Active Minds

Colleen Coffey grew up in an environment that set her up to have every success in life. In that world she never imagined that she would suffer from a mental disorder. However, Colleen was hospitalized in 9th grade due to multiple disorders. She struggled with eating disorders, anxiety and depression throughout high school and college before finding a way to treat the disorders and find balance in her life. Colleen is an entertainer, charmer, and inspirational survivor. Colleen is committed to challenging the stigma that surrounds mental disorders and demonstrates that work through her work on the Speakers Bureau and in her research. Colleen is a doctoral student in the field of Leadership. She holds a Bachelors Degree in Social Work from Belmont University and a Masters in College Student Affairs from Eastern Illinois University. At EIU, she served as an Associate Resident Director to the Greek Court housing community and an advisor to the college Panhellenic. As a consultant for Phired Up Productions, she co-authored and published the first book on sorority recruitment: I Heart Recruitment: The Eight Steps to Limitless Possibilities for Sororities. She has been actively involved in sorority life since her undergraduate days, having served the Alpha Sigma Tau Sorority in several capacities. Colleen volunteers her time with The Leadership Institute - Women with Purpose, Inc, and has been a member of the Association of Fraternity Advisors for seven years where she is currently serving as a member of the mental health education workgroup. She is the recipient of the Eberly Essence of Fraternal Values Award and the Eastern Illinois University Rising Star Award for young alumnae.

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