It’s 9 a.m., and students in an LVC digital communications class are talking about mental health and suicide. The course was part of a semester-long project to use their talents and skills to create content for One More Moment, a WITF project dedicated to honoring those touched by suicide.

“I think being a college student working to spread a message and make a difference to other teens and college students is very empowering,” said Annie Steinfelt ’24, a digital communications and English double major. “It feels good to say that I contributed to a project that will help people struggling with mental illness and/or suicidal thoughts learn how they can get help.”

For several of the digital communications majors, the project served as the first time they could apply their knowledge to a real-world initiative.

“The project provided a great opportunity to use the software skills I developed the past two years at LVC,” said Briley Cox ’23. “I have always made school-related pieces solely to receive a grade. This was different because I was creating for someone other than myself and my professor, producing work to have an impact on a pressing cause.”

The project’s focus took the form of several personal stories from people of differing ages and backgrounds sharing their experiences and how they deal with mental illness, loss, and daily struggles. It was multimedia and included short videos, web articles, podcasts, radio features, and more.

“Each student had several assignments across various mediums,” said Makenzie Cuthie ’24. “One project that stood out to me was interviewing Dr. Sarah Hardy Dell with Annville Psychiatric Services to learn about her work. Afterward, we created an informational video for WITF to use as educational material.”

Other students who worked on the project created infographics and posters to spread information about mental health issues and suicidal thoughts to encourage those suffering that there is always hope.

“The real benefit is the passion you have behind the production of the pieces,” Cox said. “They tell an impactful story, driving me to produce my best work. Working on the project has shown me that having a clear meaning behind my work makes all the difference when creating inside and outside the classroom.”

The students who worked on the project gained invaluable experience. Suicide remains a serious issue, but it is possible to have a positive impact with dedicated people like those at WITF and the LVC students who contributed to One More Moment.

“Knowing projects like this might be seen by people in a real-world setting makes me think about how I can use my skills to spread a meaningful message and make an impact,” Steinfelt said. “It shows that if enough people are willing to help, we can make a difference.”

— Josh Hildebrand, Marketing & Communications Student Assistant