How TCU’s Impact Of Words is growing and fostering a caring community

By Courtney O'Connell, Staff Writer

Published Oct 29, 2024

Club members outside of a TCU campus building as they hand out their weekly kind-worded sticky notes. (Courtesy of Katie Nguyen/IOW Marketing Chair)

Three years since it started, the mental health awareness club Impact Of Words has grown exponentially in spreading kindness and keeping the conversation going.

The club started in 2021 with fewer than 100 members and has now reached more than 640 members.

Jackson Donaldson, founder of Impact of Words, said, “Talking about mental health too much might glorify the topic, but not talking about it does nothing.”

Donaldson said he wanted to start the conversation and raise awareness. The club’s goal is to “spread small acts of kindness and aid students by fostering a caring community and making a positive change at TCU.”

“In terms of growth, Impact of Words has seen an amazing increase in what we accomplish and our presence on campus,” said Colin Eich, vice president of operations of Impact of Words. “Mental Health Week is one of our events that has transformed and improved since the organization first started and is now a big part of how we are able to make a difference on campus.”

Members of Impact Of Words at a weekly meeting. (Courtesy of Katie Nguyen/IOW Marketing Chair)

Since the beginning, weekly meetings have included writing kind messages on sticky notes and hanging them up in dorm halls and other campus buildings for students and faculty to read.

Now, the club works with other organizations and groups that are in need of a positive message.

“The executive team is also discussing other ways we can spread positivity on campus and highlight the importance of mental health that we will hopefully be able to introduce soon,” Eich said.

Within the difficult yet important conversation of mental health, the club has not seen any problems promoting its message. The main roadblock they have faced is how to have more of an impact on campus aside from meeting days.

Looking ahead, Eich hopes to see even more engagement from students at TCU to continue building the amazing community. He also hopes to see even more partnerships with other organizations on campus, such as Student Government Association and theCrew.

“Impact of Words is an amazing organization that has given me a strong community to be a part of, and I’d love for everyone on campus to be a part of or positively impacted by that community,” Eich said.

The club meets weekly at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday nights in the private dining room of the Brown-Lupton University Union.

For more information on mental health or to schedule an appointment, students can visit the TCU’s Counseling and Mental Health Center.