Last semester, I woke up one morning feeling like the weight of every unfinished assignment, every social conflict, and every worry about the future had collapsed into a single, immovable boulder sitting on my chest. I wasn't sick — not in the way that would earn a parent's note or a doctor's excuse. But I was unwell.

I went to school anyway. I sat through six classes absorbing nothing. I stared at my lunch tray without eating. I came home and cried.

What if, instead, I could have taken a mental health day? What if our school recognized that psychological wellbeing is just as valid a reason for absence as a fever or a stomach bug?

Several states have already passed legislation allowing mental health days for students. Oregon, where the policy has been in place since 2019, reports that students who use mental health days show improved attendance and engagement in the long run.

The stigma around mental health is slowly lifting, but our school policies haven't caught up. It's time they did.