“Schizophrenia Survivors” are people who are thriving despite a past diagnosis of schizophrenia, and live lives of meaning and purpose. They want to offer hope to others. Some of our Survivors have offered their contact information, and are available to answer your questions and offer you encouragement. If you have a question for one of the Survivors, contact us here.

Eric Smith is a musician, composer, and a loving family member. He is a graduate of the University of Texas at San Antonio in psychology, and recently graduated with his Master of Social Work (MSW) degree in December 2021. He is now a licensed master social worker (LMSW) in the state of Texas.

Carlos Larrauri is a nurse practitioner who recently graduated with a law degree from the University of Michigan. He has served on the Board of Directors for the National Alliance on Mental Illness. He was diagnosed with schizophrenia at 23 years of age. Today, Mr. Larrauri aspires to interface clinical practice, health policy and research, to reduce health inequities for people living with mental illness.

Darrell’s life didn’t grind to halt when he was diagnosed. The year after his hospitalization, he went back to college to study computer programming. He finished his degree two years later, and successfully worked as a computer programmer for the next eighteen years.

Ashley Smith is a non-fiction author, speaker, peer counselor, and mother. She courageously fights the stigma of mental illness with her name attached to her lived experience. She is celebrating a decade in recovery.

Rhea holds a BA in sociology from Columbia and a Master’s in Disability Studies from the City University of New York, where she graduated in May 2022. Currently, she does research on OCD and early psychosis at the New York State Psychiatric Institute and looks forward to applying to PhD programs.

Sarah Marzen holds a physics bachelor’s degree from Caltech, a physics PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at MIT. Today, she works as a physics professor and researcher at the W. M. Keck Science Department at the Claremont Colleges.

Millie Vine’s love of food, background in food science and restaurant experience allow her to prepare gourmet meals for busy families with the hope of creating her own catering business. She would like to become an advocate to show others that people with schizophrenia can be successful like anyone else.