Cope Don’t Crash brought awareness to mental health issues

A guest speaker at the Pierce event shared his story

For Mental Health Awareness Month, Caitlynn Willis, the Issues and Awareness Coordinator from Student Life, called a guest speaker to Pierce. Josh Wolfe accepted the invitation and told his story in front of students in the Fireside Lounge on May 17.

Wolfe works with the Jordan Binion Project, which focuses on educating grade 8-12 teachers on mental health and resources to add to their curriculum. Information about the Jordan Binion Project can be found at www.jordanbinionproject.org.

Wolfe started presenting to high schools in March 2018, reaching out to five schools so far. Cope Don’t Crash brought him to his first college.

“I tried to live up to the stigma of ‘alpha male,’ which is never showing emotion. I’m here showing it’s okay to be vulnerable,” he said.

“The hardest part about it was admitting there was a problem and opening up,” he said.

Wolfe stood on the podium and spoke out about his life. He experiences recurring depression and, recently, bipolar disorder. He did not entertain the idea of depression until he was 23 years old, and found himself suicidal multiple times. He refused help for the majority of his life so that he could present himself as the “tough guy.”

He stressed the importance of being open. “When you hold everything in like I did for 27 years, it’s like shaking up a soda can.” Wolfe’s story was undoubtedly moving.

“If at least one person gets anything out of this, then I did well,” said Wolfe.

Willis planned the event for Mental Health Awareness Month. “I’ve been hearing about students having depression during finals and near the end of the year,” she said.

“I came for the experience. This gave me a new perception,” Running Start student Gabrielle Stratton said.

After Wolfe’s speech, the event moved to the Performance Lounge, where Ashley Crute guided a yoga session for anyone interested. Crute is a licensed yoga instructor who teaches private and group classes in Olympia at Firefly Yoga. Crute can be contacted at [email protected].

During the yoga session, students followed direction into many different poses. They also used breathing and stretching techniques. Crute played relaxing music during the hour and Willis provided fresh fruit, water, and juice for participants to enjoy.

“I’ve been here before for ‘Destress and Detox’ and made connections with Student Life members,” Crute said.

In regards to the event’s yoga plan, she said, “We’re doing nothing that is going to scare anyone away.”

Crute took on the session with a big smile and high energy. Wolfe shared his story and reached out to students. It’s unknown if there will be another event like this, but with Crute’s recurring attendance, we may see at least another yoga session at some point.