The Student Association, Health Promotion and Wellness and Student Counseling Services have teamed up to present Suicide Awareness Week: Living for Tomorrow. Starting Sept. 6 and ending Sept. 10 there will be different events taking place around campus for students to attend and gather information on suicide awareness.
Living for Tomorrow is an organization which was started by William “Layton” Little and Emily Crace, to bring awareness to mental health and suicide on college campuses. They aim to make sure students are aware of resources on campus available to them whenever they need it and to notify students on where to get the necessary help.
Layton Little, a sophomore accounting major, is a co-founder and co-director of the organization, along with Emily Crace, a sophomore secondary English education major. The two students got the idea for the organization when Little was awarded a scholarship that was named after Keller Zibilich, a student who committed suicide in his dorm room at Louisiana State University in April of 2012.
“We always hear about illnesses such as diabetes, cancer, and heart disease, but we never hear about mental illness and suicide,” Crace said. “It seems as though there is a stigma or fear associated with it and there shouldn’t be. At Mississippi State, we are a true family, and our goal is to make sure that each member of our family feels loved, accepted and safe. No student should ever feel alone. We want our students to know that it’s okay if they don’t always feel okay, and that there are people here who can help them.”
Layton Little was emotional while talking about the organization.
“Living for Tomorrow means so much to me because we as students have an opportunity to discuss a subject that most shy away from unless they have been impacted personally,” Little said. “It has been an amazing opportunity to get support from students and to hear their stories. Most leave me in tears and remind me why I decided to start LFT.”
Little says he is hoping students will learn vital facts and how to handle certain situations accordingly. He wants students to feel comfortable reaching out to others for help.
If you, or someone you know, do not feel comfortable speaking with someone face to face about something that is going on in your life call The National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or visit suicidepreventinlifeline.org.
