Mental Health Awareness Month

Sigma Chi International Fraternity is committed and proud to provide our brothers, sweethearts, friends and community members with the necessary support in their mental health journeys. We are thrilled to feature two alumni doing important work in this space with mental health awareness, education, and advocacy. We are joined by brothers Michael Zibilich, LOUISIANA STATE 1970, and Alex Lindley, MISSOURI-COLUMBIA 2015, who will share their inspiring stories. Please be aware this conversation will include sensitive topics, including discussions about suicide. This talk will conclude with a Q&A. 

We want to remind all our viewers about the Sigma Chi Reach Out App, which provides anonymous, 24/7 access to local and national resources like helplines and counseling services. This is available to anyone, not just members. We also wanted to remind our viewers that Sigma Chi has partnered with BetterHelp to provide members and their loved ones with assistance in finding licensed therapists. 

Michael Zibilich

Michael is a commercial real estate executive who resides with his wife, Gayle, in Atlanta, Georgia. Tragically, on April 21, 2012, they lost their only child, Michael “Keller” Zibilich – a second-semester Sigma Chi freshman at LSU –  to suicide. Devastated by this inexplicable loss, they have dedicated their time and resources to promoting suicide education and awareness to college students throughout America. With the help of family and friends, they partnered with the Sigma Chi Foundation to create the “Keller Zibilich Fund” and “The Keller Zibilich Sigma Chi Lifeline Program” – both a suicide prevention hotline and an in-depth suicide education and prevention curriculum (Strong Arms) for all active Sigma Chi’s across the nation. Over the last four years, Michael has spoken about suicide awareness to thousands of university students throughout the United States. His message is simple – In the fight against suicide, all of us must consider ourselves as first responders, in our own lives and in the lives of those we know and love.

Alex Lindley

By his 22nd birthday, Alex Lindley had already delivered two eulogies, both for best friends who had tragically died by suicide while attending the University of Missouri. Grieving and looking for a way to convert the painful bereavement into a hopeful and passionate mission to save lives, Alex Lindley founded Project Wake Up in 2014. Lindley, now an attorney in St. Louis, MO, spent the better part of five years raising funds to produce Wake Up: Stories from the Frontlines of Suicide Prevention, a labor of love in honor of his fallen friends. Alex is a seasoned public speaker who is eager to share the story of the origins of Project Wake Up and all he’s learned about mental health, suicide, grief, bereavement, and hope during his mission to bring this film to life.