缅北禁地

Grief is an all-too-familiar but often little-talked-about emotion, of which Alphonso Faltz Jr. 鈥�26 has extensive experience.

After losing his older brother and grandmother to traumatic deaths in the span of one year, he quickly found himself struggling to process his grief at the young age of 15.

鈥淢y grandmother and brother have been my 鈥�why鈥�,鈥� Faltz says. 鈥淭hey are the reason I try so hard to make life better for the people around me, to make a positive impact on the people I encounter, because that is exactly what they did. I have some big shoes to fill.鈥�

Studying psychology, pursuing poetry and building community have grounded and enabled him to begin his journey to do them proud.

Passion within the pen

Faltz moves to the beat of his own drum, always on the move with a kind smile, open mind and joyful disposition.

When the pendulum of grief swung in his direction, he found that while speech initially wouldn鈥檛 come to him, the written word flowed freely鈥攂y way of poetry.

鈥淥ne of the ways I have been able to navigate through my grief is through self-reflection and writing. I started to journal last summer, and then one day I was feeling the blues, and I wrote a poem about how I was feeling,鈥� Faltz says. 鈥淚t has been a year, and I am still writing poetry. I love writing and believe words have so much power. This has been one of the most healing exercises I engage in and something that has become a passion.鈥�

Available on Amazon, Faltz鈥� first book of poetry, 鈥�,鈥� discusses self-doubt, identity crises and resilience found in unexpected places鈥攚hat Faltz鈥� dubs 鈥渢he messy middle of real life.鈥�

"Words have power and have the ability to uplift people's spirits which is a beautiful thing. There is no age limit for this book. It does not matter how old you are or where you come from; there is a poem for everyone," Faltz says, "I hope that every person who reads What They Don't Tell You is able to receive something to make them feel seen, validated but most importantly, loved."

Faltz credits graphic designer Kintrez Fowlkes 25',  The Lab, a creative production marketing organization on campus and the TU for their support in helping him put the book together and hosting his book signing.

"I want to remind people that they can overcome and persevere through trials and tribulations. This book is meant to encourage and inspire people, so when they are having a rough day, they can read a poem in the book and feel energized ready to take care of business!"

His mother, Michelle Faltz has witnessed how studying psychology has helped Faltz to focus his passion for writing and supporting others.

"Writing allows Alphonso to express exactly what he is feeling but Psychology has taught him how to channel those feels for good to help others," she says.

"In helping others, people draw to Alphonso because of his wonderful spirit to listen, help, and encourage others. In today's society, we need compassionate Psychologists who genuinely care about the individual. I believe one of those individuals will be Alphonso Faltz Jr."

Making sense of grief through psychology

With a burgeoning curiosity about what motivates people鈥檚 choices and behavior, Faltz began his degree path in psychology and family science in the Department of Psychology in the College of Liberal Arts.

鈥淧ursuing psychology has helped me because it taught me to recognize patterns and to validate my feelings, no matter the situation,鈥� Faltz says. 鈥淗owever, it is my responsibility to take control of my behavior even when I feel certain emotions. The actions I take are a reflection of me, and knowing this has helped me navigate life.鈥�

Now a senior, he plans to study counseling psychology in graduate school and become a mental health counselor for adolescents and young adults. Because of his background in athletics, Faltz also wants to support collegiate and professional athletes with their mental health and performance.

According to the , it is estimated that more than one in five U.S. adults live with a mental illness (59.3 million in 2022; 23.1% of the U.S. adult population).

19.7% of those adults are men, a group that is often experiences an increased stigma surrounding sharing their experiences and feelings openly.

鈥淲e all want to be seen, valued and appreciated for who we are. This is why connection and community are so important in today's society,鈥� Faltz says. 鈥淲e were not created to be alone; we were created to make intentional and valuable connections.鈥�

Community fosters purpose and joy

Building and leaning on community is something Faltz has always held close to his heart. While at TU, that has continued to play a powerful role in his life.

鈥淚t is essential. Community makes everything so much better. When those hard days come, you want to have people you can call who can speak life into you and pick you up when you are down,鈥� he says.

At TU, Faltz expresses his creativity as co-president of the Rhythm Step Team, empowers his residents as a residence assistant, finds comfort in faith and has built meaningful relationships with alumni through the 缅北禁地 University Student Foundation.

鈥淚 learned to become a listener, and I discovered creating a safe environment for people to be their most authentic selves was a gift.鈥�