Mourning Meeting

Our final episode of the season will focus on how educators can best support students returning to the classroom. Many students have experienced some significant losses over the past year and will be returning to school different and in need of additional resources. Perhaps they had COVID, or had a family member who had it. Perhaps they had a significant death loss, either from the virus or from another illness, suicide or accident. Perhaps they have been affected by violence, or the images of violence, against Black or Asian Americans which has made leaving their home scarier for them. How can teachers support these students? In this episode, we discuss several strategies including acknowledgment, preparedness, structure and flexibility. 

If you have a strategy that has worked for you, please reach out and let me know. [email protected].

Glori Dei Filippone (they/them) is a recent graduate of New York University. They realized that they were trans in college and we talk about how they came to that understanding and what it was like to tell family and friends. We also talk about the relief they experienced when they realized who they are, but also the sense of loss and pain that this realization brought with it. Glori Dei explains some of the misconceptions about gender identity and helps us to understand the process involved, both internally as well as externally.

Lindsay Marino had just graduated college and started her first job as a teacher when her boyfriend died suddenly in a motorcycle crash. It was through her grief that she realized that she can still connect with Nick to continue her relationship with him even though he isn't here physically. Lindsay shares her story and how others can connect with people who have died (and she does believe that we all can do this!). 

Lindsay is an international psychic medium, podcast host and co-author of the #1 Amazon best seller, 365 Days of Angel Prayers. To learn more about Lindsay, go to www.lindsaymarino.com or check her out on Instagram @lindsaymarinomedium.

Use this link for a free pdf: 7 ways to communicate with your passed loved ones.

Alana's parents both died before she was in high school. She then moved in with her aunt in a new state and, once again, learned to make new friends in a new school. In this episode of the podcast, we talk about transitioning to college and what it was like to once again meet new people in an unfamiliar environment. Did that bring up feelings of loss? Did she get support? How did she then manage another transition to remote learning after the pandemic began?

Alana is a sophomore at Virginia State University studying math and psychology. 

Megan Ashley was only 18 when she witnessed the murder of her mother and survived her own attempted murder. A student in college at the time, Megan struggled to cope with the trauma and grief of that night, both physical and emotional. She now shares her story in the hopes of helping someone else going through trauma know that they can get through this and thrive. Megan shares about the supports she did and did not receive, as well as some of the things she has learned that may be useful to others going through violent deaths.

Megan can be reached on Instagram at @himeganashley or on her website, www.meganashley.com.

Accidents are the leading cause of death for people under 24 years old.  The nature of accidents often means that young people are best suited for organ donation because dying in an accident creates a possible scenario that someone's organ are healthy enough and are able to be artificially kept alive long enough to be donated to someone else.  So how do you make sure your wishes are known if you want, or don't want, to be a donor?  Is checking a box enough? This week, I speak with Michelle Post, MA, LMFT about organ donation and how to start conversations with family members about your wishes.

For more information, go to www.donatelife.net or reach out to Michelle at www.PostInternationalinc.com.

Many families begin to think about college before high school even begins. What major do you want to study? Should you take the SAT or ACT? What extracurricular activities will show your leadership skills to make you more desirable to a specific school? All of these things are important when considering the right academic fit for a student. But how do you measure the right emotional fit at a college or university? How do you make sure that a grieving student will be prepared for the transition to college? How do you know if a particular school will have enough supports in place to meet the needs of a grieving student? 

 With an education career spanning over 25 years, Brett Levine has worked with thousands of students going through the college search, application, and selection process. He has worked as a school counselor and administrator in two wonderful New Jersey districts, being one of the state’s first counselors to integrate Naviance into the schools back when it was known as TCCI. (The College Counselor on the Internet). He has also worked on the other “side of the desk” as a college admissions officer and academic advisor at Adelphi University and New York University respectively.

Mr. Levine works full time as a School Counselor in a wonderful New Jersey School District and lives in Union County, New Jersey with his wife Rachel (a social worker) and their two sons, Ryder and Jackson. Mr. Levine can be reached at [email protected].

Grieving college students often need comfort. Away from home and familial support systems, food can become that support for some. And for others, food feels like too much work when energy and motivation are low. In this episode, we explore the ways that food can comfort us when we are grieving, and also the ways that food can help with some grief symptoms like sleepiness, memory loss and lack of focus. We also explore ways to engage with food when we don't feel the motivation to eat.

Natalie Nation, she/her, is a graduate student, future registered dietician, health educator and content creator. She is the producer of Feed That Nation: a podcast, YouTube channel and blog where she discusses college life, college health and college wellness. 

Feed That Nations aims to shed light and provide education on college-related health and professional development topics, and Natalie shares her best advice and stories from her experience as a college student. She also talks openly about her mental health journey with ADHD. Natalies goal on Feed That Nation is to help college students to be successful in the endeavors, confident in themselves, and find health and balance in their student journey. 

She can be reached @FeedThatNation  on Instagram and www.feedthatnation.com.

Also mentioned in this episode, some additional resources include: Jessicathesportsrd, vitamin_ri, and foodsiencebabe on Instagram.