By Grace Eberts

This semester marked the launch of an Active Minds Chapter at George Washington University. Previously known as GW HERO, there was a need for a revamping and rebuilding of the mental health student organization at GW. Active Minds GW emerged as an opportunity to draw on the larger resources of a national nonprofit with chapters at high schools and colleges all over the country. GW joined a large network of other student organizations with individuals just as passionate about mental health. Active Minds focuses its work around education, research, and advocacy while opening up the conversation around mental health to encourage young adults to seek help and break the stigma. Active Minds takes pride in utilizing a “peer to peer” approach to working through mental health issues. 

Active Minds GW is working to break the stigma around mental health through increased awareness and education and by expanding the availability of self-care resources on campus for students to utilize. Active Minds GW has the unique role of serving as an advocate for the students and opening lines of communication between the university and the students. After hosting their first few meetings, Active Minds GW elected their first EC, with the intention of holding EC elections again next semester for the 2021-22 academic year. With a strong and passionate group of student leaders, things are well underway for the rest of the semester! 

Rachel Cohen, Director of Financial Affairs, says that she “loves Active Minds because mental health is an area I’m super passionate about and Active Minds allows me to create a space to share knowledge regarding mental health and support others.” Brooke Stallman, Director of New Members, follows this with a similar message saying that “I love active minds because the organization aims to not only increase mental health awareness but also to erase the stigma surrounding mental health education and treatment. Active Minds at GW creates an inviting space for those interested in or passionate about mental health to share and reflect.” 

Katie Fernberg, Co-Founder of Active Minds, shared that she “loves Active Minds because it has created a community on campus to talk freely about mental health, mental health stigma, and how we can address it as GW students. When I was looking to start a student org about mental health awareness, it was of utmost importance for me to create an environment where other students feel comfortable to talk about their mental health. I believe that beginning the conversation is where mental health advocacy begins. Active Minds creates that conversation and goes beyond that. We are so excited for what is to come!” 

I have been lucky enough to work alongside Katie and her co-founder, Carter Morgan, and the compassion that these two bring to the mental health space never fails to amaze me. Making a safe space over zoom is never easy, but Katie and Carter are really doing well with it. This student organization’s members and leaders hold their mission close to their heart, hoping to continue to grow and build Active Minds GW into a safe and welcoming space for people to explore, educate, and advocate for mental health. As the semester moves forward, there are some exciting meetings planned. On March 22nd, they will be hosting a discussion around stress management and practicing yoga. On April 5th, there will be a collaboration with Sam Ross, founder of @moodygirlworld (an online mental health community on Instagram). Finally, to close out the semester, a “De-stress Fest” on April 19th. 

Keep an eye on Active Minds GW as they get the ball rolling with a lot of extremely important work surrounding mental health issues that many individuals within the GW community may struggle with or be passionate about! Check out @activemindsGW on Instagram to learn how to get involved! 

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