General

September 23, 2022 — Content Warning: This piece contains mentions of suicidal ideation, religious trauma, and homophobia. I noticed from a young age that I was interested in both sexes. As a kid, I went to a private Catholic school from kindergarten through fifth grade before then attending a public middle school. I remember being preached to in second […]

September 22, 2022 — Content Warning: This piece contains mentions of suicide. One of the hardest and most impactful elements of my role with Active Minds is the opportunity to spend time with the families and loved ones of those who have been lost to suicide. Despite the unfortunate circumstances under which we get to know each other, it’s […]

September 21, 2022 — Today marks the beginning of the second year of our Mental Health Advocacy Academy. The Academy is a unique leadership opportunity for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) high school students to create change in their schools and communities. Our 2022 youth advocates (listed below) will […]

September 15, 2022 — A new school year marks a new beginning, filled with determination, optimism, and, unfortunately, sometimes nervousness, dread, or feelings of overwhelm. It’s not uncommon when things start to feel difficult for students to forgo their self-care for academic achievement. However, it doesn’t have to be this way. As we start a new semester, I instead […]

September 13, 2022 — Content Warning: This piece contains mentions of suicide statistics. Last Thursday, the Active Minds National Staff hosted a Fall Programs Open House, designed to share more about the mental health programs available to our community this season. If you weren’t able to attend, we encourage you to read more about the programs featured below and […]

September 12, 2022 — One day, I was unpacking my two oldest daughters’ backpacks (both elementary students), and a worksheet caught my attention. It was a “gratitude jar” coloring page, and both of my children scribbled into their jars pictures of things they most appreciated: our dog, their friends, cheese, and more. The worksheet stood out amid all the […]

September 10, 2022 — POV: You’re speaking on a stage alongside Selena Gomez, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, and U.S. First Lady Jill Biden where you’re getting to share your mental health advocacy story as a first-generation college student and Latino man who’s struggled with mental health.  Unlike other POV trends on TikTok and across other social media platforms, […]

September 7, 2022 — Active Minds is adding mental health to the list of things to check off your back-to-school list. To help, our two “Mental Health Prep” YouTube lives shared tips for managing your mental health at school, with a focus on anxiety, depression, and self-care. During our first live panel, Active Mind’s senior manager of K-12 student […]

September 1, 2022 — Content Warning: This piece contains mentions of suicide. Suicide prevention can be as simple as starting a conversation. However, it can sometimes be difficult to know what to say, as well as what other actions when the conversation ends. As a multiple suicide attempt survivor and mental health advocate, I wanted to share some suicide […]

August 30, 2022 — Every year, I participate in summer orientation where we welcome students to campus.  As a professor, this time is critical to meet the incoming class, hear from them about what they need during this transition, and uncover more about the best way we can lead in supporting student mental health. We take this responsibility seriously […]