Sacramento youth leaders say academic stress is at an all-time high, ask City Hall for help

SACRAMENTO — Many high school students say academic stress is at an all-time high. Some Sacramento teens took to City Hall to call attention to just how stressful it is to grow up today.

Anshika Kakar, a sophomore at Inderkum High School, is part of the Sacramento Summer at City Hall team that surveyed students about the causes of stress.

“The main thing they mentioned was the huge workload, the uncertainty about their future and university admissions, as the percentages are lower than ever,” Kakar said.

“School is a huge part of people’s lives,” said Inderkum junior Kora Awwad. “They spend more time at school than they do at home.”

These students say the pressure can lead to unhealthy lifestyles.

“Many students today become addicted to drugs, become depressed or suffer from anxiety,” said Kakar.

Sarah Musser, Sacramento’s general recreation supervisor, said there’s “really no break” from the stresses and pressures of society, school and extracurricular activities for Gen Z, who are still trying to recover from learning loss caused by the pandemic.

“They missed out on the most important social aspects of growing up, they missed out on the most important school experiences,” Musser said.

Young leaders are calling on Sacramento City Council to fund new stress relief resources.

“This is an after-school program where they get peer mentoring, mental health support, college preparation, school management guidance and tutoring,” Kakar said.

Their aim is to reduce the difficulties that come with growing up.

“We are tackling the problem at its root: the schools,” said Kakar.

“If you can prevent it from the beginning, it makes a huge difference in people’s lives,” Awwad said.

The students are asking city leaders to use cannabis industry revenues earmarked for youth programs to fund this new education initiative.