Ask for – Selma High senior Adam Soria is using his platform as a quarterback to normalize mental health conversations among peers, sparking a culture shift in his school district.
As the starting quarterback for Selma High School, Adam Soria is used to the weight of expectations. Each missed handoff and dropped pass feels like a personal indictment. a constant pressure to perform for his teammates and school. But this season. the 17-year-old senior brought a different kind of intensity to the field—one painted in white letters across his lower back pad.
Beneath a purple and teal ribbon. three words serve as his rallying cry: “Ask 4 Help.” Below them sits a simple hashtag: #SuicidePrevention. For Soria. the gear is a direct challenge to the “man up” culture that often discourages young men from expressing vulnerability. He knows the feeling of loneliness and defeat that accompanies the pressure to be perfect; he has been there. having struggled with his own mental health and thoughts of suicide.
Soria’s journey toward seeking support began during his sophomore year at Reedley High. where school psychologist Nikkie Milton taught him that he didn’t have to carry his burdens in silence. “Asking for help has really helped me release all that pressure that I had on my shoulders,” Soria says. He acknowledges that he carries heavy stressors beyond the gridiron. including family dynamics and his role as the oldest of three siblings. Since transferring to Selma High as a junior. he has continued working with mental health professionals. a choice he now hopes to turn into a career.
The message has resonated throughout the district. Cesar Gonzalez. a mental health clinician for Selma Unified. views Soria’s initiative as a vital step in helping student-athletes realize they are not alone. It is a shift that is gaining momentum across the district; lead mental health clinician Kristy Rangel notes that students are increasingly taking the initiative to speak openly about their mental well-being both on and off the field.
This cultural shift comes at a critical time. Across California, youth are navigating high levels of anxiety, depression, and trauma. A joint survey by Blue Shield of California and Children Now recently highlighted that many students feeling these pressures remain silent. held back by embarrassment. In Selma, these barriers are often compounded by deep-seated cultural or religious beliefs that emphasize stoicism. “There’s still a few parents in the community that struggle to understand the severity of mental health,” Gonzalez explains. “They don’t even acknowledge them because they’ve been taught to ‘suck it up.’”.
Selma Unified has spent over a decade dismantling those barriers. Since 2016. the district has deployed therapy dogs as “co-therapists” to bridge the gap between students and clinicians. helping to identify those in need and humanize the process of seeking therapy. The district’s comprehensive strategy also includes mentorship programs. support groups for newcomer students. and mandatory “Signs of Suicide” training for all freshmen—a program they have run for five years. The impact is measurable: in the 2014-15 school year. the district recorded 32 referrals; by the 2024-25 school year. that figure climbed to 1. 553.
Soria’s decision to wear his message during Suicide Prevention Awareness Month in September provided a tangible catalyst for these ongoing efforts. After he first took the field with the modified gear—painted by art teacher and cornerback coach Khalil Harshaw—students began requesting ribbons and bracelets. Even though the month has passed. Soria intends to keep the message on his pads for the remainder of the year.
Beyond the applause or the recognition, the result has been a quiet, profound change in his own life. The loneliness he once described as a void has been replaced by the support of his teammates and family. By choosing to speak up. Soria has found that the game is no longer just about the score. but about the people standing beside him.
Adam Soria Selma High School mental health suicide prevention student athletes California education teen mental health