I am honored and excited to serve as the first president of Students Who Care!  I am committed to serving the IUPUI community and reducing the negative stigma associated with mental health issues. 

Did you know that about 1 in 5 adults in the U.S. experience mental illness each year?  This means that about 43.8 million people will experience mental illness in 2016.  Unfortunately, mental illness that goes untreated also comes at a cost.  In the United States alone, suicide is the 10th leading cause of death.  This chilling statistic is just one of the many reasons we are trying to change the negative stigma on mental illness. 

Several of our members, including myself, have struggled with some sort of mental health issue or know someone who has as well.  After coping with our struggles, a group of us got together and decided to form Students Who Care in an attempt to reduce the negative stigma on mental illness. Through philanthropic and educational events on campus, we hope to instill a positive impact on the IUPUI community in regards to mental health.  We encourage you to join our cause and stand up for those who feel stigmatized by mental illness.  If you or someone you know is struggling with mental illness, we also encourage you to speak up and seek help.  Most importantly, I hope you remember that it is okay to not be okay.

Join us on social media and help us in our fight to #endthestigma!

Sincerely,

Samantha Brinkman

IUPUI Students Who Care – President