Help me fund the University of Minnesota Campus Chapter!

Help me raise money to fund suicide prevention and our UMN Campus Chapter

Two and a half years ago I was tasked with partnering with Lost&Found, a mental health advocacy organization, to start the first campus chapter in Minnesota. As the campus chapter president at the University of Minnesota, I lead monthly events focusing on providing students with a community to discuss various mental health topics while incorporating stress-relieving activities. We provide these monthly meetings free to all UMN students, and rely on donors like you to fund our events!

Our past events have explored topics like men's mental health, mental health screenings, and stress management, complemented by engaging activities such as pumpkin painting, therapy animal visits, hearing inspiring stories from suicide survivors, board game nights, and more.

About me:

My name is Zach Soule, and I'm the President of the University of Minnesota Lost&Found campus chapter. I'm currently a senior majoring in Finance and minoring in Business Analytics.

My mental health journey began in my senior year of high school. Growing up, I had always been super passionate about football, and when I had the opportunity to play at a collegiate level, I knew that I had to make the most of my shot. I started submitting film, going on recruiting visits, and pushing myself to be faster and stronger. Each day I could see my dream come closer to being a reality, but that all changed halfway through the season. In the middle of a rivalry game, I was blindsided and knocked unconscious; I had just suffered my fifth major concussion.

Prior to the season-ending concussion, I was known to be a very happy and outgoing person, but as I began to recover from the concussion, I started to notice some changes with my behavior and in my brain. Right away, I noticed that I had developed tinnitus, which is a constant ringing in the ears. I also started to be very irritable and was suffering from constant anxiety. School wasn’t coming as easy to me as it had in the past, and to top it off, I had to give up my dream of playing college football. I was at the lowest point of my life, but because of support from my friends and family, I was pushed to keep moving forward, which brought me to Carlson. I started physical therapy for my head, which sped up my recovery process, and I started emotional therapy to help me manage my anxiety and my new life path.

Looking back on the situation and my recovery, in that moment it had felt as if my life was over. However, because I was able to lean on those who cared about me, I learned that I wasn’t alone. I was able to make the most out of my situation, which has led me to make some amazing friends and engage in opportunities that I never thought were possible. Although I still suffer from tinnitus and anxiety and know that the effects of CTE aren’t fully understood yet, all I can do is take everything one day at a time and appreciate the life that I’ve made for myself.