Western, meet This Mind of Mine, one of the newest mental health advocacy organizations on campus.
Since September 2016, a team of Western students has dedicated their free time to creating and managing This Mind of Mine, a centralised online forum aimed at reducing the stigma surrounding mental health. This Mind of Mine’s main goal is to raise awareness about the importance of mental health and wellness by offering students a public outlet to acquire support, share personal experiences, and learn about available resources on and off Western’s campus.
What originally started as a LAMP Leadership initiative, guided by Matthew Podolak, a fourth year engineering and medical science student at Western, and Temi Olasehinde, a medical student at Michigan State University, has since adapted to being an entirely independent organization.
Photo provided by This Mind of Mine: Some members of the This Mind of Mine team at a LAMP Leadership event in 2016. From left to right, back row: Temi Olasehinde, Matthew Podolak, Peter Lee, Rania Hammad, & Ron Sunthar. From left to right, front row: Rachel Creighton, & Emily Yau.
Rania Hammad and Teah Ward, This Mind of Mine’s Marketing Executives, have been working to increase the organization’s reach since its inception. Both girls, now in their second year at Western, have found their involvement with This Mind of Mine beneficial in opening their eyes to the obstacles facing those who struggle with mental health on campus.
“Before coming to Western, I didn’t really understand how important it was to raise awareness about mental health,” Ward said. “I think it’s crucial to have an organization that allows students to realize that they are not the only ones experiencing this, and that they have a place and a community to [seek help] when they need it. [I am] so grateful to continue my engagement with this organization.”
Hammad has contributed her own story to This Mind of Mine’s series of personal experiences, saying, “For me, this Mind of Mine helped me overcome my own personal stigma surrounding mental health, and made me understand how truly impactful organizations like it are in promoting positive mental health through creating a supportive community.”
Photo provided by This Mind of Mine
This year, one of This Mind of Mine’s goals is to increase its presence both on and offline. So far, most of the organization’s engagement has been strictly online, with its story series, photo series, and promotional videos. Recently, though, This Mind of Mine partnered with Her Campus Western to bring HCW’s Mental Health Week events to life.
“I think it was a huge success,” said Matthew Podolak when asked about the LGBTQ+ Mental Health Awareness event. “Lots of people came out to support us and made some pretty cool zines throughout the day.”
Photo provided by This Mind of Mine
This Mind of Mine has recently launched online t-shirt sales in an effort to fundraise for CMHA Middlesex, as well as to create “a unified image of mental health support on campus.” The shirts are selling for $15, with all proceeds being donated.
While the conversation surrounding mental health continues to grow, This Mind of Mine hopes to encourage even more students to join the fight to end the stigma. Keep an eye out for this awesome organization on campus this year!
You can purchase a t-shirt and learn more about This Mind of Mine through its website or its Facebook page.
Related Articles:
- Active Minds Western: Changing the Conversation Around Mental Health
- Mental Health & Mental Wellness: Two Sides of the Same Coin
- Context Matters: Why the “Soft Approach” to Mental Illness Is a Problem
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