Junior Sara Shorts recently started a club called “Morgan’s Message.” The club is moderated by Assistant Athletic Director Laura Seifert and has hit the ground running.
Morgan’s Message is “an organization created in memory of Morgan Rodgers, a former Duke lacrosse player who died by suicide at the age of 22 due to mental health struggles. Morgan’s friends and family created Morgan’s Message to equalize the importance of physical and mental health in athletics,” Sara said.
“I had a friend at Fallston who struggled with her injury, and I didn’t always know how or if I could help. She started Morgan’s Message at her school, and I thought it would be a great addition to our own school community,” she said.
This is why it is so important to her and why she wanted to bring Morgan’s Message to John Carroll.
Sara has been spreading the word through social media, weekly updates, and posters being made and put up around the school.
The first event that Morgan’s Message participated in at JC is the Festival of Lights. The group created a Morgan’s Message-themed Christmas tree and put it on display for everyone who comes in to see.
For this event, Sara created a Sign Up Genius, and everyone in the club chipped in to buy a bunch of different blue and orange decorations to put on the tree.
The Morgan’s Message group also wrote writing meaningful notes to put on the tree and added butterflies because they are the symbol for Morgan’s Message.
The logo was derived from Morgan’s artwork and inspired by her love of the color teal. At Morgan’s memorial, they were surrounded by butterflies that continued to appear when they were needed the most.
It is a constant reminder that she is still here and shows everyone love and support always. The semi-colon that is the body of the butterfly symbolizes a message of affirmation and solidarity against suicide, depression, addiction, and other mental health challenges.