The HW Together in Hope Team attended the Alive Together Walk to honor the memory of the three students lost and to raise money for the Didi Hirsch Mental Health Foundation. The walk took place on the Wilson Plaza at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) on Sept. 29. It consisted of a 5K walk, a resource fair and exposition and lawn games..
The annual Alive Together walk is organized by the Didi Hirsch Mental Health Foundation with the central goal of promoting suicide prevention. The event aims to help remember the lives of those lost to suicide, pay tribute to survivors and spread further awareness on the issue, according to the foundation’s website.
Vice President of Crisis Care Shari Sinwelski, who is a crisis intervention and suicide prevention expert, said the event was meant to reach out and support the families and friends of those lost to suicide as well as those currently struggling with mental health issues.
“This event started as a way for people to memorialize or remember people that they’ve lost to suicide, and we’ve been doing it for many years,” Sinwelski said. “It’s a way to honor those who have died, but it’s also a message of hope for people who are here, who might be struggling, to let them know that there’s a whole community and resources around them that they might want to reach out to if they’re in crisis.”
Sinwelski also said what she appreciated most about the event was the amount of people who showed up to spread awareness, and how the event could introduce those who were struggling to available resources.
“I’ve been working in suicide prevention for 30 years, and I remember when people didn’t talk about problems that they might be having emotionally,” Sinwelski said. “For me to see over 1,000 people come out on a Sunday morning and be here for suicide prevention, it’s just amazing to see that that many people care about this issue and are willing to talk about what’s going on. That’s 1,000 more people that know that Didi Hirsch is here, that 988 is a resource that people can reach out to. It builds community and they tell the people that they know in their lives about this wonderful event.”
Jaiden Mathews ’25, who participated in the walk with the school’s cohort, said the best way for the community to honor the memory of those who were lost is to stay positive and continue attending events like Alive Together.
“My favorite part has been just seeing all of the joy and happiness of everybody being together and just this unity around such a tragic thing,” Mathews said. “ This is such a great way to continue their memory, and especially I’ve seen so much activism around suicide prevention and all that kind of stuff, so remembering them in a good light is the best way to. I’ve [gained] a sense of optimism about the direction that we’re going around suicide prevention.”
Alexa Chang ’25, who organized the school’s Alive Together cohort last year, said she also thinks a positive attitude is the best approach to the tragedies that have occurred and admires the ability of the community to handle the situation this way.
“I always love seeing the Harvard-Westlake community coming together because the three suicides that we had were so impactful in our community,” Chang said. “I want to make sure that we always remember how they contributed to our community in different ways, and the fact that we can come together in an event that makes light of the situation and shines it with optimism is an amazing thing.”
Chang said people should consider using a different perspective when discussing the issues of others and should refrain from any hurtful words or actions.
“Approach situations and conflicts from a lens of curiosity and empathy instead of judgment,” Chang said. “A lot of the time we are quick to judge others by their actions, but sometimes, when people are hurting, their actions don’t reflect their character. So when people act out of line and not like themselves, it’s important to recognize it might be something deeper than them being a bad person. Always make sure you check on people and view things from an empathetic lens, instead of jumping to judging their character right away.”
