History of the Work in Progress Campaign
In spring 2018, John Tucci approached the Health Promotion and Wellness office wanting to make a difference on the issue of mental health. He disclosed that he was going to counseling and it was really helpful. He said that if he knew that others were going to counseling, he might have gone a lot earlier. His idea was to find an outlet for students to share their own struggles, how they are overcoming them, and help people realize that everyone, even those you look up to, are works in progress. That fall we had our first roll out of posters and the campaign has been growing ever since.
Some of the participants in the Work in Progress campaign have also provided their emails. Please feel free to reach out if their stories resonate with you. They know going through these challenges alone can be difficult and would love to provide any support they can.
Jenna Kelly
Year in School: Senior
What are some things you are involved in on campus? University Club, and CSSA Liaison. Intramural too if that counts.
What is a challenge or two that you are facing right now and what are you doing to manage these challenges? Controlling my stress levels, dealing with big emotions, and time management. Taking medication or going to therapy, journaling or talking to someone, and scheduling my week with google calendar. Overall the best way I help myself is being patient with my emotions and validating the way I feel.
Why did you want to participate in the WIP Campaign and/or why is it important to you? I wanted to participate because I think it is very easy for people to feel alone in what they are going through, because almost everyone comes off as a happier persona of themselves in public. It is important to acknowledge that everyone is going through struggles, and to make it more known that it is okay to talk about those struggles.
Email: jkelly25@jcu.edu
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Anna Kerensky
Year in School: Senior
What are some things you are involved in on campus? Gamma Phi Beta and Arrupe Scholars Program
What is a challenge or two that you are facing right now and what are you doing to manage these challenges? Anxiety. My favorite coping mechanism is surrounding myself with people who love and support me. I am so thankful for my support system.
Why did you want to participate in the WIP Campaign and/or why is it important to you? It is important to normalize these feelings rather than hide them.
Email: akerensky25@jcu.edu
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Yub Kim
Year in School: Adjunct Professor
What are some things you are involved in on campus? Graduate Counseling Program
What is a challenge or two that you are facing right now and what are you doing to manage these challenges? Feeling insecure about my identity and body image. I am seeing a counselor, and keeping a consistent work out routine.
Why did you want to participate in the WIP Campaign and/or why is it important to you? To show that reaching out and talking can go a far way.
Email: jkim@jcu.edu
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JJ Cuddy
Year in School: Senior
What are some things you are involved in on campus? Peer Learning Facilitator, Finance and Wealth Management Association, CRU, RallyCap Volunteer
What is a challenge or two that you are facing right now and what are you doing to manage these challenges? I struggle to feel fulfilled as time passes and achieve the goals I set out for myself. I manage these challenges by religious devotion, meditation, reading, journaling, movement
Why did you want to participate in the WIP Campaign and/or why is it important to you? I want people to know dealing with personal battles is normal, and it is necessary to rely on one another. "From the standpoint of daily life, however, there is one thing we do know: that we are here for the sake of others" - Einstein
Email: jcuddy25@jcu.edu
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James Watling
Year in School: Faculty
What are some things you are involved in on campus? I am the faculty director for EIG
What is a challenge or two that you are facing right now and what are you doing to manage these challenges? I struggle with burnout and maintaining a healthy work/life balance because I don’t always prioritize my own mental and physical health. I am getting better at prioritizing time at the gym as part of my mental *and* physical health. I also try to spend as much time as I can with people I care about, ideally out in nature.
Why did you want to participate in the WIP Campaign and/or why is it important to you? I think it is important to normalize talking about mental health and acknowledging that we all have struggles at some point-it's part of what makes us human.
Email: jwatling@jcu.edu
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Emily Sherwood
Year in School: Faculty
What are some things you are involved in on campus? Director of Community Standards and Student Wellbeing and Q@JCU
What is a challenge or two that you are facing right now and what are you doing to manage these challenges? I deal with anxiety and depression. To face these challenges, I go to therapy, take medication, kickbox, crochet, and talk to family and friends.
Why did you want to participate in the WIP Campaign and/or why is it important to you?
It's important to people to know they're not alone and that it is always okay to ask for help.
Email: esherwood@jcu.edu
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Kimberlee Welch
Year in School: Junior
What are some things you are involved in on campus? Resident Assistant, Member of the Sweet Carrollines, Writing Center Tutor, CSDI Intern, Library Worker, CSSA Student Liaison
What is a challenge or two that you are facing right now and what are you doing to manage these challenges? I struggle with balancing my school work, jobs, social life and sleep schedule .I handle this challenge by setting aside time to focus on my mental health , only signing up for things I really want to do and taking naps.
Why did you want to participate in the WIP Campaign and/or why is it important to you? I want to participate in the WIP Campaign to shed light on the pressures faced by students, especially queer women of color.
Email: kwelch26@jcu.edu
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Aaron Fernando
Year in School: Senior
What are some things you are involved in on campus? Peer Health Advocate, General Chemistry Teaching Assistant, Tour Guide, Tour Guide Enrollment Ambassador, Saporito Research Lab, Rhapsody Blue Acapella, and Carroll Ballers
What is a challenge or two that you are facing right now and what are you doing to manage these challenges? I struggle with my mental health and balancing my school work with my mental health. I handle this challenge by running, working out at the gym, and singing in my car.
Why did you want to participate in the WIP Campaign and/or why is it important to you?
The WIP Campaign is important to me because it emphasizes that it's okay to feel down or sad on certain days. I think accepting this allows us to be easy on ourselves which is beneficial for our mental health, especially as students.
Email: afernando25@jcu.edu
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Ed Mish
Year in School: Staff
What are some things you are involved in on campus? Academic Success Center, Honors Program, Center for Student Diversity &.Inclusion, Campus Ministry, Writing Center
What is a challenge or two that you are facing right now and what are you doing to manage these challenges? Anxiety & Depression, psychotherapy, medication, meditation, exercise
Why did you want to participate in the WIP Campaign and/or why is it important to you?
Mental health is health.
Email: emish@jcu.edu
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Celeste Wellman
Year in School: Senior
What are some things you are involved in on campus? Labre, Campus Ministry, Residence Life, CSSA, JCU Club Sports
What is a challenge or two that you are facing right now and what are you doing to manage these challenges? I struggle with worrying about my future and feeling overwhelmed and burnout from college. I handle this challenge by keeping close to God, knowing it is okay to say “no,” and being in the present.
Why did you want to participate in the WIP Campaign and/or why is it important to you?: Ilove this campaign.. it shows that people go through things even when you don’t expect that person too.. and shows we are all a work in progress(:
Email: cwellman25@jcu.edu
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Celie Ostroski
Year in School: Sophomore
What are some things you are involved in on campus? The Carroll News, TPUSA, Blue Streak Ambassadors
What is a challenge or two that you are facing right now and what are you doing to manage these challenges? I struggle with anxiety and the overall transition to college. I handle this challenge by prayer, working out, taking breaks from schoolwork when necessary, and eating healthy.
Why did you want to participate in the WIP Campaign and/or why is it important to you?: Everyone has something that they have to work on. I’m no exception, and I want to help others by letting them know that it’s okay to not be perfect. We are all works in progress!
Email: costroski27@jcu.edu
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Ella Fischer
Year in School: Senior
What are some things you are involved in on campus? Chi Omega, JCU Cheerleading, JCU Writing Center
What is a challenge or two that you are facing right now and what are you doing to manage these challenges? I struggle with my mental and physical health. This includes using coping skills, maintaining a healthy mindset and providing my body with the movement and nutrients that it needs. I handle this challenge by attending therapy regularly, getting physical exercise and three well-balanced meals a day.
Why did you want to participate in the WIP Campaign and/or why is it important to you?: I want to participate to shed light on the stigmatized issues of mental health and body image. These issues are very common and they need to be talked about more frequently to encourage people to get the support that they need to be the best version of themselves. It is important to me that no one feels alone in their struggles, knowing that there are options to help with mental, physical, and emotional struggles. We are all a work in progress, and we need to continue to talk about our struggles openly.
Email: efischer25@jcu.edu
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Name: Earl Spurgin
What are some things you are involved in on campus? I am a faculty member.
I am the Faculty Advisor of the student Philosophy Club and a regular participant in the noon wallyball game.
What is a challenge or two that you are facing right now and what are you doing to manage these challenges?
I struggle with anxiety and depression. I try to stay active through cycling and hiking, and I rely on my dog and cats who are great companions.
Why did you want to participate in the WIP Campaign and/or why is it important to you?: I hope students who are struggling with mental- and emotional-health issues find some comfort in knowing that faculty can relate to their struggles because faculty are susceptible to the same issues as are students.
Email: espurgin@jcu.edu
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Name: Sydnia De Franco
Position on Campus: Director, Arrupe Scholars Program
What is a challenge or two that you are facing right now and what are you doing to manage these challenges?
I struggle with anxiety and depression. I handle this challenge by purposefully making time to do things I love with people I love.
Why did you want to participate in the WIP Campaign and/or why is it important to you? I wanted to participate in the WIP campaign because I want students to know that there are adults on campus who can relate to them and want to support them as they work through their mental health issues. I also think that unfortunately there are still stigmas surrounding mental health issues, and being open about what people are facing is very important. Knowing that your mental health goes hand in hand with your physical health is key. Your brain needs love & care too!
Email: stcheurekdjian@jcu.edu
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Name: Jasmine McCallum
Year in School: Graduate Student
What are some things you are involved in on campus? Graduate Counseling Program and Graduate Assistant in Student Engagement
What is a challenge or two that you are facing right now and what are you doing to manage these challenges?
Grief of my mom. I manage this by attending therapy sessions, spending more time with family/friends, and reminiscing on good times.
Why did you want to participate in the WIP Campaign and/or why is it important to you?: I think that it is really important to share with others how people who surround you may be dealing with similar problems.
Email: jmccallum22@jcu.edu
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Julia DiFranco
Year in School: Graduate Student
What are some things you are involved in on campus? Graduate Student in the Counseling Program
What is a challenge or two that you are facing right now and what are you doing to manage these challenges? I struggle with anxiety about how others perceive my body and how I look. I handle this challenge by paying attention to non-physical things I love about myself, and reminding myself my worth comes from who I am.
Why did you want to participate in the WIP Campaign and/or why is it important to you?: I want to participate in the WIP Campaign because I want people to realize that their struggles do not define them. Rather than letting our struggles hold us back, we should learn from our experiences and allow them to make us a better person.
Email: jdifranco24@jcu.edu
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Melissa Smith
Year in School: Junior
What are some things you are involved in on campus? SAAC, Finance Association, Arrupe Program, Recreation Department, JCU Softball
What is a challenge or two that you are facing right now and what are you doing to manage these challenges? I struggle with mental health and perfectionism. I handle this challenge by finding a healthy balance between school, softball, and my social life, recognizing that I have a lot going on and my best is always more than enough.
Why did you want to participate in the WIP Campaign and/or why is it important to you?: I think that it's very hard to know when someone is struggling. It is often the people that look like their lives are perfect, that are struggling the most.
Email: mcsmith26@jcu.edu
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Erica Esper
Year in School: Graduate Student
What are some things you are involved in on campus? Graduate Student in Exercise Physiology Program, Graduate Student Association, Graduate Assistant in Graduate Studies
What is a challenge or two that you are facing right now and what are you doing to manage these challenges? I struggle with depression and anxiety after facing an injury that could potentially end my collegiate running career. I handle this challenge by controlling things I can like sleep and nutrition, attending counseling services, surrounding myself with like-minded individuals, and placing my trust in the Lord.
Why did you want to participate in the WIP Campaign and/or why is it important to you?: I want to participate to serve as a model for others who are struggling. There is always light at the end of the tunnel, and the struggle you endure is what helps you grow.
Email: eesper23@jcu.edu
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Anna Cantella
Year in School: Junior
What are some things you are involved in on campus? CSSA Student Liaison, Student Manager, Campus Ministry, Swifties Club, and more.
What is a challenge or two that you are facing right now and what are you doing to manage these challenges? I struggle with self-negativity and overworking myself. I handle this challenge by praying more throughout the day, working out, and checking in on more people more often.
Why did you want to participate in the WIP Campaign and/or why is it important to you?: To show that everyone is struggling with something, to realize that no one is ever alone in anything they do, and to realize how loved they are.
Email: acantella26@jcu.edu
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Name: Grace Perella
Year in School: Faculty
What are some things you are involved in on campus? Assistant Director of Admissions
What is a challenge or two that you are facing right now and what are you doing to manage these challenges? I struggle with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). I handle this challenge by attending therapy, and reading articles/books about OCD and the OCD support community.
Why did you want to participate in the WIP Campaign and/or why is it important to you?: I noticed a lot of incoming freshmen this year decided to write their college essays about living with OCD, so there is a potential impact audience here on campus!
Email: gperella@jcu.edu
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Dr. Elizabeth Stiles
Year in School: Faculty
What are some things you are involved in on campus? Political Science Professor, Pre-law society, Mock Trial, Allies, Disability Employees Resource Group, College Democrats
What is a challenge or two that you are facing right now and what are you doing to manage these challenges? I struggle with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Lucky for me my special interests and my job align. Otherwise, I try to rest after intense interactions or sensory overload. Also I play music which just feels great.
Why did you want to participate in the WIP Campaign and/or why is it important to you?: Representation is important so we can all see ourselves doing anything!
Email: estiles@jcu.edu
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Name: John Tucci
Alum: Graduated 2019, Creator of Campaign
I struggle with depression and anxiety.
I handle this challenge by attending counseling sessions as well as talking to and spending time with my friends.
Why did you want to participate in the WIP Campaign and/or why is it important to you?
This campaign is important to me because it brings people together under a very simple premise - we as people all have our own challenges, we all handle them differently - and at the end of the day, we are all a work in progress.