Last Friday, Rogers LEAD WT advisor Amber Black told the junior class of LEAD scholars to reach out to someone who needed to know how awesome they are.

This week in the Prairie newsroom, a student was having a tough week and a fellow writer gave her a kind note that ended up seeming like the only good thing that happened that day.

With the rise of the Netflix series Thirteen Reasons Why, the concepts of the harms that stem from bullying and the general brevity of life have come to surface.

As a campus, WT tends to have a relatively high tendency to show compassion and empathy. The issue lies not in whether our students care about their peers. It is simply that students are generally unlikely to reach out to someone in a tough situation.

It is important that we take a step back from the daily grind that comes with nearing the end of the spring semester and notice our classmates. You probably will never know how much of an impact you made on someone just for caring that they were struggling, but it will mean more to them than you think.

It is said that people will not remember what you said. They will remember how you made them feel. For those who feel too shy or awkward to mention that you are worried about someone, remember that it is the thought that will mean the most to this person. If they feel like they are alone in their journey, writing them a simple note or even just listening to them speak could be the best part of that person’s day.

So, although everyone is mentally and emotionally strained right now, let us not forget to find the compassion that living in the panhandle of Texas has taught each of us. Love on your neighbor every once in a while. It could make their day, or yours.