SAS Mission

Our mission is to eradicate the stigma surrounding mental health conditions by translating and mobilizing accredited, scientific knowledge to the lay public, fostering a well-informed community empowered to support mental well-being.

About SAS

Students Above Stigma (SAS) is a school club led by the students of the University of Victoria. SAS aims to eradicate the stigma surrounding various mental health conditions through a scientific-educational approach.

We believe that stigma stems from not knowing, thus we strive to educate the community on the various mental health conditions to overcome prejudiced views. We do this through our events, social media, and research blog. Our events consist of guest speakers, interactive learning, engaging topics, and anything pro-knowledge anti-stigma; our social medias are constantly promoting and producing educational content, and our research blog is the go-to source for current studies and incredible advancements in the mental health sciences. Although each endeavor offers unique qualities and approaches to eradicating stigma, at the core of all of our initiatives is the goal of squashing mental health stigma through putting forward factual knowledge.

SAS History

Origin Story & Founder

Students Above Stigma was founded in 2020 by Sydney Waddington, a current undergraduate student at the University of Victoria. Syd's goal was to create a group that would eradicate the stigma surrounding mental health conditions by going beyond barriers of silence to bring the conversation of specific mental health challenges to the foreground, to empower individuals and foster a more empathetic and compassionate community for everyone.

Hiatus (2023-2024)

In December of 2023, the founder of SAS suffered the loss of a close family member who died by suicide. As such, the team decided to take a short hiatus.

SAS Revitalization Committee

In January 2024, and in the spirit of resurgence and enlightenment, the Revitalization Project embarked on a mission to breathe new life into Students Above Stigma (SAS) at the University of Victoria. This innovative endeavor focuses on an informed approach to revitalization, encapsulated in three distinct phases: Assessment and Reflection, Strategic Planning and Development, and Implementation. The central purpose of the Revitalization Project is to establish the Revitalization Committee, a dedicated body entrusted with the task of resuscitating SAS after a year-long hiatus. By navigating through the three phases, the committee aims to revitalize SAS as a dynamic force in combating mental health stigma through knowledge translation and mobilization.