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Meet Eloise Crissman

Two years ago, Eloise Crissman almost didn’t go back to school. Last spring, she raised over $5,000 to make sure other students could.

A junior at Wellesley High School, Eloise is a runner, a friend, and now—unexpectedly—a fundraiser. But her motivation to support The Brookline Center’s bryt program didn’t come from nowhere. It came from knowing exactly what it feels like to need a lifeline.

In 2024, a mental health crisis forced Eloise into a partial hospitalization program, causing her to miss the last quarter of her freshman year. As the school year neared its end, the thought of returning felt completely overwhelming. But her school’s bryt leaders, Adam and Lindsey, stepped in and conveyed a simple promise: Take the leap. We will be there to catch you.

Bryt, The Brookline Center’s school-based program, exists for exactly that moment, helping students transition back to school after a mental health disruption with emotional, social, academic, and family support. Eloise’s fundraising will go toward supporting the program in schools across the state, touching the lives of thousands of students just like her.

“The bryt program assured us all that prioritizing her mental health was crucial, and that they would fully support us when she was ready,” says Eloise’s mother, Michele. “And they certainly did—her return was seamless.”

Inside the bryt classroom, the pressure of school melted away. Eloise found a judgment-free space where she could reintegrate with her peers and schoolwork at her own pace.

“Bryt helped me a lot,” Eloise recalls. “It helped me get back into my classes and reconnect with my teachers. When you are in the program, you’re surrounded by people having a similar experience, which makes it so easy to connect.”

Once she regained her own footing, Eloise realized she didn’t want other students to ever wonder if someone would be there to catch them. She wanted to pay that safety net forward.

As a competitive runner, she looked at her high school track and saw an opportunity. She designed a community Run/Walk Fundraiser, inviting friends, family, and neighbors to log miles together. For every lap walked or run, donations poured in.

On May 10, more than 60 members of the community laced up their sneakers to stand—and run—with Eloise.

“I was thrilled when Eloise decided to fundraise for bryt,” Michele says. “It demonstrated her great maturity and empathy, and it truly represented the distance she had come.”

The event’s success was the result of months of quiet, dedicated preparation: coordinating with school administrators, writing blurbs for the school newsletter, hanging flyers around town, and managing a dedicated Instagram page to spread the word.

For Eloise, the fundraising total is incredible, but the conversation it started matters just as much.

“Even if you can’t do a fundraiser, just talking about bryt and mental health and spreading awareness can make a big impact,” Eloise says.

When Eloise set out to host her fundraiser, she wasn’t an expert in fundraising, but she had a goal, a willingness to learn, and a commitment to supporting bryt as a valuable mental health resource in her school community—and that was more than enough to make an impact.

Learn More About bryt