At its most essential, mental health advocacy has one main goal: saving and improving lives by changing policy. This means that at federal, state, and local levels, we need policymakers to believe in our goals for mental health reform as much as we do. When the brain health advocacy community has the opportunity to affect…
By Tre Gabriel, Flawless Intern The Southern Conference is a Division 1 collegiate athletic conference under the guidance of the National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA ). Established in 1921 it is the fifth oldest major college athletic conference in the United States, but what may be more impressive is what they’ve been doing this…
A week after a controversial headline was posted by a local South Carolina newspaper about Hilinski’s Hope, Ryan Hilinski responded with class and stellar play on his way to lead the Gamecocks to a conference win over the Kentucky Wildcats. In the win, Ryan passed for almost 200 yards and helped end a five-game losing…
By Tre Gabriel, Flawless Intern We have never been as connected to each other and as disconnected from each other as we are now, in 2019. Connectivity comes in the form of technology that allows us to communicate faster and easier than ever before, especially via cell phones and social media apps. Whatever your chosen…
The Hilinksi family are our heroes. After losing their son, Tyler, to suicide, they created Hilinksi’s Hope, a non-profit that funds and supports suicide prevention and mental health awareness at universities. The love that brought Hilinksi’s Hope to Tyler’s own Washington State University has spread nationally, reaching the University of South Carolina, where Tyler’s younger…
As we settle into the promise of a new school year, summer tragedies—which include recent high-profile suicides—remain heavy on our minds. The news of Saoirse Kennedy Hill’s death shocked our nation and shook the mental health advocacy community to the core. Saoirse was a young advocate who shared her cousin Congressman Patrick Kennedy’s passion and…
In recognition of Suicide Prevention Month, we are featuring Kate Snow and Chris Bro, two incredible brain health advocates, whose work on behalf of suicide prevention has personal roots as well as national recognition. At this year’s Kennedy Forum, the couple took the stage and shared a story that was not easy for them to…
Saturdays in the fall are for college football. One of the most exciting games to watch this season was a tough SEC matchup between the juggernaut Alabama Crimson Tide and the talented South Carolina Gamecocks. It was your usual Saturday afternoon college football game—until it wasn’t. The third quarter was marked by a touching tribute to…
By Tre Gabriel Flawless Intern When I graduated from Columbia University this past spring, I thought my football career would end. Luckily, because I redshirted my freshman year, I still had an extra year of athletic eligibility left, which I decided to utilize by playing for Keiser University in my hometown in Florida. I’ve been…
On the first day of their senior year of high school, it begins. Your child leaves for school, maybe indulging you in one last photo before walking across the lawn, past the long-outgrown swing set, and into the car. You’re surprised by the powerful loss that accompanies the pride you feel, as you watch your…
