Emily Stern: So does it say recording cool yes um, can you please stay out loud your first and last name and that you were giving us an osu spp that consent to record this session.
Ashnee Patel: My name is Ashley patel and i’m giving you consent to record the session.
Emily Stern: Alright awesome so our first question for you today is what was your biggest takeaway from the REACH, training and our reach out session for you.
Ashnee Patel: Um I think my biggest takeaway. Um well now i’ve heard the retrain a lot but um I think the first time I ever heard it um I mean that was the reason why I wanted to get involved in the in the organization at the time I just thought it was a really cool idea that students were given the training, the presentation to other students and it seemed like they knew so much and I thought that they were just like really cool to like.Take the time out of their day to talk about something that is such a pressing pressing issue and something that I also care about a lot, so it just felt like a really good fit um, so I think my biggest takeaway overall was just like the connection, I felt in general; being able to listen to other students who I know care so much about this topic speak so much from the heart about it.
Emily Stern: That’s really powerful I think just seeing somebody else do it, and knowing that you can make that change just makes you want to do it so much more. Right like that. Yeah um so our second question is how have you used your reach or reach out knowledge and skills, is there a particular experience that stands out to you.
Ashnee Patel: Um yes so, if you’ve listened to the opening I think you listen to the opening ceremony or did you were you at the opening ceremony. Yeah okay I don’t i’m not sure if they played the video I sent them um but there was a situation where I couldn’t be opening ceremonies and they asked me to speak about the situation that happened to me I’ll just give you a shorter a summary of what happened for basically. I was at the library one day, I ran into a situation with a girl who I later found out was self harming and she had had cut her arm and wasn’t really speaking about what was happening, but was obviously her so because of what I learned through reach trainings and just being involved in the Suicide Prevention program and PROs I was able to support her really well, I actually went to the emergency department with her, even though I didn’t know her I didn’t even know her name at the time, just because I knew that that was the right thing to do, she didn’t really have anyone else with her and was going through a really difficult time. However if I didn’t didn’t like have the knowledge that I have through what i’ve learned through REACH and pros I don’t think I would have reacted that way I probably would have been a lot more panicked and confused and definitely wouldn’t have not I wouldn’t have known what to do so yeah it was really nice having that background and being able to be there for someone who definitely needed it.
Emily Stern: Right it’s it’s moments like that, where you’re kind of glad that you have that experience, so you can help that person in a way that’s not harmful or triggering to them.
Ashnee Patel: Right yeah.
Emily Stern: Alright, so our third question is how have you taken the campus culture of care concept to heart, how do you examine those properties in your day to day life.
Ashnee Patel: Um can you repeat the question, I think it cut out.
Emily Stern: Oh sorry.
Emily Stern: Um how have you taken the campus culture of care to heart and how do you examine that. On your day to day life like, how do you go about your daily life with that.
Ashnee Patel: Yeah, so I think.Before I entered college, I definitely Kurt a lot more about things, I know, look back on and and kind of laugh at.I think like coming into college and joining pros like really helps me understand like how like kindness just goes a long way, and you know spreading positivity things like that are so important have become like such a priority in my life, I think, and even just like self care and things like that I don’t think I ever used to prioritize self care or just like being kind to other. I mean, I think i’ve always considered myself to be a nice person, but I just again never prioritize those things, but now, because we have the school of having a campus culture of caring i’ve definitely learned that those things are huge, no matter what, when what time of year it is or what’s going on in the world, those things always matters so yeah.
Emily Stern: Right it’s just like you can make such a positive impact in somebody’s day just by you know, knowing that like we’re here we’re in this together.
Ashnee Patel: Right.
Emily Stern: All right, and so the last question I have for you today is what advice, do you have for others who might be considering signing up for each training or reach out session today.
Ashnee Patel: Um well, I think you should definitely do it because, first of all, it’s not it’s not going to take that much time out of your day and I think the knowledge that you get is more worthwhile than just taking an hour an hour and a half, out of your day to attend one of these trainings and you never know when you’re going to be in a situation where you might have to help someone especially this day and age. When talk of mental health and things like that are a lot more prevalent and a lot more people are open about their mental illness or if they’re feeling suicidal things like that it’s important to really know what to say and what to do because you know it, you know, at the end of the day, if you’re saving a life, that’s always the best situation and and I definitely think that this is something that should be prioritized not even just at Ohio State, but every college campus it’s important that all young people and all people in general, just know.How to handle such a difficult situation like suicide.
Emily Stern: Right right i’m desperate interview purposes i’m going to have you again state your name and just how you work with the campus like what you do for Suicide Prevention.
Ashnee Patel: Like like my position like i’m a member of PROs okay. I’m Ashley and i’m asking you to tell, and I am a member, in the student cohort cohort peers reaching out.Which is partners with Suicide Prevention and we give retraining so yeah.
Emily Stern: Right, so I have a little closing paragraph for you, I want to thank you so much for your time today and for sharing about how you use Suicide Prevention skills from REACH and reach out.We are really excited to share, about your share your story and how you contribute to the campus culture of care and our future blog posts. Just so you know we’re going to send the final draft of the video or post before it goes live um did you have a preference of whether it was a video or a just a blog post or either.
Ashnee Patel: I don’t have a preference, whatever the word.
Emily Stern: I’m also while this might not apply to you, we recognize that sharing about your experience can bring up difficult feelings, so please take good care of yourself after this interview and think about all the positive work that you’ve done.Should this be helpful to you or somebody that you might be concerned about i’m going to post some links in the chat to resource pages and the wellness APP. Before we end our meeting i’m going to ask if you have any questions for us, and if it’s not a question, I can answer i’m going to provide the link to the GA coordinator to direct any other questions you may have.
Ashnee Patel: Okay, I don’t have any questions, right now, but thank you so much for your time and effort, and I think this is a really great thing you guys are doing so.
Emily Stern: Yeah i’m very excited so I put the links in the chat and gave me them. I think we are all set here so i’m going to fiddle with the recording.Okay, you are free to go.
