TWLOHA University Chapters

twlohausi: Some photos from the conference!! <3 Haley

Wed, 13 Jun 2012 12:46:03 -0400

twlohausi:

Some photos from the conference!!

<3 Haley

twloha: FREE SHIPPING on all U.S. orders begins tonight at...

Mon, 11 Jun 2012 17:09:33 -0400

twloha:

FREE SHIPPING on all U.S. orders begins tonight at midnight EST. Must use promo code FREESUMMER. http://wrt.lv/freesum

We are so thankful for all of our TWLOHA UChapters officers and...

Fri, 08 Jun 2012 16:03:46 -0400

We are so thankful for all of our TWLOHA UChapters officers and want to recognize and congratulate all those that are graduating! Thank you for all of your hard work and we wish you the best in the future.

Trent University

Sophie Schloffel- President, BA in Psychology and graduating with honors

Sophie plans to pursue a Masters in Psychology

Shippensburg

Shendelle Edwards- President

Shendelle is graduating with a BA in psychology and a minor in Criminal Justice

University of South Alabama

Lisa Burnett- President, BA in Creative Writing and Theater

Lisa is prepping to pursue a career in theater in the Big Apple!

University of Texas at Austin

Kelly Truong- President, earned a degree in Neurobiology

Kelly is furthering her career and attending medical school

University of Florida

Lauryn Berner- Secretary, degrees in Biology and Family, Youth, and Community Sciences

Samantha Sharma- Co-Fundraising Chairman, majored in Psychology with a minor in English

Kate Howes- Co-Fundraising Chairman, earned a degree in Public Relations

Loyola Marymount University

Kelly Sarginson- Vice President, graduated with a degree in Liberal Studies with an emphasis in Special Education

Kelly isn’t sure what she’s doing next, but she remains open to new experiences

Brittany Myers- Treasurer/Secretary, Majored in Psychology

She wishes to pursue a career in the mental health field

York College of Pennsylvania

Katie Prutzman- Vice President

Completed a degree in Mass Communications

We are so thankful for all of our TWLOHA UChapters officers and...

Sun, 03 Jun 2012 09:46:00 -0400

Karissa

Patrick

Meg

Emilee

Creighton University

Patrick Miranda—Co-President, BA in Psychology

Patrick is taking a year to expand his writing

Karissa Carrillo—Co-President, Graduating with degrees in Psychology and Biology

She is volunteering with AmeriCorps to help underprivileged high school juniors and seniors prepare for the ACT and college applications

Ithaca College

Meg Rindfleisch—President, Degree in Journalism

Attending Syracuse University to study Documentary Film and History. Meg is also getting married in 2014, congratulations!

Virginia Tech

Emilee Robbins—Secretary, Graduated with a degree in English Professional with Writing Option

We are so thankful for all of our TWLOHA UChapters officers and...

Sat, 02 Jun 2012 12:13:24 -0400

Ryan

Dorian

Cianna

Jenna Lou

Arizona State University

Ryan Stoll—President, BS in Psychology.

Ryan will continue to work in a research lab and plans to attend a graduate school in 2013 to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology.

Darian Mason—Vice President, BS in Accountancy.

Darian will to enjoy his graduation and spend some quality time with his grandparents.

Kent State University

Cianna Reider—Treasurer, BS in Electronic Media Productions.

Accepted for an internship in Colorado!

Canisius College

Jenna Lou Gorko—President, BA in Psychology.

She is staying at Canisius for a Master’s program in Mental Health Counseling.

This weekend, we’re giving away TWO Leadership Training...

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 10:36:21 -0400

This weekend, we’re giving away TWO Leadership Training tickets for the UChapters Summer Conference! To learn more about this great opportunity, check out the details on our website:

http://www.twloha.com/news.php?nid=409

Congratulations to Molly Walters and Danielle Cywka, you've both won a Free UChapter Summer Conference Registration Ticket!! We can't wait for this summer, if you didn't enter to win stay tuned for more giveaways this weekend.

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 16:52:51 -0400

Hey guys, don’t forget, you have until midnight to...

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 14:40:24 -0400

Hey guys, don’t forget, you have until midnight to register for the conference with a chance for two individuals to win FULL registration tickets!

http://www.twloha.com/news.php?nid=404

Our awesome chapter at Loyola Marymount University hosted The...

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 15:56:52 -0400

With Dave and Duncan!

The booth!!

Cross that off the list.

Our awesome chapter at Loyola Marymount University hosted The Buried Life for an event!

“Are you … sad?” Michael asked, confused.   We were on our...

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 16:19:10 -0400

“Are you … sad?” Michael asked, confused.  

We were on our way to go trout fishing on the banks of the Little River in Floyd, Virginia. It was a cold day in November in 2003, and I was driving my old Volvo, heat turned up high. The windshield had begun to fog over, and Michael searched my car for a napkin to wipe the condensation from the inside. As he opened up my glove box, my anti-depressants slipped from their hiding place and fell into his lap. Even though the car was comfortably warm and I was wearing my heavy jacket, a chill ran up my spine.   

Michael was my boyfriend and had been for a while. He lived across the hall from me, and we met in the laundry room one night when he offered me a quarter when I found myself short. I knew him like the back of my hand, and he knew me better than I knew myself at times.  

I trusted Michael with my life.   

It was fair for him to be confused. His seemingly happy girlfriend was hiding anti-depressants in her car and made a daily trek to the lower parking lot to treat her depression. I had never told him about my struggles with depression and anxiety. I didn’t tell him that at one time in my life I had intentionally hurt myself and that I hadn’t wanted to live anymore. I refused to let him see me as broken. I feared what would happen if he ever found out. Would he be angry? Embarrassed? Mean? Would he walk away from the relationship we built? I felt guilty for being so sad when he made me so happy. I felt ashamed of the thoughts that plagued my mind day in and out. My heart hurt to think of how my pain could somehow hurt him. I felt so alone.  

That day I allowed myself to open up to Michael in a way I never had before. We pulled off the road, and as we fished, he asked me questions, and I was honest with him. I let the walls that I had so carefully crafted over the years crumble and fall around me. Michael didn’t understand my struggles personally, but he supported me in a way I never expected. He still loved me and cared for me, and he let me know that he was there for me. That I wasn’t alone. I had found an ally to be my support in a time that was very dark. I was a sophomore at Radford University and searching for someone to understand.  

My story is not unique. 10% of college students have been diagnosed with depression, the majority of which never seek treatment. There are so many others who go undiagnosed and struggle in a dark silence. 1,100 college students die by suicide every year, and 1 in 12 have created a suicide plan. Chances are, at least 2 people in your English 101 class are struggling with a mental health issue, if not more. Perhaps they are also looking for someone to understand.   

I have been working with University Chapters since I started with TWLOHA in September 2009. I came in as an intern as the program launched its first 15 chapters. I watched as light began to spread across these college campuses. People were beginning to talk about mental health. Students began to come clean about their struggles. Communities of hope and support were formed on campuses across the country. Suddenly, those who were hurting weren’t so alone anymore.  

And as the years have passed, I have watched 72 chapters launch, all along the east coast, into the Midwest, onto the west coast, and into Canada. We even started our first international chapter in New Zealand as a test to see how far this program can extend. Each of our student leaders is passionate, dedicated, and engaged in the program. I’m humbled every day by their willingness to be vulnerable on their campus. To start a conversation about topics that were once deeply hidden, and in some cases still are. They are touching thousands of lives.

That’s why I am excited to announce our first ever TWLOHA University Chapters Summer Conference. This conference will combine our two-day MOVE Community Conference with a two-day leadership training workshop designed to educate and inspire our leaders providing them with new resources, an opportunity to collaborate and network with other chapter leaders, and a chance to work one-on-one with TWLOHA staff. We’re also extending an invitation to student leaders interested in forming a chapter on their campus to join us for this event to ensure they are fully equipped and ready to launch their own chapter. Our hope is to continue the conversation that has been started, to allow our leaders to touch even more lives and to squelch the stigmas associated with mental health on college campuses.   

To learn more about the TWLOHA University Chapters Summer Conference 2012, please click here. Please be sure to read all of the information before registering for the event. Space is limited, so we have had to tightly control who is able to attend. Our hope is to see this conference become a strong resource for our chapters and allow it to grow to a larger space for next year to allow more chapter members to attend.  

This is the next big step for this program, and we couldn’t be more excited. We truly appreciate all of the support our chapters have given us over the last two and a half years and are inspired to keep growing the program.  

My personal hope for the program and the conference is that no one else has to struggle in silence. That no one else has to hide their pain in the glove box of their car.   

—Holly

“During the last week of March, the e-board of TWLOHA...

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 11:23:29 -0400

“During the last week of March, the e-board of TWLOHA Amherst spent both lunchtime and dinnertime tabling to drum up interest for the chapter on campus. With our interest meeting the very next Monday, we asked individuals to use stars to either express their thoughts on the condition of mental illness at Amherst College, respond to the quote by Renee, or simply say something encouraging or kind to someone else.

The stars were used to form a collage on the different insights that were shared. For many students, it was their first exposure to the organization, and we considered it a privilege to be the first to share a movement with them that has made such a strong impact on many lives. Since then, we have expanded support and generated more interest for the opportunities that our chapter has to offer.”

—Darrian Kelly

President, TWLOHA Amherst College

Are you interested in bringing a TWLOHA UChapter to your...

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 12:03:00 -0400

Are you interested in bringing a TWLOHA UChapter to your school?

Are you an officer of an existing chapter looking for new ideas and networking opportunities?

You are invited to the first ever TWLOHA UChapters Summer Conference.

The TWLOHA UChapters Summer Conference is a way to educate and inspire chapter leaders. They will be given the tools necessary to lead a group of students, cultivate community, and reach out to their campus to provide local resources and instill a sense of hope. Students will be engaged on an individual and personal level, inspiring them to take action in mental health advocacy, as well as to share their life and story with others in a healthy and challenging way.  

The Summer Conference combines 2 days of hands-on leadership training with 2 days of our MOVE Community Conference.  

We believe each UChapter leader must thoroughly know the vision, mission, and language of To Write Love on Her Arms in order for UChapters to be a successful program. Attending a MOVE Community Conference is TWLOHA’s way to assure you are equipped in these areas. This Summer Conference will be unique in that the MOVE portion will be tailored toward our student leaders and how they can use the information they learn to reach out to their campus community to raise awareness about mental health.

“CollegeFest took place on March 25th. This year ASLMU was...

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 16:08:00 -0400

“CollegeFest took place on March 25th. This year ASLMU was able to book The Hush Sound & Gym Class Heroes for our musical guests, and the performances were amazing!

CollegeFest is one of the biggest annual events of the year here at LMU. Our student government, ASLMU, works extremely hard to put together a free show for students that includes amazing performers, food trucks from LA, and a ton of free activities for students to participate in all afternoon. Following TWLOHA’s roots in the music scene, we thought it would be the perfect opportunity for our newly launched chapter to host our first booth and kick things off at LMU with a bang!

CollegeFest took place shortly after our very first meeting (which had an attendance of about 60 students!), and it was our first public appearance to the student body. We were also able to launch our own Fears vs. Dreams campaign.

We had an incredible amount of students come to our booth and ask us for more information about the new chapter and what the national organization is all about. Additionally, we received more than 70 Fears vs. Dreams submissions that we will use for our final event of the semester as mentioned.”

—Joe Ward

President, TWLOHA-Loyola Marymount University

Our TWLOHA-Washburn University chapter joined us with our...

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 15:15:48 -0400

Our TWLOHA-Washburn University chapter joined us with our #wearTWLOHA campaign!

“It was a lot of fun, and we got to talk to quite a few people about our chapter. It was the first thing we’ve really done as a chapter other than meetings, so it was nice to get the word out and let people know about TWLOHA!”

—Molly Walter

President, TWLOHA-Washburn University

Our TWLOHA-Ithaca College chapter joined our #wearTWLOHA...

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 11:30:57 -0400

Our TWLOHA-Ithaca College chapter joined our #wearTWLOHA campaign and shared what wearing a shirt means to them! Why do you #wearTWLOHA?

On Thursday, March 1, our chapter honored Self-Injury Awareness...

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 11:38:49 -0400

On Thursday, March 1, our chapter honored Self-Injury Awareness Day on our campus. We handed out orange ribbons, as well as hand-made orange bracelets to spread support and awareness. We also offered free henna and body paint tattoos, as a way to show that our bodies should be celebrated, not harmed. We also handed out information about self-injury.

Another thing that made our tabling special was the fact that we were able to debut our new chapter shirts. We felt like a truly unified group and consider this one of our most successful tabling events.

—Erin Gillingham
President, TWLOHA-University of Southern Indiana

Jamie Tworkowski, the founder of To Write Love On Her Arms,...

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 11:44:05 -0400

Jamie Tworkowski, the founder of To Write Love On Her Arms, spoke at Cornell University on the 22nd of February. I would never have gotten such an opportunity like this back home (at least not for a long time), and I am so grateful to be alive and to be here in Ithaca to experience it.

I didn’t know what to expect for the night except honesty and conversation. Music is an important part of TWLOHA and so as usual, Jamie had a support act. He had Anthony Raneri from Bayside with him on tour this time, and it was great. Jamie just shared the story of Renee and the beginning of TWLOHA and what they’ve been doing lately. It wasn’t really anything that I didn’t already know, but that’s not what made the night and the whole experience so wonderful and worthwhile. For me, it was being able to spend time with the other TWLOHA-ICers that I don’t usually spend time with in the meetings, to talk to them and get to know them and to spend more time with the ones that I did. Community and conversation is such an integral part of TWLOHA, and I was so glad to be able to just spend time with them; members old and new, and now friends.

It wasn’t even just about me spending time with the other people in the group. It was about the bigger community coming together with the common goal to reach out to people struggling and to let them know that they’re not alone. Apart from us and the people from Cornell, there were kids from one of the local high schools and even someone from Cortland who had driven in. Some people hadn’t even heard of TWLOHA before, but they understood how it feels to hurt and to be alone or how important it is to have a community and support.

And yes, we did get to meet Jamie after the event. We got to talk to him and take pictures and thank him for everything he’s done for us through TWLOHA. And yes, he did rename me Beth after I had said I was from Perth (how he ended up at Beth from Perth is beyond me).

That night was unbelievable. It was honest, open, comforting and loving. So thank you to Renee, Jamie, To Write Love On Her Arms and my TWLOHA-Ithaca College family for existing. I haven’t been so honestly and truly happy in almost ten years as I have been here and as cheesy as it sounds (and hey, we love our cheese!), for the first time, I feel like I have people I can actually turn to and talk to without feeling like a burden.

—Desiree Lim
Member, TWLOHA-Ithaca College

In response to a suicide in the ninth grade at a local middle...

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 14:21:00 -0400

In response to a suicide in the ninth grade at a local middle school, our chapter organized 60 Ursinus College students to go into the eighth grade center to talk about suicide prevention and other mental health issues. We gave an assembly as a group, and all 600 eighth graders took part in it. We started with a “Stand up if you’ve ever…” activity. We used statements such as “Stand up if you’ve ever felt insecure about your weight,” “Stand up if you’ve ever felt like you’ve had no one to talk to,” and “Stand up if you or anyone close to you has ever been suicidal.” This was to get the students to realize that they are not alone with a lot of these struggles.

Then 4 UC students shared their personal stories. There were stories about a struggle with an eating disorder, a suicide attempt, an unhealthy family environment, and how random acts of kindness truly do make a difference. We told personal stories to the audience to say that we’ve been where they are, that we sought help and got through it, and things DO get better. Not everyone who volunteers to come into the school has a personal history of mental illness, BUT everyone has had a rough time in their life that they overcame, whether it was parents getting divorced, a bad break-up, trouble in school, etc. Most importantly, everyone who volunteers is passionate about helping others.

After the large group assembly, we broke into small break-out groups to talk about thoughts and reactions to the “Stand up if you ever…” activity and personal stories. We also discussed bullying, mental health, positive coping mechanisms, and other related issues. After small groups, we wrapped everything up with a short powerpoint about the signs of suicide and mental illness, empathy, who to talk to if you or a friend is struggling, resources, and myths surrounding suicide and mental illness. We ended the program showing a video that we created. Overall, the point of the program was to say that we’ve all had an experience where we thought our world was ending, but we got through it and there is hope, and we have found a much better place.

The first assembly was extremely successful, and the tenth grade asked us to come to their school as well. Over three days, we had three separate assemblies. Our chapter had an overwhelming response of volunteers, and over 115 Ursinus students involved with the tenth graders. We had such a positive response from the school’s administration, students, and our own members as well. It was an extraordinary experience, and I know that we truly made a difference. The guidance office in both schools had many students come down to seek help for themselves or a friend immediately following our assembly. The students asked when we were coming back and how they can get involved.

The school district has asked to make a partnership with us so that we can continue doing these assemblies throughout the year and years to come. I am so proud of what our chapter has accomplished!

-Kait Vanderlaan

President, TWLOHA-Ursinus College

Here’s a picture from our tabling event at UCF for...

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 10:24:00 -0400

Here’s a picture from our tabling event at UCF for Valentine’s Day! We had people write inspirational and fun messages on hearts and add them to the board, taking one that they liked in return.

Of course, free hugs were given out, too. ;) It was quite the success!

— Jennifer Ostrander
Vice President, TWLOHA-University of Central Florida

Music has played a huge role in TWLOHA, and, as UChapters, we...

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 16:21:00 -0400

Music has played a huge role in TWLOHA, and, as UChapters, we use music in more ways than one. Sometimes, using the same music can get bland, and we’ve come up with a good way to battle that! Mixing CDs for each other gives us a new perspective on the music world, as brought to you by other UChapters.

I was inspired to start this project this year because another chapter had done it the year before and wasn’t planning on doing it again this year. It is very exciting to receive a CD of new music to share with our own chapter. I’m very pleased with the turn out and can’t wait to organize it again next year!

— Stephanie Withrow
President, TWLOHA-Pitt State

TWLOHA University Chapters

twlohausi: Some photos from the conference!! <3 Haley

twloha: FREE SHIPPING on all U.S. orders begins tonight at...

We are so thankful for all of our TWLOHA UChapters officers and...

We are so thankful for all of our TWLOHA UChapters officers and...

We are so thankful for all of our TWLOHA UChapters officers and...

This weekend, we’re giving away TWO Leadership Training...

Congratulations to Molly Walters and Danielle Cywka, you've both won a Free UChapter Summer Conference Registration Ticket!! We can't wait for this summer, if you didn't enter to win stay tuned for more giveaways this weekend.

Hey guys, don’t forget, you have until midnight to...

Our awesome chapter at Loyola Marymount University hosted The...

“Are you … sad?” Michael asked, confused. We were on our...

“During the last week of March, the e-board of TWLOHA...

Are you interested in bringing a TWLOHA UChapter to your...

“CollegeFest took place on March 25th. This year ASLMU was...

Our TWLOHA-Washburn University chapter joined us with our...

Our TWLOHA-Ithaca College chapter joined our #wearTWLOHA...

On Thursday, March 1, our chapter honored Self-Injury Awareness...

Jamie Tworkowski, the founder of To Write Love On Her Arms,...

In response to a suicide in the ninth grade at a local middle...

Here’s a picture from our tabling event at UCF for...

Music has played a huge role in TWLOHA, and, as UChapters, we...

“Are you … sad?” Michael asked, confused.   We were on our...