Starting A Change

"Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek."

- Barack Obama

I promise this is not a blog about President Obama! As a new resident of Washington, D.C. (aka "The District"), the Obama buzz still lingers in the air everywhere you turn. T-shirts and posters - with the president's face emblazoned on them - are sold on every street corner. However as I was looking for an appropriate quote to start my blogging "career", I stumbled upon one of Obama's quotes that I thought fit perfectly with what I wanted to say.

We all know how strong the stigma that surrounds the topic of both mental illnesses and behavioral disorders. I'll admit it - whenever I walk into my school's counseling center I feel as if hundred's of eyes are boring into my soul and all I want to do is climb that set of stairs as fast as possible and escape through the door unscathed. As I ascend, I scan the area to see who's looking at me - wondering what reasons they've conjured up in their heads as to why I'm going to the Counseling Center. Then it dawns on me that this is the reason I began the Active Minds chapter at my school.

Active Minds is set to change the way the world perceives mental health through the undergraduate's voice. Every member of the organizations 200+ chapters has stepped up to the plate, attempting to knock that stigma out of the park. We all came to the same realization that something needs to be done, and we have become that change. Every one of us is attempting to change the world around us.

One of the striking realizations I've made since beginning my internship here at Active Minds, Inc. is how dedicated everyone in this office is to the work we've set out to accomplish. It is one of the warmest, friendliest offices you'll ever step foot in - as soon as you walk in there is someone at the door greeting you with a huge smile on their face. All of us have our own stories as to how and why we came to Active Minds, but since this is my blog you probably want to know who I am:

My name is Jeremy. I'm going into my senior year at University of Connecticut (UConn) studying Political Science and Sociology. Mental Health education and advocacy has been my passion since sophomore year of high school (I can't believe it's been 7 years!!). Last September I founded, and serve as President, of the Active Minds at UConn chapter and it's rocketed from there. I became immersed in my work, and realized how much I truly love this field. In the spring, I was selected to serve on Active Minds' Student Advisory Committee (SAC), and was then elected as the Presdient of SAC. Now, I'm interning in the office and dove straight into work! From now on, these blogs will be more about the daily happenings of the office.

I'll leave you with this. We are all here for a reason; every one of us has something they're dedicated to - whether it's politics, health care, education, etc - we're all dedicated people. If you haven't found what you're dedicated to, it will come. When you least expect it, you'll be thrown into a situation and suddenly realize "wow, this is so important to me" (maybe not as corny though). For some, it may come sooner than others, but don't worry - it'll happen! Once you find your passion, be the change you wish to see in the world.

We are all working towards a similar goal, so why not help each other out!