Ellie, class of 2013
University of Pennsylvania

When I came back to school in late September — a month after the beginning of my freshman year and a week after my dad suddenly passed away — I felt like I didn’t have anyone to talk to or lean on at school. Luckily, my advisor sent me an e-mail about AMF a few days later. After just the first meeting, I knew I had a new huge force of stable support, and also a new family. Though we’ve all experienced different hardships, everyone in the group knows what it feels like to hurt. Opening myself up to them, people who had experienced things just like I did, was both comfortable and comforting. As the year continued and we all became more familiar with each other’s histories, stories and pains, we also learned a lot about each other’s compassion and senses of humor. I began looking forward to meetings not only because they were the only times in the month that I could truly express myself and be understood, but also because Dave and the other members became my friends. I remember missing a meeting once and getting text messages the next morning asking if I was ok and if I wanted to get coffee soon.

In college, when life is so exciting and moving so rapidly, it’s important for anyone to sit down once in awhile and breathe. In AMF, we sit with people we have grown to love and care for, we listen and we breathe.