By Brooke Eastman ’25, Staff Writer

September 26th, 2022

For almost two years now, junior nursing major Matthew Cieplicki has been working on a project he calls EvREMIND Matters. The project is a service using the Remind app that will send text messages of encouragement and support to students twice a week.

The EvREMIND Matters project was created in the hopes that it would support students on campus and help destigmatize the conversation around mental health. 

The idea for the project originally came from an honors project, Cieplicki said. “Our group really wanted to focus on mental health, and after a couple of days of putting out ideas, I came up with sending out messages that spread positivity and promote mental health in different ways.”

The project encourages students to have conversations about mental health and promotes positivity throughout campus to those who may need it. “I think one of the things that are really special about it is that it’s made by students,” Cieplicki said. “A lot of the mental health resources we have aren’t really student-based, it’s based in faculty and healthcare professionals, which is awesome, however, it’s hard for students to really connect with them.” 

“Mental health is really important to me, personally I struggle with a lot of anxiety and so I really want to try to make a positive environment for mental health and work against the stigma of it…,” Cieplicki said. “I want things that are actually maybe helping people.” 

Cieplicki said he believes mental health is the most important health we have, and that we can change anything with a certain mindset or idea. He looks at it through the lens of athletics—“you can have the best body ever, you can be in the best shape of your life, but if you aren’t mentally strong, you’re not going to be a successful athlete.” Cieplicki, as an athlete himself, agrees that health begins in the mind. When your mental health suffers, the rest of your body feels the effect. 

Cieplicki explains that the stigmatization of mental health discourages people from admitting they may need help. He said that if someone doesn’t think there is a problem, they aren’t as likely to seek support or resources. “It’s kind of creating this awareness that it’s okay if you’re a super anxious test taker, or you’re really lonely and depressed, that’s okay. We’re here for you.”

There are QR codes located around campus in order to sign up for the Remind messages, or students can text @3aka7e8 to 81010 to receive the messages. 

Cieplicki said he is hoping to get everything finalized this weekend in order to make the service available next week.