Wake up, it was the first of the month! How did we welcome the month of May? With pancakes and painting.
Kicking off Mental Health Awareness Month with a treat, counselors from the Personal Growth and Counseling Center (PGCC) gathered in the student center to provide breakfast to students, along with an activity that would cultivate a sense of peace.
“I heard pancakes, and I haven’t had pancakes in a while, so I was like ‘let me try them,’” said first-year transfer student Eduardo Cazarez. With a paintbrush in hand and an empty plate to the side, Cazarez painted a ceramic butterfly. When asked how he practices self-care, Cazarez said, “I always [go] hiking by the library on the trails. Yesterday I saw a coyote.”
Around a dozen students and PGCC members shared laughter and breakfast at the event. Considering the upcoming finals week stressor, this was an opportunity to protect peace and get in the proper mindset to conquer tests, projects or presentations.
“We did this event to offer people an opportunity to rest and relax by focusing on some kind of activity like painting – and making sure you have a good breakfast; those are things that are going to help reduce your stress, especially during this time, coming into finals,” said Meredith Canham-Nelson, a counselor at the PGCC. “We wanted to offer folks an opportunity to take some time for themselves. Just like physical health, mental health is important too.”
The PGCC is a resource center on campus that offers a variety of services such as:
- 24/7 crisis intervention
- Brief individual counseling
- Group counseling
- Educational programs
Funding for the PGCC comes from the tuition of students, which makes it free to any admitted Otter. If you are struggling with mental health and wellness, or if you are trying to educate yourself on the field of mental health care, consider stopping by the PGCC (located in building 80).
PGCC student intern Sarah Shine attended the pancake breakfast, saying, “I love all of [PGCC’s] services, we have amazing outreach, counseling services in general, and we don’t have a waitlist, which is unheard of at most college campuses.” Shine is getting her master’s degree in social work at Cal State Monterey Bay.
“I can really empathize with people, being a student myself and having gone through my undergrad here as well,” said Shine. “I feel like I can really connect people to services, different resources, and feel really relatable.”