On July 12, 2026, a community gathered together for “Break the Cycle,” a one day outdoor experience dedicated to creativity and mental health awareness.
“We are here representing mental health awareness and suicide awareness, especially for the youth,” said event organizer Janelly Guzman. “We feel like it’s a huge problem facing this country and it’s something that’s not spoken about as much.”
“Break the Cycle” was a free mental health and suicide awareness event open to the community. The entire layout of the event was intentionally planned to curate a wellness experience. The park was divided into sections that included creative stations, a kids’ zone, field games, a community row where people could find resources, and a low-sensory cool-down zone to relax and recharge.
The resources included organizations that help with mental health and grief counseling such as National Alliance on Mental Illness, Florida Initiative for Suicide Prevention, Inc., Behind the Smile Foundation and Speak on Suicide.
The inspiration behind this was Sebastian Pou, 24, the founder of Sebastian’s Genius Missions Foundation.
“Sebastian was my little cousin, almost like a little brother to me,” Guzman said. “He passed away from suicide and that kind of motivated us to continue his work. It’s not something we created, it’s something that came out of him.”
Pou started the Genius Missions Foundation to spread awareness. Dealing with mental health issues himself, he used creativity as an outlet. He wanted to create a safe space for everyone to feel seen, heard and supported through creativity and kindness.
He was an artist who had a passion for digital art and photography and was set to continue his education at FIU to pursue his computer science degree. Unfortunately, Pou died by suicide Feb. 19, 2025, just four months shy of his 25th birthday.
Pou’s mother, Marilu Iglesias, recalls conversations he would have with her about wanting to help others.
“When Sebastian started going through his mental health illness, what he wanted to do the most was help his generation [and] young kids that were struggling,” Iglesias said.
According to the CDC, in 2024 alone, suicide claimed 48,824 lives. However, the reach of this crisis extends even further, as a significantly larger population grapples with suicidal ideation or attempts.
Speak on Suicide is a nonprofit organization founded by Shana Winter after the loss of her 15-year-old son, Adam, to suicide two and a half years ago.
“I love the theme ‘Breaking the Cycle,'” Winter said. “We all say we need to talk about things [and] be open. It’s showing you can find hope through this organization.”
