Students With Psychosis, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, empowers student leaders and advocates globally through community-building and collaboration. Our organization facilitates in-person programming at both local and regional levels, supplemented by over 160 hours of monthly virtual programming, all provided at no cost to our student leaders and advocates. For further information about our membership levels or to inquire about booking Students With Psychosis to speak at your event, please contact us at team@sws.ngo.
My CO-OP Experience
My role at Students With Psychosis included producing and hosting the “Living With Psychosis Podcast”, orchestrating podcast episodes, conducting research on guests and topics under discussion, sketching questions for guests, scheduling recordings, performing audio editing, and transcribing the podcast episodes. I had the privilege of connecting and collaborating with mental health advocates, activists, and artists from around the globe. Each day, I edited segments of the audio recordings, solicited feedback on the edits, participated in support group meetings, and reached out to potential guests.
In the debut episode of “Living with Psychosis,” I talk to Cecilia McGough and Emeka Chima from Students With Psychosis. We explore the misunderstood mental health condition of psychosis. Together, we dismantle stigma, sharing personal tales and insights while encouraging listeners to challenge perceptions and embrace resilience. Check out the episode https://youtu.be/J-b1LbE2mQg?feature=shared. Tap into the podcast’s Spotify https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/living-with-psychosis-pod9/episodes/Break-Stigma-e2h9kdd
Given the remote nature of my Co-op, I attended virtual team meetings with the intern group on Tuesdays and Fridays, where we shared progress on assignments and received weekly tasks. I was the tech manager and a panelist for the non-profit’s annual conference that took place in Manhattan, New York. As a panelist, I shared my lived experience of being a college student living with psychosis and having access to accommodations.
I flew on a plane for the first time from Columbus, Ohio to Queens, New York. This spring I have the opportunity to help the non-profit give a presentation about psychosis in Kansas City, MO.
Why Students With Psychosis?
The position as the podcast host and director equipped me with the tools needed as a media arts major, but the non-profit has had a huge impact on my life. Students With Psychosis has been instrumental in my mental health journey. I initially engaged with the non-profit’s peer support groups in the autumn of 2022 following my diagnosis of schizophrenia and re-enrollment at Antioch College. Engaging in the support groups and listening to my peers share their experiences of recovery gave me hope and encouraged me to reevaluate my thoughts about my diagnosis. I was inspired to become a mental health advocate. In the fall of 2023, I was offered the role of the behind-the-scenes assistant, contributing to organizational expansion, managing a global database to coordinate advocacy events, and providing backend support in collaboration with Cecilia McGough, the non-profit’s founder and director. Seeing the positive impact that the non-profit has on its members is inspiring. The members of the non-profit work hard at destigmatizing mental health, advocating for institutional and governmental change, and educating people about psychosis.
My favorite things to do during the week aside from working on the “Living With Psychosis Podcast” were dancing during virtual dance parties, playing games like Mario Cart, taboo, charades, and performing at virtual open mics with my buddy Nathan.
