Auburn University graduate dedicates work to mental health awareness

Auburn University class of 2015 graduate Kyle Marchuk has spent the last few years dedicating his work to mental health awareness and the betterment of others.

Marchuk began his work in his sophomore year of college. He started to get more involved in research on the effects of mental health on college students. During the summer before his junior year, Marchuk attended LeaderShape–a program that promotes a “breakthrough in the leadership capacity in participants.”

After he attended LeaderShape, he was motivated to create Active Minds at Auburn. Active Minds is an organization that promotes mental health awareness across Auburn’s campus. They are in charge of several events including National Depression Screening Day, Suicide Prevention Month and Mental Health Week. Marchuk expressed how starting and leading Active Minds was a great blessing and honor to him.

“I had the chance to meet so many great people and hear the stories of the Auburn Family,” Marchuk said. “ I had the honor of attending the Active Mind Inc. National Conference back in fall 2015 as an alumni with the rest of the Active Minds leadership to accept the ‘Fundraising Innovation Award’.”

Marchuk also said how studying at Auburn University helped connect him with certain people and start his group on campus.

“I think my studies and focus in marketing and sales really helped me to network with campus faculty and staff,” Marchuk said. “Talking about mental health is not easy all the time, but it was a necessary conversation that needed to be had amongst students, faculty and community members. It is not to be kept in silence.”

Toward the end of his freshman year, one of his childhood friends took his life during his freshman year at LSU. Marchuk said the event really shook him considering he had known his friend since he was 2 years old. The results assisted in sparking his interest in mental health.

“I saw what it did to my community back at home (Roswell, Georgia) and realized how little it was emphasized on college campuses nationally and at Auburn, it inspired me to help make a change,” Marchuk said.

Since graduating, Marchuk has continued work in the mental health community. He has worked with the local American Foundation for Suicide Prevention in Atlanta on fundraising events, awareness events and more. Though he expresses gratitude for all the opportunities he’s had to help, Marchuk knows there is more work to be done.