Boise resident Luc Swensson has a fondness for bright shoes.

In fact, Swensson still has the pink Adidas sneakers that got him bullied in elementary school. He remembers the day a group of kids surrounded him on the playground, tauntingly calling him “girly” while pushing him and covering his shoes in mud.

Before that, he said he’d been proud to wear them to support those battling breast cancer. But after that day, he was ready to get rid of the shoes and ditch his dream of raising money for cancer patients.

His dad, however, gave him a piece of advice he’s never forgotten: “Don’t make a decision the day something happens.”

“I went back the next day and told my dad, ‘Go and buy me the brightest pair of pink shoes you can find, because I don’t want to let what five kids on a playground say change my path,” Swensson said.

Years later, Swensson is still focused on his path to do good, and it takes him across the country as he tries to help teenagers who might be struggling with their direction. He also wants to try to do more locally, and might even get more help from a Boise State basketball player.

I Love This Life Foundation

Since that day on the playground, Swensson has not let anyone make him doubt his desire to help others. Now 18 and a high school graduate, the Boisean has begun to focus on an issue he knows well: teen mental health.

He founded the nonprofit I Love This Life Foundation in 2019 and now travels to schools across the country, speaking to fellow teenagers about suicide, self-esteem and bullying. Swensson said he always tries to convey to other young people that they don’t have to struggle alone.

“Kids will come up to me after (an) assembly and say, ‘I really didn’t know I could struggle,’” Swensson said. “They truly think they’re alone, that there’s nobody willing to help them, that there’s nobody else like them.”

He also said it has been “heartbreaking” to see the recent rise in teen suicide in the Treasure Valley.

The Ada County Coroner’s Office said it has recorded eight juvenile suicides since August, including four Boise School District student deaths that happened in a 45-day period in October and November.

Swensson, who graduated last spring from Sage International School, said he knows how difficult being a teenager can be. He said the COVID-19 pandemic, which necessitated remote schooling, created a lot of pain for children.

“We couldn’t see our friends,” Swensson said. “We couldn’t do a lot of the things that we love to do.”

Difficult home lives can be another cause of distress, something Swensson knows well. He is open about how much he struggled after his mother left the family and broke off contact.

The importance of adult relationships

Swensson said he always tells teens to find a way to release pent-up emotion — possibly through writing or music — and to find people they can rely on. Making even a single friend can greatly affect mental health, Swensson said.

“For me, coming into a new school right in the middle of the pandemic, I didn’t really have anyone to turn to,” Swensson said. “I really didn’t know where to go. But being able to find even just one person truly changed my path.”

Having a trusted adult is also essential, according to the mental health advocate. The Boise-born Swensson never goes too long without bringing up his dad, someone he calls a “huge inspiration” who has been by his side “through absolutely everything.”

“The biggest thing for me is that I’m not scared to talk to him,” Swensson said.

Swensson said he always suggests that parents simply start a conversion with their kids. He said teens may not open up during the first conversation, but the more family members share, the more likely it is that someone eventually talks about their struggles.

He said it meant that world to him that his dad took an interest in the things he was interested in. When Swensson got into racing, his dad became passionate about it, too. When Swensson wanted to start a foundation, his dad was there every step of the way.

Nonprofit travels to schools across country

The I Love This Life nonprofit has continued to grow since its founding, with Swensson even appearing on the “CBS Mornings” show to talk about it on national TV.

As part of the foundation, Swensson created a school assembly program called Imagine Believe Achieve that he estimates he’s given to about 40,000 kids at events across the country. He’s also hosted a teen camp in McCall and authored 52-week interactive journals, with prompts geared toward helping young people learn how to express emotions and focus on positivity.

His most recent venture has been his HOLO clothing line — HOLO being short for hope and love. He partnered with Boise State basketball senior guard Max Rice through a name, image, likeness deal to raise awareness about the 988 suicide and crisis phone line.

“Luc is such a good guy,” Rice told the Idaho Statesman by phone. “He pitched it to me, and told me everything he stands for and what he believes in, and I just thought it was a great opportunity to be a part of something bigger than myself.”

Rice, who receives a percentage of the profits from clothing sales, said he hopes to join Swensson at local assemblies.

Swensson said he has been trying to launch more assemblies in the Treasure Valley area.

Two weeks ago, Swensson said he received the ultimate confirmation of his efforts when a Nampa teenager who had heard him speak texted him to tell him that he had helped save her life.

“It’s a whole lot different from when you hope … you change just one kid, to know that you’ve actually saved someone’s life,” Swensson said. “That is a message to me that is truly still mind-boggling.”