When a young person decides to change the world, the catalyst is rarely loud. It is usually a quiet moment: a realization, a feeling, a spark that grows slowly until it becomes impossible to ignore. For Alexander Kovarovic, a young New Yorker who spent his formative years growing up in upstate New York, that spark emerged during high school when he began noticing the quiet suffering happening all around him—the same suffering he once battled himself. He was navigating mental health challenges in silence: depression hidden behind a smile, anxiety masked by forced confidence, trauma pushed into the background, and pressures from school and home felt but never voiced. Kovarovic realized that countless young people were trying to survive their hardest moments without adequate support or even a safe space to talk. That realization would eventually grow into the One Life Project, a youth-led mental health nonprofit that is now expanding across several states and redefining what student-centered advocacy looks like across the East Coast.
Alexander Kovarovic, the Founder and now the Senior Executive President of the organization, splits his time between weekends in Amherst, Massachusetts, and weekdays in Niskayuna, New York. Even as the organization grows, he remains deeply connected to the communities that shaped him and the students he seeks to support. Although he founded the One Life Project, the organization was not built alone. Several others played crucial roles in helping transform his vision into a functioning, rapidly expanding nonprofit. Lillian Reynolds of South Deerfield, Massachusetts; Isabella Lambert of Scotia, New York; Aimee Eddy Gross of Erie, Pennsylvania; Emily Richardson of New York, New York; and Katelyn McKenzie of Trenton, New Jersey all contributed to establishing the foundation on which the organization now stands. Today, these individuals serve in executive management positions, helping guide the organization’s strategic direction, programs, and growing regional footprint.
Kovarovic’s personal story remains deeply woven into the identity of the One Life Project. Those who work with him describe a leader shaped not only by vision but by lived experience; a young adult who once faced his own mental health challenges in silence and who now channels that history into meaningful advocacy. His early struggles taught him to recognize the quiet signs others often miss: the forced smile, the withdrawn tone, the exhaustion hidden behind academic pressure. That empathy has become the foundation of his leadership style, which is defined by consistency, emotional awareness, and a genuine ability to connect with young people. Even as the organization expands across multiple states, he remains grounded in the day-to-day work; meeting with students, joining panels, and ensuring OLP’s programs reflect real youth experiences rather than distant assumptions. Those close to the organization often say that his dedication is one of the reasons OLP feels less like a nonprofit and more like a community, because its founder never forgot what it felt like to need one. Outside of the One Life Project, Kovarovic enjoys traveling, sports cars, going to the beach, and visiting new places. With the rest of his time outside his nonprofit work, he creates motivational content on social media and works at a childcare center in Saratoga County, New York, keeping his schedule full.
From the beginning, the One Life Project was designed differently from most mental health nonprofits. Rather than centering adult professionals speaking at young people, OLP is structured so that high school and college students lead the conversations, design the programs, and serve as the primary voice of the movement. More than 82 percent of the organization’s leadership and volunteer base is made up of young people themselves. The philosophy is simple: mental health advocacy is most effective when it is built by the same generation experiencing the struggles being discussed. For teenagers and young adults, hearing guidance from peers who understand their world—its pressures, culture, digital landscape, and identity challenges—carries a level of authenticity that traditional mental health institutions often fail to achieve.
The One Life Project began as a small, local support effort, but the need for youth-led mental health education and safe spaces quickly propelled the organization into something larger. The combination of relatable leadership, accessible programming, and a message grounded in empathy and inclusion resonated with students across multiple states. What started in a 90-square-foot office in Amsterdam, New York, in 2017 soon expanded into neighboring states and further into the Northeast and New England. In just the years since, the organization has developed a multi-state presence across the easternmost part of the United States, with executive offices in Massachusetts, New York, and Florida, alongside volunteer hubs in Pennsylvania, Maine, New Jersey, and West Virginia. The rapid expansion reflects both the demand for youth-centered mental health advocacy and the organization’s unique ability to engage young people where they are.
Despite the geographic diversity of its offices, all locations share a unified mission: to make mental health a visible, accessible, and valued priority in every classroom, community, and culture. The organization focuses on mental health education, suicide prevention, coping skills, healthy relationships, identity support, bullying prevention, and resilience building for youth from elementary school through the college years. Youth leaders develop and lead workshops in schools, engage in peer support initiatives, design digital content, organize community events, and run awareness campaigns tied to national observances such as Mental Health Awareness Month, Suicide Prevention Month, Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and Pride Month.
One of the organization’s most impactful tools is its digital presence. With millions of young people reached through platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube, the One Life Project has built an online community that extends across states and even into other countries. The content is designed to be relatable, supportive, and accessible: short videos offering coping reminders, mental health education, relationship advice, encouragement, and messages of hope. For many young people who may not have access to mental health resources at home or school, these digital posts serve as daily reminders that they are not alone.
This powerful combination of on-the-ground programming and wide-reaching digital impact is one of the reasons the One Life Project has grown so quickly. The organization maintains a strong belief that mental health advocacy must meet young people where they are, not just where adults expect them to be. That means integrating mental health conversations into school life, online spaces, local communities, and youth-led leadership structures. It means recognizing that young people are not passive recipients of support; they are collaborators, contributors, and changemakers. And it means building a culture where asking for help is not considered a weakness but a step toward strength.
The name “One Life” itself reflects the organization’s philosophy. It is not just a slogan—it is a belief that every young person has one life, one story, and one chance to feel valued and supported. The idea is simple but powerful: no young person should ever feel like they are navigating life alone. Whether through workshops, events, social media, or peer leadership, the nonprofit is committed to ensuring that young people have the resources, community, and confidence they need to push through their hardest days and celebrate their brightest ones.
As the One Life Project continues to grow, the organization remains rooted in the principles that shaped its founding. It is powered by young people who understand the struggles their peers face. It is guided by a leadership team—Kovarovic, Reynolds, Lambert, Eddy Gross, Richardson, and McKenzie—who believe in the transformative power of youth voices. And it is sustained by a vision that prioritizes compassion, connection, and action in every community it reaches.
What began with one young New Yorker refusing to let his peers struggle in silence has now become a multi-state movement reshaping mental health advocacy across the Northeast and into the Southeast. As the organization expands its programs, opens new offices, and reaches even more students regionally, the One Life Project continues to stand by its foundational promise: to listen, to show up, and to make sure every young person knows their life matters. Today, the One Life Project is proud to have over 2,000 volunteers with a large base in New York City, where the city holds the organization’s highest volume of volunteers. To learn more or to get help or support, visit projectonelife.org or the Manhattan office at 45 Rockefeller Plaza, Floor 19, New York, New York, 10111.
