Students Promoting Mental Health
Donation protected
This fundraiser will help a very special group of dedicated and comapssionate students who want mental health to be the foundation for academic and personal success rather than a barrier to it. They want to break down the stigma surrounding mental illness by raising awareness and promoting wellness within their campus community.
They are called P.A.W.S. - which stands for "Promoting Awareness & Wellness for Students." This will be the first official organization dedicated to mental health awareness and education at Pitt-Johnstown. They are currently in the process of applying to be an offical campus organization but will not receive funding until Fall 2018. P.A.W.S. decided that mental health awareness and education can’t wait another minute!
FACT: Stigma continues to be the #1 barrier for seeking help and treatment

My name is Emily Kist and who I am isn't as important as who they are and the selfless gift they are giving to their peers and campus community, but I would like to share my journey with these amazing individuals. I hope that what you are about to read inspires you as much as it has inspired me!
Our journey together began in the fall semester (2017) when 80+ students entered my classroom for the first time. The majority of these students were in their very first semester of college, taking Introduction to Psychology to fulfill a general education requirement.
Naturally, I incorportated mental health into my cirriculum and continuously encouraged students to make their mental wellness a priority. I began class lectures with positive quotes, shared inspirational stories, and provided continued reassurance that help is always available. I truly never imagined what an impact this class would have on my students, their perspectives on mental health, and the future of mental health education on this campus. When we began this journey they knew me as their professor but today know me as a mentor and friend.
One student went above and beyond and as a result became a leader of this movement.
Meet Alexys!

Alexys took it upon herself to survey the mental health IQ of her peers and discovered that MOST students have little to no education about mental illness and could not identify supportive resources on campus. Alexys shared her findings with me and expressed a strong desire to promote increased mental health education and awareness. In a short amount of time, she has recruited 50+ students to be a part of what is now known as P.A.W.S. Alexys is truly inspiring to her peers and her energy and dedication radiates!
FACT: Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among college students
P.A.W.S. wants to change this statistic and make sure no student ever has to suffer in silence!
As you can imagine, any new organization requires a tremendous amount of work and time to get up and running. This group is still in the infancy stage of development but these amazing students have already begun to get involved and put their faces out within the campus community!
Pitt-Johnstown holds an activities fair on campus for students to promote their clubs and organizations and also for students to sign up in areas that interest them. P.A.W.S. made a great first impression and recruited almost 20 new members in 2 hours! As a bonus, they received the prize for "most interactive" table at the entire fair!


I want to help keep the energy and momentum going as P.A.W.S. continues to be a powerful voice for mental health awareness. We are planning already for promoting awareness on some very important topics in the month of February (National Eating Disorders Awareness Month) and March (National Sexual Assault Awareness Month).
P.A.W.S. will need to rely soley on donations and fundraising this semester so they can use all the extra help they can get!
All of the money raised will be used for the following:
1.) purchasing t-shirts for members and other merchandise for promoting good mental health and wellness (stress balls, books, educational material, etc.)
2.) supplies for upcoming events (posterboard, markers, bracelets, etc.)
3.) bringing in representatives/speakers from the local community to help educate students
Any donation is appreciated and we will continue to post our progress as we hopefully reach our goal!
Meet some of our PAWS! Left to right: Jim, Lizzie, Alexys, Emma, and me
We will be creating pages on social media very soon so stay tuned!
Please consider sharing this link in support of these students who are making a tremendous impact on their campus!
They are called P.A.W.S. - which stands for "Promoting Awareness & Wellness for Students." This will be the first official organization dedicated to mental health awareness and education at Pitt-Johnstown. They are currently in the process of applying to be an offical campus organization but will not receive funding until Fall 2018. P.A.W.S. decided that mental health awareness and education can’t wait another minute!
FACT: Stigma continues to be the #1 barrier for seeking help and treatment
My name is Emily Kist and who I am isn't as important as who they are and the selfless gift they are giving to their peers and campus community, but I would like to share my journey with these amazing individuals. I hope that what you are about to read inspires you as much as it has inspired me!
Our journey together began in the fall semester (2017) when 80+ students entered my classroom for the first time. The majority of these students were in their very first semester of college, taking Introduction to Psychology to fulfill a general education requirement.
Naturally, I incorportated mental health into my cirriculum and continuously encouraged students to make their mental wellness a priority. I began class lectures with positive quotes, shared inspirational stories, and provided continued reassurance that help is always available. I truly never imagined what an impact this class would have on my students, their perspectives on mental health, and the future of mental health education on this campus. When we began this journey they knew me as their professor but today know me as a mentor and friend.
One student went above and beyond and as a result became a leader of this movement.
Meet Alexys!
Alexys took it upon herself to survey the mental health IQ of her peers and discovered that MOST students have little to no education about mental illness and could not identify supportive resources on campus. Alexys shared her findings with me and expressed a strong desire to promote increased mental health education and awareness. In a short amount of time, she has recruited 50+ students to be a part of what is now known as P.A.W.S. Alexys is truly inspiring to her peers and her energy and dedication radiates!
FACT: Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among college students
P.A.W.S. wants to change this statistic and make sure no student ever has to suffer in silence!
As you can imagine, any new organization requires a tremendous amount of work and time to get up and running. This group is still in the infancy stage of development but these amazing students have already begun to get involved and put their faces out within the campus community!
Pitt-Johnstown holds an activities fair on campus for students to promote their clubs and organizations and also for students to sign up in areas that interest them. P.A.W.S. made a great first impression and recruited almost 20 new members in 2 hours! As a bonus, they received the prize for "most interactive" table at the entire fair!
I want to help keep the energy and momentum going as P.A.W.S. continues to be a powerful voice for mental health awareness. We are planning already for promoting awareness on some very important topics in the month of February (National Eating Disorders Awareness Month) and March (National Sexual Assault Awareness Month).
P.A.W.S. will need to rely soley on donations and fundraising this semester so they can use all the extra help they can get!
All of the money raised will be used for the following:
1.) purchasing t-shirts for members and other merchandise for promoting good mental health and wellness (stress balls, books, educational material, etc.)
2.) supplies for upcoming events (posterboard, markers, bracelets, etc.)
3.) bringing in representatives/speakers from the local community to help educate students
Any donation is appreciated and we will continue to post our progress as we hopefully reach our goal!
Meet some of our PAWS! Left to right: Jim, Lizzie, Alexys, Emma, and meWe will be creating pages on social media very soon so stay tuned!
Please consider sharing this link in support of these students who are making a tremendous impact on their campus!
Organizer
Emily Jane Kist
Organizer
Johnstown, PA
