Jessica Sitlinger
Hey! I’m Jess (she/her), and I’m from Oxford, PA. I’m a junior at UD majoring in psychology with minors in advertising and health and wellness. After graduation, I hope to attend graduate school to be a licensed mental health clinician serving adolescents and young adults. I started volunteering at Sean’s House as a Peer24 Specialist in Spring 2025, and I am excited to step into this new role as a Peer24 Lead!
My mental health journey began when I was in middle school, when anxiety became a regular part of my daily life. This snowballed into high school, as my self-esteem was low, and I dealt with a lot of challenging thoughts at the time. During this time, I also had an unhealthy relationship with food. My mental health plummeted further during the pandemic lockdowns. It got to the point that I thought that the world would be better off without me, which was a difficult reality to confront. While I have sought out support and found coping strategies that work for me, I still have both good and bad days. Recovery to me is learning to manage my mental health with honesty and self-compassion, knowing that every day does not have to be perfect. I hope that I can now use my lived experiences to help others.
Sean’s House is one of the first places near campus where I found people like me. While I had friends prior to becoming a peer, I was yet to meet people who shared similar passions for mental health advocacy, helping others, and similar future career goals. Becoming a part of the Sean’s House community was one of the best things I think that I have done to get more involved around UD. From my first session onward, I knew that the training and onboarding process was worth it and that this is a place that I am meant to be.
In addition to being involved at Sean’s House, I am on the executive board of the University of Delaware Chapter of Active Minds, and have been involved with the RSO since the beginning of my sophomore year! In my free time, I enjoy working out, reading, crocheting, and making playlists on Spotify!