Ellis supports mental health

By Tyler Hardy

Staff Writer

Homecoming queen candidate Lauren Ellis was born at UNC Hospitals — a true Tar Heel born and bred.

More than 20 years later, she is now working to give back to UNC and the surrounding Chapel Hill community.

With her service project, Ellis is focusing on collaborating with The Arc of Orange County, an organization working to ensure that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities have the services and support they need to grow, develop and live in communities across the nation.

The Arc also works on providing activities such as social nights, cardio exercises and cooking classes.

Ellis said the project will include student volunteers from service clubs at Chapel Hill High School, East Chapel Hill High School and Carrboro High School.

She is developing a presentation to educate high school students about different developmental and intellectual disabilities.

“I feel like at the high school age is where people begin to form a lot of their opinions and ideas about those with disabilities,” Ellis said.

One aspect of her presentation includes a lesson on how to have a respectful conversation with someone who has an intellectual or developmental disability.

Ellis said this is necessary because people often do not want to offend those with disabilities, so they just avoid them.

But she said people with disabilities want to be included in the community.

“There is a barrier between people with disabilities and those without them,” Ellis said.

She is also working on helping with the Arc’s teen night, a social event for disabled teenagers.

Ellis said the Arc already has a budget set out to cover the costs of the teen night, making her project a low-cost operation.

She added that through working with people with developmental and intellectual disabilities, a person is able to learn to appreciate the simple things in life.

“People with developmental disabilities have so much joy to offer,” Ellis said. “They have a simplistic kind of joy.”

Ellis grew up in Raleigh and is double-majoring in political science and journalism and mass communication with a focus on public relations.

She is also the president of her sorority, Chi Omega.

“My passion for this University is definitely something that’s driving me through this process,” Ellis said.

“Every day I’m here I try to take a minute to stop and realize how lucky I am to be here, to be a Tar Heel.”