We had a little change of plans to start our morning. Chloe was scheduled to be our Student CEO of the Day, but she was home sick. When we met in the parking lot, Annabelle was asked to step in. She had about five minutes to prepare her introduction, and she handled it beautifully!

That kind of flexibility and willingness to step up is part of what I love about watching these students grow. Things don’t always go according to plan, and sometimes you just have to take a deep breath, trust yourself and go for it. Annabelle did exactly that.

From the moment our Silver Creek Area CEO students walked through the door at Karla Smith Behavioral Health, they felt welcome. Emily Smith had created such a warm, inviting start to our morning, with freshly cooked sausage, fresh fruit, bagels and juice waiting for everyone around a huge gathering table.

The setting was just as memorable. Lovingly called “the farm,” this 167-year-old homestead has all the character you would expect from a historic property: original wood floors, tall ceilings and massive windows that let the morning light pour in. Outside, a lake, several barns and outbuildings sit on nearly eight acres. As we gathered around the table and Emily began sharing the story behind Karla Smith Behavioral Health, we quickly realized there was so much more to this place than its beautiful surroundings.

Our connection to Karla Smith Behavioral Health came through Kory C Best, the organization’s board chair and one of the big supporters of Silver Creek Area CEO. I’m grateful for that connection because Emily had an important story to share with our students.

Emily told us about her childhood best friend, Karla, who struggled with mental illness and died by suicide at just 26 years old. Karla was also the twin sister of the man Emily would later marry. When the family began speaking openly about their loss, they discovered how many other people and families were struggling, too. So many were carrying things quietly, unsure of how to talk about what they were experiencing or where to turn for help. That experience helped lead to the creation of Karla Smith Behavioral Health, an organization dedicated to supporting individuals and families affected by mental illness and suicide.

One message I really hope our students took away from Emily’s story is that mental health conditions are real. Depression is real. Bipolar disorder is real. These aren’t things people can simply snap out of, and struggling with mental health is nothing to be ashamed of. We need to be willing to talk about it, to listen when someone is having a hard time and to understand that asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness. We never know what someone else may be carrying, even when everything looks fine on the outside.

That message is part of why Emily has been so intentional about the setting she is creating at the farm. She wanted a place that feels different from a traditional mental health facility. A place where people can walk outside, garden, fish, play cards, work on everyday life skills and have conversations without feeling like they are sitting across from someone in an office. There is room to move, room to breathe and room to feel comfortable enough to open up. She understands how difficult it can be to ask for help, especially when people are worried about being judged.

And the farm is still evolving. Emily took our students through some of the barns and talked about what she envisions for the future. One will become an art studio, giving people another way to create and express themselves. Another large barn will eventually be transformed into a venue that can be rented for weddings, graduation parties and other events. There is still plenty of work ahead, but each space is part of Emily’s vision for making the farm a place that serves people while also helping support the organization.

There was one thing Emily said that has really stayed with me. As she talked about restoring an old barn instead of tearing it down and starting over, she said:

“I’m not shiny and new. The people who come to see us aren’t shiny and new. We don’t need to be perfect.”

I love that. We spend so much time trying to get everything just right, and yet none of us has to be perfect to deserve a place where we feel safe, accepted and supported. I think that message applies to so much more than the work Emily is doing.

Emily also gave our students an honest look at the business side of running a nonprofit. She shared how grant funding that helped support services was abruptly taken away, forcing the organization to scale back certain services. The need for help didn’t disappear just because the funding did. And being a nonprofit doesn’t mean the bills go away. Employees still need to be paid, buildings need to be maintained and the mission needs a way to continue.

That experience changed the way Emily thinks about the future of the organization. She wants to build sustainable revenue sources that will help support the mission for years to come. The plans for the barns and other spaces aren’t just about creating something beautiful. They are also part of the business model.

I appreciated that Emily challenged our students to think beyond simply having a good idea for a business. Why are you starting it? What need are you meeting? Who are you serving? How will your business benefit your community? Those are questions I want our students asking as they begin developing their own individual businesses. Emily gave them a real-life example of how purpose and sound business decisions have to work together.

And then there was a connection to CEO that I especially loved hearing about. Emily’s son, participated in the Belleville CEO program last year. She shared that he considers it the single most impactful experience of his high school years. He is now attending the University of Dayton on a scholarship and was selected for a highly competitive position as a sports manager for the university’s basketball team. He credits CEO with helping him along the way.

Emily encouraged our students to “stuff the marrow out of every moment” they have in this program. They have no idea what doors might open, what relationships they will build or where these experiences might lead. As their facilitator, I hope they take that to heart. I want them to recognize the opportunity in front of them and make the most of it.

Emily, thank you for welcoming Silver Creek Area CEO to the farm, sharing Karla’s story so honestly and giving our students so much to think about. Thank you for reminding us why conversations about mental health matter and for showing our students what it looks like to turn a deeply personal experience into a mission that serves others.

And Kory, thank you for making this connection possible and for continuing to believe in and support Silver Creek Area CEO. Our students had the opportunity to learn about mental health, compassion, entrepreneurship and the importance of building something that can make a difference in our community. I’m grateful they had this morning with Emily, and I hope they carry these lessons with them long after they left the farm.