Meet Lindsey – Grant Halliburton Foundation’s Thrive Strategy and education manager.

Lindsey thrives on thoughtful connection through writing and speaking about her personal experiences with mental health conditions. She communicates with purpose and authenticity about losing her father, who died by suicide, when she was a teenager. Inspired by her two young children, Lindsey is passionate about suicide prevention advocacy and mental health wellness conversations beginning in our schools. She believes opening the door of communication with students will change how they view mental health.

Here are 10 things to know about Lindsey!

1. What was your first job?
My first job was babysitting. I hustled babysitting starting at age 12 and saved my money to buy a Dooney and Bourke handbag! During college, I worked at the campus pharmacy at the University of Oklahoma Student Health Center. I also interned at American Airlines and Texas Scottish Rite Hospital during my college senior year. After college, I went to work for Dallas Fan Fares, a global event and meeting planning company. It was the best job for a young person in their 20s. I traveled internationally and saw the world! I’ve been to countries like Singapore, Argentina, Austria, Germany, and many more.

2. What’s your guilty pleasure?
My guilty pleasure is watching “Dateline” and eating ice cream. What a wild life I lead!

3. What advice would you give to your teenage self?
It doesn’t take alcohol to have fun or be accepted. Find what makes your heart happy, people who accept you just the way you are, and don’t worry about what the “cool” crowd is doing.

4. What’s your favorite movie scene and why?
My favorite movie scene is in “Pretty Woman” when Julia Roberts’ character says, “You work on commission, right? Big mistake. Big. HUGE.” I love Julia Roberts! Although my daughter, Julia, is named after a family member, there might be a small chance that the gorgeous redhead herself, Julia Roberts, had some influence too.

I love this scene because Julia’s character, Vivian, proves to the rude shopgirl that judging others and being unkind and hurtful can bite you in the bottom and the pocketbook! Always be kind. You never know what a person is going through, and you never know a person’s heart.

5. What’s one thing people would be surprised to know about you?
I had my youngest child at Dallas Presbyterian Hospital, which was the hospital where the Ebola outbreak was being treated at the same time. We watched as two nurses were sent to the airport via ambulance to transfer patients to other hospitals. The man who died from the virus had just passed away at the hospital when I gave birth to my son. It was a terrifying time and well before the COVID pandemic. The hospital quickly shut down just after my C-section, so it was quiet for the remainder of our stay. We had exceptional care, but it was scary, too!

6. What would you name the autobiography of your life?
I’m currently working on my autobiography and hope it to call it “Listen to the Music: A Story of Loss, Hope and Perseverance.” Each chapter has a song that parallels the time period or theme of the chapter.

7. What do you enjoy doing when you’re not at work?
I love watching my two kids play sports. I have one baseball player and one elite cheerleader. They’re both equally exciting to watch and make my heart happy!

8. What are your top three TV shows you’re streaming right now?
Right now, I’m watching “Dateline,” “20/20,” and “The First 48.”

9. Where’s your favorite travel destination and why?
Italy! My husband and I spent 17 days traveling the country and fell in love. The Amalfi Coast is heaven on Earth. The beauty and history of Rome, Venice, and Florence are breathtaking. I hope to go back one day soon and relive an incredible experience.

10. Why is Grant Halliburton Foundation’s mission important to you?
I’ve lost two family members to suicide in the past 25 years. I’m passionate about teaching young people how to identify symptoms of depression, warning signs of suicide, and how to build their own guidebook to take care of their mental health. There is so much hope in the next generation to remove the stigma around mental health. Educating students in the classroom will empower them to change the world. And what a happy place the world would be if we talked openly about our struggles, improve mental healthcare for all, and live harmoniously in community and connection!