“My sophomore year at Lakeland University was the hardest year of my life. At the very end of the second semester of sophomore year I was admitted into the 1K unit of the hospital in Sheboygan. I had been struggling with my poor mental health since I was about eleven-years-old, and it had gone untreated for too long and became too severe that it almost took my life. This was the end of the semester, so I had to take “Incomplete” statuses in all of my courses, which I would attempt to finish when I was released from the hospital. This was extremely difficult for me to do, because my education meant everything to me and I had always surrounded myself with learning new skills or researching new topics, but I had to convince myself that it was my only option at this point. My professors reminded me that I would get through this, and that I wasn’t alone. 

When admitted into the hospital, I was formally diagnosed with countless diagnoses and put into treatment. I spent seven days in an in-patient treatment, three weeks in a partial hospitalization program, and a month and a half in intensive outpatient treatment. I looked at those few months as increasing my education in a new way as I learned new coping skills and a new way to live my life. I had to attempt to change my entire way of thinking, which is not nearly as easy as it sounds! 

I would have never been able to do all of this if it weren’t for the loving support of my professors and my family. I am now doing better than ever only two years later. I still struggle some days, but who doesn’t? Every day I remind myself how much education saved my life, and I am truly blessed.”