Interview with Miss Auburn University: Mary Coker Green
Auburn University crowned a new Miss Auburn University: Mary Coker Green!
After facing tragedy in her senior year of high school, Mary Coker had to learn how to cope with trauma. She now strives to help others with their mental wellness through her campaign “Flip the Switch.”
Q: What inspired your campaign “Flip the Switch”?
A: My platform is a non-profit organization that is solely based on walking alongside people as they are struggling with mental health challenges. Primarily, we are helping people to understand how to take healthy mental and emotional habits and implement them into their daily lives. In my senior year of high school, I was in a head-on car collision, and unfortunately, the man who hit me passed away. It threw me into a world of PTSD, trauma, and anxiety: stuff I had never dealt with. I realized that there are many small habits that we can implement into our lifestyle that can lead to big changes. Trauma is something that can affect anyone. I wish it was talked about more to prepare us for those difficult moments, which is the purpose of what I do.
Q: What are some of the small habits that you implemented?
A: Routines. For example, if you know that you are an introvert, and you know that going to school where you will be around people for 7 hours a day is a lot for you, make sure that you are waking up a little bit earlier and spending that quality time with yourself. For me, my mornings matter: I get up early just so that I can work out and do quiet time before I start my day. That structure helps me to not be phased by other things that may go array.
Q: Along with routines, what else helped you get through your trauma?
A: The main thing that I advise is counseling. It is important to talk to someone else who knows what they're doing. Many people don't talk about the vulnerability aspect-- being willing to talk to your friends about it and being open and honest about how you feel. Another big thing for me was working out. I was not a runner at all before, and now it is something that I desire to do every morning.
Q: How do you use your campaign to make an impact?
A: A big thing I am working on right now is trying to implement a curriculum that requires high school career prep classes to teach students what to do in transitional stages of life. I am working with Trauma Free World, an organization that works with missionary companies to train individuals for what they might face on trips. We are working with them to create trauma-related training for children and young adults to implement into their senior year of high school and freshman year of college.
Q: How do you encourage others to fight the stigma of mental health issues?
A: I think the biggest thing that I am learning right now, especially at Auburn, is that our problems are universal. I am talking to freshmen who feel like they are experiencing situations and feelings that no one else understands, but I can name hundreds of people who have gone through similar things. Why are we still circling back? Before my car accident, I thought that the mental health conversation was enough. I felt like talking about it was good enough. After my car accident, I looked on social media and listened to conversations, and it was all surface-level. We need to be deep, open, and honest about how we feel and why we feel that way.
Thank you, Mary Coker, for sharing your passion and your story. If you are dealing with a mental illness, be sure to reach out for help. You can find resources on campus at Student Counseling and Psychological Services.
Be Well, Auburn.