Indianapolis, IN — A Cathedral High School alum, is making significant strides to support local teenagers dealing with mental health issues and trauma.
Aaron Green's program, Struggle University, aims to provide a safe space for young people to express their struggles and emotions.
Green has experienced profound loss in his own life, he says his father was murdered by a teenager. It happened while Green was a Cathedral student.
"I went through my most traumatic moments in this space, and this became kind of my safe space. So I wanted to be the person that created that space for other kids and be the person that I needed," Green said.
Since launching Struggle University three years ago, Green has engaged with students from local schools and community organizations, focusing on building emotional intelligence and teaching skills to manage impulses.
The six-week program has already made a positive impact.
“Everything he taught me, I still use to this day,” Alston McDaniel said. "Not falling into the stereotypes you might see with African American people, we're not just angry people all the time."
Participants in “Struggle University” not only learn to navigate their emotions but also develop crucial coping mechanisms that can help reduce impulsive behaviors linked to youth violence.
“A lot of times, youth violence stems from anger and impulses or not knowing where to shift their energy to when they have these negative thoughts,” Green explained.
“Just spending six weeks with Aaron, you can see the bonds that they created among themselves, but you can also see them opening up in the classroom,” Jean Smith, the Cathedral Director of Lifelong Connections said.
Green’s organization, Struggle Made Us, is the recipient of the 2024 Mental Health and Well-being Grant from the African American Legacy Fund of Indianapolis.
The funding will enable Green to expand his reach, with aspirations to work with an additional 300 students this year.
“I’m grateful, but it also gives me a chance to really get into these schools that don’t have the resources and help these kids,” Green said.
To achieve his goal of reaching more students, Struggle University is currently seeking partnerships with schools and community organizations.
“I didn’t create this for money. I’m happy I can become that person for them because that’s what I needed,” Green said.
