-Editorial
A board game created by a young entrepreneur is using the everyday experiences of high school students to encourage conversations about decision-making, relationships, and mental health.
Sarah Abigail Vera, 18, created “High School The Game” when she was 16, drawing from her own experiences and observations as a high school student. The teen life strategy board game explores situations students may encounter while navigating academics, friendships, social pressures, and personal challenges.
Vera is now focusing full-time on her small business, Pancake Frog Studios Gaming, as she works to promote the game at schools, community events and mental health organizations.
She said the idea was influenced in part by watching friends and classmates navigate the changing social environment of high school.
“During high school, every year was a little different for me,” Vera said. “I bounced between friend groups, and I think part of that reflects the reason why I’ve seen so many of the things I implemented into my game.”
Vera said she maintained straight A’s while also dealing with her own mental health challenges. As some people around her began experimenting with partying, drugs, and relationships, she said she became more selective about the people with whom she spent time.
Those experiences also exposed her to challenges other teenagers were facing, she said.
“I’ve seen that a lot of people I’ve talked to in high school, that everyone is going through personal struggles,” Vera said. “Whether it be family situations or mental health struggles, a lot of teens are battling silently.”
Those observations became part of “High School The Game,” which incorporates mental health topics into its broader depiction of teenage life. Vera said she designed the game to be entertaining while creating opportunities for teenagers and adults to discuss situations young people may otherwise be reluctant to address.
She said encouraging teenagers to advocate for themselves and seek appropriate assistance is one of the messages she hopes players take from the game.
“Because of the stigma around mental health, so many teens struggle to open up, myself included,” Vera said. “And one thing I will always do is encourage them to open up. And not only that, but to seek the appropriate help.”
Vera has promoted the game through community events, social media, school visits and presentations to mental health organizations. She said teachers, parents and mental health professionals have expressed support for the project.
Organizations and schools she identified as supporters include Central Union High School, Imperial County Behavioral Health Services, CASA, NAMI, Access to Independence, Kennedy Middle School and Southwest High School, among others.
Vera said low self-esteem and negative thinking are among the concerns she has observed among young people, and she hopes the game can provide another way to discuss those issues before they escalate into harmful behavior.
For Vera, the project’s goals extend beyond building a business. She said she wants the game to help teenagers recognize that others may be experiencing similar difficulties and encourage communication between young people and the adults in their lives.
“I would like High School The Game to contribute to the conversation of mental health by increasing awareness of the issues that teens are facing now to each other and especially to the adults around them,” Vera said.
Vera said she will measure the project’s success not only through sales but also by whether it helps generate meaningful conversations.
“More than anything, I hope my experiences and words help others realize they can reach out to someone and that there continues to be hope for their situation,” Vera said. “I hope the conversations that start from this game can create the foundation for meaningful change and growth in how teens decide to cope.”
