1. Why are you running for this position?
I am extremely passionate about mental health and wellness! I have personal experience with accessing mental health resources on campus, and I would like to use my perspective to improve the experiences of others at Vic. Additionally, I have worked in leadership positions before and enjoy leading teams to produce results that I am proud of. Vic has become a home for me, so I want to give back to the community; the best way I can think of is by improving our mental wellness culture!
2. What sets you apart from other candidates?
Throughout my time at university so far, I have been involved in a variety of disciplines, extra-curriculars, and hobbies; I have always been interested in many topics in differing areas. For this reason, I believe I have a well-rounded perspective and am ready to apply my open-mindedness to the Mental Wellness Commission at Vic! Furthermore, I believe my strongest quality is my desire to help other students and improve their experience at Vic; this is my motivation for running!
3. Please summarize the main points of your platform.
a. Advocate for the destigmatization of mental health discussions on campus
b. Increase the accessibility of mental wellness programming on campus
c. Ground intersectionality in discussions of mental health
d. Promote mental wellness supports and resources as preventative measures as opposed to last resorts
4. How do you plan on implementing programming and initiatives regarding mental health, within the context of a hybrid school year, with there being students on-campus and off-campus?
Depending on public health regulations, I hope to plan and execute both in-person and online programming! It’s important to me that all resources and supports are available asynchronously online for accessibility, however I also believe that face-to-face activities can be beneficial when safe. So, by working with student spaces on campus and accessible websites online, I hope to provide good-quality programming in a variety of formats to optimize our current hybrid environment!
5. What potential challenges do you see with taking on this role and how would you address them?
One issue that typically occurs when implementing mental wellness programming is poor turnout among students. One way to encourage students to seek out mental health practices is making resources and options available in a variety of different forms. I believe that diversifying the types of supports available to students will increase the turnout of students, particularly those who typically don’t participate in traditional ways. For example, if we offer a yoga workshop, we could also make the the routine available via an online video for those who would like to participate but feel more comfortable in their own space. Additionally, another way of encouraging students to partake in mental wellness programming is by having designated people check in with students personally. For example, we could work with transitional mentors to implement mental wellness programming in their check-ins with their students. This way, students would have a designated person to be their first point of contact for any questions regarding mental wellness and how to access the supports.
6. What will you do if you do not win?
If I don’t win, I’ll get involved in the Mental Wellness Commission in a different role!
