At sixteen, Emma Benoit attempted to end her apparently perfect life. She was captain of the drill team, maintained a 4.0 grade point average, and came from a loving family. Emma looked like she had it all, but she had wrestled with depression and anxiety all of her life. She came home one day and felt like a black veil descended on her. Nothing mattered, and she just wanted the mental anguish to stop, so she attempted to shoot herself, damaging her spine in the process.
Today, seven years later, Emma is one of the most sought-after speakers on suicide prevention and mental health in the country, and her documentary, My Ascension, has touched viewers nationwide, spreading hope and awareness. Her personal appearances are usually limited to big-city schools, hospitals, and teaching centers, but through a fortuitous series of events, she will be visiting rural Iowa the week of October 22nd. One of her stops is the Fairfield High School Auditorium, sponsored by the Jefferson County Mental Health & Wellness Alliance in conjunction with the Fairfield Community School District and Maharishi School. Emma will be speaking to students on Thursday, October 24, and the documentary will be screened for the public at the Fairfield Arts & Convention Center on Sunday, October 27.
A compassionate and relatable speaker, Emma brings the wisdom born of her experiences to teens, parents, and communities. Emma and the My Ascension Project are on a mission to end the national suicide epidemic—which claims the lives of 20 young people every day—by bringing her message of hope and healing to communities across the U.S. Through film screenings, community conversations, and partnerships with local communities, Emma aims to validate people’s experiences with depression and anxiety, and create effective support systems.
A Fairfield Windfall
The story of getting Emma to speak in Fairfield is full of miraculous serendipity. “It was like the answer to a prayer,” says Mike Carr of the Jefferson County Mental Health Alliance. He says they had been trying to organize a visit since January, but had given up because the fees were greater than they could afford. The gamechanger was Emma’s previous connection to Iowa.
Before she became a nationally renowned speaker, she was a teenaged suicide survivor speaking at area schools, including schools in Iowa. One of the connections she made was with Ryan Nesbit, cofounder of Alive & Running Iowa, a nonprofit suicide-prevention organization based in Dunkerton, Iowa. Earlier this year, Emma contacted Nesbit to let him know she wanted to come to Iowa for a week in October, and could speak in six Iowa school districts at a significantly reduced rate, with the intent of reaching rural communities. Nesbit offered the Jefferson County Alliance the last slot. “We immediately said, ‘Yes and thank you,’ ” Carr says. “The kids are offered the wonderful experience of someone who’s given so much to bring this message of hope to as many young people as she can, and our adults are getting to better understand where kids are at and what the issues are.”
Taking Questions in Person
During her presentation, Emma will show a portion of My Ascension, followed by a live Q&A. Emma travels with her fiance, who consolidates audience questions and makes sure every query is addressed.
In Fairfield, local students will be attending in person, while area schools will be participating virtually. There will be quiet spaces and mental health professionals available if attendees feel emotionally overwhelmed by the content and need to talk with someone. The public will be able to view a livestream at the Fairfield Public Library.
On Sunday, October 27, the 90-minute documentary My Ascension will be screened free to the public at 2 p.m. at the Fairfield Arts & Convention Center. The film dives deeply into Emma’s personal struggles and her inspiring story of recovery. Mental health professionals will be available to offer support. Those who can’t make the screening can stream the documentary on PBS.org.
Suicide: A National Crisis
Suicide is the second leading cause of death for Iowans ages 10–34. Over five times as many people in Iowa died by suicide in 2019 than in alcohol-related motor vehicle accidents, and there are over a million suicide attempts in the U.S. each year, with an average of 132 suicides per day.
Emma’s presentations and documentary have had a huge impact, and the percentage of teens and others who feel seen, heard, and helped are phenomenal. According to statistics gathered by the My Ascension Project, 90.7 percent of teens who have seen her presentations and the documentary report they are better able to help a friend experiencing suicidal thoughts, 72.6 percent are more likely to ask for help if they are struggling, 89.4 percent have more empathy for those experiencing mental health issues, and 79.5 percent have more hope for the future.
Carr, who has put in hundreds of thousands of volunteer hours, hopes these events encourage greater community involvement and support for each other and for our youth.
For more information about Emma’s Iowa tour, visit AliveAndRunningIowa.com.