Bring Change 2 Mind (BC2M) is becoming one of the most widespread clubs at H-F in such a short amount of time, with over 60 members having been established in the first three days of the BC2M program. Created in 2020 by Glenn Close and then adopted in 2024 by H-F, the program shares the goal and proactive approach of bettering mental health with one positive message and meeting at a time.
Honoring her sister Jessie Close, the program directly aims to “end the stigma around any form of mental illness, empower those who live with it and those who love them, to acknowledge it, to talk about it, to get help and to eventually lead open and productive lives,” Close states in her Bring Change 2 Mind Impact Report.
Close recalls her personal experience with mental health as a high school dropout who battled with paranoia, confusion and anxiety. Her son, Calen Close, was then struck by schizoaffective disorder. “It’s one thing to be aware of stigma in your own life but when Calen lost all his friends I couldn’t bear it.”
For Lauren White, the co-sponsor of BC2M and a social worker who has been adamant about helping students for 15 consecutive years, it is imperative that students can connect with her on a personal level. “It’s just nice to see kids differently regarding mental health and then for them to see me differently too, not just like, in my office,” she said.
White is integral to this program, as working here seemed like a calling and something that she could not pass up. “I’ve been in schools for 15 years, and I was in hospitals before that. So, I’ve always done social work. It’s really just in me.”
H-F has been instrumental in advocating for the betterment of mental health, as well as ensuring that those chosen for BC2M co-sponsorship were equipped to do so.
The program’s base structure of activities and discussions is unlimited. The group sets out for many events, ranging from a Bestie Breakfast, where you can invite a friend for a hearty and nurturing breakfast, to a meal-packing session for Feed My Starving Children, a worldwide organization aimed at packing meals for the malnourished, or a comfortable and cozy movie night surrounded by blankets and popcorn.
White also opened up about her personal outlook on expanding the club, more specifically, to those who are unfamiliar with the club and more reserved. Recently, White welcomed newcomers to group discussions. “There’s a few new kids there that I had invited that just didn’t have a home yet,” she said.
“We have so many kids here and transfer students. They just don’t have their place yet, and they need a home. And so they came, they met a whole bunch of new people. That’s what’s important to me, that people feel like they have somebody they can go to. I don’t want anybody to feel alone.”
Additionally, BC2M works behind the scenes for many of the mental health-based events that H-F holds.
Last year, in the spring, the Shatter the Silence Mental Health Fair made its way to the North Fieldhouse. Partnered with the Live Free 999 Foundation in memory of late Chicago rapper and H-F alum Jarad “Juice WRLD” Higgins, the club offered mental health practices that varied from physical meditation and journaling to lecturing and peer mediation.
BC2M and Live Free 999 go hand in hand in terms of connection. “They’ll do field trips with us. We collaborate with them a lot,” White mentioned.
“Just slowly, we’re growing in numbers and in exposing people to how to care for themselves and wellness and ending the stigma around mental health,” she continued.
