SHU Presents Former MLB Pitcher John Trautwein, Dec. 4
FAIRFIELD, Conn.—Sacred Heart University and a host of community partners including the My Friend Abby organization, Positive Directions-The Center for Prevention and Counseling, SHU’s chapter of Alpha Tau Omega and Webster Bank will present a talk by former major-league pitcher John Trautwein who will discuss his personal story of tragedy and hope. Titled “Life Teammates®: Leveraging the Positive Power of Peer Networks,” Trautwein will present his powerful message about combating teen and young- adult suicide at Sacred Heart University on Wednesday, December 4, from 7-9 p.m. at the Edgerton Center for Performing Arts. The event is free and open to the public. Additionally, there will be a book signing following the program. Books will be available for purchase prior to the talk.
When Trautwein and his wife Susie lost their teenage son Will to suicide in 2010, there had been no warning signs that their popular and apparently happy son was struggling. They realize that people in today’s society simply don’t talk about sadness, loneliness, and depression. To raise awareness about suicide and the challenges young people face in today’s world, John and his wife created The Will to Live Foundation. The Foundation encourages young people to turn to each other for help and support. Teens and college students already have wonderful peer networks in place, such as athletic teams, a close knit circle of friends, classmates, neighbors, church groups, clubs, co-workers, scout groups, etc. By leveraging the strength and positivity of those relationships, young adults facing loneliness and depression, can make contact with an instant support system. The Will to Live Foundation is on a mission to encourage kids to talk about it and serve as “Life Teammates” as they encounter life sorrows and joys.
“John’s personal experience of the loss of his son Will is a powerful story for us all,” said SHU President John J. Petillo. “Through the creation of The Will to Live Foundation, John and Susie have taken their tragedy and turned it into something positive. We hope teammates, their parents, counselors, teachers, church youth leaders, college students and anyone with a connection to teens and young adults will come to hear John’ s powerful message.”
For more information regarding “Life Teammates,” please visit https://www.teammatesfourlife.org/.
About Sacred Heart University
As the second-largest independent Catholic university in New England, and one of the fastest-growing in the U.S., Sacred Heart University is a national leader in shaping higher education for the 21st century. SHU offers more than 80 undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs on its Fairfield, Conn., campus. Sacred Heart also has satellites in Connecticut, Luxembourg and Ireland and offers online programs. More than 9,000 students attend the University’s eight colleges and schools: Arts & Sciences; Communication, Media & the Arts; Computer Science & Engineering; Health Professions; the Isabelle Farrington College of Education; the Jack Welch College of Business & Technology; Nursing; and St. Vincent’s College. Sacred Heart stands out from other Catholic institutions as it was established and led by laity. The contemporary Catholic university is rooted in the rich Catholic intellectual tradition and the liberal arts, and at the same time cultivates students to be forward thinkers who enact change—in their own lives, professions and in their communities. The Princeton Review includes SHU in its Best 385 Colleges–2020 Edition, “Best in the Northeast” and Best 252 Business Schools–2019 Edition. Sacred Heart is home to the award-winning, NPR-affiliated radio station, WSHU, a Division I athletics program and an impressive performing arts program that includes choir, band, dance and theater. www.sacredheart.edu
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About The Will to Live Foundation
The Will to Live Foundation is a nonprofit foundation that is dedicated to preventing teen suicide and improving the lives and will to live of teenagers everywhere. The Will to Live Foundation does this through education, motivation, consultation, charity, support and the most importantly love and fellowship.
The will to live foundation works for and through young adults to help them always find the good in life and it will to live through all of life‘s trials. For more information on the Foundation, visit www.Will-to-live.org.
About John Trautwein
A native of Chicago area John along with his wife Susie, moved to the Atlantic suburbs in 1997. John and Susie are the proud parents of four beautiful children. A graduate of Northwestern University and a former professional baseball player (Expos/Red Sox), John is currently the Chief Customer Officer of Source Support Services in Lawrenceville, Georgia. Since the Foundation started, John has made more than 500 speeches and presentations to students, parents, coaches teachers and the kids communities across America, spreading that only the suicide awareness message but also the Foundation’s message of finding hope and love in your Life Teammates: turning the strategy of their loss of their son into a positive message that improve the lives in the world to live of kids everywhere. In 2012, John and Susie were awarded the Presidential Point of Life Award for their work with the will to live foundation.