On Aug. 23, Trinity’s Student Government Association (SGA) funded a historic investment of $100,000 towards student mental wellness. Pushed by President Vanessa Beasley and her office, the Mental Wellness Initiative looks to bring together multiple offices and organizations around campus, representing a full commitment to improving the well-being of students. With goals of enhancing accessibility and tackling preconceived notions regarding mental health, this move aims to utilize a multi-pronged approach to impact every aspect of student life.
“[Student mental wellness] is a topic I know well … and I know what the research says,” Beasley said. “The research says that college-age students in the United States are almost nine times more likely to seek out information about mental health resources from their peers than they are from a clinician or, you know, a professional on campus,”
President Beasley and Danny Nguyen, marketing and communication double-major and SGA president, began initial conversations on the project last spring. From this, Beasley reached out to existing services on campus, such as counseling services and health and wellness, to formulate a plan to improve the resources at Trinity.
After a summer of planning and preparation, the initiative was brought to SGA and put to a vote. Ella Charbonnet, marketing major and junior senator, was the first to speak in support of funding of the plan and began a series of discussions that she described as “emotional and powerful.” This led to a unanimous vote of support for the largest investment in SGA history.
The initiative, which officially began on Sept. 1, has a mix of both digital and physical resources that will be introduced and available to the student body in the coming months. With the objective of breaking the stigma surrounding mental health, resources will also be provided to various groups who may need different forms of support.
The initiative includes an LGBTQ+ focus group and the services of MANUAL, a mental health app specifically designed for the unique needs of men. The app addresses formerly taboo topics within male social circles such as sexual health and mental distress. Matt Stefanko, MANUAL’s CEO, stressed the need for a multi-faceted approach in a college environment.
“The reality is that the needs of young adults require multi-pronged approaches like the one now happening at Trinity University,” Stefanko wrote in an email. “A singular solution will not be enough.”
At the forefront of the programming for this initiative is a two-sided effort focused on students and faculty. On one side, the students in the Active Minds club are receiving increased funding for their events and goals, allowing them to have further outreach. On the other side, Marlaina Widmann, coordinator of student wellness, and Marcy Youngdahl, director of integrated counseling, health and wellness services and campus physician, will direct events and resources from a faculty perspective.
The Active Minds organization has already worked with wellness services in the past, but this increased funding will allow for more events to be held on campus. The organization plans to expand on the educational tabling, social media campaigns, workshops and collaborative school-wide events that they have done in the past, while also leaving avenues for new programs.
As president of Active Minds, Ryann Moos, junior sociology and English double-major, works with others in the organization to create events that appeal to every student. This is part of the challenge that they take on when it comes to what they have planned for the next few months. Despite this, Moos and the rest of Active Minds look forward to meeting the needs of Trinity students.
“Every single student on our campus has their own story and their own defining features that cannot be easily lumped together,” Moos wrote in an email. “I hope this initiative will aid in the process of bringing community-wide wellness to the forefront of our university’s list of priorities, and I cannot wait to see what can be accomplished.”
The Mental Wellness Initiative still has much to be planned for the future, but SGA and the office of the president hope that it is the beginning of a positive turn for student life at Trinity University.
“This [initiative] is a sign of how much people, especially other students, in our Trinity community care about each other,” Beasley said. “Talk to each other, and you will find out where to get help … and also that you are not alone.”
