My father died in the fall of my senior year of high school, in 2021. In the midst of the upcoming end of high school as well as celebrating my acceptance into my dream school, the magnitude of my father’s passing was somewhat lost on me. As I began the new chapter of my life as a college freshman, I slowly felt less and less like myself but I did not clearly understand why. I felt unsure about sharing the story of my father’s death with my new friends and was faced with anger and insensitivity from my professors and the administration when asking them for accommodations when I was not feeling myself. It wasn’t until my sophomore year, when The Parmenter Foundation reached out to me to speak about my experience in college coping with my dad’s death, did I realize the uneasiness I felt stemmed from the lack of empathy and compassion I received from my university community.
“We send our kids off to college with promise and hope. We pay enormous tuition bills and are told about wonderful student support and advocacy teams made up of dedicated and empathetic professionals who will guide our children through unexpected obstacles. It was devastating to hear the stories of isolation, misunderstanding, and lack of resources for Sabrina and other grieving students.”
MELISSA, SABRINA’S MOM
The Parmenter Foundation has been an unwavering companion in my struggles. I was a part of a Parmenter video that reached more than 10,000 viewers and launched Parmenter’s UGrieve program. The experience not only helped me to uncover and face my grief emotions and properly mourn my father’s passing but also truly helped me find my voice to speak out about the lack of compassion and support on college campuses. I am now motivated to help other college students in similar situations and help to spark positive change. This has provided me with new purpose, confidence and direction for my life. I am now working with Parmenter as an intern and replacing negative facets of my lifestyle with new, healthier habits. This is helping me to learn to cope with my grief and to seek friends and communities that provide the level of understanding and compassion that others should have.