On Saturday, April 12th, the New England College women's lacrosse team faced off against Mitchell College for an afternoon matchup with the Mariners. At halftime, the Pilgrims would recognize their graduating senior class as part of Senior Day, but the day carried an added weight and significance that extended far beyond the game itself. The team was dedicating the game to two very important causes: Morgan's Message and Alec's Antics.
Morgan's Message was created by the family and former teammates of Morgan Rodgers, a former Duke University Lacrosse student-athlete who lost her battle with mental health in 2019. Morgan's life was cut short, but her legacy of unconditional love remains. The cause aims to eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health and normalize conversations around mental health. Morgan's Message aims to empower those who suffer in silence and support those who feel alone. Team Alec's Antics was created in honor of Alec J. White, who attended high school in nearby Merrimack, New Hampshire, who also fought an internal battle with depression and was lost to suicide in November 2017. Alec's memory is kept alive through Alec's Antics as a vital reminder to support others through education and understanding that mental health is essential to one's overall health.
Morgan's Message, specifically, is a cause that has been close to the NEC community over the last few years, with multiple NEC teams dedicating games to Morgan's story, and in 2025, it inspired additional action on campus.
Gina Sciortino is a member of the women's ice hockey and women's lacrosse teams and will be entering her fourth year at NEC when she returns to campus in the Fall. During Gina's sophomore season, she dealt with season-ending traumatic injuries that required three surgeries and a year-plus-long recovery. This enormous physical setback also challenged her mentally, and Gina struggled with depression, anxiety, and trauma. But while sidelined, her lacrosse team held a Morgan's Message dedication game to honor mental health awareness, and this experience opened her eyes to how common mental health challenges can be for student-athletes. After talking to teammates and friends, she realized she was not alone in her struggles; those around her had both similar and completely different stories related to their own battles with mental health. Gina knew that she needed to get involved on campus and make a difference.
This past January, Gina founded the NEC Morgan's Message Club. Starting with a few teammates, Gina advertised the club to every team on campus. She created social media campaigns, posted flyers, and worked hard to receive an approved budget for the club. She made connections with the mental health counselors in the NEC Wellness Center and received support from the NEC Athletic Department. Eventually, Gina's efforts paid off. They held weekly meetings, using their time together to better get to know each other, watch educational videos and movies to better understand mental health and Morgan's Message, and positive affirmation activities. The club, with the help of NEC's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), promoted, ran, and operated events such as a Sport/Mental Health Trivia, bracelet and keychain making, and workshop pages that helped explore personal mentality. They also joined forces with the NEC Wellness Center for an educational workshop to encourage students to get outside of their comfort zone by opening up about their own mental health.
For Gina, founding and leading the NEC Morgan's Message Club is an honor and has allowed her to spread positivity on campus and help break the stigma surrounding mental health in student-athletes. Morgan's Message has allowed students to play for something bigger than themselves, and the club has extended this from the field to the entirety of campus. The dedication games will continue on as a huge part of this mental health movement, but now every student at NEC has the chance to join in honoring Morgan's legacy while also contributing to the club's legacy here on campus. Gina has two more years here in Henniker and cannot wait to watch the group grow and develop as both humans and student-athletes.
The Morgan's Message Club will always be open to new members who may be interested in joining, and you can both support and keep up to date with the club's activities on Instagram at necmorgansmessage.
The message is clear: the NEC community is dedicated to eliminating the stigma surrounding mental health, and the NEC Morgan's Message Club is leading the way.
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