‘I got my life back’: Syracuse’s innovative way of battling suicide makes a difference Updated 7:29 AM; Today 6:00 AM Jared Van Ramshorst plays with his dog, Ben. He was on the verge of suicide while attending Syracuse University as a doctoral student. N. Scott Trimble | syracuse.comN. Scott Trimble | syracuse.com Facebook Share Syracuse, N.Y. — Jared Van Ramshorst used to think every day about killing himself. The 31-year-old college professor, who earned a doctorate in geography from Syracuse University last year, considered suicide a “convenient option” for dealing with his chronic depression and anxiety. “If things got too bad, I had an escape plan I knew would work,” he says.