SEAN CAMPBELL: GLOBAL WELLNESS AND TOLERANCE

At 22 years old, Sean Campbell is committed to promoting wellness and tolerance on a global scale, while striving to reduce stigma and fear associated with interpersonal and cultural differences. Sean uses writing, advocacy, and documentary film as mediums to promote stigma-free societies across the world. Currently, his two particular areas of focus, reflective of his personal experiences, are mental health and the Middle East.

Early Influences

Sean's journey began at a young age, with his fascination of the Norman Lear television sitcoms of the 1970s. Sean was inspired by the ways that legendary producer Norman Lear introduced hot-button topics to mainstream American television. By providing intelligent and thought-provoking commentary on racism, women's rights, gay rights, mental illness, and addiction (and other topics) through the medium of situation comedy, Lear reached tens of millions of households each year, raising awareness through programming such as All in the Family, Maude, Good Times, and The Jeffersons. In 2006, at 17 years old, Sean published The Sitcoms of Norman Lear, which examined how the Lear television shows positively influenced American culture and future television. McFarland & Company, one of America's leading scholarly, reference and academic publishers, published the book. The book is available in university libraries worldwide, and has been used as course material in university courses.

Mental Health Advocacy

While growing up, Sean faced mental health issues, both personally and in his immediate family. Sean grew up with a loving and devoted father, but his father's alcoholism and bipolar disorder often led to instability within Sean's household. Meanwhile, Sean coped with his own bouts of depression, anxiety, and trauma. Sean's father, though facing his own issues, recognized Sean's need for help, and advised Sean to go to therapy. At 15 years old, Sean was very fortunate to develop a strong therapeutic alliance and benefit from early intervention. Since then, Sean has maintained a firm commitment to mental wellness and hygiene.

As a result, Sean speaks professionally at universities and high schools across the United States, promoting mental health awareness, reducing the stigma associated with mental illness, and providing strategies for maintaining positive mental hygiene. In addition, Sean runs seminars for university faculty and staff, resident advisors, and nursing, psychology and social work students, sharing effective strategies for communicating about the topic of mental illness. Sean has addressed tens of thousands of people, ranging from ages 12-65, reaching audiences in close to twenty states. His advocacy has received extensive support, funding and recognition. From 2009 to 2011, the Bergen County Mental Health Task Force in Bergen County, New Jersey, has sponsored Sean's presentations at middle schools and high schools across the county. In May 2010, Sean received an Ambassador Award from the New Jersey Governor's Council on Mental Health Stigma. In October 2010, the National College Athletic Association (NCAA) sponsored Sean's presentation to student athletes at East Stroudsburg University in East Stroudsburg, PA. In July 2011, Sean attended the International Center for Clubhouse Development (ICCD) biennial conference in Stockholm, Sweden, and participated in "Angestparaden", or "Anxiety Parade", a parade to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness and raise awareness about suicide. More than one thousand people from over twenty countries marched in the parade.

Sean is currently a producer and contributing writer on a feature-length documentary titled How To Touch A Hot Stove, currently in production. The documentary examines the causes and effects of the labels and stigmas associated with mental illness, provides a historical context of mental health stigma in relation to other marginalized populations, and discusses what the mental health field, and society as a whole, must do to combat mental health stigma. The film is narrated by actor John Turturro, and features interviews with Nobel Prize Laureate Dr. Eric Kandel, Dr. Oliver Sacks, Temple Grandin, Joanne Greenberg (author, I Never Promised You A Rose Garden), Susanna Kaysen (author, Girl, Interrupted), Patch Adams, and more.

Work in the Middle East

Sean grew up in Northern New Jersey, on the border of New Jersey and New York City. As a result, Sean's community was heavily impacted by the tragedy of September 11, 2011. The morning of the tragedy, Sean watched the Twin Towers fall to the ground from the window of his seventh-grade classroom. Sean also lost a cousin in the attack. Following the aftermath, Sean grew up in a community where anti-Muslim sentiment was significant. During college, Sean traveled to Tunisia, his first trip to the Middle East. There, he found a warm, welcoming and peaceful culture that in no way correlated with the stereotypes and stigmas he was accustomed to hearing. Sean quickly became fascinated with this part of the world, and soon became involved. In July 2010, on behalf of AMIDEAST Tunisia, Sean developed and ran a "Cultural Understanding, Leadership Development and Confidence Building Through English Public Speaking" Seminar for university students studying English in Nabeul, Tunisia. Since then, AMIDEAST Yemen has invited Sean to run the seminar for the US Department of State's English Access Microscholarship Program.

In June 2011, Sean earned funding from the Moving Picture Institute to produce a short documentary, tentatively titled Two Worlds, One Goal. The goal of the documentary is to provide a more accurate perspective of Arab life, combating the stereotypes that exist in the West, and contradicting misrepresentations of the Arab world. The film seeks to showcase the change taking place with the youth generation throughout the Middle East, showing the ways that young people are expressing themselves through art, music, social media, and technological innovation. In July 2011, Sean, along with co-producer Sheryll Franko of Falling Awake Productions, filmed in Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt and Tunisia. The film is expected to release in 2012, and will be shown internationally.

Education

Sean is a Class of 2011 graduate of the Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College in New York City, with a B.A. in Economics.