Walking the walk: how a passionate student provided a place of hope
Emma Stratman, a senior communication sciences and disorders majors, is a member of Delta Gamma and co-president of the Pre-Counseling Club. Passionate about raising awareness and creating a place of hope for those affected by suicide, she has been serving as the head coordinator for the 2026 Walk, working with both Student Care & Outreach and Greek Life.
The 9th annual Out of the Darkness Walk on March 22 raised more than $70,000 for suicide prevention and mental health resources.
The walk began at the Tate Student Center and went through UGA’s campus. Stratman worked to utilize Panhellenic’s newly established Wellness & Safety Committee. This partnership is helping to increase Panhellenic members’ involvement in the Walk and get the conversation started about mental health among students.
Organizations have the opportunity to create “teams” to show their support. Panhellenic had 11 participating chapters last year, and IFC had five.
“I first got involved with the Pre-Counseling Club because of the Out of the Darkness Walk. People were tabling for it, and I ended up joining the Sponsorship Committee and volunteering day of,” Stratman said. “Since then, I have learned so much and I had the pleasure of eventually becoming Walk Chair and Co-President of the club.”
Planning the walk entailed a lot of different things. Stratman described reaching out to companies and organizations in the Athens community to sponsor the walk, to donate items for the giveaway and for percentage nights. Additionally, campus outreach was also a huge factor in garnering participants for the walk.
“We reach[ed] out to a lot of Greek life and student-led organizations to encourage their members to attend the walk. We mainly try to get the word out in any way we can. We also do this by tabling throughout the year. There is a lot of logistics that go into planning the walk as well. Such as the food [and] drinks day of, the organizations tabling day of, getting permission to have that big of a group walk through campus, reserving Tate Plaza, et cetera.”
While Stratman acknowledged the planning, at times, was challenging – being a full-time student, applying to graduate school and juggling other campus involvement – the hard work was good work.
Being involved in planning the walk has meant a lot to Emma, being able to learn a lot about herself through planning the walk and so much about mental health, suicide and the resources that are out there for those struggling.
“I have struggled a lot with mental health and being able to plan and build an event that encourages community supporting mental health was incredibly meaningful for me.”
A community of support and purpose
Stratman expressed being inspired by the overwhelming support from the Athens community from Day One, talking to Athenians and students wanting to support the cause – all with stories of their own connections to the walk and to mental health challenges.
“These stories helped to grow my passion for the cause because I saw how many different ways suicide can impact someone’s life. Planning the walk also gave me hope. The community supporting the walk is strong and passionate. Everyone had a different reason for attending the walk, but we all came together for the same purpose, to stop suicide and to promote mental health,” Stratman said. “I hope people continue to foster that passion for mental health and continue to support and talk to the people they care about.”
A lot of the mental health resources available to students are found with Student Care and Outreach, UGA Well-Being, and CAPS. Stratman and organizers of the walk worked closely with Student Care and Outreach while planning the event, having so many connections to mental health support resources.
“I know it can be difficult to search for mental health support on your own, but there are resources in place on campus that are readily available; many are displayed at the end of almost every class syllabus! I will say, the first place I’d look though is Student Care and Outreach because they will help you find the resources that fit your needs.”
The walk and its impact
The mood of the walk fluctuated throughout the event. At the beginning, as people arrive, there is music playing. People are walking around, getting food, exploring the different tabling organizations, contributing to the “Why I Walk Wall”, and just talking amongst each other.
“Often the topic can be seen as taboo or difficult to talk about but talking about suicide is important because if people are aware of it, they can help stop it,” Stratman said. “I want more people to come to the walk to feel hope and to feel seen and understood.”
Before the ceremony, everyone picks up beads with colors representing the different reasons people may be attending the walk. During the ceremony, members of the executive team call out the different colors of the beads, explain what the beads mean, and encourage people to raise their beads, one color at a time.
“This part can be a bit emotional for some because people are acknowledging the loss they have experienced. But it also brings people together because they are able to see they are not alone in their grief,” Stratman said. “After the ceremony, we start walking. This part is just fun! People walk with their friends and family throughout campus, talk, and enjoy the beautiful spring day!”
Stratman hopes to see the walk continue to grow and flourish in the future by expanding reach on campus and through the Athens community. Expanding the walk’s reach would also help educate people on the importance of mental health and suicide prevention.
“I know that at the end of the day, this is so much bigger than me and that the effort I put in improves the community around me.”
Written by: Elijah King
Photographer: Max Wilder
