Annabelle de St. MauriceSporting a new last name and a healthy outlook on life, Cara Kahn, a Washington University graduate who was on MTV’s “The Real World,” spoke to students about the dangers of depression and solutions for overcoming the illness on Tuesday.
WU was the first stop on a 10-college tour which is visiting campuses nationwide. The tour is part of the GOAL program, which stands for “Go On And Live!”
Kahn was diagnosed with depression in her sophomore year of high school, and she says she wasn’t aware at the time how prevalent the disease is. But now her newfound celebrity gives her the opportunity to educate others on the facts of the mental illness.
“I could have just rode out ‘The Real World,'” said Kahn, “but I wanted to do something remotely good for the community.”
The program inspired audience members to ask questions and share their own personal stories, and many of them voiced their appreciation for Kahn and GOAL for having promoted awareness of the facts about depression.
“I was impressed with the turnout and the comments,” Kahn said. “There was a microphone with a spotlight on it, but people weren’t afraid to share their stories.”
The panelists who talked along with Kahn were Dr. Laurie Reitman and Dr. Pearl Serote, both from WU, and Ladonna Haley.
When the tour is over, Kahn plans to continue her acting career in Los Angeles, where she currently resides. But she said she’ll always have a place in her heart for WU.
“People ask what I want to do,” she said, “and I just want to be a student again. I had a great time here.”