Outside the Mary Couts Burnett Library, students pass by holding bright red, pink, yellow and white flowers. They smile brightly at others who pass by. A voice rings out from the hustle of the passing period, donning a pastel pink shirt embroidered: Impact of Words.

“Hey! Happy mental health week. Would you like a flower for your walk to class?” 

Impact of Words is a student organization at TCU that promotes positivity around mental health. Bright Post-It notes written by members and signed with individualized messages decorate nearly every first-year dormitory.

“There is so much that happens over the four years of college,” said junior political science major Stephanie McCarthy, who is the former Impact of Words president. “Our heart is to remind students they are not alone.”

Their most notable event is the annual Mental Health Mile. Members of Impact of Words meet at the TCU Statue in front of Sadler and walk one mile of campus holding posters with positive affirmations written on them. Students are encouraged to participate in the event even if they are not members of Impact of Words.

“The sweetest part is just seeing the smiles on people’s faces,” McCarthy said.

“College students’ mental health has taken a big hit,” said Katie Nguyen, a sophomore psychology major and vice president of marketing for Impact of Words. “It’s so important to be spreading positivity right now.”

According to the National Education Association, the last eleven years has seen a 50% increase in the amount of college students who meet the criteria for at least one mental health problem. That is more than 60% of college students.

Impact of Words proactively fights for positivity around mental health on TCU’s campus. Students are encouraged to get involved in this community, which fosters a caring environment and works to make a positive change through small acts of kindness.

“We can get so wrapped up in the competitive academic and extracurricular culture of TCU – we are said to be the happiest campus, but there are still moments that aren’t surfaced all the time,” said Morgan Schaefer, a first-year Spanish and strategic communications double major and vice president of membership for Impact of Words. “Impact of Words is an opportunity to lift each other up.”