Wheeler graduate starts initiative to address teen mental health

Wheeler graduate mental health initiative
Zac Adkins, second from left, with Wheeler students on a “One Percent Harder” day at the school.

A Wheeler High School graduate who started a club at the school to address the health issues of his fellow teams is expanding his cause.

Zac Adkins played varsity football and soccer for the Wildcats and earned 3.944 grade-point honors.

Now a student at Berry College, Adkins last year launched One Percent Harder, a merchandise business that’s meant to encourage young people to fostering open communication about mental and physical health among teens.

He started wearing his merchandise to school and shared his story with students, athletes and his church youth group. On Wednesdays, some Wheeler students got into the habit of wearing One Percent Gear to school, and the school’s highly ranked boys basketball team donned the outfits while warming up during a state playoff game.

The club was suggested by Wheeler principal Paul Gillihan, and it’s an accountability group that discusses a specific topic and challenges participants to set goals and “work one percent harder each day to achieve them.”

Currently One Percent Harder is raising funds for a professional mental health counseling at Wheeler, with an initial goal of $50,000.

Adkins is donating 10 percent of his merchandise proceeds to the fund, which will go to providing counseling services to any Wheeler student who needs one.

Tax-deductible donations can be made directly the Wheeler ABC Foundation donate page or people can buy merchandise at onepercentharder.com.

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