Conn’s NAMI chapter wins Campus Club of the Year

Connecticut College’s National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) club, which was founded just this year, recently was named the 2026 On Campus Club of the Year Award by the NAMI organization.

“To me, this award is such an incredible honor because it recognizes not only what our club has accomplished so far, but also the importance of the impact that we are having on the mental health scene on campus,” said club Co-President Sabrina Moore ’27, a psychology and botany double major from Merrimack, New Hampshire. “Mental health affects every member of the college community in some way, yet it is still a widely stigmatized and often difficult conversation for many people.”

NAMI On Campus clubs are student-run mental health groups supported by the local, state and national levels of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Clubs are dedicated to raising mental health awareness, reducing stigma and supporting students who are living with mental health conditions. Meetings aim to create a culture of conversation around the topic, as well as a space for students to share, learn and simply exist in a group that cares about mental health, Moore explained.

“Through NAMI, we have been able to start to gradually shift the campus culture toward greater understanding of mental health challenges and the support that is available,” Moore said.

NAMI CT Student Life Program Coordinator Kristi Sadowski nominated Conn’s club in recognition of its outstanding work over the past year. Sadowski presented the award to Moore at NAMI CT’s annual meeting in June at the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford.

“Starting a brand-new club is hard,” Sadowski said in a speech at the event. “You’re building something from scratch, trying to figure out what works, hoping people show up. This group … jumped in with both feet and a whole lot of ambition, formalizing the club on campus and with NAMI National this past spring. This isn’t just a fun thing they did for a semester; it’s something that will be a lasting presence at Connecticut College for years of students to come.”

They’re not done yet. “I hope that NAMI is able to create a campus culture where taking care of your mental health is treated as a normal and critical part of taking care of yourself,” Moore offered. “I want students to feel comfortable and confident having conversations about their mental health, checking in on their friends, recognizing when they or others may need additional support and knowing where to turn when they need it on campus and beyond.”

Moore said she’d like to see Conn’s club generate a ripple effect across campus that stays with students long after graduation. “Ultimately, I hope that our club impact can extend beyond our individual meetings and events and that students are able to leave Conn more willing to talk about mental health, better equipped to support themselves and the people around them, and with more compassion toward those whose experiences differ from their own.”