The Mental Health Club meets at 12:30 PM on Fridays. Members emphasize that everyone can participate at any stage of the mental health effort.
Achieving good mental health is an ongoing journey. Even when you are happy and the events surrounding your life are good, it is important to talk to others about your mental health.
“It takes a lot of courage to go and ask for help,” said Zoe Nommer, a first-year student at Manor College. “There are many times when I look back and realize I wasn’t okay and wished I had called someone.”
Nomer recalled suffering from depression during her sophomore year of high school, which led to her failing grades.
“I didn’t drop out on purpose,” she said.
When the COVID pandemic hit later that year, Normar got the help he needed. The social pressures of high school are gone in a virtual environment. She focused on her classes, improved her grades, graduated from high school, and entered college.
“I had an opportunity to prove that I could do more,” Normar said. “I had so much potential that I could reach it if I could just dig into myself.”
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Brittany Sanderson finds that the COVID pandemic is having the opposite effect on mental health. Sanderson had enrolled in his Manor College’s veterinary technology program, but when his classes went virtual, Sanderson’s mental health declined and he struggled with coursework. Sanderson eventually dropped out.
“I thought of myself as a failure,” Sanderson said.
While on vacation, Sanderson asked for help. They realized that their bodies and brains needed rest. After some time away, Sanderson returned to the veterinary technology program for the Fall 2021 term.
When they returned, Sanderson recalled the support he received from the program’s director, Dr. Stephanie Marks.
“I call her the school mom,” Sanderson laughed.
Whether it was checking grades, making sure Sanderson was okay when he was absent, or simply saying hello, Dr. Marks maintained Sanderson’s support throughout the process.
“She was the biggest supporter I had that time for,” Sanderson said. .”
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Nomer and Sanderson eventually met through Manor College’s Mental Health Club. Launched earlier this year, the club has taken the form of a group outreach, with as many as 12 students sharing their journey through the mental health process.
“Earlier this year, I emailed Alison Moots that I wanted to start a club,” Normar said. “I didn’t have the courage in high school, but when I entered Manor, it was a chance to start something new.”
Sanderson adds: I struggled with mental health issues and wanted to share those experiences and help people, not just vent. You never know what to say to help that person . ”
The two say the club’s goal is to break down the stigma surrounding mental health.
“A lot of the work depicts psychosis in bad light, the image of someone in a corner rocking back and forth in a chair or hurting another person,” Normar said. I want people to know that it’s okay.”
They believe that clubs are fun for people at any stage of mental health.
“Everyone goes through something, like, ‘I did badly on a test,’ or ‘My grandmother passed away,'” Sanderson said. “It’s important to come together and be with each other.”
More on Mental Health at Manor College
Counseling service details
Read the Campus Philly Mental Health Resource Guide
Read the Manor College Student Support Resource Guide
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