Alumni Connection February 2026

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By Gretchen Eichenberg

Youth mental health challenges — anxiety, depression, trauma and ADHD — are on the rise. In 2024, over 5.3 million U.S. adolescents aged 12–17 had a diagnosed mental health condition, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Anxiety is the most common condition, affecting 16.1% of teens.

Three Viking alums are working to help people of all ages and stages navigate tough times and face their diagnosis — and life — with high hopes.

Mary Bennett, Jana Ruddell, and Rosanne Zapp share how their Vanguard education led them to this life of service. 

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Mary Morrison Bennett ‘92

As a Licensed Professional Counselor who works with children, Mary Bennett is passionate about new research that supports the damage screens are doing to today’s kids — and has dedicated her career and life to promoting the vital importance of human, face-to-face connections. 

“I'm deeply grateful for the work Jonathan Haidt has done and how much progress he has made in such a short period of time,” she said. 

Haidt argues that the shift from a "play-based" to a "phone-based" childhood has caused a mental health crisis, characterized by rising depression, anxiety, and addiction in youth. He contends that excessive screen time (8–10 hours daily) destroys attention spans, disrupts sleep, and replaces vital real-world social interaction with addictive, curated content.

“Those of us who have always believed in the power of in person relationships and experiences as one of the most important parts of human development and flourishing are continuing to challenge our digital way of life,” Bennett said. “We all need to be fighting for shoulder to shoulder in person experiences for ourselves and our children. I think this is one of the most important things parents can do for their children.”

Bennett earned her undergraduate degrees in Special Education at Texas Christian University. She taught Special Education in Arlington for several years, and then got a Master's in Counseling and ultimately a PhD in Counselor Education with a speciality in play therapy from the University of North Texas. 

She worked as a professional counseling professor at Texas State for 11 years where she trained play therapists and did research and writing on play therapy and now works at a Christian Counseling center in Austin working with children and parents. 

“I also do a lot of speaking on play therapy and have written a play therapy textbook titled “The Guide to Play Therapy Documentation and Parent Consultation” with Linda Homeyer, PhD. I'd say my professional passions lie in making sure all the little children of the world who need play therapy can get it.” 

While her professional accomplishments are many, Bennett said her proudest overall is leaving it enough to be home more with her children.

“They are truly delightful humans,” she said.

Bennett said she learned at Vanguard that you have to keep trying. 

“As a therapist I encounter a lot of people who are not prepared for how difficult it is to be an adult, and that in parenting you have to keep trying, over and over and over,” she said. “I also learned to have discussions, to talk about what I was reading and learning — something that seems to be unique in our current culture.”

Special academic days and big projects stand out as some of Bennett’s best memories.

“Great Gatsby Day, Norbert Weiner day, Geometry solids and projections, Dante's Inferno, Unknowns in Chemistry — where Mr. Knipper gave us something in a beaker and we had to figure out what it was,” she said. “My favorite final exam question was from Mrs. Davis. She asked us to have a dinner party with all the American authors we had studied and one guest. We had to seat them at the table, explaining why we put people next to each other and then explain what all they would discuss at the table. My guests had a food fight.”

Bennett’s best advice for current Vikings is to participate in discussions every chance you get.

“Look people in the eye and talk,” Bennett said. “Read actual books. Think. Struggle and wonder about things. Be a critical thinker. Vanguard students are at a critical part in their development to train their brain to problem solve and think. Avoid being a consumer of information.”

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Jana Jones Ruddell ‘02

A licensed clinical psychologist and owner of a private practice in Austin, Jana Ruddell’s focus is on women’s mental health with an emphasis on supporting moms. 

“I majored in psychology at Baylor, loved my coursework and quickly realized that if I wanted to work meaningfully in this field, I would need to pursue advanced training,” she said. “I went on to earn my doctorate in psychology and have spent the past 10+ years providing individual and group therapy, as well as psychological testing and diagnoses.” 

Ruddell said she is passionate about helping women feel more supported as they navigate the mental load, identity shifts and pressures of modern adulthood.

“What feels exciting is that maternal mental health is finally being talked about more openly, with growing recognition that anxiety, burnout and depression are not personal failures but understandable responses to very real demands. We are also seeing better screening, more education and more specialized support focused on moms, which is long overdue.”

What stands out most for Ruddell, she said,  is how much Vanguard instilled in her a value of learning. 

“It was a place where it was genuinely cool to make good grades, to try hard and to take advanced classes,” she said.

“There was a shared culture of curiosity and effort that made it feel normal, and even encouraged, to push yourself academically. Being in an environment where effort and achievement were valued made it feel possible, and even expected, to continue my education beyond college. I don’t think I would have pursued a doctorate without that foundation.”

English teacher Carol Davis had a big impact on Ruddell, she said. 

“I took her for 9th grade English and later for AP English, and she really helped foster my love of reading and writing, skills that carried me through college and graduate school,” Ruddell said. “She was also one of the first people to recommend Harry Potter to me back in 9th grade, before it became super popular. Being introduced to Harry Potter sparked a love of reading that has stayed with me ever since. And now I get to read it with my own children, which feels very full circle.”

Ruddell said becoming a mom is her proudest accomplishment, but that she’s also proud of earning her doctorate in psychology. 

“It took many years and a lot of hard work, but I truly love what I do, helping women navigate the demands of modern life in a way that feels sustainable and compassionate.”

Ruddell wants today’s Vikings to know they don’t have to have everything figured out right now. 

“Stay curious, keep trying and trust that the skills you’re building now will serve you in ways you can’t yet predict,” she said. “It’s also okay to change your mind. Making a decision and adjusting course when you have more information isn’t failure. It’s growth.”

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Rosanne Estes Zapp ‘82

Working with a varied client population — adults with traumatic brain injury, Camp Pendleton Marines and their families, school populations and their families, at-risk children, general private practice clients and employee assisted program (EAP) members — clinical psychologist Rosanne Zapp makes it her mission to be there for people who need her.

“I find it humbling to have people share their life stories with me, and I am always amazed at the resilience of many people,” she said. “It is an honor to come alongside individuals to help them navigate life transitions and difficult times.”

She has conducted individual, couples, family and group therapy, as well as crisis interventions, intake assessments and psychological and educational assessment. 

“I enjoy working with clients to help them gain insight, enhance their coping skills and to form healthy relationships, which can lead to a more satisfying and productive lives,” she said. 

Zapp graduated with a B.A. in Psychology from Baylor University and then earned an M.A. in Psychology from Pepperdine University. She achieved a Doctorate in Psychology from California School of Professional Psychology in San Diego. 

Zapp said one thing she remembers fondly about Vanguard is that, being a smaller school, students had the opportunity to know each other very well – jokingly, not only to know all of the students, but their parents, grandparents, and pets. 

“In retrospect, I have a familial-type love for my fellow Vanguardians,” she said, “and they will always be very special to me.”

A few educational moments stand out in Zapp’s mind.

“Mrs. Keith’s method of calculating percentages — “is over of” — and Mrs. Fredrickson’s acronym for the Linnaean Biological classification system  — Kelly Poured Coke On Fred’s Green Socks,” she said. “Mr. Flowers also greatly influenced my education, as he played a key role in developing my confidence in my intellectual abilities.”

Zapp said she enjoyed self-paced learning, which was promoted by the school during that time through learning packets, the testing center and student collaborative study. 

“I believe that this teaching methodology prepared me well for college and for graduate school,” she said. “Another wonderful aspect of the small student body size allowed students to be involved in many activities and to foster exploring various interests and talents.”

She also loved the opportunity —  and requirement — to shadow a professional for several days to explore various careers. 

“One year, I followed a horse trainer and the following year, I followed a psychologist,” she said. “What a wonderful opportunity to experience “a day in the life” of these very different professions.”

Zapp’s senior quote in the 1982 Bifrost yearbook reads: “Never tell a young person that anything cannot be done. God may have been waiting centuries for someone ignorant enough of the impossible to do that very thing.” — G.M. Trevelyan

“Vanguard is an amazing school that fosters growth, curiosity and individual thinking,” she said. “I encourage students to try many things and to experience a variety of opportunities. Students should be reminded that careers can be ever-changing and developing, and the final career choice does not have to be made at 18 years old. There are always new things to learn and adventures to be experienced. Carpe diem.”