Georgian College

11 GEORGIANVIEW SPRING 2022 PREMIER'S AWARDS Speaking his mind "Traditional employment was all I knew growing up," says Jonathan Andrews, a 2016 graduate of Georgian's Business – Entrepreneurship program. When faced with the decision of choosing which direction his life would take, he turned to the two people he trusted most for advice. "I recall the moment when I was discussing my future with my parents, and they said to me 'you can make a living which is what we did, or you can design a life' and that really hit home," recalls Jonathan. Inspired by these words and a series of personal development books that his parents had shared with him, Jonathan set his sights on building a life, and enrolled at Georgian College. Jonathan loved his classes, and was especially impacted by faculty member Ron Pawlowski. "He became a family friend as he helped advise both my sister and I on our businesses," recalls Jonathan. "He taught me about sales and marketing and how to think like an entrepreneur." These skills would soon be put to the test. Jonathan had battled severe anxiety and depression throughout high school after a close family friend had died by suicide. His experiences throughout college had given | Jonathan is an award-winning and highly sought-after mental health speaker. | Scan this QR code to watch the Alumni Speaker Series recording of the webinar with Jonathan. him the skills and confidence to pursue something he was passionate about – mental health. "When I left Georgian," he recalls, "I felt more mature, more self-sufficient and I finally felt like I was ready to live on my own." Jonathan founded an organization called, Your Mental Health Ally, and became an award-winning and highly sought-after mental health speaker, sharing his lived experiences through more than 100 presentations to thousands of youth around the world. His podcast, Project Circle Up, features the mental health journeys of men around the world. The podcast is globally ranked among the top 10 per cent on Listen Notes. Jonathan's first book, Man You Know I Got You, was released in November 2021 with proceeds supporting Jack.org – an organization Jonathan is passionate about. "I quite literally got exactly what I came to Georgian for," says Jonathan, when thinking about his college experience. "I came to college to learn how to become a professional public speaker and to tell my story about community and mental health, and now I do." In 2021, Jonathan was nominated for a Premier's Award in the Business – Entrepreneurship category for his work in the mental health space. He was featured in Georgian's Alumni Speaker Series in January 2021. "I came to college to learn how to become a professional public speaker and to tell my story about community and mental health, and now I do."

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