By Ahana Saluja '29
St. Mark’s athletes from across campus competed in the fall Morgan’s Message Dedication Games, promoting mental health awareness through a full day of athletic competition on October 15.
Morgan’s Message is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to ending the stigma surrounding mental health in athletics and empowering student-athletes to speak openly about their experiences. The St. Mark’s chapter, now in its fourth year, continues to expand its presence on campus through awareness events, team partnerships, and community discussions.
Led by club heads Abby Stone ’26, Bridget FitzGerald ’26, Lily Roy ’27, and Julia Rubinow ’27, alongside underclassmen ambassadors Allie Sauls ’28, Allegra Diodati ’28, Lily Davidson ’28, Abbey DeRoeve ’28, and Ryan Bowdrige ’28, the day brought together teams, fans, and the larger St. Mark’s community in support of a cause that continues to gain momentum across campus.
Several St. Mark’s teams took home wins during the event, including Varsity Volleyball (3–2 over Milton), Girls Varsity Soccer (1–0 over Milton), Girls JV Soccer (3–2 over Milton), and JV Football (34–0 over Middlesex). JV Field Hockey ended with a 1–1 tie against Milton, while Varsity Field Hockey and Boys Soccer teams faced tough losses.
For many athletes, the games were about more than the scores. “My favorite part of the dedication games was how every team bought into the event and worked together to make them so successful,” said Julia Rubinow ’27, who joined Morgan’s Message in March 2023. “Through events like these, we’re able to show our peers how important awareness around mental health is.”
Lily Roy ’27, who became an ambassador in October 2023, agreed that the unity and excitement around the event stood out. “It came together so quickly, and every team wanted to participate,” she said. “We also raised a lot of money from the bake sale, which was donated to the Morgan’s Message Foundation.”
Roy and Rubinow both emphasized how far the club has come in just a year, introducing new initiatives, engaging more teams, and expanding conversations about mental health on campus. “One of our biggest goals this year is to host bigger events and fundraisers, and maybe even a puppy yoga,” Rubinow added.
The ambassadors’ efforts made an impact across all sports, as the school came together in support of Morgan’s Message’s mission to eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health in athletics. “Although we are all competitors in a very competitive league,” Rubinow said, reflecting on the Girls Varsity Soccer 1–0 victory, “there was one broader thing uniting us as athletes, and that was Morgan’s Message.”
The dedication games were a reminder that at St. Mark’s, the strongest wins happen when the entire community plays for the same cause.
“As ambassadors, we want every athlete to know that their mental health matters just as much as their performance,” concluded Chapter President Abby Stone ’26. “Seeing our teams come together for something bigger than the game shows the kind of community Morgan’s Message is building at St. Mark’s.”