My Battle with Mental Illness: Finding Hope in the Midst of Suffering
Jake Sullivan
Monday, 16 Sep 2019 at 7:00 pm – Great Hall, Memorial Union
The Story County Mental Health Resource Fair will precede the lecture, 6:00-7:00pm, in the South Ballroom.Cyclone basketball legend Jake Sullivan was a student athlete at Iowa State from 2000 to 2004. He was a 3-time All-Big 12 selection, 3-time Academic All-American, and was voted to the Iowa State All-Century Team. In the midst of his many athletic and academic accomplishments Sullivan also silently battled depression and obsessive compulsive disorder. He will speak about the steps he took to navigate his challenges with mental illness and the importance of recognizing that mental illness can affect anyone - even people who appear to have it all. National Recovery Awareness Month - Story County Mental Health Expo
Representatives from ISU Police Department and Student Health and Wellness will be available to share information on campus resources during the closing Q&A discussion.
Sullivan graduated from Iowa State in 2004 with a degree in psychology and went on to start two non-profit organizations. He founded Kingdom Hoops in 2009, which became one of the largest and most diverse youth organizations in the state of Iowa with over 500 athletes comprising of nearly 50 teams. In 2015 he took his passion for ministry and mission work and founded Acts 2 Collective. Acts 2 Collective now serves in four African countries which include Ghana, Chad, Central Africa Republic, and Sierra Leone. Acts 2 Collective currently cares for over 150 orphans, serves nearly 1,200 kids in its various schools, operates three mission campuses, has various church plants, as well as a growing sports ministry in Chad, Africa.
Sullivan returned to his home state of Minnesota in 2018 to become the student and young adult pastor at Grace Church in Eden Prairie.
Cosponsored By:
- ISU NAMI on Campus
- Story County Mental Health Expo
- Committee on Lectures (funded by Student Government)
Stay for the entire event, including the brief question-and-answer session that follows the formal presentation. Most events run 75 minutes.
Sign-ins are after the event concludes. For lectures in the Memorial Union, go to the information desk in the Main Lounge. In other academic buildings, look for signage outside the auditorium.
Lecture Etiquette
- Stay for the entire lecture and the brief audience Q&A. If a student needs to leave early, he or she should sit near the back and exit discreetly.
- Do not bring food or uncovered drinks into the lecture.
- Check with Lectures staff before taking photographs or recording any portion of the event. There are often restrictions. Cell phones, tablets and laptops may be used to take notes or for class assignments.
- Keep questions or comments brief and concise to allow as many as possible.