Rising above the stigma

The rain was unforgiving as Marina Hobday settled on the brick wall outside the Cupola on East Carolina University’s campus. For nearly seven hours, Hobday stood tall in the elements as curious stares and amused whispers surrounded her on a cold, dark afternoon. Legs aching, Hobday persisted through the tireless rain because she said she had a message that no amount of fog or condescending glares could silence; ‘I Exist.’

Orchestrated in early November of 2017, the unplanned protest acted as a catalyst to spark the movement that is ‘I Exist’ today. Hobday, a freshman sociology major, initially founded the movement because she felt there was not enough mental health awareness, especially among minorities. Although the idea of a campaign was to promoted equality, awareness and love, the campaign was brewing in Hobday’s mind for some time, but it wasn’t until the sudden death of a friend that she decided to put her plan into action.

“Things happen in our lives everyday; people die, we hear about unjust crimes, we witness hate and discrimination, and we get mad about these things, but no one ever does anything about it,” Hobday said. “Human beings are all about talking but after [the death], I finally thought to myself, ‘I as a person exist and I matter.’”

Springing into action was step one, but the mission of ‘I Exist’ was still a bit confusing to many students. Hobday, who often prefers to go by Tiger—the nickname she said was given to her by her grandfather to match her fiery personality—created a website for the movement to explain its purpose. The site, IExistMovement.org, explained what the movement encompasses.

“‘I Exist’ is an international movement promoting mental health and human rights of every individual,” Hobday said. “No matter who you are or what group you belong to, it is so important that everyone understands that they are seen, they are heard, and that they matter. We all exist.”

Hobday said this is a movement, not a moment and she hopes to expand beyond ECU’s campus and eventually around the world.

“We’re starting on this campus because this is where we live and a campus obviously has a large audience,” said Hobday. “But the ultimate goal for this movement would be for it to blow up like #BlackLivesMatter or something. We want it to be international so people of all ages and backgrounds around the globe can recognize that they are not alone and find a space they belong in.”

Hobday said that thanks to social media and her tireless efforts of reaching out to officials, word of the movement has already spread across the United States, even moving St. Olaf College of Minnesota to adopt it onto their campus.

As an international student herself, Hobday lived in England for 14 years and Korea for six years before moving to North Carolina. Her connections outside of the nation have caused the ‘I Exist’ movement to become a conversation on campuses in both Europe and Asia.

Hobday said although she has largely been the face of the movement due to being the creator and is doing most of the behind-the-scenes work, she does not wish to claim ownership of the movement, but simply wants to see it do well.

“When I first created ‘I Exist,’ a lot of people thought I was doing it for popularity and attention,” Hobday said. “...I didn’t stand in the rain for hours for attention. I don’t stress myself out making sure this succeeds for other people’s approval. I don’t even care if my name never gets attached to this movement; someone could start this at another school and say it was their idea and I would let them have it. The goal of ‘I Exist’ is not to claim it and gain fame from it when it blows up one day, but to make sure it reaches [to] everyone who needs it and that it does some good in the world.”

From giving out ‘Free Hugs’ on the brickyard of Mendenhall, to orchestrating protests and collaborating with women empowerment and positive minority organizations on campus, the movement has captured the attention of many students, and Hobday said she now has a team of people who keep her grounded and help keep the movement alive.

Active member of the movement Celese Ferguson, a sophomore psychology major, said that first Tiger’s passion for the movement drew in her, but later found that the the movement’s purpose aligned with many of her personal beliefs.

“I’ve been struggling with anxiety for most of my life, and one of the main components of the movement is mental health,” Ferguson said. “It has been so comforting to see how the people involved have a strong love and understanding for one another and the community as a whole.”

Members of ‘I Exist’ and Hobday agree that the movement has a strong foundation in love and acceptance, and Hobday said there is always something to keep her motivated.

“The best part of founding ‘I Exist’ has been to witness the humanity behind it,” Hobday said. “When we gave out ‘Free Hugs,’ a lot of people would break down crying and tell us they really needed that hug today.”

Hobday said seeing the smiles on the faces of the lives touched by the movement, even through the smallest acts such as a hug, is what keeps her and all of the members driven to continue ‘I Exist.’

“Even if this movement never went past this campus, just knowing we touched lives would be impactful, even on a small scale,” said Hobday. “I hope it does expand because we could then take this love and positivity to a grander scale, and that’s what matters.”