MANLIUS, N.Y. and TAMPA, Fla. — Since this past spring, a student-athlete hailing from Manlius has been raising awareness for mental health on her college campus down south.
Juliette Vick, a senior member of the University of Tampa rowing team, was responsible for bringing the educational program for nonprofit Morgan’s Message to the private Florida school.
That organization is named after Morgan Rodgers, a Duke lacrosse player who took her own life in July 2019. According to her mother and the nonprofit’s co-founder, Dona Rodgers, the mission from the inception has been to eliminate the stigma around mental health challenges, broaden the conversation for other student-athletes, and equalize the treatment of physical and mental health in athletics.
An attendee of Fayetteville-Manlius schools from kindergarten through the 10th grade, Vick learned about Morgan’s Message from a University of Massachusetts Lowell field hockey player and fellow campus ambassador who was a year ahead of her in the local district.
Vick would soon feel a closer connection to the organization’s backstory upon finding out that Morgan had a twin sister just like she does.
“That affected me in a huge way,” Vick said. “I couldn’t imagine losing my twin sister so suddenly.”
In just a handful of months, the secondary social science education major has recruited about a dozen more University of Tampa students to be Morgan’s Message campus ambassadors. She said her intent is to bring one or two members of every sports team on board.
As a leader for the club, she hosts monthly meetings, facilitates discussion, and gives presentations about Morgan’s Message to those unaware of its mission. She has also ordered awareness bracelets and contributed to the planning of events like last week’s “Say It Brave” seminar series on campus, which she said was attended by about a third of her university’s athletic population.
“It makes me realize how much of an impact we truly can make doing this,” Vick said. “We’re trying to make UT more of a community with Morgan’s Message.”
She said the offshoot of the larger, nationwide organization has the potential to make a significant difference and even save lives because it tackles depression, anxiety and suicide prevention, a grouping of universal topics that in her view haven’t been talked about enough.
“If other people are willing to talk about these things, then I feel like it encourages you to want to say something as well or share your story of what you’re going through,” Vick said.
She said the Morgan’s Message program at the University of Tampa creates a safe space and welcoming support system that shows student-athletes they aren’t alone in their struggles. It also teaches members the steps to take in tough times and provides resources linking to medical professionals.
In addition to putting together fundraisers in the near future, Vick said she looks to introduce dedications to Morgan and others who lost their lives to suicide at the start of on-campus games.
During the Sept. 28 webinar “You Don’t Have to Do It Alone: Coming Together for Suicide Prevention Awareness Month” hosted by the Eating Recovery Center and Pathlight Mood & Anxiety Center, Dona Rodgers said her daughter’s mental health began to noticeably decline after she blew out her knee just before the first scrimmage of her sophomore season at Duke. By that ensuing fall, following her decision to stay and take classes for a summer, she had grown discouraged and tired as she approached the one-year point of her injury recovery.
Though she helped others in times of need, Morgan would not take her own advice, opting instead to keep her state of mind to herself, her mother said. Still, there were warning signs, like her decreased talkativeness, her dipping grades, and her move to abruptly quit the lacrosse team after taking a medical leave of absence.
“Morgan slipped through the cracks, and she shouldn’t have,” Dona said during the Zoom conference. “If you have any mental health challenges, please don’t ever forget that there are so many people that care. We just wish Morgan had known that.”
The butterfly logo for Morgan’s Message was inspired by its namesake’s artwork and her love of the color teal. For more information on the organization, visit morgansmessage.org.
