Project Blackbird Lunch & Learn: Inside the Mind of a College Athlete
Join PROJECT BLACKBIRD for our next virtual Lunch & Learn—an intimate, community-driven conversation centered around the real, often unspoken, mental health experiences of college athletes.
In partnership with Athletes for Hope, we’re bringing together voices at the intersection of sport, identity, and wellbeing for an honest and open fireside chat. This session will feature Mena Mirhom alongside Ose Okojie, Senior on the Howard University basketball team.
Together, we’ll explore what it actually looks like to navigate mental health as a student-athlete: balancing performance, academics, expectations, and identity during one of the most formative times in life.
At PROJECT BLACKBIRD, everything we do is rooted in storytelling, connection, and access to care. These Lunch & Learns are a space for our community—our Flock—to come together, listen, share, and feel a little less alone in the process.
Whether you’re a student, athlete, educator, or just someone who cares about mental health, this is a space for you.
🎯 Focus Topic
Balancing Performance, Pressure, and Identity: The Mental Health Reality of College Athletes
💬 What We’ll Get Into
What student-athletes are really navigating behind the scenes
The tension between performance and personal wellbeing
Identity beyond sport (and what happens when that shifts)
What support actually looks like on campus—and where it falls short
The role of coaches, teammates, and culture
Breaking stigma in athletic spaces
How athletes can ask for help and build real support systems
What needs to change for the next generation
🕒 Event Flow (1 Hour)
Welcome + intro to PROJECT BLACKBIRD & Athletes for Hope (5 min)
Fireside conversation (30 min)
Live audience Q&A (10 min)
Breakout rooms + connection (15 min)