‘Send Silence Packing:’ El Camino College raises awareness of suicide

El Camino College held a suicide prevention and well-being fair Wednesday, April 1, to raise awareness about depression and suicide — prevailing issues among college-aged students.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, suicide attempts were the highest among adults ages 18-25 years old. When it comes to college students specifically, Susan Nilles, Student Health Services faculty coordinator at El Camino College, said that finances, academic pressure and unclear futures can contribute to this.

“With this event, we are working to create space for honest, destigmatizing conversations about suicide — conversations that are proven to support prevention efforts among college students,” Nilles said in a written statement. “We are striving to build a student body that is more informed, compassionate and proactive in reaching out — an essential step for preventing suicide and fostering a culture where no one struggles in silence.”

In addition to booths highlighting resources for students, the fair featured an exhibit called “Send Silence Packing.” This traveling exhibit is made up of 100 backpacks, each one representing an individual who died by suicide.

The intent of this exhibit, Nilles said, is to destigmatize suicidal ideation and show those suffering that there is hope and there are resources for them.

“It’s part of the human experience,” she said.

Many of the stories in the exhibit highlighted work done by family members following the person’s death to raise awareness around suicide.

One example is Rivers McGraw, who died by suicide Nov. 9, 2016 as a freshman in college. According to the Send Silence Packing story, Rivers received two DUIs during his time in college and struggled with addiction.

“This was devastating and embarrassing for him,” the story said. “He felt like it was a huge failure. His friends bailed him out of jail, and he thought he could get legal help on his own. Only a few hours after being released from jail, he decided to end his own life. He felt like a failure and believed this setback would disappoint his family and friends.”

After this, Rivers’ mother helped to pass a Mississippi law called Rivers Law, which requires law enforcement to inform individuals under the age of 21 of their rights and mental health options following a DUI charge.

Another story focuses on Abbey Wolf, who died by suicide in 2020 at only 14 years old. The Send Silence Packing story said that Wolf struggled with depression and anxiety and did not receive the help she needed.

Since she was an avid baker, her family created Abbey’s Bakery with the mission of creating awareness around mental health and spreading the message that “it’s OK to not be OK.” All proceeds from the bakery go toward mental health and suicide prevention initiatives.

Nilles said she believes it is important to share these stories because you cannot tell who is struggling “just by looking.” According to a recent survey of almost 800 El Camino College students, approximately 11% have had thoughts of suicide.

“Depression and anxiety are the top two diagnoses for college students,” she said. “We need to make sure that we are addressing our student population. The next challenge is making sure our students know about us and utilize us.”