NC State Alum’s Mental Health Story Wins Award for Raising Awareness

The Division of Academic and Student Affairs’ Marketing and Communications Office recently received a prestigious CASE Best of District III Award for its impactful feature, Don’t Mind: An Alum’s Mental Health Journey. The award recognizes outstanding storytelling that illuminated an important issue—mental health—and provided support for students and the broader university community.

The story focuses on Dylan Ebbs, an NC State alum who courageously shared his personal mental health journey. After hearing about several tragic student deaths by suicide, Dylan felt a deep need to help others by opening up about his own struggles. He reached out to the university, eager to share his story in hopes that it might inspire others to seek help.

“Our team in the Division of Academic and Student Affairs was more than willing to work with Dylan to tell his story,” said Justin Hammond, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Strategic Marketing and Communications. “Our writer and content manager, Andrew Schnittker, sat down with him for an open and honest conversation about his mental health journey—where he’s been, what he’s learned and how he’s been able to manage the ups and downs along the way. Dylan shared insights into what helped him the most and offered advice to those facing similar challenges.”

The feature, published on the Division of Academic and Student Affairs website and the NC State Counseling Center and Prevention Services websites, has become a powerful example of the importance of mental health care. 

“Through Dylan’s story, we’ve been able to reach a broad audience of students, faculty, staff and community members, reinforcing the message that it’s okay to ask for help and that mental health should always be a priority,” said Schnittker.

Dylan’s experience has allowed him to share his journey not only with the NC State community but also with his friends and family. His openness has created a ripple effect, encouraging others to break the silence around mental health and engage in meaningful conversations.

Receiving the CASE award is a testament to this story’s impact—not just on Dylan but on everyone who has read and shared it. 

“I am so proud of Andrew’s work on this piece,” said Hammond. “And as a division and university, we will continue promoting messages encouraging well-being and reducing the stigma around mental health.”