Active Minds is a national organization focused on action and student advocacy in mental health on college campuses. Liz Byrnes '24 brought the movement to Siena.
For most campers, their entire year revolves around those six weeks of summer on Lido Beach. Camp A.N.C.H.O.R. (Answering the Needs of Citizens with Handicaps through Organized Recreation) serves people with disabilities ages five to 75. For a month and a half, under circus tents near the Long Island beach, they surf, dance, sing, and have the time of their lives, all made possible by a team of volunteers and staff. Liz has spent six straight summers with Camp A.N.C.H.O.R., as a volunteer then a staff member.
"Many of the campers have been going their entire lives. The whole year, they're waiting for camp to start. I think about them every day I'm not there. I've developed such close bonds with so many of the campers. Because Camp A.N.C.H.O.R changed my life so much, it motivates me to create impactful change. That's always my goal in any space I'm in."
Two years ago, her new space was Siena. Liz entered college during the first year of the pandemic, and for the first time in her life, she felt isolated. She knew other students felt that way too, so Liz did what she always does. It's what she did in middle school, delivering holiday gifts to nursing home residents. It's what she did when she founded Relay for Life at her high school. She set out to create impactful change in her space.
Liz founded the Active Minds chapter at Siena, which provides students with resources, connections, and varying levels of support. She created peer listening hours, which connects students to students, often through light-hearted, unintimidating events.
"The rippling waves of the pandemic are spreading farther than people think. Many people assume the pandemic is over, but it's not easy to get back on track academically and to start making friends. My goal is to make people aware of the places they can go to seek help. Everyone needs to know there are people who care. I'm willing to be that person to anyone."
Liz intends to pursue special education law so she can advocate, professionally, for people with disabilities, particularly in schools. While at Siena, she'll continue to facilitate conversations around mental health, creating impactful change in her space. She started Circles of Support, small support groups for students to be vulnerable and talk about their struggles. She also presented the student perspective at the mental health summit hosted by Siena in October.
"I met Liz for the first time when she interviewed for a place in my Fall 2021 HLTH 200 class (Certified Peer Health Education). She impressed me as someone who was thoughtful, organized, and who had a passion for serving others - especially vulnerable populations including people with special needs. She has used her gifts and leadership to start a chapter of Active Minds on our campus and works tirelessly to promote a culture of mental well-being through programming and peer to peer support. She is a bright light at Siena whose passion and purpose make a difference in the lives of so many every single day."
Kate Kaufman Burns, director of Health Promotion
Siena was the host of a recent statewide conference on the mental health issues and needs of New York’s college students. More than 50 legislators, state agency administrators and mental health advocates gathered here with local college officials to discuss growing mental health concerns and start the development of a shared public policy framework. The conference was organized by Siena and the Mental Health Association in New York State (MHANYS). WTEN covered the conference and interviewed Liz.