Seeking Support
Your college years can be among the most exciting and gratifying of your life. At times, however, you may feel significant amounts of stress, confusion, and uncertainty. The staff of Ģ������Ƶ’s Counseling Center understands the emotional pressure that many of our students experience. Concerns that may lead to counseling include:

• Adjustment to college life
• Diversity and inclusion
• Depression and anxiety
• Substance abuse
• Eating disorders
• Gender and sexual identity
• Personal and family crisis
• Relationships
• Relational violence
• Loss and grief
• Academic concerns
• Loneliness

Going Beyond the Stigma
The stigma surrounding mental health often prevents students from seeking the support they need, as they may fear being judged, misunderstood, or seen as weak. This stigma can create barriers to healing and reinforce harmful ideas about vulnerability. However, reaching out for mental health resources should be viewed as a positive and empowering act of self-awareness and strength. Seeking help shows courage and a commitment to personal growth, just as one would seek medical care for a physical illness. When students normalize conversations about mental health and view support as a tool for resilience, it helps create a healthier, more compassionate campus culture.

Identity in Mental Health
Intersections of identity, such as race, gender, sexuality, socioeconomic status, and disability, play a significant role in shaping a student’s mental health and their access to support while in college. Students from marginalized backgrounds may experience additional stressors like discrimination, cultural isolation, or financial hardship, which can compound the typical pressures of college life. These intersecting factors can make it more difficult for some students to feel seen, understood, or adequately supported by traditional mental health services. Therefore, colleges must ensure that their mental health resources are inclusive, culturally competent, and accessible to all students. Ģ������Ƶ State works to ensure a diverse staff, safe spaces, and programs that acknowledge the unique experiences tied to identity can help promote equity in mental health care and foster a more supportive campus environment.

WSU Counseling Center
Students can make appointments in person at Counseling Services located on the third floor of the Student Center, Suite 325.

Appointments may also be made via phone (508-929-8072) or email (counseling_wsu@worcester.edu).

For students needing same-day support, walk-in/triage appointments are available on a daily basis between 10am-12pm and 2pm-4pm. During normal business hours (Monday-Friday 9am-5pm), come to the Counseling Center immediately or contact us via telephone (508-929-8072).

If you need immediate medical assistance or are in imminent danger, contact University Police at 508-929-8911.

After hours and during holidays: Contact the ResilientU 24/7 confidential support line: 833-646-1526 If you need medical assistance, call University Police immediately or off-campus dial 911 for local emergency assistance.

Resilient U and Resources to Use on Your Own
An extension of the Counseling Center, “ResilientU” is an all-encompassing wellness platform that consists of a 24/7/365 support line. Resilient U is free to all matriculated undergraduate & graduate students.

ResilientU, in partnership with Uwill, offers:

• Free 24/7/365 emotional support line at 833-646-1526. (1-984-268-2016 for international support while abroad)
• Wellness Hub with free tutorials on a variety of wellness topics, including fitness, healthy relationships, stress management, time management, and yoga.

On the Go Resources
Ģ������Ƶ State’s Counseling Center has compiled a list of apps that may be helpful to you in managing anxiety, mood and other stressors. These apps can be used in addition to meeting with a counselor, but can also be helpful to those who feel they may not need immediate counseling.

The post Making Change: Mental Health on College Campuses appeared first on Campus Life.

Last week, the campus community was invited to participate in , an event for college campuses that features peer-centered interactive booths focused on educating students on good mental health habits. To encourage good mental health habits for our leaders, we wanted to share a few videos to help you be your best leader!

The post Leadership & Mental Health appeared first on Campus Life.

“A lot of what I learned about myself happened when I was coming of age as a senior in high school. Those moments were the spark that started me investigating to learn more about justice, healing, and self accountability”.

From Chicago, Demitrius then made her way to college, completing her undergraduate work at University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire and her Master of Science in College Student Personnel at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale Campus. Demitrius made her way to the east coast in her first professional role at Clark University, minutes from the Ģ������Ƶ State campus. There she served in a dual role as Resident Director and Multicultural Engagement Coordinator, acting as a liaison between residential life and multicultural affairs. A year and a half later, she brought her experience and passion to Ģ������Ƶ and her role as a Resident Hall Director.

Lessons in Leadership

Reflecting on her leadership journey, Demitrus recalls when she realized the harm that comes with the feel of needing control over what others can do. This understanding lead to a new focus on becoming an agent for change while promoting self authorship and accountability.

“I have started to let go of the very unnecessary and harmful control that, as professionals, we have learned to cultivate over students and student groups. Since I’ve gotten here, I have changed my sense of control and my sense of how I see students as being advocates for themselves, understanding their needs, and how I, as an agent of this institution, how I am able to better advocate for their needs through my sphere of influence and what I can affect.”

Demitirus recalls taking note of a previous supervisor who said it’s important to relinquish control and share the power with your students. She explains its important to take heed of what your students are asking for and what’s in your power to facilitate those requests.

“You aren’t taking over, exerting control over, or having power over. It’s having power with and empowering students to make better decisions about their wellbeing and how they own a space or idea and see it through. If you aren’t sharing information, that’s a form of power; you are disenfranchising others and not setting them up for the success they deserve.”

She defines power as knowledge, resources, (social) capital, and institutional knowledge and history. This notion of sharing power has influenced one of the things she values most as a leader: transparent and explicit communication. 

“As a leader, I believe it is important to be as transparent as I possibly can. Taking information and discussing with students, ‘What does this mean for us’ and ‘what does it mean for you’ and being real about that. Letting them discuss and come to conclusions is so important in being a leader. I feel like it empowers students to make decisions on transparent information we provide to them.”

These values give her the ability to connect with her staff of Resident Assistants. She states that her biggest accomplishment at WSU has been supporting her RA staff, specifically the students of color on her team.

“I am trying to figure how I, in my position, can be a full collaborator and partner with students rather than being a parental figure. These are young adults, who can tell you fully what they want. We just have to believe them when they do.”

Knowing Yourself as a Leader

Demitrius openly and proudly identifies  as someone who comes from a working class/working poor background and a black and brown community. She also identifies as black, queer, disabled and, plus sized.

“How I have come to accept these identities has often gone hand in hand, as I’ve learned more as a leader; my identity has impacted my leadership style. The reason I love transparent and explicit communication is because two years ago I was diagnosed with ADHD and depression. [Through] treatment with my therapist, I now have a support system to help me recognize how my identities and disability plays into how I lead or how I interact with the people I am building working relationships with.”

She describes that ADHD can present challenges to her executive functioning, and if she is not participating in self care and coping strategies it can impact her ability to be an effective leader. 

“My functioning can be out of whack If I am not taking care of myself, getting regular sleep, engaging in coping mechanisms and adhering to activities that center focus. I like to be self aware how these things can negatively impact or harm the team.”

Demitrus emphasizes the importance of using resources provided to you to know yourself better as you go through your leadership journey. Therapy and self reflection are the core pieces of advice she offers to emerging leaders.

“Therapy [is key] because you learn to know yourself with a processing partner… to understand yourself more, how you react and ensuring you can navigate situations in a way that’s productive to your intentions. You should understand yourself. Recognize we are taking in the toxicity in our world and it plays into everyday things. If you aren’t taking advantage of therapy or Counseling Services, you need to. It’s important for how you develop as a leader, and a person who will care for others as a leader.”

Community Work and Goals

Last March, Demitrius presented at the first ever Leadership Symposium. She left an impact on her students following her workshop, where she discussed her work with Ģ������Ƶ Pride. Ģ������Ƶ Pride was an LGBTQ+ organization centered around bringing events and community to worcester. Unfortunately, Ģ������Ƶ Pride has dissolved, but Demitrius is happy to share that the “Ģ������Ƶ Pride remix is under construction.”

Her involvement in Ģ������Ƶ Pride was largely focused on Shades, which was a sub-committee of the organization and provided a space for queer people of color. Shades is working to restructure their organization to focus more on political engagement and social action. Demitrius further discusses how recently coming out brought her to wanting to learn more about her community and lead to her action.

“We are focussing more on how politics here in Ģ������Ƶ effect queer and trans people of color within the Ģ������Ƶ community. I looked for people, communities, and found people I can connect with and people I can learn from.” 

Demitrius looks to bring this experience into her role in Residence Life. She discussed her goal to bring social consciousness and action to Ģ������Ƶ State.

“I would like to integrate more of my experience with justice, workshop facilitation, and development to collaborate more with the professionals [and students] around me, to spread the message of justice, love, and challenging authority, and ways that help you advocate for yourself. That’s what I really value and that is what I’m trying to be a bit more involved in.”

Written by Linzy Martinez, Assistant Director, Office of Student Involvement & Leadership Development

The post Sharing Your Power & Knowing Yourself with Demitrius Evans appeared first on Campus Life.

How do you think you’ve changed as a leader throughout your time at WSU, and what aspects of your experience most influenced this change?

“I think the biggest change I’ve had as a leader was learning more about what being a leader means and the thought and care that goes into that. Going to events like the Leadership Symposium really helped me recognize that there were so many things to learn and improve upon in my role as a leader and that applying the things you learn takes patience, practice, trial and error and commitment to see that change really take place.”

What is the biggest lesson you learned when it comes to leadership?

“The biggest lesson I learned with leadership is that a good leader really isn’t someone who directs other people to do something – I learned that a good leader is someone who instead empowers others to be able to do the things they want to.”

What is your definition of a great leader?

“A great leader is someone who is themselves and inspires others to be themselves too, united in a common goal of some kind, pushing each other to be the best they can be along the way.”

What do you feel is one of the biggest misconceptions of what makes a good leader?

“I feel as though one of the biggest misconceptions of what makes a good leader is probably prior experience. I think a lot of people assume that leaders on campus just have always been so good at what they do and I think it’s important to realize that everybody starts out at square one! Anybody can be a leader if they put their mind to it.”

What would you say was your best experience here at WSU?

“There are too many to count – Many great experiences with friends in Dowden hall, going to Root & Press with friends, going to various events on campus, running at Regionals with the XC team, Fresh Check Day, Campus Clean Up day, CLEWS events, my classes – honestly all these things pale in comparison to a meal at the Pod with my friends though.” 

What was your most meaningful experience while at WSU?

“It’s tough to pick my most meaningful experience at WSU – I’ve certainly had many opportunities to be around people that helped me learn a lot about the world – I’d say that my most meaningful experiences had to be interacting with the men from the Hector Reyes house through the events I did with the CLEWS organization. Hector Reyes house is a rehab home of sorts for men who are recovering addicts. A good portion of these men were previously incarcerated as well. Hearing these men tell their stories and interacting with some of them just really made a big impact on me. Additionally, there was a CLEWS speaker who was a former prostitute who spoke about her struggles and trauma that also was extremely eye-opening to me. Lastly, TWA’s Poetry Slam last spring was also a very meaningful experience to be an observer for.”

What are your current plans for the next few years?

“After undergrad, I’ll probably take a year or so off from school to get a full-time job in the mental health/social work field, and then maybe go to graduate school for school psychology at WSU, or other Masters’ programs like a masters in social work or maybe even social psychology. That’s the plan anyways, maybe I’ll try to do some sort of small travel trip too.”

What advice would you give to students who are just beginning to explore the type of leader, or the type of person, they hope to become?

“I would say that even if trying to figure out who you are or who you want to be seems like a daunting or intimidating task at first, remember to have patience and not to put too much pressure on yourself! I would say just be yourself and focus on trying to do your best at whatever it is you want to do.” 

We want to thank Ben for taking the time to answer our questions!
Interview written by Kristie McNamara, Director, Office of Student Involvement & Leadership Development.

The post Student Spotlight | Ben Morin appeared first on Campus Life.