Before national interviews and speaking engagements, Will Hargen was a Roswell student immersed in theater.
He attended Queen of Angels before moving on to Blessed Trinity. By sophomore year, backstage work, set building, and rehearsals had become his world. That same year, the theater department began working on Next to Normal, a musical centered on mental illness, grief, and family. Its themes were weighty and for Will, deeply personal.
The turning point began during a class discussion about mental health, a conversation that felt different from the others.
For Will, hearing an adult speak openly about depression created an unexpected opening.
“Will actually came to me! He initiated the conversation after I brought up mental health in a class discussion, so he knew that I was a safe person to talk to about mental health issues,” says Will’s former teacher, Gamble.
After rehearsal one day, Will approached Gamble privately.
“I think I need help. What can I do?”
At the time, he had been quietly struggling for years.
“I had been depressed since my earliest memories, so I just thought that was how it was always going to be.”
More than a decade later, Gamble still recalls the seriousness of what he shared.
“I remember Will coming to my office to talk a few times about being sad and frustrated. One day, he came in and seemed to be struggling more than usual. He was feeling hopeless and wondering why he was just continuing to feel so terribly.”
Gamble encouraged him to speak with his parents and seek professional help. It required vulnerability. It required courage.
For his mother, Tracy, the revelation was shocking.
“He told me he had been seriously depressed for a long time. I had no idea. He was happy, laughing, having fun. I thought he was a happy go lucky all American kid doing great.”
Like many parents, she saw the smiles and the activity, not the internal struggle. That realization reshaped how she approaches conversations at home.
“Talking about them brings it out into the open and puts words to their feelings, the first step to getting help.”
Will chose to take that step, a decision that would alter the direction of his life.
“Asking for help was a pivot point in my life. Asking for help and everything that followed changed the trajectory of how my mental health was going to go for the rest of my life.”
Therapy, medical guidance, and honest conversations at home followed. Progress was gradual, but meaningful.
“I went from a kid who thought being depressed was just my reality to someone who can feel the daylight again.”
Today, he has built a successful career in consulting and is engaged, milestones that once felt out of reach.
What began in a classroom has since expanded far beyond Roswell. Will and his mother now share their story publicly, appearing on national media, partnering with nonprofits, and speaking to audiences about resilience and hope.
Gamble believes the lesson extends far beyond one student.
“Be compassionate. Listen. Community is everything. It's okay to not be okay. It's okay to ask for help. (And as Will and his family will tell you, asking for help isn't giving up. Asking for help is refusing to give up.)”
For Will, the message is simple and deeply personal.
“Trust that the people who care about you will support you through this and want to be there to help.”
One honest conversation. One brave teenager. One teacher willing to speak openly.
Sometimes that’s all it takes to change a life.
Invite Will to Speak
Will Hargen and his mother, Tracy, now share their story at corporate events, nonprofit gatherings, leadership trainings, and community forums. Their message centers on resilience, open dialogue, and the life changing power of compassionate listening.
For speaking engagements and booking information, visit:
www.tracyhargen.com