Our Story
our founding
IfYoureReadingThis.org was created at the University of Virginia by founder Alexandra (Pentel) Lawlor in the fall of 2016. In her early college years, Alexandra struggled with her mental health, subsequently affecting her grades, her health, and her relationships. While in recovery, she learned a lot about mental health and coping, and reflected on why she suffered in silence for so long.
She realized she, like most college students at the time, feared that reaching out to friends, family, and peers about mental health challenges would end in judgment and rejection. Not knowing who to turn to, students are often left isolated and untreated. Social support networks are one of our most valuable coping mechanisms, and yet building such a network is difficult when students are unsure if they’ll be met with support and empathy.
Seeking a solution to this problem, Alexandra came up with IfYoureReadingThis.org: A place where members of the community come forward first and share the responsibility of being vulnerable, closing the gap between students with mental health challenges and the people that care about them.
Alexandra’s hope for IfYoureReadingThis.org is that it will host enough letters for any student to scroll through, stumble upon a letter written by somebody they know, and not only feel supported in that moment, but also know that they have an understanding friend to talk to in the future. Our goal is to help students with mental health challenges feel comfortable talking to somebody, by identifying the people who want to listen, and by showing an outpouring of empathy and understanding. Let’s build an open-ended university-wide support network together.
Our Chapters
February 6, 2017. The first ever letter on IfYoureReadingThis.org is published at the University of Virginia. Using her love of photography, Alexandra (Pentel) Lawlor operated the organization and website before bringing on the second member of IfYoureReadingThis, Alexander Hyldmar.
April 9, 2020. IfYoureReadingThis expands to Georgia Tech through the leadership of Georgia Tech chapter founder, Sarah Tyner. After witnessing her community grieve the loss of many students with seemingly no change in the mental health resources available, Sarah felt driven to create something that would help change the atmosphere on campus. Sarah came across IfYoureReadingThis and immediately knew it would be an effective platform to encourage Georgia Tech to be more vulnerable and open about mental health with each other.
January 20, 2021. IfYoureReadingThis expands to Clemson University through the leadership of Clemson University chapter founder, Emily Daly. Being from Virginia, Emily had been following IfYoureReadingThis for a few years, leaning on the resource whenever she found herself struggling. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic coupled with the tragedies that have occurred at Clemson in the past 3.5 years prompted her to found a chapter with her close friend and now Vice President, Lane Henry. Both Emily and Lane felt compelled to introduce this incredible resource to the Clemson Family. They believe IfYoureReadingThis embodies the sense of home and belonging one is destined to feel on this campus.
March 22, 2021. Julia Stanisci brings IfYoureReadingThis to Villanova University. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the lack of mental health resources on college campuses, Julia felt that the Villanova community needed an easily accessible mental health resource that projects student voices. After struggling with mental health for many years herself and watching friends and family suffer in silence, she knew IfYoureReadingThis would make a positive impact on Villanova’s campus through erasing the stigma, empowering students to connect with each other, and building a better, more open conversation about mental health.
August 23, 2021. IfYoureReadingThis launches at the University of South Carolina through the leadership of University of South Carolina chapter founder, Heddy McGrey. With campus hitting a reset button after the bulk of the COVID-19 pandemic, Heddy felt that during this time of monumental change, students needed a resource for students to openly come forward together to reshape the community’s approach on mental health. IfYoureReadingThis.org allowed the opportunity to reopen the conversation and institute a new form of dialogue for all students alike. The perspectives shared with her previously from other students on mental health inspired Heddy to create this chapter alongside close friend and co-founder, Ethan Felkel. Both Heddy and Ethan knew the immense impact this resource would have on empowering students, encouraging kindness, and erasing the stigmas around mental health in the Gamecock community.
August 30, 2021. Meghan Doherty brings IfYoureReadingThis to Boston College. After learning about the organization through her sister, a student at Villanova, Meghan realized how much her own school could benefit from the organization. Through her experiences with mental illness, Meghan knew how difficult it can be to ask for help, but how empowering it can be to know you are not alone. Meghan’s close friend and now Vice President Madison Walsh helps Meghan found a chapter of IfYoureReadingThis at Boston College. They hope IfYoureReadingThis will help normalize conversations about mental health on campus while offering support, resources, and hope to those struggling in their community.
September 1, 2021. IfYoureReadingThis launches at Wake Forest University through the leadership of Wake Forest University chapter founder Kendall Woodall. As a rising first year during the pandemic, Kendall recognized the community’s need for greater discussions about mental health and the need for more resources for her peers. Upon finding out about the IfYoureReadingThis network, Kendall was confident that it was exactly what Wake Forest needed to promote deeper conversations and help destigmatize mental health. After several months of research and work, Kendall launched the Wake Forest Chapter in the fall of her second year with the goal of promoting compassionate mental health resources as the Wake Forest community moved forward through the pandemic.
September 8, 2021. Rachael Holp brings IfYoureReadingThis to Arizona State University. After learning about the organization through a mutual friend on social media, Rachael realized how much this organization could impact the greater ASU community. She believed it could fill a large gap that existed in the attention towards mental health and wellbeing at ASU. Through her own experiences with mental health, leading her to halt her college experience at one point, Rachael knew how difficult it could be to speak up when struggling, and how important the power of connection and vulnerability is when sharing our stories. Rachael hopes IfYoureReadingThis will inspire and help students, staff and alumni share their stories, helping to end the stigma around mental health, while offering support, resources and hope to those struggling in their community.
October 20, 2021. IfYoureReadingThis expands northward to Colby College, where Caroline Scarola and her close friend Emily Gallagher felt inspired to establish a chapter on their campus in Waterville, Maine. Stumbling upon the launch of Vilanova’s chapter during the midst of the pandemic, the two began communicating about bringing Colby’s already tight-knit community even closer together to share resources and promote conversations about the importance of mental health. By strengthening peer support networks and reminding students they are not alone, we hope to end the stigma surrounding mental health on campus and beyond.
November 10, 2021. IfYoureReadingThis launches at the University of Michigan through the leadership of Grace Coleman. Through her own experience with mental health, Grace recognized the value in honestly sharing one's mental health struggles. Upon learning about IfYoureReadingThis and recognizing the gaps in the mental health resources on campus, Grace felt that the University of Michigan could benefit from an organization that empowers the community to be open about mental health. Grace is confident that the University of Michigan will be a better place with a chapter of IfYoureReadingThis working to reduce the stigma of mental health while creating a community of support.
February 9, 2022. IfYoureReadingThis expands to Washington State University through the leadership of Margeaux Edwards. While struggling with mental health during her first semester of college, Margeaux found respite confiding in others; she noticed that engaging in vulnerable conversation concerning her mental health bolstered an atmosphere where others felt safe to do so as well. Her hope is for IfYoureReadingThis to serve as a platform where members of the Washington State community can come together through the act of storytelling — an ultimate reminder of what it means to be human.
March 2, 2022. IfYoureReadingThis debuts in Texas at Southern Methodist University through the leadership of Meredith Lloyd. After seeing the impact IfYoureReadingThis has from friends at other universities, Meredith saw the potential it had to bring people together at SMU. She tapped Sydney Castle, a close friend with leadership experience across campus, to help develop the chapter, and together they set off to connect the SMU community through open, honest discussion surrounding mental health. They hope that the SMU chapter will encourage others to feel supported in their mental health journey and break the stigma surrounding mental health.
April 13, 2022. IfYoureReadingThis expands to Colorado College under the leadership of Grace Ferguson and Lucy Wagner. Grace and Lucy have seen others cope with and have personally dealt with challenges to their mental health. Upon learning about IfYoureReadingThis and recognizing the gaps in the mental health resources on campus, Grace and Lucy felt that Colorado College could benefit from an organization that empowers the community to be open about mental health. Their hope is for IfYoureReadingThis to serve as a platform where members of the Colorado College community can come together through the act of storytelling and de-stigmatizing common experiences.
April 22, 2022. IfYoureReadingThis launches at Boston University through the leadership of Kendall Jenkins. After watching the impact that IfYoureReadingThis had after she graduated from UVA, it was one of the first resources she wanted to set up after starting medical school during the pandemic. Kendall felt like this resource could help to bridge the isolation many students were feeling and set up a network of undergraduate and graduate students dedicated to prioritizing and having open conversations about mental health. With the help of Emma Kraus, the chapter grew to the undergrad campus and hopes to create an atmosphere where students feel united through vulnerability and community support.
April 25, 2022. IfYoureReadingThis expands to the University of Wisconsin - Madison under the leadership of Rohit Singhal. Having personally dealt with mental health challenges and helping his friends through their own struggles, Rohit recognized the importance of destigmatizing mental health and spreading awareness. After learning about IfYoureReadingThis from friends at other universities, Rohit was immediately drawn to this mission and thought UW-Madison could benefit greatly from an organization that promotes conversation about mental health. His hope for the Wisconsin chapter of IfYoureReadingThis will serve as a platform that brings students together and provides a support network for people struggling with mental health challenges.
May 3, 2022. IfYoureReadingThis launches at Virginia Commonwealth University through the leadership of Amisha Jaiswal. After witnessing several of her close friends and family members struggle with their mental health in silence, she learned about the power of conversation, connection, and vulnerability. She knew that the VCU community needed an accessible mental health resource that would make students feel heard while narrowing the gap between those who are struggling with mental illness and the individuals who care about them. Reshaping the community’s approach with mental health begins with inspiring deeper, more meaningful conversations and fostering a community of support. Amisha hopes that IfYoureReadingThis will encourage students and staff to share their powerful stories so that we can diminish the stigma that surrounds mental health while offering a token of hope to those who are struggling in her ramily
November 2, 2022. IfYoureReadingThis expands to Virginia Tech under the leadership of Sydney Weeks and Keaton Band. After experiencing vulnerable conversations in another organization, Sydney and Keaton recognize the power behind opening up and having tough conversations, inspiring others to be comfortable to do the same. They know everyone faces the impacts of mental health everyday and IfYoureReadingThis can have a positive impact on the Blacksburg community by helping build meaningful connections. In the hopes that mental health becomes less stigmatized at Virginia Tech, they co-founded an IfYoureReadingThis chapter to spread positivity, awareness, and communication on campus.
November 14, 2022. IfYoureReadingThis launches at Duke University under the leadership of Anjali Kapadia. While struggling with the transition to college, Anjali came across IfYoureReadingThis and resonated with the letters she read. She felt a sense of relief in knowing that she wasn’t alone in her struggles. Anjali realized that bringing IfYoureReadingThis to Duke would empower students to speak up in support of one another and ultimately feel less alone. Her hope for Duke’s chapter is that Duke students realize that their authentic stories have the power to make a positive difference in another person’s life just like they did for her.
January 11, 2023. IfYoureReadingThis expands to Northwestern University under the leadership of Finola Summerville and Seela Hinrichs. Throughout their time at Northwestern, the two have watched the community wrestle with mental health challenges while neglecting to seek support due to the culture of perfection on campus. As a result of this culture, as well as the lack of sufficient on-campus resources, Seela and Finola decided to bring IfYou’reReadingThis to Northwestern. The two hope that IfYou’reReadingThis will function as a network of support for the Northwestern community and encourage those struggling to seek help.
September 13, 2023. Kendall Palazzi brings IfYoureReadingThis to Syracuse University. After seeing the strides her good friend Julia Stanisci made at Villanova through IfYoureReadingThis and noticing how many students in the Syracuse community struggle with their mental health, Kendall wanted to change the narrative around mental illness and mental health challenges on campus. As Kendall continues to work through her anxiety daily, she has realized the power of vulnerability and the strength it shows when one’s open about how they feel. Kendall hopes IfYoureReadingThis at Syracuse will make social media a more encouraging place and be a reminder of the support system the Syracuse community has within one another.
February 1, 2024. Sabrina Atkin led the debut of IfYoureReadingThis at the University of Southern California. After hearing about the organization from various friends and peers, she felt that it would make a great addition to her college campus. Sabrina is a firm believer that everyone’s mental health journey looks different, and therefore it is important to have as many avenues for help available as possible. She is very grateful to have had a strong support network for her own mental health struggles, and wants to help provide that support to her fellow Trojans. Additionally, she felt that IfYoureReadingThis would help to destigmatize mental illness and promote people connecting with and helping those around them.
April 17, 2024. Carolina Bellon-Garcia and John Vodenicker bring IfYoureReadingThis to Florida State University. Carolina, having encountered IfYoureReadingThis through other universities, and John, having searched for a practical mental health tool for students on campus, embraced the opportunity to establish IfYoureReadingThis in Tallahassee, FL. They believe an FSU chapter can shift on-campus perception of mental health, as well as uplift and connect students across the FSU community.
May 28, 2024. IfYoureReadingThis launches Stethos[Cope], shedding light on mental health in the medical community. After learning about IfYoureReadingThis during her time at Clemson, Alexa Geist wanted to create a space of support for medical students after she began her own journey in medical school. Medical education is often full of battles with mental health and coping, and yet there is still stigma and judgment surrounding mental wellness in medical professions. Through Stethos[Cope], Alexa aims to foster a community of openness and support to empower medical students to care for themselves as they learn to care for their future patients.
September 13, 2024. Through her own mental health struggles during her freshman year, Georgetown University’s founder Sophie McDowall found support through her friends and community. After learning about IfYoureReadingThis through a friend at Villanova and sharing the resource with many of her friends who went through similar mental health and life challenges, she knew that bringing IYRT to Georgetown would fill a gap in the resources available to students by building an accessible source for students and community members to find mutual support and understanding among their peers.
September 13, 2024. IfYoureReadingThis was brought to the University of Florida under the leadership of Cathleen Rabideau. After learning about the organization through social media, Cathleen realized how much UF could benefit from the community IYRT creates. As a student pursuing a career in medicine, Cathleen saw how toxic the culture could become when people compete with their peers instead of supporting each other. Despite seeing the destigmatization of mental health in other spaces, she noticed higher education still had a long way to go. Cathleen hopes that IYRT will create a diverse, open conversation in academia among students, alumni, professors, and professionals to foster a community of love and shared strength to improve mental health throughout higher education.
September 13, 2024. IfYoureReadingThis expands to New York University through the leadership of NYU chapter founder, Alex Gogo. After observing the community’s response following the loss of several NYU students, Alex felt driven to address the gap in mental health support. He came across IfYoureReadingThis and decided that a "by the students, for the students" approach to mental health is what NYU was missing. His goal was to create a unique platform that fosters openness and support among NYU students and faculty, ultimately aiming to make a meaningful impact on the future of mental health care at the university.
September 26, 2024. IfYoureReadingThis expands to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill under the leadership of Carter Murr. In the wake of the recent shootings at their university, many students including Carter, struggled to find a space for healing and support. Carter aimed to offer that space — a place where vulnerability is welcomed, stories are shared, and no one has to navigate their mental health journey alone. Witnessing the silent struggles of her peers firsthand, including the tragic loss of someone in her freshman dorm, Carter realized the urgency of creating more accessible mental health resources. Carter hopes for IYRT to build a community grounded in openness, support, and healing across the UNC campus.