He and his human, Cathy Steadman, stroll down the hallways of the Dr. Abraham P. Cano Freshman Academy, greeting students and smoothing out their days as they go to class.
Levi is a miniature schnauzer and Steadman is a counselor for the Harlingen school district. Levi is a registered emotional support animal who helps ease the stress of teen angst.
Levi has been at Cano for four years, but this is Steadman’s eighth year at the school. That amount of time has empowered her with a close connection to Harlingen students.
“I choose to work at this level because there are a lot of social and emotional needs at this developmental age,” Steadman said. “So I specialize with students that have social/emotional needs in terms of mental health which can look like depression or anxiety.”
And what does Levi do? “He provides emotional support and comfort to students and staff under my supervision as his official handler,” Steadman said. “He works with students who are feeling down, depressed or hopeless.”
Levi declined to comment for this article, deferring all interviews to his spokesperson, Cathy Steadman. However, pictures and related commentary clearly indicate he’s the perfect shoulder to cry on for kids coming in with panic attacks or other disturbances.
“Kids are just kids when they see the dog,” Steadman said. “They put their phones down because it brings them back out of that virtual world.”
The virtual world from which students emerged after the COVID-19 lockdown served a vital purpose but brought with it also its share of tortures. Kids logged in to class from home, they could communicate with friends, but they were absent from the kind of in-person social exchanges so vital to the human soul.
This social deprivation was painful for everyone, but for children and teenagers the isolation was excruciating – and potentially harmful.
“The isolation was really hard on our teenagers especially,” Steadman said. “It really took a toll on them learning from home and being in lockdown, because their peers are the most important group for them.”
She saw a significant rise in depression and anxiety of students coming back. Many feared the very idea of returning to school because of the risk in getting sick. Being confined to their homes for prolonged periods of time, they were more fully exposed to family struggles regarding financial worries and job security.
More than a few mental health professionals in the district, along with parents and teachers, and even kids themselves, have said students had difficulty getting used to just being around so many other kids, plus the quick pace of school and various activities.
“I think the pandemic has caused a huge psychological fatigue for people which in turn has created physical fatigue for people,” Steadman said. “So, I think it’s never been more important for people to get the appropriate rest and exercise and eat well. Get fresh and sunshine.”
It can be easily surmised the Levi himself is a breath of fresh air and sunshine to the kids he meets everyday.
