The first stop on the Spring 2012 tour greeted us with great weather and a fantastically supportive chapter and community.

Jordan Burnham, a member of the Active Minds Speakers Bureau, spoke at The Perch on campus the night before with a turnout of over 200 students and faculty. He shared his story of struggling with depression and how his suicide attempt started his recovery toward sharing his story today.

There are a lot of things that can affect or inspire someone to become a positive mental health advocate. For some, like Jordan, it was a personal experience that inspired them to change their lives and to help others that may be struggling. For others, inspiration came from the struggles that friends and family members had.

We asked people on St Joseph’s campus what provoked them to take an interest in mental health and becoming an advocate:

Send Silence Packing is on college campuses as a resource to inspire students, faculty, and community members to get involved and give those struggling a voice. Community resources on the campus included: Belmont Center for Comprehensive Treatment, Delaware County Suicide Prevention Awareness, Main Line Health, and the local National Alliance on Mental Health.

On St Joseph’s campus, many students were quick to sign up to be a part of Active Minds and were interested in knowing how they can help. Local high school students came to view the display, and several fraternity members volunteered throughout the day. Many of these students described the display as “eye opening” and “amazing” and wanted to know how they can be heard in support of mental health and suicide awareness.

Remembering what got you started in becoming a voice for mental health is important in the work that everyone continues to do. If you’re still waiting for that moment, right now is your opportunity.