I began delivering guest lectures in Introduction to Social Work classes on "Mental Health and Well-Being for College Students" during the 2021-2022 academic year. These workshops were a large success, and I wanted to expand them to more students. Most recently, this workshop was delivered at the Saint Louis University's Student Government Association's annual Leaders of the Pack retreat which included all student organization leaders. The workshop includes mental health education and awareness, peer support training, and self-support skills.
This year's conference revolved around the theme of “Healing Through Art and Movement.” Instructors from local, grassroots organization, Shanti Yoga, presented a chair yoga session for relaxation and body awareness. There were also mehndi stations and rangoli tables to engage participants in cultural artistic practices from South Asia. Finally, SLU Shakti and Xquizit hosted a fusion dance workshop to teach dance styles from the West and South Asia. Over 50 attendees were able to engage in artistic and movement-based practices rooted in South Asian culture to heal as a community!
As the Wellness Chair of the Student Government Association at Saint Louis University, I made it my mission to better advocate for and provide mental health resources for students at Saint Louis University. The Wellness Fair was a joint event between several administrative departments and student organizations to provide information on mental health resources and engaging activities for students to take a well-deserved wellness break before finals. Each department and organization had their own booth that provided information, handed out wellness items, or hosted an activity to spur wellness. Some examples included goat yoga, shaved ice, bracelet making, skin tests, therapy dogs, and care packages for Student Government Association members.
This event was focused on the education of APIDA mental health, practice of wellness activities and techniques, and celebration of APIDA culture. There was a panel discussing the stigma of mental health, the importance of representation, and the presence of maladaptive perfectionism and burnout in the APIDA community. The panelists included Vithya Murugan, PhD and Suma Chand from Saint Louis University and Ami Chiu, MD, MPH and Yujia Lei from Washington University - St. Louis. The event also included multiple wellness and cultural activity booths. The Saint Louis University Filipino Student Association hosted a booth playing cultural games and celebrating Filipino attire. The Saint Louis University Asian American Association hosted a booth for Chinese letter writing and Japanese watercolor paintings. The Saint Louis University School of Medicine Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association hosted a booth featuring trivia on health disparities in the APIDA community. There were also performances from cultural groups from Saint Louis University and Washington University - St. Louis. These groups include SLU Shakti, WashU Saur Taal Laya, SLU Raas, and Washu Bhangra. Over 70 people were able to enjoy this event!