Active Minds 2024 Award Winners

This award recognizes an Active Minds chapter that sets itself apart as an invaluable asset to its campus. The Chapter of the Year has an effective executive board and passionate chapter members, hosts innovative programs that reach a large portion of the school population, and makes significant strides in changing its campus culture surrounding mental health.

Honorable Mentions: Tuskegee University; Albany State University

This award is given to an advisor of an Active Minds chapter who provides clarity, support, and meaningful counsel to their chapter. The Advisor of the Year Award recipient demonstrates dedication to their chapter that goes well beyond the basics of empowering their Active Minds chapter members to successfully use their voice to change the conversation about mental health on their campus.

Honorable Mention: Nadia Sayeh, City College of San Diego

This award is given to a student who made significant contributions to the Active Minds mission at their school. The Student Leader of the Year recipient leads by example, sets a standard of excellence, displays leadership, facilitates change in their campus community around mental health, builds coalitions, involves others in advocacy efforts, and develops trust with members of their campus community as individuals dedicated to changing the conversation about mental health.

This award recognizes a chapter each year achieving lasting change through advocating for campus-wide policies, structures, systems, or practices that improve, protect, and prioritize student mental health.

This award is presented to an exemplary chapter member who strives to support and amplify the voices of Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) and/or LGBTQ+ students, and campus community members while working to promote equity and eliminate systems or structures that contribute to mental health inequities. This chapter actively works to eliminate systemic injustice while promoting equity with mental health awareness.

This award, generously sponsored by Xavier University chapter alumnus Luke Beischel, will be awarded to a developing chapter registered with the National Office on or after July 1, 2023. Analogous to the support Luke received when he was a student, the recipient chapter will receive funding, resources, and invaluable mentorship from Luke as an Active Minds alum.

Sue Cimbricz was a dedicated and passionate advocate for young adult mental health. Soon after losing her son, Sam Freeling, to suicide, Sue found Active Minds and immediately got to work channeling her energy into changing the conversation about mental health. The Sue Cimbricz Spirit Award is awarded to an outstanding member of the Active Minds’ Student Advisory Committee, who likewise exemplifies Sue’s all-in commitment to changing the culture around mental health.

This award is given to Active Minds chapters who embody creativity and innovation in providing mental health advocacy programming to their school communities.

This award is given to Active Minds chapters who embody creativity and innovation in providing mental health advocacy programming to their school communities.

This award is given to Active Minds chapters who embody creativity and innovation in providing mental health advocacy programming to their school communities.

This award is given to Active Minds chapters who have innovatively partnered with another student organization, department, or group within their school community to advocate for mental health.

This award is given to Active Minds chapters who have innovatively partnered with another student organization, department, or group within their school community to advocate for mental health.

This award is given to an Active Minds chapter that uses social media as a platform for mental health advocacy in ways that showcase their unique approach.

This new award, sponsored by The Hartford, is presented to a young professional who has demonstrated exceptional passion for advocacy for mental health in the workplace. This young professional has either advocated for mental health policies or promoted positive mental health cultures.

This award is given to a young adult who is paving the way for mental health advocacy, mobilizing their peers and contributing to systems level mental health change.

This award is given to school administrators who are paving the way for mental health advocacy, policy changes, and other opportunities for youth and young adults.