• Mount Ida
• 2 weeks before May 1st
• Shock and disbelief
• Admissions counselor
• What do I do?
• UNE
• 180° rotation
• Emotions
• Transition
• Spark of conversation
• Social cohesion—societal change
• Normalizing the idea of seeking help

My personal story will be reflecting on how college was a big change for me. Two weeks before the May 1st universal college deadline, Mount Ida went bankrupt. My plan of living at home, commuting, and having little-to-no debt did a total 180° rotation. Now I’m living away from home in a new state, living in a shared space, and meeting tons of new people all in addition to having a more rigorous form of academics.

The important story Im going to tell is about my personal experience on understanding how seeking help is okay, no matter if you’re depressed or not. When talking about seeking help, I mean in the form of therapy, counseling, etc. To be clear, I didn’t go to counseling because I was depressed. Therefore, Im going to emphasize the importance of how the spark of a conversation can lead to a whole system/society to create social cohesion. The more people that go to seek help, the more that people talk about it (what they do with their therapist/counselor, along with experiences and techniques). People will begin to realize that this normalizes the idea of seeking help and understanding that asking for help is okay. Developing this form of social cohesion can benefit anyone, no matter your mental state. I believe having this form of a relationship helps make my voice heard and has helped me have a smooth transition into the University.