Meet our Send Silence Packing Tour Coordinators!

Active Minds

March 22nd, 2018

Curious as to who is traveling across the country for Send Silence Packing® this spring? Let us introduce Courtney Burke & Alexia Ruiz, our wonderful Spring 2018 Tour Coordinators!

Courtney Burke:

Where did you go to school?

I graduated from SUNY Cortland in 2014, a state University in central New York.

How did you learn of Active Minds?

I came across Active Minds on Instagram about two years ago, after having created an account focused on mental health. I work in the field and have personal lived experience with mental illness, so the account spoke to me.

What drew you to apply for this position?

The second I came across Send Silence Packing, I felt the chills. There is not a single person who has not been affected by suicide in some way, whether it be personally or some sort of acquaintance or a face you were familiar with, so to speak. It is a forbidden topic and our society is plagued with fear, afraid to touch on this subject. I went through a dark period myself and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder 5 years ago. This went untreated for nearly a decade. I am very fortunate to have had a huge support system and access to affordable care. There are so many people suffering in silence and a stigma that must be broken- I’ve realized that I must speak in honor of those who felt they could not, of those who lost the battle. I could have very well been a face on one of those backpacks, but I came out on the other side. I wish to connect students to treatment, magnify the voices on college campuses, and spark engaging and meaningful conversations. This must be done, I knew from the moment I was made aware of this campaign that I had to play a role in it.

How do you think you’ll grow as a result of this experience?

I think helping others to grow on this journey is what will contribute to my own growth. I was silent for so long and now my role is to speak and act as an advocate. Seeing the country while placing an impact on thousands- this is a dream come true.

What are you looking forward to on the trip?

I am excited to continue to recognize that my greatest strength is in the service of others, to hold space for all to feel comfortable and be heard. I have innately yearned to live life on the road for so long, so doing so while being involved in this movement is what I am focusing on.

What area of the country are you most excited to explore?

I am very excited to go out West, as I’ve only been there once. California in itself has so much different terrain and landscapes. I’m looking forward to fully experiencing everywhere we go, and getting to know locals. Right now we are in Tennessee and it has been amazing- Southern hospitality is real and it is so beautiful.

Favorite type of music?

Everything! But lately I’ve been listening to a lot of sounds of nature, thunderstorms, rainforests, ocean waves, rain. It helps to ground myself.

Alexia Ruiz:

Where did you grow up?

I’m from the suburbs of Los Angeles, California!

Where did you go to school?

I recently graduated from the University of California, Riverside.

How did you learn of Active Minds/ how have you been involved with Active Minds?

I have suffered from major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and social anxiety for years. I felt lonely, and I was confused as to how I felt and how to integrate myself on campus when I first started college. I learned about Active Minds my second year of college because I was looking for a mental health organization to help me navigate my mental illness and be surrounded by people who cared. I became very involved with Active Minds and realized that it provided a comfortable platform where I felt my feelings were normalized and validated. I began volunteering for Active Minds and spent a lot of time with the executive board and the supervisor of the chapter on my campus. Due to the overwhelming positivity that came from this group for myself and their passion for mental health, I decided to apply for the position of President of Internal Affairs. I have been President of Internal Affairs now for almost a year for the UCR chapter. Along with this position, I also work for the Active Minds for Every Mind cohort. As an ambassador, I represent UCR along with one other person. This program focuses on researching the population and the statistics regarding mental health resources on various campuses throughout California, researching the distribution of those resources, and gathering data as well. It also focuses on diversifying and making sure the resources available to the California campuses across California are inclusive.

What drew you to apply for this position?

After becoming more involved with Active Minds I realized how prevalent suicide is, especially among college students, and I actually ended up volunteering for Send Silence Packing when I was a general member. This was a powerful experience and it made me realize that suicide is as important as anxiety, depression, and other mental health disorders that are discussed more frequently. After this, I became more interested in researching suicide and attended several trainings to try to optimize myself as a resource. However, my true passion for suicide awareness and prevention didn’t come until about a year later. Last February, my dear friend Andrew died by suicide. I can confidently say that I have never felt more pain and hurt in my life. Although his death was tragic and I still grieve to this day, it truly solidified my passion for the mental health movement and suicide prevention specifically. I knew that Send Silence Packing was a display that would ignite conversations regarding suicide. I knew I had to apply the moment I finished volunteering for the event, and I was actually forwarded an email about a week before the applications were due this season. I decided to go for it and face my fears and now I’m here attempting to spark conversations regarding suicide and end the stigma. Since I couldn’t save my friend, I feel it is my obligation to reach out to as many people as possible and prevent these tragedies from occurring. I love you Andrew, I’m doing this for you friend.

How do you think you’ll grow as a result of this experience?

In so many different ways!! Firstly, I struggle with creating an emotional border between myself and other people because I’m an empath. I tend to feel people’s pain and it takes an emotional and physical toll on me. I think that after this experience, I will not only have to face my fears but I’ll be more inclined to participate in things that make me feel valued and important. The amount of training and information that I’m receiving currently for this position is incredible and it is truly unique. I will grow by receiving more knowledge, personal experience, and lived experience from individuals from all over the country who have similar stories to mine.

What are you looking forward to on the trip?

I am most excited for the emotional reactions of people from all over the country. Although this may sound a bit weird, seeing people’s faces when they first see the display is the most powerful thing I’ve ever experienced. In that moment you can see the sadness and sometimes anger that people feel about this topic. I love including others in conversations regarding mental health, and the display will spark plenty of conversations in terms of resources we can provide, how to help someone who’s at risk, and how to normalize conversations regarding suicidal ideations and make people feel like they are not alone.

What area of the country are you most excited to explore?

The area of the country that I’m most excited to explore is probably the South, since I’m from California I’m very accustomed to extremely diverse and liberal perspectives. I’m interested in seeing how Southerners view mental illness, and whether that changes the stigma surrounding mental health compared to the West Coast.

Favorite type of music?

My favorite type of music is experimental or alternative!

We are so proud and excited for these two #StigmaFighters. Interested in following along Courtney and Alexia’s journey? Follow our Instagram account and look out for more blog posts!