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End Overdose's chapter program is vital to our success in equipping young people with lifesaving education and resources. Rather than proselytizing from a soapbox to Gen-Z and Millennials, we trust young people in cities and on college campuses to spread the word through a true peer-to-peer model. Our members and volunteers are committing endless hours to End Overdose's cause, so we want to highlight a chapter every week.
Today, we're proud to highlight our University of Arkansas chapter! We spoke with president Alex Mykytyn about being inspired by our CU Boulder chapter, being recognized as the “Outstanding New Student Organization of the Year,” and much more.
What sparked your interest in overdose prevention/response and End Overdose in particular?
Being from Colorado, I saw what Grace Naysmith and their team were doing at the CU Boulder chapter, and thought it was so awesome; I loved the bold and direct outreach techniques that I saw End Overdose using, and thought it’d be a hit at an SEC school like University of Arkansas. Not to mention, doing this amazing thing in such cool areas that I love- the EDM setting. Having close family and friends affected by overdose recently, I knew End Overdose was something I’d be interested in from then on. I immediately made bringing End Overdose to Arkansas a mission to accomplish.
Can you describe your experience as chapter president at the University of Arkansas?
Like starting anything new, there’s learning curves and kinks to smooth out. But I quickly learned that delegation and having a great team works wonders. Being the chapter president, I know my job is to make sure my team and those trained understand the impact of the information they’re learning. My experience in this role has been a complete 180 on anything I’ve ever done, but I wouldn’t change it. I’ve been introduced to so many people from all different walks of life. It’s been so cool to me how each time I interact with someone new, we used End Overdose as a point of unison and understanding. Being the president of this chapter has allowed me to make many new connections, spark new interests, learn about myself, and most importantly save lives! Seeing the impact our chapter has had on campus in just one year has been so fulfilling.
How have you developed authentic connections within the community?
Our chapter has strengthened connections with so many different parts of the community thus far. Having members from different areas of the community, our outreach has been able to spread far and wide. Our chapter has been working especially closely with the SEAR program (substance, education, assessment, recovery) and their efforts to train and inform students about overdose. Beyond SEAR, we’ve been working a lot with Sierra Jeans, our amazing Arkansas coordinator. She’s been working so hard in all parts of the state and growing the team in Arkansas. With the help of Sierra, her volunteers, and the members of our team, we’ve attended multiple campus concerts and events, training hundreds of people. Overall, these events have let us increase awareness, build trust, and make a tangible difference in the community.
What’re the major highlights from your chapter’s work to date?
One huge highlight of our chapter’s work is training four major Interfraternity and Panhellenic organizations in our founding year. These organizations are home to over ten thousand students on campus, making our outreach increasingly powerful. Another major highlight our chapter members made is to attend Breakaway Nashville last October. Here, our members got hands-on leadership experience, and a taste of what End Overdose looks like outside of campus. Along with this, we were able to collaborate and work with chapters in other states such as the Emory University chapter. Lastly, our chapter was recognized by the University of Arkansas as the “Outstanding New Student Organization of the Year”, setting the tone for what’s to come.
What do you envision for the future of your chapter?
I envision big big things for the future of our chapter, as it’s just the beginning. Even though this will be my last year at the University of Arkansas, I’m confident that my team will continue to grow and strengthen the chapter far beyond my time here. The dedication and hard work will continue to build on itself, reaching new heights and saving more lives. I plan on our chapter having a permanence throughout the community, and people know our logo when they see it. I’m forever grateful for the opportunity to work with End Overdose and make a lasting impact with my team.
Thank you to the entire University of Arkansas team!
- Alex Mykytyn - President
- Andrea Bottger - Vice President
- Clara Kate Mallery - Media Lead
- Madelyn Abraham - Fundraising Lead
- Weston Cook - Lead Trainer
- Lexie Tombrello - Secretary and Treasurer