Vinny Guadagnino, star of the hit MTV reality show “Jersey Shore,” will be talking to the Black Hills State University campus Nov. 7 at 7 p.m. in the Donald E. Young Sports and Fitness Center.

Guadagnino will be talking about the mental health of teenagers and college students. Guadagnino has long suffered from chronic anxiety that manifests itself in feelings of isolation, irritability and helplessness’as well as physical symptoms such as insomnia and panic attacks. As a staunch advocate for promoting mental and emotional health, he advises young adults on how to put their well-being first in his book”Control the Crazy,” published in April 2012. He also tours university campuses around the nation sharing his story with teenagers and college students, providing informative and inspiring advice on emotional health.

In 2009, Guadagnino joined the cast of “Jersey Shore,” a TV show where eight strangers moved into a house together. In this show was a lot of drama, fighting and unhealthy relationships. Guadagnino left the show during the fifth season in Seaside Heights. This was right after the group filmed in Italy, and they had to start another season right away. Guadagnino talked about how this provoked his anxiety and talked about how hard it was for him to be away from his family for that long.

Guadagnino graduated from the City University of New Yorka��Staten Island and was a political aide for State Assemblyman Michael Cusick. Shortly after leaving the show he partnered with the Jed Foundation, a national non-profit organization that aims to protect the emotional health of teenagers and college students.

Guadagnino’s talk is sponsored by the Madeline A. Young Distinguished Speaker Series, which was established in 1986 by a gift endowment from Madeline Younga��a 1924 alumna. Other Madeline Young Speakers have included: former hostage, hostage negotiator and envoy for England’s Archbishop of Canterburya��Terry Waite; actors Felix Justice and Danny Glover; television broadcaster Sam Donaldson; Pulitzer Prize winner Doris Kearns Goodwin; former Polish president Lech Walesa; and chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of South Dakota Jeffrey Viken.

This event is free and open to the public. For more information on the Madeline A. Young Distinguished Speaker Series, contact vice president for University Advancement Steve Meeker at [email protected].