About Us
Our
Story
We are a student led group of peers passionate about the well-being and mental/emotional health of our fellow classmates. As majors in aviation and aviation related fields, we face stressors and requirements that other endeavors do not.
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Our goal is to destigmatize reaching out for assistance and to make that process easy as possible. Any issue that diminishes quality of life, social, financial, interpersonal or emotional, can interfere in progress or performance in this industry.
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As peers, we in addition to being active listeners, can connect you to campus resources available to you. Every effort will be made to answer any questions you might have.
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Anything that we can do to reduce ambivalence and diminish barriers regarding fear of seeking help will be done. It is important to know that peer support programs are quickly becoming standard in the aviation industry and are in fact a requirement for airlines in Europe.
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We too have struggled with multiple stressors, the turmoil of life as a college student or mental/emotional health issues. All these issues are (or can be) amplified because of the extra requirements and pressures in our common journey as aviation students. We are here to support you and be a kind listener. Conversations with peer supporters are not recorded or reportable to the FAA.
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Reach out to us today anonymously!
Our Peers
Zoe Thompson
Chair of UpLift
Zoe Thompson in majoring in Commercial Aviation and Psychology. Originally from Seattle, her aviation passions were developed through a love for seaplanes. She loves going on long walks, reading, and playing with her labradoodle, Cinder. She wanted to become a peer supporter to give back to and help protect the aviation community she loves so much.
Lydia Schock
Vice Chair of UpLift
Lydia Schock is a student majoring in Commercial Aviation from Anchorage, Alaska. In her free time, she loves adventuring in the mountains (especially if she is flying), spending time with her friends, and reading. As part of the UpLift program, she hopes to reduce the stigma around seeking mental health support in the aviation industry.
Lucas Sutcliffe
Marketing Chair of UpLift
Lucas Sutcliffe is a student majoring in Commercial Aviation and Aviation Safety. He is involved with on-campus clubs, such as AAAE and NGPA. Originally from Madison, Wisconsin, he enjoys kayaking on Lake Mendota and exploring new hiking spots. Lucas has been with UpLift since 2022 and hopes the program garners enough success to capture the attention of other universities to implement their own peer support programs.
Julianne Lore
Secretary of UpLift
Julianne Lore is double majoring in Commercial Aviation and Unmanned Aircraft Systems. Julianne was born and raised in Ann Arbor, Michigan. In her free time, she enjoys baking, hanging out with friends, swimming, and traveling!
Riley Madsen
Peer Supporter
Riley Madsen is from Mankato, MN. He played hockey throughout high school but is now following his career goals at UND. He enjoyes being outdoors and talking to friends about anything that is going on.
Evelyn Jordan
Peer Supporter
Evelyn Jordan is a senior majoring in Commercial Aviation. She is originally from Northfield, MN and her favorite hobby is downhill skiing. She wanted to join UpLift because she grew up in an open and supportive home environment, and Evelyn wants to offer the same support and openness to her peers in aviation.
Pavel Rettig
Peer Supporter
Pavel Rettig is from Wisconsin and majoring in commercial aviation. Outside of school, he enjoys fishing, playing hockey, and attending UND hockey games. Pavel wanted to join UpLift to address the growing mental health concerns in the aviation industry.
Rebecca Brookhart
Peer Supporter
Rebecca Brookhart is majoring in Commercial Aviation with a specialization in Aviation Safety. She is originally from Parker, Colorado, and enjoys watching football, hockey, and baseball. In her free time, you can find her in the kitchen cooking or baking, hanging out with friends and family, or at the golf course. She became a peer supporter to help break the stigma surrounding mental health in the aviation community.
Declan Emery
Peer Supporter
Declan is a junior from the suburbs of Chicago and is majoring in Commercial Aviation, Aviation Management, and Business Finance. He enjoys working out and hanging out with friends in his free time.
Valentina Jimenez
Peer Supporter
Valentina Jimenez is majoring in Commercial Aviation and Aviation Management with a Safety Specialization. Originally from Manizales, Colombia, she enjoys working out, reading, going on walks, and hanging out with her friends. Mental health in aviation is a matter that should be further enhanced to promote the safety not only of the crew members but for everyone involved in the industry. Hence, Uplift is the perfect resource to start addressing and providing the necessary support for those in the aviation world.
Michael Mickey
Peer Supporter
Michael Mickey is a junior studying Commercial Aviation. He grew up in a small town in Nebraska, where he spent much of his time farming, hunting, and riding dirt bikes. His passion for flying took off in 2022 when he was selected to attend the Air Force JROTC Flight Academy at UND’s satellite campus in Phoenix, Arizona. Outside of aviation, Michael enjoys playing basketball, lifting weights, and riding his motorcycle. He joined UpLift to support fellow aviation students, helping them manage life’s challenges while keeping mental health a priority.
GeorgiaRae Samuelson
Peer Supporter
GeorgiaRae is a junior majoring in commercial aviation. She is originally from Wisconsin. GeorgiaRae enjoys being outside, reading, and spending time with family and friends. She wanted to join UpLift to help break the stigma around mental health in aviation. She is passionate about helping her peers and offering support.
Olivia Farnsworth
Peer Supporter
Olivia Farnsworth is a double major in Commercial Aviation and Aviation Safety and Operations, with a minor in Anthropology. Originally from Vancouver, Washington, Olivia loves cooking and spending time outside with her dog. She joined Uplift to help her peers and spread awareness about the importance of mental health in aviation.
Erin Walker
Peer Supporter
Erin Walker is from Minneapolis, MN and is majoring in Commercial Aviation and French. She is passionate about UpLift and the progress being made in the aviation industry towards mental health. In her free time, she enjoys sailing at lakes back home, going on hikes, and canoe trips in The Boundary Waters.
Miina Okino
Peer Supporter
Miina Okino is double-majoring in Commercial Aviation and Aviation Management. Originally from Yokohama, Japan, she grew up as a city girl but loves spending time outdoors—especially hiking and skiing. She joined the Uplift Program because she wants to support people who may be going through difficult times and help create a path for them to find hope and encouragement.
Ethan Jacobson
Peer Supporter
Ethan Jacobson is a Junior majoring in commercial aviation. He is from Minneapolis, MN and his favorite hobbies are skiing and playing sports with friends. He wanted to join UpLift to help out his peers and try to eliminate the stigma around mental health in aviation.
Daniel Visconti
Peer Supporter
Daniel Visconti is majoring in Commercial aviation and minoring in Spanish. He’s from Bronxville, New York and enjoys hiking, baseball and skiing. Daniel joined UpLift in order to end the stigma surrounding mental health in the world of aviation and to help grow a platform which allows aviation students to get the confidential help they need.
Trevor Herd
Peer Supporter
Trevor Herd is from Missoula, Montana. He enjoys fly fishing, hunting, and skiing. Trevor joined Uplift because he is passionate about mental health and wants to support his fellow aviation students. He believes that everyone faces challenges in life, and feelings of anxiety or sadness are especially common in aviation. Trevor believes it’s important to prioritize mental fitness and to have programs like Uplift available as a source of support.