Ariel Sheffey

I moved from Chicago to New York in August 2021 to pursue my J.D. at Columbia Law School. I am running the NYC Marathon with NAMI-NYC in memory of my sister Orli, who died by suicide in February 2022 at age 19. During her life, Orli cared deeply about expanding access to mental health services, and prior to her death, she was training to become a mental health peer counselor at her university. I am raising money, so that NAMI-NYC can continue fighting for mental health care to be fully supported and destigmatized, particularly in underserved and marginalized communities. Additionally, as an aspiring lawyer, I am passionate about NAMI-NYC’s policy work to decriminalize mental illness, develop non-police crisis responses, and eliminate solitary confinement. This will be my second marathon, and I look forward to honoring my sister’s memory by running with a cause that does so much good for New Yorkers across the city.