UMD Stories in Stickers

Abstract

My individual capstone project, UMD Stories in Stickers, addresses the overall issue of mental health in college students, specifically focusing on academic burnout and pressure to succeed in college. The purpose of this project is to understand how these issues affect students’ emotions and well-being, and to show that many students are also struggling, even though it’s not talked about.

Throughout my project, I will be conducting an interview with 5 UMD students and turning their stories into a short documentary. I’m also creating hand-drawn motivational stickers, and each one will include a QR code that links to the documentary. Through my research, I will be using the interview as a method of creative research as my source, along with other scholarly sources. I learned that art can lower stress, help people express emotions, and give them a sense of control. This is why I wanted to combine real student voices with art. The analysis from the research supports the idea that creative art can help people feel understood and more connected. The intended outcome of my project is to raise awareness about the mental health struggles college students face, share honest experiences, and make a small but meaningful impact in the UMD community.