Click each VOICE Storyteller’s name for more information!
10 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Megan Marshall – “Mental Illness Affects Us All” (Pre-Recorded & Live Q&A)
As a thin, white, privileged female I was not aware/nor educated on the fact that I was predisposed to mental illness and an eating disorder. While many other factors contributed to the onset, the environment in D1 college athletics was the gun and my genetics/personality type were the trigger. Eating disorders and mental illness thrive in secrecy. The world we live in tells us not to share. That strong & fearless is attractive and anything less is weak. Especially in the athletic world. Through recovery, I found a glimmer of hope with spoken and written word. The war with mental illness has waged on most of my adult life and yet I feel freedom from the words that come from my mouth. I AM strong because of my mental illness and what I’ve been through. I AM resilient because I’ve chosen to keep going.
“The scars you share become lighthouses for other people who are headed to the same rocks you hit”. -Jon Acuff
11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
John G. Champagne– “Coming Out in the University As Someone Living With Mental Illness Still Feels Dangerous”
The author explores the intersections and points of divergence between the author’s queer identity and history with mental illness. While “coming out” as queer, even in the university, can still in some cases prove lethal, at least there are established modes for doing so. In the university, however, talking about one’s mental illness is still largely verboten. The author shares his story as an opportunity to “come out” as someone facing a lifelong struggle with obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, and anxiety. Recounting his personal history with both being queer and challenged by mental illness, the author also ruminates on the consequences of “coming out” in the university in these varying ways. He also explores the role medication might play in recovery.
12 p.m. – 1 p.m.
Join Education Librarian and Assistant Director for the Pennsylvania Center for the Book, Ellysa Cahoy for a conversation with a selection of our VOICES. Go in-depth with Leslie A. Jones, Susan Mohammed, and Victoria Post as they talk through the theme of “Overcoming Adversity” that has run throughout their lived experience.
1 p.m. – 2 p.m.
Amy Luna Manderino – “From Victim to Victor: Hold Your Truth Like A Sword” (Pre-Recorded & Live Q&A)
From an early age, my temperament and life experiences created in me an unshakable belief that male supremacy is morally and ethically wrong. As a result, when setting healthy boundaries against implicit and explicit male supremacy, invariably I have been bullied, gaslighted, and blacklisted, both personally and professionally, by people of all sexes, races, ages, nationalities, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and gender identifications.
Navigating this challenging barrage of prejudice and marginalization, in turn, tempered the steel of my own character. I sought sanctuary and found healing in art, music, dance, creativity, nature, health and meditation. I discovered support and inspiration through the example of great humanitarians throughout history. All braced my inner Sword pointing upward to a higher Truth.
With patience, empathy, persistence, and advocacy, I have been able to affect substantive change in the world and witness the positive effects of my efforts on real peoples’ lives. Because this type of bridge-building lacks drama and outrage it rarely makes headlines or history. Documenting personal stories through endeavors such as Penn State’s VOICES conference is essential to build on the
hard won knowledge gained from experience.
Recently, I successfully advocated amending a life-altering injustice I encountered early in my career. The experience was powerful and profound. The passing of time has vindicated many of my once-controversial positions, yet still, there is much work undone. Now, at age 55, learning to balance self-care with other-care and compassion with boundaries has brought me wisdom, peace, and joy that I wish to pass on to others who also are inspired to address unethical, immoral injustices present in our everyday lives.
2 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Amanda Nelson– “Patched Wangs”
Hey y’all! My name is Amanda, and I am no longer playing the role of a victim. For 17 years, I worshiped a drug/alcohol addiction and blamed all my problems on everyone else. I have done the rehab thing and I have been arrested 4 times, including a felony charge. So many people called me worthless. No one believed in me. Even my own daughter did not want to live with me. One day I woke up and decided I had to make a change and get my life back! I packed up my car and moved from Mississippi to Florida with only $200 in my pocket, no place to live, no job lined up, but a burning desire to live a better life. I had no idea the challenges I would face on my journey to sobriety. I think when you decide to become a good person, life will test you and test you some more to see how serious you truly are. I experienced car repossession and homelessness during my first year of sobriety. But during those trials, I learned some necessary life lessons and just how strong I really am under pressure.
If you believe change can happen, it will. Now, I live a joyful, vibrant! I have a successful career, I am a published author, a student leader at Penn State World Campus, and most importantly I have a thriving relationship with my daughter! My hopes and prayers are, by being super transparent with my life, someone can relate and know that they have what it takes to make a courageous change in their life as well! There is nothing that we can do now about our pasts except use it as part of our story to help someone else along the way.
We look forward to seeing you Thursday, March 25th at 12 p.m.