After Student's Suicide, Teens Leave Encouraging Notes on Over 3,600 Lockers at Ohio High School

The teens said they left the surprise messages as a way to begin healing.

September 1, 2016, 4:43 PM
Anna Aronson, Erica English, Michelle Crispin and Ellie Uematsu -- sophomores at Mason High School in Mason, Ohio, surprised around 3,600 of their fellow schoolmates with positive message sticky notes on their lockers on Aug. 30, 2016, to uplift the school's spirit following the recent tragic death of a student, according to the Mason City Schools' public information officer.
Anna Aronson, Erica English, Michelle Crispin and Ellie Uematsu -- sophomores at Mason High School in Mason, Ohio, surprised around 3,600 of their fellow schoolmates with positive message sticky notes on their lockers on Aug. 30, 2016, to uplift the school's spirit following the recent tragic death of a student, according to the Mason City Schools' public information officer.
Courtesy Mason City Schools

— -- After a student's recent suicide left Mason High School in Ohio reeling, five teen girls left encouraging notes on thousands of lockers as a way to start healing.

The campaign was initiated by MHS sophomore Anna Aronson, who said she and her friends -- Erica English, Michelle Crispin, Ellie Uematsu and Jessica Morse -- spent nearly eight hours writing messages like "You are strong" and "You are unbreakable" on thousands of Post-it notes.

Aronson told ABC News today that the girls finished at 10 p.m. on Monday night, when they placed the sticky notes on over 3,600 of the high school's lockers. They also placed notes on teachers' doors and administrative staff members' desks.

PHOTO: Anna Aronson, Erica English, Michelle Crispin and Ellie Uematsu -- sophomores at Mason High School in Mason, Ohio, surprised around 3,600 of their fellow schoolmates with positive message sticky notes on their lockers on Aug. 30, 2016.
Anna Aronson, Erica English, Michelle Crispin and Ellie Uematsu -- sophomores at Mason High School in Mason, Ohio, surprised around 3,600 of their fellow schoolmates with positive message sticky notes on their lockers on Aug. 30, 2016, to uplift the school's spirit following the recent tragic death of a student, according to the Mason City Schools' public information officer.

The following morning, smiles and tears filled the faces of students, teachers and staff who stumbled upon the surprise messages, according to MHS principal Dave Hyatt.

"It literally lightened the entire building's heart," Hyatt told ABC News today. "It felt like this huge weight had just been lifted on Tuesday morning."

PHOTO: Anna Aronson, Erica English, Michelle Crispin and Ellie Uematsu -- sophomores at Mason High School in Mason, Ohio, surprised around 3,600 of their fellow schoolmates with positive message sticky notes on their lockers on Aug. 30, 2016.
Anna Aronson, Erica English, Michelle Crispin and Ellie Uematsu -- sophomores at Mason High School in Mason, Ohio, surprised around 3,600 of their fellow schoolmates with positive message sticky notes on their lockers on Aug. 30, 2016, to uplift the school's spirit following the recent tragic death of a student, according to the Mason City Schools' public information officer.

One student posted the note she found on her locker to Twitter using the hashtag #CometStrong, referring to the school's mascot.

"We say things like 'CometStrong' and 'CometCountry' to refer to our family," said Erica English, one of the girls who helped with the Post-its campaign.

PHOTO: Anna Aronson, Erica English, Michelle Crispin and Ellie Uematsu -- sophomores at Mason High School in Mason, Ohio, surprised around 3,600 of their fellow schoolmates with positive message sticky notes on their lockers on Aug. 30, 2016.
Anna Aronson, Erica English, Michelle Crispin and Ellie Uematsu -- sophomores at Mason High School in Mason, Ohio, surprised around 3,600 of their fellow schoolmates with positive message sticky notes on their lockers on Aug. 30, 2016, to uplift the school's spirit following the recent tragic death of a student, according to the Mason City Schools' public information officer.

"Even though we're a big school, we're still a tight-knit community," English told ABC News. "After this tragedy hit, everyone was hit pretty hard. We just want everyone to know that you’re not alone and you’re loved."