“IfYou’reReadingThis” Syracuse Chapter Sees Rapid Growth, Fosters Mental Health Support Through Shared Stories

Screenshot of IfYou'reReadingThis Syracuse's Instagram page.

“IfYou’reReadingThis” Syracuse, a student-run mental health organization with chapters nationwide, has been expanding at Syracuse University since it launched here last year. 

SU junior Kendall Palazzi, president of the campus chapter, has created a space where students can share their stories and support others’ mental health.

“I wanted to change the narrative around mental illness and mental health challenges on campus and I find there is power in being vulnerable and strength in sharing how you feel,” Palazzi explained. “My hope is that IfYou’reReadingThis makes social media a more encouraging place and is a reminder of the support system the Syracuse community has within one another.”

Students can choose to share their stories by writing letters and submitting them to their school’s chapter, which are then edited in preparation for publication on the organization’s website, ifyourereadingthis.org. By sharing their stories voluntarily through letters, students help destigmatize the conversation around mental health.

SU junior Ella Mathas has been involved with IfYou’reReadingThis since October of 2023 when she began helping Palazzi by editing letter submissions. Now, she holds the role of editor and vice president for the organization, a result of the project gaining momentum on campus starting last fall. 

“Once [social media] started to pick up, I think more people saw Instagram stories and posts and all that, and more traction on the overall website,” Mathas explained. “So since we started getting submissions that weren't personal requests, it ended up getting busier.”

Photo © 2024 Waverly Brannigan

Palazzi put together an executive board that stepped up to the challenge and now operates with a team of about 10 students. In addition, over 30 students are beginning to get involved with the ambassador program. 

IfYou’reReadingThis is a fully digital organization, meaning social media and the organization’s main website, are crucial in expanding the group’s reach on campuses across the country. 

As social media engagement continues to grow, Mathas explains, “We're definitely getting more letters that are from people that we don't have personal connections to, which is sort of the whole point… We have a goal of making it more of what we call “a household name” – we want people on campus to kind of know who we are, what we are, that kind of thing.”

For IfYou’reReadingThis ‘Cuse, becoming more widespread across campus not only involves getting more letter submissions but also engaging the student body.

SU junior Jane Desmond has been involved since the start by helping her roommate, Palazzi, kickstart the Syracuse chapter. 

Now, she holds the role of outreach chair, where she works to plan events, and she has written her own letter, helping her connect with those who may be apprehensive about doing so themselves.

“Last semester, we did a cool event where we had a table at Schine, and we had author’s letters on a board with their tagline written up,” said Desmond. “We had envelopes filled with the letter, the picture of the author, and then information about IfYou’reReadingThis.”

Photo by Mason Schlopy, Courtesy of Jane Desmond

This year, the group is hoping to hold a few bigger events, including a raffle on social media to help raise their Instagram engagement, collaborating with the sorority Gamma Phi Beta with their mental health-focused philanthropy The Daisy Project, and working with Syracuse’s 15 For Life, which supports those struggling with depression and mental health.

These events are important in further supporting those struggling with mental health. Altogether, the 27 chapters of IfYou’reReadingThis have seen over 800 letter submissions over the course of seven years, reaching over 219,000 readers according to their website.  

The website also explains that young adults, especially those aged 18-25, face the highest rates of mental illness, with 1 of 3 affected and about 75% of those cases beginning by age 24. By spreading their message through more events, IfYou’reReadingThis can reach more people who may be struggling.

“IfYou’reReadingThis has grown more than we could have hoped and we hope that it continues to grow,” said Mathas. “A lot of our growth we think has come from implementing different social media tactics… which has brought in more students interacting with our feeds.” 

Both Mathas and Desmond emphasized that if you’re struggling with your mental health, don’t be afraid to reach out – and if you have a story to share, don’t be afraid to write a letter, which can also be submitted anonymously. 

“Writing [a letter] itself feels like a healing process,” Desmond explained. “You don't have to sit down in one take and do it, but it feels really good. It sounds silly, but then when it gets posted, you really do get a lot of love and support on the letter.”