AFSP is a national organization that provides sound, research-based programming on the prevention of suicide, as well as tools for greater awareness regarding issues of mental health.
Faculty and Student Training
During an upcoming meeting with the Director of the AFSP, the faculty and staff learn how to identify signs of mental health distress in students and refer them for help. According to the AFSP's website, the program complies with the requirements for teacher education suicide prevention training in many states.” Once the faculty and staff have those concrete tools, the students will go through training on how to recognize signs and symptoms of depression, understand the stigma of depression, and how to find help for themselves and others.
ASIST Program
Soon after the student programming, a group of volunteer faculty and staff members will go through an intensive training over two days with other educators in the greater Dayton area called the ASIST program (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training). ASIST is a two-day interactive workshop in suicide first aid. ASIST teaches participants to recognize when someone may have thoughts of suicide and work with them to create a plan that will support their immediate safety. Since its development in 1983, ASIST has received regular updates to reflect improvements in knowledge and practice, and more than 1 million people have taken the workshop.
Preparing the Class of 2020 for success
In the Spring, we hope to bring the AFSP in for the graduating seniors to present the program “It’s Real”. This program provides information on mental health issues for students in college and prepares our seniors for the next steps in their lives after Carroll.
What are the resources for parents?
I’m glad you asked. One resource is checking out these quick videos from the AFSP. When you visit the site, click on Children and Adolescents for quick research based information on mental health. Spend some time researching, exploring, and talking about these issues with your son or daughter. The more we speak about the topic, the better we can desensitize the stigma of depression and mental health issues with teens, which can begin breaking down barriers.