Just after midday on a bright December afternoon, Kindergarteners gathered eagerly around tables in an Upper School science classroom with paintbrushes poised, colors swirling, and Upper School students seated beside them. For 45 minutes, AFS students ages five through eighteen came together for a collaboration intended to highlight the importance of connection and kindness.

The activity was led by the Upper School’s newly formed Morgan’s Message club, guided by student-leaders Yassmine Wardigree ’27 and Emma Hacker '27. Founded this fall, the club focuses on supporting student-athlete mental health and building stronger, more compassionate connections across campus. Yassmine, who wrote about these challenges in the school newspaper, has been candid about the pressures athletes often face silently, from late-night homework after away games to the emotional tug-of-war between performance and personal well-being. “Sports allow me to be myself and make friends,” shared Emma, “but balancing schoolwork and sports is stressful.”

These reflections, Yassmine writes, point to a truth that’s easy to miss: behind the smiles and highlight reels, athletes are humans first. Many experience burnout, anxiety and exhaustion, yet rarely ask for support.

“Sports allow me to be myself and make friends,” shared Emma Hacker ’27, “but balancing schoolwork and sports is stressful.”

That’s why AFS now has its own chapter of Morgan’s Message, a national movement founded in honor of Duke lacrosse player Morgan Rodgers. The initiative empowers students to break stigma through open dialogue, advocacy, and community-building.

This particular project, Kindness Rocks, became an early expression of that mission. "We wanted both the kindergartners and high-schoolers to recognize how a small act of kindness could create meaningful connections," reflects Yassmine. As Kindergarteners brushed bright colors across soft, smooth stones, Upper School students helped mix colors, steady small hands, and share in the joy of creating something encouraging for others. Keep your eyes peeled for beautifully painted rocks outside the Muller Auditorium as small reminders that kindness is something we build together.