Denet Christopher used to be one of those people who would not volunteer to speak in front of crowds. Ever. Today, he regularly stands before large audiences talking about one of the most sensitive subjects imaginable: mental health and suicide prevention.
The transformation happened at the University of Sioux Falls (USF), where the Master of Business Administration program pushed him far beyond his comfort zone. Now a husband, father of four and professional in the financial industry, Christopher co-founded Better South Dakota, a nonprofit dedicated to mental health awareness.
The organization was born from profound loss. In January 2021, Christopher lost his younger brother to mental health struggles. Better South Dakota, originally founded as Long Live MC, carries a simple but powerful message.
"It is okay to not be okay, but it's not okay to not do anything about it," Christopher explained.
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Why USF?
Christopher was looking for an MBA program that could stretch beyond the traditional campus experience. As a working professional, he needed something different.
"I spoke to a couple of students that went through a cohort in that master's program [at USF]. And the one thing that they continued telling me was how flexible it was for a working professional," Christopher recalled. "That was very attractive to me at that point. I wasn't willing to go to campus all day, and I wasn't at a point in life where I did have a lot of time or freedom within my schedule."
USF offered the flexibility and small class sizes he needed. After visiting campus and talking with professors, he made his decision. The program moved fast, but after the first day, Christopher knew he'd made the right call.
Facing Fears
For Christopher, there was one challenge that loomed over all the rest during his time at USF: public speaking.
Then came the speech class. Unlike traditional speech courses, this one offered no hiding.
"The professor right off the bat would call on us, give us a subject, and you'd have to speak on it. When I tell you I was sweating crazy, I'm not lying — literally, I was sweating. I'm like, please don't call on me. And guess what he did? He called on me," Christopher said. "I went up there and I spoke. And you know, it wasn't that bad."
That first terrifying moment became the foundation for transformation. Through repeated presentations throughout the program, his confidence grew. His classmates pushed him, too, volunteering him as group spokesperson.
"I think it really grew that in me and encouraged me to know that that's something that I can do," he said.
Today, those hard-won skills serve a vital purpose.
"Within my nonprofit, I do have to get up in front of a ton of people, and I do have to speak about a very sensitive subject," Christopher explained. "I think a lot of the skills that I learned and just being in the groups that I was a part of really helped me become a leader."
Purpose & Greatness
Better South Dakota continues Christopher's brother's legacy by breaking the stigma around mental health. For Christopher, greatness means something specific.
"Achieving greatness, I think, is seeing what life could look like for you and not being afraid of reaching for the stars," he said.
Reflecting on his past, Christopher remembers that the obstacles he has overcome remind him that when life knocks you down, there's a bigger reason you need to build that strength to pull yourself back up.
His message is direct: "So get up and figure out what your reason is. And I think that's achieving greatness."
