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Trevor Schack, a 20-year-old Californian, has been hearing about NARSAD since he was a young boy. His grandfather Grover Heyler served on NARSAD’s board of directors from 1990 to 1996.

But it wasn’t until Trevor’s grandfather invited him to NARSAD’s Los Angeles gala in June 2006 that he really came to understand what the organization is all about. He was moved by the comments of former first lady Rosalynn Carter, a champion of the rights of the mentally ill, and of L.A. Times reporter Steve Lopez, who spoke about the plight of the mentally ill homeless.

Even though Trevor has an uncle with schizophrenia, with whom he is very close, he never thought about some of the bigger issues of mental illness, he said. “I saw how involved everyone at the gala was, and it made me want to get involved,” he recalled.

When Trevor returned that fall to Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., he decided to form a NARSAD student group. While Vassar offers counseling services and tries to help students stay healthy physically and mentally, there’s a need, he said, “to go deeper in exploring issues of mental health.”

Reducing the stigma around seeking mental health services was one area where he thought a NARSAD campus group might help. The group organized screenings of popular films that depict mental illness, followed by discussions about the accuracy of the portrayals and by presentations on various conditions and how they can be treated.

Heartened by the level of student interest, Trevor plans to offer more such activities this school year to continue increasing awareness of mental illness, and he hopes to organize a campus fundraising concert or run for NARSAD.

NARSAD thanks Trevor for breaking new ground by introducing us to the Vassar community. We hope to establish similar groups on other campuses and welcome interested students to contact us at 800-829-8289 or events@narsad.org.

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