Hosted by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Winthrop students, faculty, and family walked around campus to spread awarenss for suicide survivors and everyone that we have lost.
Caroline Smith
Staff Writer
Photo by Caroline Smith
Chalk written in the concrete representing the start of the walk
On April 17, 2026 the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) came to Winthrop’s campus with many other mental health advocates. Tables for NAMI, Favor Piedmont, Timeout Youth participated in hosting games, snacks and stickers and provided information about mental health.
The main goal of this event was to bring light to cancel out the darkness that many feel when they are struggling with their own mental health. The walk itself was titled “Out of the Darkness Campus Walk,” which sheds light on the idea of hope.
AFSP comes to college campuses to share their story of who they’ve lost, how to support those struggling and so much more. They keep the bottom line in mind: teenagers and college students are the most likely to commit suicide, and they wish to change that statistic.
The atmosphere of the event was hopeful and emotional at the same time, there were tears shed, but when it comes to hard conversations like these, that is important for remembrance, coping, and to a degree letting go.
Freshman, Atlas Deneen was inspired to participate in the campus walk for their brother. “My oldest brother, we called him TJ, had passed away in a car accident at the age of 28 back in 2018, and I’d been having a hard time coping with his absence for a good while. So, when I saw something about a walk for suicide awareness and prevention, I knew I had to participate, both for my personal struggles and to walk for him,” Deneen said.
Freshman Elexis Johnson agreed with what Deneen said.
“What inspired me to participate in the walk was my best friend, Chase, I did it for him because he was going through a hard time and I didn’t find out about it until he was sent away on my birthday and I didn’t see him for six months,” Johnson said.
According to the AFSP website, “approximately 24,000 college students attempt suicide. 1,100 students do not survive their crisis, making suicide the second-leading cause of death among U.S. college students.”
Winthrop counseling and other services on campus are co-hosting these events to show college students that they are not alone, no matter how alone they feel.
Decreasing the stigma around mental health is pivotal for not only students, but also on the larger scale for college campuses. The South Carolina chapter contact for AFSP is Michelle Bessett, who was inspired to join AFSP’s mission in decreasing the stigma because of the loss of one of her good friends.
Bessett has been working in a non-profit for 12 years, and when this opportunity came around, she couldn’t help but think about her friend and what she could have done differently if she knew what she did now.
“I’ll keep working so that people don’t have to lose their Phillip,” Bessett said.
Across the United States and Puerto Rico, AFSP has 73 chapters that take initiatives like the campus walk.
“Events like Out of the Darkness Walks are important, as they highlight the need to have these difficult conversations and bring people together, no matter what their connection is to this issue. It allows students to see the support they have amongst their family, faculty and staff, community, and peers as well as the resources that are offered to them. Winthrop is the students’ home away from home, so it’s our goal for them and their families to know there is a community here that cares for their well-being and safety. Hopefully, events like these will increase conversations surrounding mental health and suicide prevention, breaking the stigma that still exists,” Staff Counselor at the Winthrop University’s Center for Student Wellness Chloe Wind said.
Suicide prevention is truly important when it comes to college campuses and students because the differences between high school and college lifestyles are drastic. College already comes with socializing obligations, and on-campus opportunities, but when work is piled onto all of that, the load becomes much heavier.
Another consideration is that college comes with financial responsibilities like, for example, the uncertainty of knowing whether scholarships or other financial aid will cover all tuition costs for the semester. Some students living away from home feel isolation on a greater scale, which is a major cause of increased stress and mental health challenges.
According to @counselingwu on Instagram, Winthrop first participated in these Out of Darkness walks in 2023. This is meaningful because it shows that for three years, counselors, faculty and staff members alongside students and their families have shown their support for awareness walks like these.
These campus-wide initiatives further the narrative that these hard conversations need to be had. It goes to show that everyone who participated in the walk is making an attempt to open the lines of communication so that no one has to feel alone.
